Maidstone United F.C. (1897)
Encyclopedia
The original Maidstone United was an English
football club that existed from 1897 to 1992. The club played in the Football League Fourth Division
from 1989 until their demise in 1992. During their time in the Football League
Maidstone played their games at Dartford's Watling Street Ground. The club also played in various Amateur leagues and the Southern League
, which was major semi-professional league in southern England until the formation of the Alliance Premier League
(a national league now known as the Conference National) in 1979.
, Athenian and the Isthmian League
. They joined the Southern League
, the major semi-professional league in southern England, in 1971/1972. Their first season as a semi-professional outfit almost brought instant success as the team finished 3rd in the Southern League Division 1 (South) just failing to win promotion behind Waterlooville
and Ramsgate
. Attendances were much improved from the amateur days with local derbies against Tonbridge
and Gravesend & Northfleet
drawing respectable attendances of more than 2000. The following season Maidstone finished top and were promoted to the Southern League Premier Division. They continued to progress and during their 6 year spell in the league they finished in the top 5 on 4 occasions. In 1979 they became founder members of the Alliance Premier League (now the Football Conference
), and won the league title twice, in 1984 and 1989.
At the time of their first championship, Maidstone failed to gain promotion to the Football League
because they lost out in the re-election system that the League employed at the time. By the time Maidstone United won the Conference
again in 1989, automatic promotion and relegation had been introduced. Maidstone thus became members of the Football League Fourth Division
.
In 1988 the Stones left their ground in Maidstone having sold the land on which it stood to MFI. The ground was not considered large enough for League football, so they switched to ground-sharing with Dartford
for their home matches. This caused average attendances to fall from around 2,400 to 1,400.
After a shaky start in their first season in the Fourth Division (1989–90) they reached the promotion play-offs but lost to eventual winners Cambridge United in a dramatic two-leg semi-final which saw Cambridge striker Dion Dublin
score twice in the second period of extra time to seal victory. Their form in the following season went from very good to very poor in a short space of time, which prompted the controversial sacking of manager Keith Peacock
. The next manager was former Blackpool
and Northampton Town
boss Graham Carr
.
and the spending continued now they were there. Running costs were huge and gates dwindled meaning the club's finances spiralled out of control, with large debts being run up. The club then took a massive gamble, and without any kind of planning permission, purchased a piece of land east of Maidstone
for £400,000 with a view to build a ground on it. With a ground in the town the club believed they would be able to afford to continue in the Football League. However, the gamble did not pay off and the planning application to build on the land was turned down by the council.
The entire squad of players were put up for sale to raise cash. During the 1991-92 season, the club was put up for sale. With huge debts, no ground and a poor team, there was little interest, although a consortium from the North East wanted to buy the club, move it to Tyneside and merge it with Newcastle Blue Star F.C.
.
On the football side, Graham Carr
was sacked after a poor run of results at the start of the 1991–92 season, and former manager Bill Williams had little more success in turning the club around, eventually standing down just after the turn of the year. His assistant Clive Walker (not the former Chelsea player) took over, and managed to keep the Stones off the foot of the table. Walker's managerial skills, combined with the efforts of the few capable players left at the club (notably a young Gary Breen
, keeper Iain Hesford
, Bradley Sandemann and Liburd Henry
) saw them through.
There was no threat of relegation in 1991-92 as the Football League
was taking an additional member for 1992–93. They finished 18th of 22 clubs in the Fourth Division (the 23rd club, Aldershot
, had been declared bankrupt and forced to resign from the league on 25 March 1992 after playing 36 games, results of which were declared void).
The 1992-93 season saw the creation of the Premier League from the old First Division, with the Second Division becoming Division One, the Third Division becoming Division Two, and the Fourth Division becoming Division Three. The Stones would be founder members of the new Division Three, but as the new season came closer it looked more and more unlikely that the Stones would be able to play in it as their financial worries showed no sign of easing.
