A.F.C. Hornchurch
Encyclopedia
AFC Hornchurch are an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 football club based in Hornchurch
Hornchurch
Hornchurch is a large suburban town in England, and part of the London Borough of Havering. Hornchurch is in North-East London .It is located east-northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan. It comprises a number of shopping...

, Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...

. The club are currently members of the Isthmian League
Isthmian League
The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. It is sponsored by Ryman, and therefore officially known as the Ryman League. It was founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area...

 Premier Division and play at the Hornchurch Stadium
Hornchurch Stadium
Hornchurch Stadium is located on Bridge Avenue in Upminster in the London Borough of Havering, east London, England.It was opened in 1956 by Hornchurch Urban District Council and is home to A.F.C...

.

The club was formed in 2005 after Hornchurch Football Club
Hornchurch F.C.
Hornchurch F.C. were an non-League football club based in east London. They played in the Conference South, after being promoted from the Isthmian League....

 suffered financial problems and was closed down. The new club joined the Essex Senior League
Essex Senior Football League
The Essex Senior Football League is an English football league covering Essex, northeast Greater London and the eastern part of Hertfordshire. It is a feeder to Division One North of Isthmian League and has a single division which sits at step 5 of the National League System.There is no automatic...

, an English football league covering Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...

 and east London, during the 2005–06 season, where they were champions at the first attempt, and followed this up by winning the Isthmian League
Isthmian League
The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. It is sponsored by Ryman, and therefore officially known as the Ryman League. It was founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area...

 Division One North title in 2006–07.

Club history

AFC Hornchurch began their life in the Essex Senior League. The new club proved to be highly successful on the pitch embarking on an unbeaten run from the second game of the season through to the start of December. The Urchins recorded a record attendance for the league when 702 fans attended Bridge Avenue to watch the derby
Local derby
In many countries the term local derby, or simply just derby means a sporting fixture between two, generally local, rivals, particularly in association football...

 match with Romford
Romford F.C.
Romford F.C. is an English football club based in Romford, Greater London. The club are currently members of Division One North of the Isthmian League, and play at Mill Field in Aveley.-History:...

 which Hornchurch won 3-0. The club went on to win the league, with six games to spare, finishing with a league record of 78 points. Hornchurch completed a treble by winning both the Gordon Brasted Memorial Trophy and the Westview Essex Senior League Challenge Cup. The season was tarnished for the club somewhat by the death of Club President and founder, Jim Bradshaw, in February 2006. Prior to the new club's formation Bradshaw had been at Hornchurch since 1971.

They reached the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

 in season 2007-08. In 2008-09 they improved on this by reaching the first round, when they were drawn at home to Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...

. This match attracted a strong crowd of 3000.

Fans

In the first two seasons before promotion to the Isthmian Premier, AFC Hornchurch achieved the highest average gates in their league. They attracted a crowd of over 1000 for a match against Welling United
Welling United F.C.
Welling United Football Club are an English football club, based in Welling in the London Borough of Bexley. They currently play in the Conference South. The 2010–11 season was not a good one for them as the club had financial problems, nearly going bankrupt but lots of supporters chipped in and...

 in the latter stages of qualifying for the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

 in 2006-07. A pre-season friendly against West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...

 in 2005-06 attracted an attendance of 911. AFC Hornchurch last season achieved an average home league attendance of 330. Some sections of the fans create an unofficial fanzine called The Eastside which is released every month for £1 and raises funds for the AFCHSA (AFC Hornchurch Supporters Association).

Rivals

AFC Hornchurch have a number of rivals, including Dagenham and Redbridge, Grays Athletic
Grays Athletic F.C.
Grays Athletic Football Club is an English football club currently based in Corringham, Essex after leaving the New Recreation Ground in Grays at the end of the 2009–10 season...

, Canvey Island
Canvey Island F.C.
Canvey Island F.C, known as the Gulls or Yellow Army, are an English football club founded in 1926 that play in the Isthmian League Premier Division....

 and Romford
Romford F.C.
Romford F.C. is an English football club based in Romford, Greater London. The club are currently members of Division One North of the Isthmian League, and play at Mill Field in Aveley.-History:...

. Currently the main rivalry is with Canvey Island
Canvey Island F.C.
Canvey Island F.C, known as the Gulls or Yellow Army, are an English football club founded in 1926 that play in the Isthmian League Premier Division....

 and the two clubs have played each other a number of times in the last three seasons. The rivalry with Grays Athletic
Grays Athletic F.C.
Grays Athletic Football Club is an English football club currently based in Corringham, Essex after leaving the New Recreation Ground in Grays at the end of the 2009–10 season...

 stems from the two meetings in the newly formed Conference South
Conference South
Conference South is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National...

 in season 2004-05 before the formation of AFC Hornchurch. A number of players transferred to Grays Athletic
Grays Athletic F.C.
Grays Athletic Football Club is an English football club currently based in Corringham, Essex after leaving the New Recreation Ground in Grays at the end of the 2009–10 season...

 prior to the home league match, which formed the fierce rivalry between the two clubs that still remains.

Stadium

AFC Hornchurch play at Hornchurch Stadium
Hornchurch Stadium
Hornchurch Stadium is located on Bridge Avenue in Upminster in the London Borough of Havering, east London, England.It was opened in 1956 by Hornchurch Urban District Council and is home to A.F.C...

, Bridge Avenue, Upminster - also home to an athletics club. The stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...

 has two stands, the River Side and the East Side. In addition to this, during the 2008-09 season when AFC Hornchurch reached the first round of the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

, a temporary stand was erected at the end nearest the clubhouse.

Honours

  • Isthmian League
    • Division One North Champions 2006-07
  • Essex Senior League
    • Champions 2005-06
    • Challenge Cup Winners 2006
  • Gordon Brasted Trophy
    • Winners 2006
  • Essex Senior Cup
    • Winners 2007

Current squad


External links

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