CCFC History

• Club History

• City's Grounds

• City Timeline

• Former Claret Managers

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Club History

Football, like life, is full of ups and downs and nowhere is this more evident than in the history of Chelmsford City Football Club. In under thirty short years the famous non league club went from Southern League champions, playing in front of crowds in excess of 16,000 in the third round of the FA Cup to a less desirable position – homeless and on the verge of going out of business. They say a football club's heartbeat is the fans, this statement is remarkably true when describing the roller coaster ride that City have been on since 1997.

Anyone of a certain age will have seen Chelmsford compete against sides that have progressed to league football – Oxford Utd, Colchester, Gillingham, Wimbledon & Cambridge Utd among others. Other younger fans will still have seen City line up against sides such as Rushden & Cheltenham that also progressed to the Football League. City unfortunately have never progressed to the dizzy heights of the national leagues, this was not for the want of trying as a succession of Chairmen went after this dream.

Unlike the pyramid system that exists in football today the only way of promotion in the earlier part of City’s history was by election to the league. This system was unkind on City as they were beaten time after time by clubs that either boasted larger gates or more headline exploding cup runs. City were excluded from applying for election during a period when the club was in its prime a time when City boasted a team, stadium & assets that were the envy of every non league club, and many league clubs as well.

Due to a loophole in Football League law transfer listed players could leave for free to a non league team matching their current wages. This loophole was exploited by every non league side capable of funding such a move, this backfired on City however when Wolves complained to the Football League after City signed Bobby Mason in 1962. The league sided with Wolves and City were banned from applying for election for five long years.

Professional football kicked off in Chelmsford in 1938, however football in the amateur form had been played in the town since 1878, with the old amateur team playing at a host of venues before settling in at New Writtle Street in 1922. The inaugural season of professional football in the town also saw the most successful run in the FA Cup to date with the team reaching the 4^th round. A crowd of 44,154 saw City lose to Birmingham 6-0, however the people of Chelmsford had seen enough  to be proud in the earlier rounds where both Darlington & Southampton among others were seen off. A league finish of 10^th was also achieved in this first season.

World War II then caused a break in competitions up until 1945/46, a season that saw City lift the Southern League & League Cup competitions. Football was now in a post war boom period, it was during this period that a footballer many regard to be the finest ever player to pull on a City shirt also became the first player to command a transfer fee. £2,000 was spent on Frank Soo in 1948/49 bringing him into an already star studded line up.  This decade also saw the NWS record attendance when 16,807 crammed into the ground to see City draw with local rivals Colchester United.

The 50s saw an end to this boom, gates dropped and with it the success. The winning of the Essex Professional Cup in 1957/58 was the only shining light of the decade. It was during this decade that the first signs of financial problems became apparent, something that the club was never to fully shake off for the rest of its history at New Writtle Street.

The 60s started with a bang when in 1960 City lifted the League Cup for the second time in it's short history. It was during this period that the club was in its peak of powers, seen as the ‘Bank of England Club’ by many due to the money pumped into the club by ambitious chairman John Coward. He had a master plan, which was simple in its goal – league football. Like many football clubs have experienced since, money doesn’t always guarantee success, or in this case league football. Plans were drawn up to rebuild NWS to become a stadium for the whole town and one of envy to local league teams, however this like many other plans in the future was a non starter. Work on the ground during the decade, aside from any planned redevelopment left the stadium at its peak. The FA Cup proved to be fruitful yet again when the club reached the 2^nd round in 1967/68, losing to Colchester United, but knocking out Oxford Utd on the way.

The 70s like the decade it followed began with a bang, the club reached the semi final of a new competition designed to be the FA Cup for Non League sides – The FA Trophy. It was during this time that the club merged with a successful local side – Brentwood Town FC. It was hoped that a combination of knowledge and power from both sides would held the push for league football. Success was immediate as the Southern League title was won in 1971/72 and followed the following season by a glamour 3^rd round FA Cup tie against Ipswich Town. 15,557 fans squeezed into NWS to see City go down with a fight 3-1. During this season City hired a PR company to boost their reputation and chances of election to the league. Financial problems then took a hold of the club for the rest of the decade greatly affecting the on field performances. Despite these problems the club still found two famous faces pulling on the City shirt before the end of the decade – a young Nigel Spink and a not so young Jimmy Greaves.

The end of the decade saw a reverse of the earlier fortunes with the club suffering its first relegation when it lost its Premier Division status in 1976/77. With the 80s fast approaching the heady days of bumper crowds and election campaigns were a distant memory.