They were due to play their first game of the season away to Scunthorpe United
on 15 August 1992 but by this stage only two players were still registered to the club. They were given until the following Monday to guarantee that they would be able to fulfill their fixtures; unable to come up with the necessary backing, they resigned from the league on 17 August and went into liqudation.
They had been due to contest the Football League Cup
first round against Reading
, with the first leg played on 19 August, and their demise meant that Reading received a bye to the second round.
The collapse of Aldershot and Maidstone meant that the Football League decided to revert to a membership of 92 clubs (70 when excluding the 22 members of the new Premier League) and that its plan for 94 members clubs had to be scrapped.
To date, Maidstone United are the most recent club to be forced out of the Football League due to bankruptcy. A number of former League clubs, including Scarborough
, Halifax Town, Chester City
and Rushden & Diamonds have gone bankrupt and ceased to exist since Maidstone United's demise, but all had dropped into the non-league divisions by the time of their demise, though when Chester City went out of business in March 2010 less than a year had passed since their relegation from the Football League. However, numerous Football League clubs have come very close to suffering the same fate as Maidstone since 1992; these include Wimbledon
, Bradford City
, Crystal Palace
, Sheffield Wednesday
and Portsmouth
. The club were succeeded by the new Maidstone United F.C.
, who are a continuation of the old club.
The new Maidstone kept the same badge. Unlike some clubs, Maidstone have stayed away from 'logo' type badges, instead sticking to tradition with the same club badge being displayed for their whole existence. The badge is the same as the towns coat of arms, except that the town's motto, "Agriculture and Commerce", is replaced with "Maidstone United FC".
ground grading requirements so the club relocated to Dartford's
Watling Street Stadium in 1987, buying it in the process. In an attempt to return to Maidstone, the club's board purchased a piece of land east of the Town in Hollingbourne
. However the council rejected the club's planning application to build on the purchased land, claiming the refusal was down to the site being in a conservation area.
Other records
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 that existed from 1897 to 1992. The club played in the Football League Fourth Division
Football League Fourth Division
The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
from 1989 until their demise in 1992. During their time in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
Maidstone played their games at Dartford's Watling Street Ground. The club also played in various Amateur leagues and the Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
, which was major semi-professional league in southern England until the formation of the Alliance Premier League
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
(a national league now known as the Conference National) in 1979.
History
Maidstone United was formed in 1897 and played in various Amateur leagues such as the CorinthianCorinthian League (football)
The Corinthian League was an English amateur football league in and around London. Formed in 1945 on the resumption of football after World War II, the league began with nine member clubs...
, Athenian and 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...
. They joined the Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
, the major semi-professional league in southern England, in 1971/1972. Their first season as a semi-professional outfit almost brought instant success as the team finished 3rd in the Southern League Division 1 (South) just failing to win promotion behind Waterlooville
Havant & Waterlooville F.C.
Havant & Waterlooville Football Club are an English football club based in Havant, Hampshire. The club formed in 1998 after a merger between Havant Town and Waterlooville, and are currently members of the Conference South. Nicknamed The Hawks, they play at West Leigh Park.-History:In 1998 Havant...
and Ramsgate
Ramsgate F.C.
Ramsgate Football Club are a football team based in Ramsgate, Kent. Having played for many years in the Kent League, they have been promoted for two consecutive seasons and spent the 2006-07 to 2008-09 seasons in the Isthmian League Premier Division....
. Attendances were much improved from the amateur days with local derbies against Tonbridge
Tonbridge Angels F.C.
Tonbridge Angels Football Club is an English football club who play at Longmead Stadium in Tonbridge, Kent, since moving from the Angel Ground in 1980....
and Gravesend & Northfleet
Gravesend & Northfleet F.C.
Ebbsfleet United Football Club is an English professional football team currently playing in the Conference National. The team plays their home matches at Stonebridge Road in Northfleet, Kent. However, the club is now looking to build a new stadium in the Ebbsfleet Valley vicinity in...
drawing respectable attendances of more than 2000. The following season Maidstone finished top and were promoted to the Southern League Premier Division. They continued to progress and during their 6 year spell in the league they finished in the top 5 on 4 occasions. In 1979 they became founder members of the Alliance Premier League (now the Football Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
), and won the league title twice, in 1984 and 1989.
