Bourne Park
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| Full name | Sittingbourne Football Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Brickies |
| Founded | 1886 |
| Ground | Woodstock Park, Sittingbourne |
| Capacity | 3,000 |
| Chairman | Maurice Dunk |
| Manager | Nick Davis |
| League | Isthmian League Division One South |
| 2015–16 |
Isthmian League Division One South, 18th |
Sittingbourne Football Club are a football club based in Sittingbourne, Kent, England. They were established in 1886 and were founder members of the Kent League. They have reached the 2nd round of the FA Cup at least twice in their history. They are currently playing in the Isthmian League Division One South.
Although an earlier Sittingbourne United club had been playing since as early as 1881, Sittingbourne F.C. traces its lineage to 1886 when the club was reorganised under the new name. The club moved to a field behind the Bull pub in 1892, where they were to remain for nearly 100 years. Senior status was acquired in 1893, and the following year the club joined the first incarnation of the Kent League, before withdrawing to enter the South Eastern League in 1905.
After World War I the club rejoined the Kent League, where they played until 1927 when they joined the Southern League. In 1930 they left this league and it is unclear where they played next. After World War II the Brickies rejoined the Kent League once again, where they were champions in 1957–58 and 1958–59. After the second title win they rejoined the Southern League, but after a promising start their performances declined and in 1966–67, after finishing bottom, they dropped out to join the Kent Premier League which had changed its name from the Thames & Medway Combination. This lasted for one season and the league folded. In 1968 a new Kent league was formed which the club joined.
During season 1961–62 Accrington Stanley left the football league. This created a vacancy and 25 clubs applied to join, of which Sittingbourne were one. They did not obtain any votes and Oxford United were elected with 39 votes.
Sittingbourne were Kent League champions in 1975–76, 1983–84 and 1990–91, the third title win earning them a place back in the Southern League. In 1992–93, by now playing at the new Central Park ground, they won promotion to the Southern League Premier Division, however a financial crisis led to relegation two years later. Although the team bounced back, winning the Southern Division title at the first attempt, they were relegated again in 1998 as the club hovered on the brink of being wound up completely. A move out of Central Park and a drastic reduction in the playing budget saw the Brickies through their troubles, but they flirted with relegation back to the Kent League for a number of years, only finishing in the top half of the table on one occasion in the next eight seasons.
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