Erith Town

Originally formed as Woolwich Town in 1956, the club achieved senior status in the 1995-96 season after reaching the London Spartan League Premier Division. Reflecting their move to Erith Stadium, they changed their name to Erith Town. After a year in the Spartan Premier, they joined the Kent League, where they initially struggled before achieving a seventh-place finish and reaching the London Senior Cup Final in 1999-2000. Their performance fluctuated over the following years, with another seventh-place finish in 2003-04.

The club saw significant improvement under Mark Tompkins, appointed as player-manager in 2006-07, who led them to a fifth-place finish in the Kent League and their first senior silverware, the Kent League Cup, in 2007-08. After Tompkins’ departure, Steve O’Boyle took over, guiding the team to another Kent League Cup Final, albeit losing on penalties. Tony Russell then took charge in 2010, bringing stability and a Kent Senior Trophy. Under his leadership, the team reached fourth place in the league before his departure in 2012. Tompkins returned, achieving the club’s best-ever third-place finish in 2012-13 and 2013-14, followed by a challenging period with multiple managerial changes and a narrow escape from relegation in 2014-15.

In 2017, Mark Deveney took over as chairman and appointed Albert Putnam as president. The club saw improved fortunes, highlighted by a fourth-place finish in 2022-23 and a move to Bayliss Avenue. In the summer of 2023, Kay Deveney became the club’s first female chair, and under her leadership, Erith Town experienced their most successful season, winning the SCEFL Challenge Cup, Kent Senior Trophy, and the SCEFL Play-Off Final, securing promotion to the Isthmian League South East for the first time. The club now looks forward to the 2024-25 season with optimism.