At the time of their first championship, Maidstone failed to gain promotion to the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
because they lost out in the re-election system that the League employed at the time. By the time Maidstone United won the Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
again in 1989, automatic promotion and relegation had been introduced. Maidstone thus became members of the Football League Fourth Division
Football League Fourth Division
The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
.
In 1988 the Stones left their ground in Maidstone having sold the land on which it stood to MFI. The ground was not considered large enough for League football, so they switched to ground-sharing with Dartford
Dartford F.C.
Dartford F.C. are an English football club based in Dartford, Kent. After finishing as champions of the Isthmian League Division One North in the 2007–08 season, they compete in the Isthmian League Premier Division. They finished in 8th position in their first season...
for their home matches. This caused average attendances to fall from around 2,400 to 1,400.
After a shaky start in their first season in the Fourth Division (1989–90) they reached the promotion play-offs but lost to eventual winners Cambridge United in a dramatic two-leg semi-final which saw Cambridge striker Dion Dublin
Dion Dublin
Dion Dublin , is a retired English footballer. He was capped four times for England. Dublin started his career as a centre back with Norwich City, but made his name at Cambridge United as a goal-scoring centre forward. However, in his later years he showed his versatility by becoming an...
score twice in the second period of extra time to seal victory. Their form in the following season went from very good to very poor in a short space of time, which prompted the controversial sacking of manager Keith Peacock
Keith Peacock
Keith Peacock is an English former footballer and manager.-Playing career:Peacock played his entire professional career for Charlton Athletic, making over 500 Football League appearances between 1962 and 1979...
. The next manager was former Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
and Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
boss Graham Carr
Graham Carr
William Graham Carr is an English former professional footballer and football club manager. He is currently Head Scout at Newcastle United.-Club career:...
.
Decline and collapse
By this time, the club were lurching into serious financial problems. They had spent vast amounts getting into the Football LeagueThe Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
and the spending continued now they were there. Running costs were huge and gates dwindled meaning the club's finances spiralled out of control, with large debts being run up. The club then took a massive gamble, and without any kind of planning permission, purchased a piece of land east of Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
for £400,000 with a view to build a ground on it. With a ground in the town the club believed they would be able to afford to continue in the Football League. However, the gamble did not pay off and the planning application to build on the land was turned down by the council.
The entire squad of players were put up for sale to raise cash. During the 1991-92 season, the club was put up for sale. With huge debts, no ground and a poor team, there was little interest, although a consortium from the North East wanted to buy the club, move it to Tyneside and merge it with Newcastle Blue Star F.C.
Newcastle Blue Star F.C.
Newcastle Blue Star F.C. was a football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It was established in 1930 and joined the Wearside League in 1973. In 1978, it won the FA Vase. Having won promotion to the Northern Premier League Premier Division at the end of the 2008/09 season via the...
.
On the football side, Graham Carr
Graham Carr
William Graham Carr is an English former professional footballer and football club manager. He is currently Head Scout at Newcastle United.-Club career:...
was sacked after a poor run of results at the start of the 1991–92 season, and former manager Bill Williams had little more success in turning the club around, eventually standing down just after the turn of the year. His assistant Clive Walker (not the former Chelsea player) took over, and managed to keep the Stones off the foot of the table. Walker's managerial skills, combined with the efforts of the few capable players left at the club (notably a young Gary Breen
Gary Breen
Gary Patrick Breen is an Irish footballer who made more than 500 appearances in the Football League and Premier League. He played for numerous clubs over a 20-year career, including more than 100 appearances each for Coventry City and Sunderland...
, keeper Iain Hesford
Iain Hesford
Iain Hesford is an English footballer. He played as a goalkeeper for teams including Blackpool, Eastern, Sunderland and South China.-Early career:...