With a reorganisation of the non leagues City found themselves back in the Premier Division in 1982/83 and a finish of 4^th was well earned. The 2^nd round of the FA Cup was also reached in two out of the next three seasons as City strived to regain their place in the top division of Non League football, now branded the Alliance League. 1985/86 saw a second place finish in the Southern Premier, so close but so far away from that top division goal. This was to be the highlight of the decade in terms of league finishes as once again in 1987/88 City slipped into the second rung of Southern Division football. All was not lost when the following season City swept everyone aside to race to the Southern League Southern Division Title, amassing over one hundred goals including an 8-0 victory over Erith & a 9-0 victory over Ruislip.  The following season plans were unveiled to redevelop NWS, demolition work on the famous barn took place unfortunately planning permission was not sort for the redevelopment and another major scheme was brushed under the CCFC carpet.

The 90s became the most infamous decade in CCFC’s history. The decade started well with the lifting of the League Cup in 1990/91. However this was one of few highlights in a decade that saw the club become homeless and forced to share with Billericay & Maldon. The summer of 94 saw Trevor Wright and his board rip the club away from the jaws of obscurity and put the club back on the rails – with one storm cloud floating above its head, the ownership, or lack of, of NWS. This lack of ownership was to result in the club being evicted from NWS after the first home game of 1997/98, a season that also saw them return to the second tier of the Southern League. Maldon Town was the destination for the first half of the season, Maldon had just moved into a new stadium on the promenade and many City fans would be forgiven for thinking that it was in fact on the promenade in Iceland such were the temperatures in winter.

A disagreement between the two boards left City again without a ground to call ‘home’ however thankfully Billericay Town offered City the chance to share at their ground – New Lodge. This was not without event however when in 1997/98 City finish 2^nd in the Southern League Southern Division, only to be denied promotion by a technicality that saw their landlords gain promotion untested in the Ryman League.

Two major planning applications were put forward during the clubs exile from the town, one at Sandon in conjunction with a leisure facility the other at Beaulieu Park. Both of these applications didn’t get beyond the drawing board and City fans were left to wonder if they would ever return to the Borough.

City finally gained promotion in the new Millennium when New Lodge was given an A grade listing by the Southern League, this alongside a 2^nd place finish meant Premier Division football finally beckoned again for the Clarets.  A switch to Ryman League football in 2004/05 brought more local derbies and a road home. Chelmsford Borough Council had agreed, pending the club gaining the necessary funding and improving the site that City could come home to play at the Athletics Stadium at Melbourne Park. This was finally payback for the fans, board and most of all the unpaid volunteers that had kept the club running when most would have folded. So in January 2006 City finally came back to the borough and an absence of over 8 years was forgotten when an opening day crowd of 2,998 saw the famous claret shirts run out in the Borough.

Finally the club can look to the future, the major worry of finding a home is over and the club go looking to complete something that it missed out on time and again in its heyday – promotion to the Football League.

Grounds

A football stadium often reflects the state of a club both on and off the field. Nowhere has this been more evident than in the history of Chelmsford City, and the four grounds it’s called home. For many of us aged under thirty we have little or no recollection of the big crowds that City used to pull in at New Writtle Street (NWS), nor will we ever sample the electric atmosphere of the Monday nights under floodlights during the 60s and 70s. Aside from one 2,000 plus crowd in a 90s FA Cup replay v VS Rugby, the decade that saw the decline of the famous stadium also mirrored the 80s in failing to bring the crowds and success back to NWS.

With the birth of professional football in the town in 1938, a revamped NWS was unveiled to the fans. NWS had been used by the club during its amateur days along with fields that are now Marconi’s in New Street and the Meadows shopping centre off the High Street. Huge crowds turned out for the early years at NWS. It was during these early days that the record attendance figure for a game at NWS was set, a crowd of 16,807 crammed into NWS to see City take on local rivals Colchester Utd. Most clubs at the Ryman level would kill for that as a season total now!

NWS, in its prime, mirrored the team that trod its turf, they were both well turned out and ready for league football. The ground like the club was the envy of every other non league club, and lower league clubs too. During the 50s and 60s the club had developed NWS to such an extent that it now had covering on three sides of the ground, a stand that held 1,500, floodlights and a social club. During this time crowds of 4,000 plus were the norm, cup ties and games against rivals such as Colchester and Romford saw crowds of up to 9,000.

