Benfleet F.C.

Benfleet Football Club is a football club based in Benfleet, Essex, England. They are currently members of the Eastern Counties League Division One South and play at Park Lane in Canvey Island.

Benfleet
Full nameBenfleet Football Club
Founded1922
GroundPark Lane, Canvey Island
Capacity4,100 (500 seated)[1]
ChairmanDave Dady
ManagerStuart Batch
LeagueEastern Counties League Division One South
2019–20Eastern Counties League Division One South (season abandoned)

History

The club was established in 1922,[2] and were initially named Benfleet United. After merging with Parkfields Athletic, they were renamed Benfleet Rangers. The club played in the Southend & District and won the Essex Junior Cup in 1967–68.[3] After winning the league title in 1971–72,[3] the club joined the Essex Olympian League and dropped the Rangers part of the name.[3][4] They were runners-up in their first two seasons in the league. In 1981 the league gained a second division, with Benfleet becoming members of Division One. They were league runners-up again in 1981–82, before the league was renamed the Essex Intermediate League in 1986. The club were subsequently champions and Essex Intermediate Cup winners in 1988–89.[2]

In 1995–96 Benfleet finished second-from-bottom of Division One and were relegated to Division Two. They won the Essex Premier Cup in 2002–03.[2] The league reverted to its original name in 2005, and the club were Division Two champions in 2006–07, earning promotion to the renamed Premier Division.[4] After three seasons in the Premier Division, they were relegated back to Division One at the end of the 2009–10 season. The 2013–14 season ended with them being relegated to Division Two, and the club resigned from the league midway through the following season.

Benfleet then re-entered the Essex Olympian League in Division Three for the 2015–16 season, going on to win the division and secure promotion to Division Two.[4] At the end of the 2017–18 season the club successfully applied to join the new Division One South of the Eastern Counties League, a three division jump.

Ground

The club originally played at the Recreation Ground in Benfleet.[3] When they moved up to the Eastern Counties League, the club began a groundshare at Canvey Island's Park Lane.

Honours
  • Essex Olympian League
    • Champions 1988–89
    • Division Two champions 2006–07
    • Division Three champions 2015–16
    • Senior Cup winners 1983–84[2]
    • Senior Challenge Cup winners 1974–75 (shared), 1982–83, 1984–85, 1989–90 (shared)[2]
    • Denny King Memorial Cup winners 2001–02, 2002–03[2]
  • Southend & District League
    • Champions 1971–72
  • Essex Premier Cup
    • Winners 2002–03
  • Essex Intermediate Cup
    • Winners 1988–89
  • Essex Junior Cup
    • Winners 1967–68

See also
  • Benfleet F.C. players

References
  1. Mike Williams & Tony Williams (2016) Non-League Club Directory 2017, Tony Williams Publications, p318 ISBN 978-1869833695
  2. "History". Benfleet F.C. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  3. Benfleet FC - 20 years of their history Benfleet Community Archive
  4. Benfleet at the Football Club History Database

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