A.F.C. Hornchurch

AFC Hornchurch
Full name Association Football Club Hornchurch
Nickname(s) The Urchins
Founded May 2005
Ground Hornchurch Stadium, Upminster
Ground Capacity 3,500 (800 seated)[1]
Chairman Colin McBride
Manager Jimmy McFarlane
League Isthmian League North Division
2016–17 Isthmian League North Division, 4th of 24

A.F.C. Hornchurch are a football club based in Hornchurch, Greater London, England. The club are currently members of the Isthmian League North Division and play at the Hornchurch Stadium. The club was formed in 2005 as a successor to Hornchurch Football Club.[2]

History

The club was established shortly after Hornchurch were liquidated on 11 May 2005, and were placed in the Essex Senior League (three levels below the Conference South where Hornchurch had been playing) by the Football Association on 19 May.[3] In their first season the club won the league, as well as the League Cup and the Gordon Brasted Memorial Trophy.[4] Promoted to Division One North of the Isthmian League, the club won that division in 2006–07 to earn promotion to the Premier Division.

In 2007–08 AFC Hornchurch finished fourth in the Premier Division, qualifying for the promotion play-offs, in which they were beaten 3–1 by AFC Wimbledon in the semi-finals.[5] The 2008–09 saw the club finish sixth, missing out on the play-offs. They also reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time, losing 1–0 at home to Peterborough United.[2] Although they entered administration in May 2009,[6] the club managed to survive. After a ninth-placed finish in 2009–10 and coming tenth in 2010–11, the club were runners-up in 2011–12, qualifying for the play-offs. Following a 3–1 win over Bury Town in the semi-finals, they defeated Lowestoft Town 2–1 in the final, earning promotion to the Conference South.[2]

Their first season in the Conference South saw them finish 20th, resulting in relegation back to the Isthmian League Premier Division. The 2013–14 resulted in a fifth-placed finish and qualification for the promotion play-offs. In a repeat of the 2011 final, they faced Lowestoft Town following a 1–0 win over Kingstonian in the semi-finals. On this occasion, they lost 3–0 to the Suffolk club.[2] The following season saw them finish 23rd out of 24 clubs in the Premier Division and relegation to Division One North. They finished fifth in 2015–16, again qualifying for the promotion play-offs. After beating Thurrock 2–0 in the semi-final, they were beaten 3–1 by Harlow Town.[7] In 2016–17 a fourth-place finish led to another playoff campaign, with the club losing 1–0 to Thurrock in the semi-finals.

Season-by-season record

Honours

See also

References

  1. ↑ Mike Williams & Tony Williams (2012) Non-League Club Directory 2013, p253 ISBN 978-1-869833-77-0
  2. 1 2 3 4 AFC Hornchurch at the Football Club History Database
  3. ↑ Urchins Go Bust Digger Dagger, 17 May 2005
  4. ↑ History A.F.C. Hornchurch
  5. ↑ 2007-08 Isthmian League Football Club History Database
  6. ↑ Hornchurch enter administration BBC Sport, 19 May 2009
  7. ↑ The rags to riches fairytale as Harlow Town FC seal promotion amid a bright future Harlow Star, 5 May 2016

Coordinates: 51°33′23.57″N 0°14′17.94″E / 51.5565472°N 0.2383167°E / 51.5565472; 0.2383167

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