It was during this boom time that the first sounds were being made regarding redevelopment of the NWS site. The plans, over the years included building a stadium that included office space, squash courts, a swimming pool – all looking good on paper but never coming to any fruition. The majority of these plans involved turning the pitch round 90 degrees to make best use of the site, this of course in the late 80s saw the beginning of the end of NWS.

The early 70s saw the crowds and the silverware return to NWS, another decent FA Cup run saw the club pull in 15,557 for a 3^rd round tie against Ipswich Town. This was the last time the ground would see a crowd of this magnitude as the ground like the crowds deteriorated well into the 80s. The little money that was available during this period saw new floodlights erected in the early 80s and a brief upturn in fortunes on the playing front soon after.

The ground was now in need of major work, part of the barn roof was ripped off in the storm of 87, this was followed by the total demolition of the stand in 89 as part of a redevelopment of the ground that was never to happen. This, and the safety restrictions brought in following the Hillsborough disaster reduced the capacity of the ground to less than 3,000. A crowd of 3,000 was seen as a disappointment in most of the clubs history, let alone a ground capacity.

As the club lurched from one crisis to another during the ill fated 90s, the future of the ground, now not even owned by the club, became bleak. A stay of execution allowed the club to complete the 95/96 season at the ground, which would be the last full season the club completed at their spiritual home. Plans were unveiled during this season for a multi million pound sport and leisure park on the outskirts of the town at Sandon. The following season saw the club kicked out of its home after the opening home game and a bleak period in the clubs history followed.

The club moved to the Essex coast and began a ground share with Maldon Town at their new, but hardly ideal Park Drive stadium. Many fans though that it couldn’t get any worse for the club, not only did the fans have to brave the very cold conditions at their new ‘home’ they also had to face the prospect that they wouldn’t be returning home as quickly as they thought. Plans for the development at Sandon were thrown out, much to the frustration of the clubs hardworking board. More bad news was to follow, as the club fell out with its landlords and ended up having to look elsewhere for a ‘home’.

Luckily for the club another local side Billericay Town offered to accommodate the team, so in February 98 the club moved on again. Billericay’s New Lodge was a stadium fit for the standard of football, but like Park Drive hardly ideal for a club of Chelmsford's stature. The late 90s saw another planned move back home to the borough, this time to a new development in between Springfield & Boreham. This plan, like the previous one came to nothing and was thrown out by the then Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott in the early part of the Millennium.

Many thought this would be the end of the club, or at least the end of the club's search for a return home. Thankfully the dedicated board of directors and hardcore of support did not give up. In the middle part of the decade all the hard work paid off when the club announced it would finally be returning home. The club was to share the town’s athletics stadium, although not an ideal choice for a football stadium it was far better than the 10 mile trek across to Billericay.

Finally, the club could get itself back on the rails and focus on the one thing that had eluded it in its history – promotion to the football league. The first game back in the borough saw a 3,000 capacity crowd finally cheer the clarets on in a stadium within the CM1 postcode. The club like the crowds have picked up and we are finally moving on to the goal of league football, a goal that could see us look to move grounds again - this time however for all the right reasons.

Chelmsford City – History Timeline

League (League & Final Placing)

FA Cup (Round Reached)

League Cup (Round Reached)

FA Trophy (Round Reached)

Other Competitions (Winners/ R-Up)

Highest Attendance (League Only)

1938/39

League – 10^th in Southern League

FA Cup – 4^th Round

League Cup – Prelim Round

FA Trophy – N/A

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 8,000 v Bristol Rovers Res.

1939/40

League – 1^st Southern League Wartime East

FA Cup – N/A

League Cup – Runners Up

FA Trophy – N/A

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 3,000 v Guilford City

1945/46

League – 1^st in Southern League

FA Cup – 1^st Round

League Cup - Winners

FA Trophy – N/A

Other Competitions – Won Southern League Championship Match

Highest Att – 5,520 v Cardiff City Res.

