Grays Athletic F.C.

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox football club Grays Athletic Football Club is a football club based in Grays, Essex, England. They are currently members of the Template:English football updater and play at Chadfields in nearby Tilbury.

History

The club was established as Grays Juniors in 1890,<ref>Grays look for positive headlines BBC Sport, 26 November 2008</ref> before merging with former Southern League club Grays United to form Grays Athletic.<ref name=GW>George H. Watts (2006) The Place I Love Best, p14</ref> The newly formed club joined the Grays & District League, later joining Division Two B of the South Essex League in 1908. They were runners-up in their first season in the division and won it in their second season, earning promotion to Division One for the 1909–10 season.<ref>Season 1909/10Template:Dead link Barking F.C.</ref> The club were founder members of the Athenian League in 1912,<ref name=FCHD>Template:Fchd</ref> but the league closed down in 1914 due to World War I and Grays transferred to the Premier Division (Amateur) of the London League.<ref name=LL1>London League 1910–1928 Non-League Matters</ref> They won the division in their first season, with the reserves also winning Division One.<ref name=LL1/> The league was suspended at the end of the 1914–15 season, with Grays rejoining in the Premier Division when it restarted in 1919–20.

Grays were Premier Division runners-up in 1920–21, before winning the division in 1921–22. In 1924 the club joined the Kent League but after two seasons in mid-table,<ref>The 'original' Kent League 1922–1939 Non-League Matters</ref> they returned to the London League in 1926. The return was a success as the club were Premier Division champions in 1926–27 and runners-up in the next two seasons, before winning the title again in 1929–30.<ref name=LL1/><ref name=LL2>London League 1928–1950 Non-League Matters</ref> After finishing as runners-up in 1930–31, the club spent most of the 1930s in mid-table,<ref name=LL2/> although they won the league's Challenge Cup in 1936–37.<ref name=Hon>Honours Template:Webarchive Grays Athletic F.C.</ref>

After World War II Grays were founder members of the Corinthian League, and were its inaugural champions and League Cup winners in 1945–46.<ref name=FCHD/><ref name=H>History Grays Athletic F.C.</ref> They were league runners-up in 1951–52, and the following season saw them qualify for the first round of the FA Cup for the first time, losing 5–0 at home to Llanelli.<ref name=FCHD/> They were league runners-up again in 1954–55 and 1956–57, before rejoining the Athenian League in 1958. When the league gained two more divisions in 1963, the club were placed in the Premier Division, where they remained until being relegated to Division One at the end of the 1971–72 season, in which they had finished bottom of the table.<ref name=FCHD/> In 1977 the league was reorganised into a single division, and the club were runners-up in 1982–83.<ref name=FCHD/>

In 1983 Grays transferred to Division Two of the Isthmian League. League reorganisation saw them placed in Division Two South in 1984 and they went on to win the division at the first attempt, earning promotion to Division One.<ref name=FCHD/> In 1987–88 they were Division One runners-up, resulting in promotion to the Premier Division.<ref name=FCHD/> In 1988–89 the club reached the first round of the FA Cup for a second time, losing 2–0 at Bath City.<ref name=FCHD/> They remained in the Premier Division until being relegated back to Division One at the end of the 1996–97 season. In 1999–2000 the club were Division One runners-up, earning promotion back to the Premier Division. In 2000–01 another appearance in the FA Cup first round saw them play Football League opposition for the first time, losing 4–0 at Reading.<ref name=FCHD/>

A sixth-place finish in 2003–04 resulted in Grays being placed in the new Conference South for the 2004–05 season. They went on to win the new division in its first season, earning promotion to the Conference National.<ref name=FCHD/> The season also saw them reach the final of the FA Trophy, in which they beat Hucknall Town 6–5 on penalties after a 1–1 draw at Villa Park.<ref name=FCHD/> In their first season in the Conference National the club finished third, qualifying for the promotion play-offs. However, they lost 5–4 on aggregate to Halifax Town.<ref>2005–06 Football Conference Football Club History Database</ref> They also reached the second round of the FA Cup, beating York City 3–0 at Bootham Crescent before losing 3–0 at Mansfield Town, as well as retaining the FA Trophy with a 2–0 win over Woking in the final.<ref name=FCHD/> The club's league form subsequently faded and after narrowly avoiding relegation in 2006–07 and 2008–09, they finished bottom of the Conference National in 2009–10 and resigned from the Football Conference.

Grays were initially rejected by the Isthmian League and were lined up to play in the Essex Senior League. However, an appeal to the Football Association saw them placed in Division One North of the Isthmian League.<ref name=BBC/> A fifth-place finish in 2011–12 saw them qualify for the play-offs, in which Enfield Town defeated them 3–1 on penalties after a 2–2 draw in the semi-final.<ref name=FCHD/> However, the club were Division One North champions the following season with a club record 102 points, earning promotion back to the Premier Division.<ref name=FCHD/> In August 2016 the club became community-owned.<ref>Grays Ath celebrate after raising thousands through community shareTemplate:Dead link Your Thurrock, 2 August 2016</ref> They went on to finish bottom of the Premier Division in the 2016–17 and were relegated back to the (renamed) North Division. In 2022–23 the club finished fifth in the North Division, qualifying for the promotion play-offs, in which they lost 3–2 to AFC Sudbury in the semi-finals.