, Bradley Sandemann and Liburd Henry
Liburd Henry
Liburd Algernon Henry is a former professional association football player. He played for Halifax Town, Watford, Maidstone United, Gillingham, Dover Athletic and Peterborough United between 1988 and 1995.-References:...
) saw them through.
There was no threat of relegation in 1991-92 as the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
was taking an additional member for 1992–93. They finished 18th of 22 clubs in the Fourth Division (the 23rd club, Aldershot
Aldershot F.C.
Aldershot Football Club was an English Football League club, which was wound up in the High Court in March 1992. They became the first Football League club since Accrington Stanley to resign from the League during the course of a season. The club was nicknamed the Shots for both the last syllable...
, had been declared bankrupt and forced to resign from the league on 25 March 1992 after playing 36 games, results of which were declared void).
The 1992-93 season saw the creation of the Premier League from the old First Division, with the Second Division becoming Division One, the Third Division becoming Division Two, and the Fourth Division becoming Division Three. The Stones would be founder members of the new Division Three, but as the new season came closer it looked more and more unlikely that the Stones would be able to play in it as their financial worries showed no sign of easing.
They were due to play their first game of the season away to Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....
on 15 August 1992 but by this stage only two players were still registered to the club. They were given until the following Monday to guarantee that they would be able to fulfill their fixtures; unable to come up with the necessary backing, they resigned from the league on 17 August and went into liqudation.
They had been due to contest the Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
first round against Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
, with the first leg played on 19 August, and their demise meant that Reading received a bye to the second round.
The collapse of Aldershot and Maidstone meant that the Football League decided to revert to a membership of 92 clubs (70 when excluding the 22 members of the new Premier League) and that its plan for 94 members clubs had to be scrapped.
To date, Maidstone United are the most recent club to be forced out of the Football League due to bankruptcy. A number of former League clubs, including Scarborough
Scarborough F.C.
Scarborough Football Club was an English football club based in the seaside resort of Scarborough, North Yorkshire. They were one of the oldest football clubs in England, formed in 1879, before they were wound up on 20 June 2007, with debts of £2.5 million.In the 2006–07 season...
, Halifax Town, Chester City
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
and Rushden & Diamonds have gone bankrupt and ceased to exist since Maidstone United's demise, but all had dropped into the non-league divisions by the time of their demise, though when Chester City went out of business in March 2010 less than a year had passed since their relegation from the Football League. However, numerous Football League clubs have come very close to suffering the same fate as Maidstone since 1992; these include Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
, Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
, Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
, Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
and Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
. The club were succeeded by the new Maidstone United F.C.
Maidstone United F.C.
Maidstone United Football Club is an English football team from Maidstone, Kent.The current club is a continuation of the old Maidstone United, which was a member of the Football League between 1989 and 1992. The club was forced out of the league by financial ruin but the youth squad formed the...
, who are a continuation of the old club.
Colours and Badge
Since the formation of Maidstone United the club's main colours have been amber and black. Records show that the club's first home kit consisted of an amber and black striped shirt with white shorts, however between 1922 and 1955 the kit was changed to amber shirts with black shorts . From 1970-1973, Maidstone adopted an all white home kit, but returned to their traditional amber and black colours after this time. All white became the club's traditional away kit, although the club also had purple and blue away shirts over the years.The new Maidstone kept the same badge. Unlike some clubs, Maidstone have stayed away from 'logo' type badges, instead sticking to tradition with the same club badge being displayed for their whole existence. The badge is the same as the towns coat of arms, except that the town's motto, "Agriculture and Commerce", is replaced with "Maidstone United FC".
Stadiums
The original Maidstone United played at the Athletic Ground on London Road (now MFI). However, London Road did not come up to Football LeagueThe Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
ground grading requirements so the club relocated to Dartford's
Dartford F.C.
Dartford F.C. are an English football club based in Dartford, Kent. After finishing as champions of the Isthmian League Division One North in the 2007–08 season, they compete in the Isthmian League Premier Division. They finished in 8th position in their first season...