1946/47

League – 5^th in Southern League

FA Cup – 4^th Qual Round

League Cup – Group Stages

FA Trophy – N/A

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 7,000 v Colchester United

1947/48

League – 9^th in Southern League

FA Cup - 4^th Qual Round

League Cup - Group Stages

FA Trophy – N/A

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 6,000 v Gillingham

1948/49

League – 2^nd in Southern League

FA Cup – 1^st Round

League Cup – 2^nd Round

FA Trophy – N/A

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 12,250 v Colchester Utd

1949/50

League – 4^th in Southern League

FA Cup – 2nd Round

League Cup - 2^nd Round

FA Trophy – N/A

Other Competitions -

Highest Att – 16,807 v Colchester Utd

1950/51

League - 4^th in Southern League

FA Cup - 2nd Round

League Cup – Semi Final

FA Trophy – N/A

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 7,600 v Merthyr Tydfil

1951/52

League – 14^th in Southern League

FA Cup - 4^th Qual Round

League Cup – 1^st Round

FA Trophy – N/A

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 5,000 v Hereford

1952/53

League – 19^th in Southern League

FA Cup - 4^th Qual Round

League Cup - Qualifying Round

FA Trophy – N/A

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 4,000 v Bath City

1953/54

League – 19^th in Southern League

FA Cup - 4^th Qual Round

League Cup – 1^st Round

FA Trophy – N/A

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 4,500 v Headington Utd

1954/55

League – 21st in Southern League

FA Cup – 1^st Round

League Cup – Qualifying Round

FA Trophy – N/A

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 4,000 Guilford 

1955/56

League – 9th in Southern League

FA Cup – Prem Round

League Cup – Semi Final

FA Trophy – N/A

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 4,039 v Yeovil

1956/57

League – 14th in Southern League

FA Cup – 3^rd Qual Round

League Cup – 2^nd Round

FA Trophy – N/A

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 3,195 v Bedford Town

1957/58

League – 3rd in Southern League

FA Cup – 4^th Qual Round

League Cup – 1^st Round

FA Trophy – N/A

Other Competitions – Winners Essex Professional Cup

Highest Att – 3,712 v Weymouth

1958/59

League – 6th in Southern League South Eastern Division

FA Cup – 1^st Round

League Cup – 2^nd Round

FA Trophy – N/A

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 3,889 v Cambridge City

1959/60

League – 6th in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup – 1^st Round

League Cup – Winners

FA Trophy – N/A

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 4,500 v Bedford Town

1960/61

League – 2nd in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup – 1^st Round

League Cup – Runners Up

FA Trophy – N/A

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 8,500 v Oxford Utd

1961/62

League – 5th in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup – 1^st Round

League Cup – 2^nd Round

FA Trophy – N/A

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 6,733 v Yeovil

1962/63

League – 8th in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup – 1^st Round

League Cup – 3^nd Round

FA Trophy – N/A

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 7,029 v Romford

1963/64

League – 2nd in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup – 2nd Round

League Cup – 1st Round

FA Trophy – N/A

Other Competitions – Runners Up Essex Professional Cup

Highest Att – 7,524 v Romford

1964/65

League – 5th in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup – 1st Round

League Cup – Semi Final

FA Trophy – N/A

Other Competitions – Runners Up Essex Professional Cup

Highest Att – 4,542 v Cheltenham Town

1965/66

League – 2nd in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup – 4^th Qual Round

League Cup – Semi Final

FA Trophy – N/A

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 6,206 v Romford

1966/67

League – 9th in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup – 1^st Round

League Cup – Semi Final

FA Trophy – N/A

Other Competitions – Runners Up Essex Professional Cup

Highest Att – 3,945 v Nuneaton Boro

1967/68

League – 1^st in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup – 2^nd Round

League Cup – 4^th Round

FA Trophy – N/A

Other Competitions – Runners Up Essex Professional Cup

Highest Att – 7,514 v Cambridge Utd

1968/69

League – 13th in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup – 1^st Round

League Cup – 4^th Round

FA Trophy – N/A

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 3,233 v Yeovil

1969/70

League – 3rd in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup – 1^st Round

League Cup – 1^st Round

FA Trophy – Semi Final

Other Competitions – Runners Up Essex Professional Cup

Highest Att – 4,543 v Cambridge Utd

1970/71

League – 5^th in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup – 2^nd Round

League Cup – 4^th Round

FA Trophy – 2^nd Round

Other Competitions – Winners Essex Professional Cup

Highest Att – 4,022 v Bath City

1971/72

League –  1st in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup – 4^th Qual Round

League Cup – 2^nd Round

FA Trophy – 3^rd  Round

Other Competitions – Winners Non League Champions Challenge, Runners Up Essex Professional Cup

Highest Att – 6,004 v Hereford

1972/73

League – 4^th in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup – 3^rd Round