Season-by-season

Season	Division	Position	Top league goalscorer	Notes
2003–04	Isthmian League Premier Division	6/24	Freddy Eastwood, 28
2004–05	Conference South	1/22	Leroy Griffiths, 19	Champions, promoted
2005–06	Conference National	3/22	Michael Kightly, 15
2006–07	Conference National	19/24	Aaron McLean, 13
2007–08	Conference National	10/24	Danny Kedwell, 13
2008–09	Conference National	19/24	Andy Pugh, 7
2009–10	Conference National	23/23	Jamie Slabber, 4	Relegated
2010–11	Isthmian League Division One North	10/21	Alex Osborn, 17
2011–12	Isthmian League Division One North	5/22	Joao Carlos, 10	Lost in the play-off semi-finals
2012–13	Isthmian League Division One North	1/22	Jack West, 17	Champions, promoted
2013–14	Isthmian League Premier Division	14/24	Joao Carlos, 20
2014–15	Isthmian League Premier Division	6/24	Freddie Ladapo, 14
2015–16	Isthmian League Premier Division	15/24	Dumebi Dumaka, 19
2016–17	Isthmian League Premier Division	24/24	Kieran Bishop, 12	Relegated
2017–18	Isthmian League North Division	16/24	Kieran Bishop, 24
2018–19	Isthmian League North Division	7/20	Mitch Hahn, 9
2019–20	Isthmian League North Division	—	Joao Carlos, 14	Season abandoned due to COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21	Isthmian League North Division	—	Joseph Agunbiade, 2	Season abandoned due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021–22	Isthmian League North Division	6/20	Anointed Chukwu, 16
2022–23	Isthmian League North Division	5/20	Sam Bantick, 19	Lost in the play-off semi-finals
2023–24	Isthmian League North Division	16/20	Charlie Stimson, 15
2024–25	Isthmian League North Division	9/22	Alejandro Machado, 12

Ground

The club initially played at the Hoppit Ground in Little Thurrock.<ref name=PP>Grays Athletic Pyramid Passion</ref> In 1906 they moved to the New Recreation Ground, playing there until 2010. After the ground was sold to developers, the club groundshared with East Thurrock United at their Rookery Hill ground in Corringham.<ref name=BBC>Grays Athletic win Ryman League appeal BBC Sport, 18 June 2010</ref>

During the 2012–13 season the club played at Rush Green Stadium in Rush Green, sharing the ground with West Ham United's reserves who played in the Professional Development League.<ref>Grays Athletic v West Ham United XI Grays Athletic F.C.</ref> The following season, West Ham pulled out of the deal in June and Grays moved to Aveley's Mill Field ground. When Aveley moved to Parkside in 2017, Grays became tenants at the new ground.<ref name=G>"Parklife for Millers", Groundtastic, Autumn 2017, issue 90, pp46–49</ref> In February 2023 Grays announced the club would be groundsharing at Tilbury for the 2023–24 season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2024 the club obtained ownership of Ship Lane, the former home of Thurrock, stating they hoped to be playing at the new ground in the 2025–26 season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, they have since revised their target to the 2026-27 season, and talks are currently on-going to extend their groundshare agreement with Tilbury FC.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Honours

• FA Trophy
  • Winners 2004–05, 2005–06
• Football Conference
  • Conference South champions 2004–05
• Isthmian League
  • Division Two South champions 1984–85
  • Division One North champions 2012–13
  • League Cup winners: 1991–92
• London League
  • Premier Division champions 1921–22, 1926–27, 1929–30
  • Premier Division (Amateur) champions 1914–15
  • Challenge Cup winners 1936–37
• Corinthian League
  • Champions 1945–46
  • League Cup winners 1945–46
• South Essex League
  • Division Two B champions 1908–09
• Essex Senior Cup
  • Winners 1914–15, 1920–21, 1922–23, 1944–45, 1956–57, 1987–88, 1993–94, 1994–95<ref name=Hon/>
• Essex Thameside Trophy
  • Winners 1947–48, 1978–79, 1980–81, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1990–91, 2001–02<ref name=Hon/>
• East Anglian Cup
  • Winners 1944–45<ref name=Hon/>

Records

• Best FA Cup performance: Second round, 2005–06<ref name=FCHD/>
• Best FA Trophy performance: Winners, 2004–05, 2005–06<ref name=FCHD/>
• Best FA Vase performance: Fourth round, 1977–78, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1983–84<ref name=FCHD/>
• Biggest victory: 12–0 vs Tooting Town, London League, 24 February 1923<ref name=NLCD2017>Williams & Williams, p326</ref>
• Biggest defeat: 0–12 vs Enfield, Athenian League, 20 April 1963<ref name=NLCD2017/>
• Attendance: 9,500 v Chelmsford City, FA Cup fourth qualifying round, 1959<ref name=NLCD2017/>
• Most appearances: Phil Sammons, 673 (1982–1997)<ref name=NLCD2017/>
• Most goals: Harry Brand, 269 (1944–1952)<ref name=NLCD2017/>
• Transfer record fee paid: £12,000 to Welling United for Danny Kedwell
• Transfer record fee received: £150,000 from Peterborough United for Aaron McLean

See also

• Template:C
• Template:C

External links

• Template:Commons category inline