Watling Street Stadium in 1987, buying it in the process. In an attempt to return to Maidstone, the club's board purchased a piece of land east of the Town in Hollingbourne
Hollingbourne
Hollingbourne is a village and civil parish in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. The parish is located on the southward slope of the North Downs to the east of the county town, Maidstone. The parish population is almost 1000 persons and includes Hollingbourne village as well as Broad...
. However the council rejected the club's planning application to build on the purchased land, claiming the refusal was down to the site being in a conservation area.
| Years | Ground |
|---|---|
| 1898-1988 | Athletic Ground, London Road |
| 1988–1992 | Watling Street (Groundshare with Dartford Dartford F.C. Dartford F.C. are an English football club based in Dartford, Kent. After finishing as champions of the Isthmian League Division One North in the 2007–08 season, they compete in the Isthmian League Premier Division. They finished in 8th position in their first season... ) |
Notable players
- Jimmy McMullanJimmy McMullanJimmy McMullan was a Scottish football player and manager. McMullan won 16 Scotland caps as a player at half-back and was part of the famous "Wembley Wizards" side of 1928.-Early life:...
- joined Maidstone from the Scottish leagues and went on to sign for Manchester City. He also managed Aston Villa and Sheffield Wednesday. - David Sadler - born in YaldingYaldingYalding is a village and part of Yalding civil parish in the Maidstone District of Kent, England.The village is situated six miles south-west of Maidstone at a point where the Rivers Teise and Beult join the River Medway....
and attended Maidstone Technical School (now Oakwood GrammarOakwood Park Grammar SchoolOakwood Park Grammar School is a boys foundation grammar school located in Maidstone, United Kingdom. The school is co-educational in the sixth form . The school takes boys at the age of 11 and over by examination and boys and girls at 16+ on their GCSE results. It is a mathematics and computing...
), he started his career at Maidstone before going on to win the League title and a European Cup medal with Manchester UnitedManchester United F.C.Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
in 1968. Capped 4 times for EnglandEngland national football teamThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
as a centre half. - Warren BartonWarren BartonWarren Dean Barton is a former English football player and a TV Pundit for Fox Soccer Channel.-Club career:...
- pacey full-back who in 1990 was sold to top-flight WimbledonWimbledon F.C.Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
for a club record £300,000. In 1995, following a call up to the England national team, he was sold to Newcastle UnitedNewcastle United F.C.Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
for £4,000,000. - Mark BeeneyMark BeeneyMark Beeney is a retired English football goalkeeper and currently the Goalkeeping Coach for Chelsea's Reserve and Youth teams.-Playing career:...
- goalkeeper who represented GillinghamGillingham F.C.Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
, Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton & Hove Albion F.C.Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
and Leeds UnitedLeeds United A.F.C.Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
. - Roy HodgsonRoy HodgsonRoy Hodgson is a former English footballer and current head coach of West Bromwich Albion.Hodgson, who has managed sixteen different teams in eight countries, guided the Switzerland national team to the last 16 of the 1994 World Cup and qualification for Euro 1996; Switzerland had not qualified...
- former manager of LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, Bristol CityBristol City F.C.Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
, Blackburn RoversBlackburn Rovers F.C.Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
, Malmö FFMalmö FFMalmö Fotbollförening, also known simply as Malmö FF, are a Swedish professional football club based in Malmö. The club is affiliated with Skånes Fotbollförbund and play their home games at Swedbank Stadion. The club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, are sky blue and white...
, Inter Milan, Viking F.K.Viking F.K.Viking Fotballklubb is a Norwegian football club from the city of Stavanger. The club was founded in 1899 as football was becoming increasingly popular...