League Cup – 2^nd Round

FA Trophy – 4th Round

Other Competitions – Winners Eastern Professional Floodlight Competition

Highest Att – 3,864 v Telford

1973/74

League – 3^rd in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup – 1^st Round

League Cup – 3^rd Round

FA Trophy – 1^st Round

Other Competitions – Winners Essex Professional Cup

Highest Att – 3,673 v Dartford

1974/75

League – 10^th in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup – 1^st Round

League Cup – 3^rd Round

FA Trophy – 1^st Round

Other Competitions – Winners Essex Professional Cup, Winners Eastern Professional Floodlight Competition Cup

Highest Att – 2,786 v Wimbledon

1975/76

League – 14^th in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup – 4^th Qual Round

League Cup – 3^rd Round

FA Trophy – 1^st Round

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 1,312 v Margate

1976/77

League – 20^th in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup – 4^th Qual Round

League Cup – 4^th Round

FA Trophy – 3^rd Qual Round

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 2,030 v Maidstone

1977/78

League – 8^th in Southern League First Division South

FA Cup – 4^th Qual Round

League Cup – 1^st Round

FA Trophy – 3^rd Qual Round

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 1,125 v Margate

1978/79

League – 4^th in Southern League First Division South

FA Cup – 1^st Qual Round

League Cup – 1^st Round

FA Trophy – 2^nd Round

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 767 v Addlestone

1979/80

League – 21^st in Southern League Southern Division

FA Cup – 1^st Qual Round

League Cup – 1^st Round

FA Trophy – Prem Round

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 670 v Dartford

1980/81

League – 18^th in Southern League Southern Division

FA Cup – 3^rd Qual Round

League Cup – 4^th Round

FA Trophy – 1^st Qual Round

Other Competitions – Runners Up Eastern Floodlight Competition, Runners Up Essex Senior Cup

Highest Att – 820 v Dartford

1981/82

League – 10^th in Southern League Southern Division

FA Cup –  Prem Round

League Cup – 1^st Round

FA Trophy – 2^nd Qual Round

Other Competitions – Winners Eastern Floodlight Competition

Highest Att – 624 v Dover

1982/83

League – 4^th in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup –  4^th Qual Round

League Cup – 1^st Round

FA Trophy – 3^rd Qual Round

Other Competitions – Winners Eastern Floodlight Competition

Highest Att – 627 v Dartford

1983/84

League – 3^rd in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup –  2^nd Round

League Cup – 2^nd Round

FA Trophy – 3^rd Round

Other Competitions – Runners Up Essex Thameside Trophy

Highest Att – 903 v Dartford

1984/85

League – 9th in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup –  3^rd Qual Round

League Cup – 2^nd Round

FA Trophy – 3^rd Qual Round

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 819 v Welling

1985/86

League – 2^nd in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup –  2^nd Round

League Cup – Semi Final

FA Trophy – 3^rd Round

Other Competitions – Winners Essex Senior Cup

Highest Att – 892 v Willenhall Town

1986/87

League – 5^th in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup –  2^nd Round

League Cup – 1^st Round

FA Trophy – 1^st Round

Other Competitions – Winners Eastern Floodlight Cup, Runners Up Essex Thameside Trophy

Highest Att – 1,208 v Fisher Athletic

1987/88

League – 19^th in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup –  1^st Round

League Cup – 2^nd Round

FA Trophy – 3^rd Qual Round

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 864 v Aylesbury

1988/89

League – 1^st in Southern League Southern Division

FA Cup –  4^th Qual Round

League Cup – 1^st Round

FA Trophy – 1^st Qual Round

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 1,738 v Bury Town

1989/90

League – 18^th in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup –  4^th Qual Round

League Cup – 3^rd Round

FA Trophy – 1^st Qual Round

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 1,313 v Dover Athletic

1990/91

League – 18^th in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup –  1^st Round

League Cup – Winners

FA Trophy – 1^st Qual Round

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 1,240 v Dover Athletic

1991/92

League – 18^th in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup –  2^nd Qual Round

League Cup – 4^th Round

FA Trophy – 1^st Qual Round

Other Competitions – Runners Up Essex Senior Cup

Highest Att – 854 v Atherstone Utd

1992/93

League – 12^th in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup –  1^st Qual Round

League Cup – 3^rd Round

FA Trophy – 1^st Qual Round

Other Competitions – Winners Essex Senior Cup

Highest Att – 1,058 v Dover Athletic

1993/94

League – 6^th in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup –  3^rd Qual Round

League Cup – Prem Round

FA Trophy – 1^st Round

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 907 v Farnborough

1994/95

League – 15^th in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup –  1^st Round

League Cup – Qtr Final

FA Trophy – 1^st Round

Other Competitions – Runners Up Essex Thameside

Highest Att – 1,580 v Trowbridge

1995/96

League – 12^th in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup –  3^rd Qual Round

League Cup – 1^st Round

FA Trophy – 1^st Round

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 1,185 v Halesowen

1996/97

League – 22^nd in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup –  3^rd Qual Round

League Cup – 1^st Round

FA Trophy – 2^nd Round

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 1,014 v Gravesend

1997/98

League – 2^nd in Southern League Southern Division

FA Cup –  1^st Qual Round

League Cup – 2^nd Round

FA Trophy – 1^st Round

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 833 v Clevedon Town

1998/99

League – 5^th in Southern League Southern Division

FA Cup –  2^nd Qual Round

League Cup – 1^st Round

FA Trophy – 1^st Qual Round

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 575 v Raunds Town

1999/00

League – 4^th in Southern League Eastern Division

FA Cup –  1^st Round

League Cup – 1^st Round

FA Trophy – 2^nd Round

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 575 v Raunds Town

2000/01

League – 2^nd in Southern League Eastern Division

FA Cup –  2^nd Qual Round

League Cup – 1^st Round

FA Trophy – 1^st Round

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 1,441 v Newport

2001/02

League – 18^th in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup –  3^rd Qual Round

League Cup – 1^st Round

FA Trophy – 1^st Round

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 835 v

2002/03

League – 9^th in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup –  3^rd Qual Round

League Cup – 4^th Round

FA Trophy – 1^st Round

Other Competitions – Winners Essex Senior Cup

Highest Att – 629 v

2003/04

League – 18^th in Southern League Premier Division

FA Cup –  2^nd Qual Round

League Cup – 3^rd Round

FA Trophy – 2^nd Round

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 755

2004/05

League – 8^th Ryman League Premier Division

FA Cup –  1^st Qual Round

League Cup – Semi Final

FA Trophy – 2^nd Round

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 1,547 v Billericay Town

2005/06

League – 10^th Ryman League Premier Division

FA Cup –  3^rd Qual Round

League Cup – 4^th Round

FA Trophy – 2^nd Qual Round

Other Competitions –

Highest Att – 2,998 v Billericay Town

Former Claret Managers

Billy Walker - Jun 1938 to Oct 38
Alan Sliman - Oct 38 to Mar 39
Harry Warren - Mar 39 to Aug 40
Arthur Rowe - Aug 40 to Jun 49
Jack Tresadern - Jul 49 to Nov 50
Billy Walsh - Apr 51 to Feb 52
Ben Burley - Feb 52 to Oct 54
Frank Grice - Jan 55 to Feb 59
Harry Ferrier - Mar 59 to Apr 63
Billy Frith - May 63 to Apr 65
Peter Harburn - Feb 66 to Sep 66
Harry Ferrier - Sep 66 to Jan 69  (Second spell in charge)
Geoff Walker - Jan 69 to May 70
Dave Bumpstead - May 70 to Mar 74
Sid Prosser - Apr 74 to Jan 75
Bill Leivers - Feb 75 to Dec 75
Bobby Kellard - Jan 76 to May 77
Mick Loughton - Jun 77 to Sep 78
Ollie Hopkins - Nov 78 to Sep 79
Don Walker - Sep 79 to May 80
Colin Harper - Jun 80 to Aug 81
Mick Loughton - Oct 81 to Dec 84 (Second spell in charge)
Joe O'Sullivan - Feb 85 to Nov 87
Chris Symes - Nov 87 to Nov 89
George Borg - Nov 89 to Oct  90
Danny O'Leary - Oct 90 to May 92
Joe O'Sullivan - May 92 to Feb 96 (Second spell in charge)
Robbie Garvey and Paul Watts - Feb 96 to Jul 96 (Joint Managers)
Roy McDonough - Jul 96 to Nov 96
Colin Norman - Nov 96 to May 98 (Joint with Gary Bellamy)
Gary Bellamy - Nov 96 to Jun 2001 (Joint with Colin Norman until May 98)
Paul Parker - Jun 01 to May 03
Steve Mosely - May 03 to Dec 04
Craig Edwards - Jan 05 to May 06
Jeff King - May 06 to date

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