, FulhamFulham F.C.Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
and the FinlandFinland national football teamThe Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
and SwitzerlandSwitzerland national football teamThe Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
national teams. - Glen Coupland - centre-forward who also represented Charlton AthleticCharlton Athletic F.C.Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
, DartfordDartford F.C.Dartford F.C. are an English football club based in Dartford, Kent. After finishing as champions of the Isthmian League Division One North in the 2007–08 season, they compete in the Isthmian League Premier Division. They finished in 8th position in their first season...
and Dover AthleticDover Athletic F.C.Dover Athletic Football Club is an association football team based in the town of Dover, Kent, England. The club was formed in 1983 after the dissolution of the town's previous club, Dover, whose place in the Southern League was taken by the new club...
. In a famous 1975 F.A.Cup 1st round replay, Maidstone United defeated Colchester UnitedColchester United F.C.Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910....
4-1, with two goals from Glen Coupland. - Peter TaylorPeter John TaylorPeter John Taylor is an English football manager and former player and current head coach of the Bahrain national football team...
- former Southend UnitedSouthend United F.C.Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
, Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace F.C.Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
, Tottenham HotspurTottenham Hotspur F.C.Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
, Leyton OrientLeyton Orient F.C.Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
, Oldham AthleticOldham Athletic A.F.C.Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...
and EnglandEngland national football teamThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
winger who has managed several clubs, including Hull CityHull City A.F.C.Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
. - Gary BreenGary BreenGary Patrick Breen is an Irish footballer who made more than 500 appearances in the Football League and Premier League. He played for numerous clubs over a 20-year career, including more than 100 appearances each for Coventry City and Sunderland...
- played for Coventry CityCoventry City F.C.Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
, West Ham UnitedWest 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...
& Sunderland, currently plays for Wolverhampton WanderersWolverhampton Wanderers F.C.Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
. International for the Republic of IrelandRepublic of Ireland national football teamThe Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
, scored in the 2002 World Cup2002 FIFA World CupThe 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
against Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia national football teamSaudi Arabia national football team is the national team of Saudi Arabia and is controlled by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation...
in a 3-0 win. - Chris Kinnear - Former MargateMargate F.C.Margate Football Club is an English football team based in the seaside resort of Margate, Kent, currently playing in the Isthmian League Premier Division. The club was known for a number of years during the 1980s as Thanet United....
manager who successfully got them promoted up to ConferenceFootball ConferenceThe Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
level before financial trouble saw them face successive relegation, eventually leading to his suspension. - Bobby HoughtonBobby HoughtonRobert Douglas Houghton , commonly known as either Bob Houghton or Bobby Houghton, is an English football manager and former player, Houghton was most recently the head coach of India. His career has spanned over 30 years and 10 different countries...
- Maidstone's player/coach in their first professional season in the Southern League Div 1 South (1971/72). Houghton later managed Malmö FFMalmö FFMalmö Fotbollförening, also known simply as Malmö FF, are a Swedish professional football club based in Malmö. The club is affiliated with Skånes Fotbollförbund and play their home games at Swedbank Stadion. The club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, are sky blue and white...
to the Swedish title and a European Cup final appearance against Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest F.C.Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
. Houghton (along with Roy HodgsonRoy HodgsonRoy Hodgson is a former English footballer and current head coach of West Bromwich Albion.Hodgson, who has managed sixteen different teams in eight countries, guided the Switzerland national team to the last 16 of the 1994 World Cup and qualification for Euro 1996; Switzerland had not qualified...
) is widely regarded as being responsible for the transformation of Swedish football. - Geoffrey Hunt - 5 time England cap who finished his career with the Stones in the late 1950s having had spells with ChelseaChelsea F.C.Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
, Ipswich TownIpswich Town F.C.Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
and OrientLeyton Orient F.C.Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
before dropping to non-league.
Honours
- Football ConferenceFootball ConferenceThe Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
(known as Alliance Premier League before 1986)- Champions (2): 1983-84, 1988–89
- Runners-Up (1): 1982-83
- Challenge Shield Winners (1): 1989-90
- Southern LeagueSouthern Football LeagueThe Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
- First Division South Champions (1): 1972-73
- Athenian LeagueAthenian LeagueThe Athenian League was an English amateur football league for clubs in and around London. The league was formed in 1912 with ten clubs, but had to close down in 1914 due to the onset of World War I. When it reformed in 1920, only three of the previous teams rejoined...
- Runners-Up (1): 1957-58
- Corinthian LeagueCorinthian League (football)The Corinthian League was an English amateur football league in and around London. Formed in 1945 on the resumption of football after World War II, the league began with nine member clubs...
- Champions (1): 1955-56
- Memorial Shield Winners (1): 1955-56
- Kent LeagueKent LeagueThe Kent League is an English football league for teams based in Kent and south east London, which was established in 1966. It was also the name of a similar league which existed from 1894 until 1959.-History:...
- Champions (3): 1898-99, 1899–1900, 1900–01
- Division One
- Champions (2): 1921-22, 1922–23
- Runners-Up (3): 1897-98, 1919–20, 1920–21
- Kent Amateur League
- Champions (1): 1978-79
- Cup Winners (2): 1978-79, 1979–80
- East Kent League
- Division One Champions (2): 1897-98, 1898–99
- Thames & Medway Combination
- Winners (5): 1905-06, 1906–07, 1912–13, 1920–21, 1921–22
- Runners-Up (6): 1901-02, 1903–04, 1911–12, 1919–20, 1922–23, 1955–56
- Section B Winners (1): 1910-11
- Essex & Herts Border Combination
- Champions (2): 1983-84, 1986–87
- Cup Winners (1): 1983-84
- Sportsmanship Shield Winners (1): 1986-87
- Eastern Floodlight League
- Winners (1): 1976-77
- S. Thames Section Winners (1): 1975-76
- Kent Senior CupKent Senior CupThe Kent Senior Cup is an English football competition played between senior clubs in the county of Kent. It is administered by the Kent County Football Association.-History:...
- Winners (12): 1906-07, 1908–09, 1912–13, 1913–14, 1919–20, 1921–22, 1922–23, 1965–66, 1975–76, 1978–79, 1981–82, 1989–90
- Runners-Up (11): 1898-99, 1900–01, 1920–21, 1963–64, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1977–78, 1979–80, 1983–84, 1986–87, 1987–88
- Kent Senior Shield
- Runners-Up (2): 1919-20, 1921–22
- Kent Intermediate Cup
- Runners-Up (1): 1986-87
- Kent Amateur Cup
- Winners (3): 1955-56, 1960–61, 1961–62
- Runners-Up (4): 1947-48, 1953–54, 1956–57, 1964–65
- Kent Floodlight Cup
- Winners (1): 1972-73
- Runners-Up (1): 1968-69
- Kent Floodlight Trophy
- Winners (2): 1976-77, 1977–78
- Kent Victory Cup
- Runners-Up (1): 1919-20
- Kent Messenger Trophy
- Winners (1): 1973-74
- Runners-Up (1): 1974-75
- B&W Champions Cup
- Winners (1): 1987-88
- Bob Lord Trophy
- Runners-Up (1): 1984-85
- F. Budden Trophy
- Winners (1): 1984-85
- Eastern Pro-Floodlight Cup
- Runners-Up (1): 1979-80
- Stutchbury Fuels Challenge Cup
- Winners (1): 1986-87
- West Kent Challenge Cup
- Winners (1): 1979-80
- Runners-Up (1): 1982-83
- Anglo-Dutch Jubilee Cup
- Winners (1): 1977-78
- Bromley Hospital Cup
- Winners (1): 1961-62
- Chatham Charity Cup
- Runners-Up (2): 1920-21, 1921–22
Records
League positions/cup runs- FA CupFA CupThe 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...
best run - 3rd Round (replay) - 1978/79 - FA TrophyFA TrophyThe Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams...
best run - Quarter final (replay) - 1986/87 - Best league position - Football League Fourth DivisionFootball League Fourth DivisionThe Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
- 5th - 1989/90
Other records
- Most appearances - Fred Baker 383
- Highest transfer fee received - Warren BartonWarren BartonWarren Dean Barton is a former English football player and a TV Pundit for Fox Soccer Channel.-Club career:...
(£300,000)