Full name | Dartford Football Club |
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Nickname(s) | The Darts |
Founded | 1888 |
Ground | Princes Park, Dartford, Kent |
Capacity | 4,100 (642 seated) |
Co-chairmen | Steve Irving and Dave Skinner |
Manager | Tony Burman |
League | National League South |
2015–16 | National League South, 8th |
Website | Club home page |
Dartford Football Club is an English association football club based in Dartford, Kent. The club participates in the National League South, the sixth tier of English football.
After finishing as champions of the Isthmian League Division One North in the 2007–08 season, they competed in the Isthmian League Premier Division. They finished in 8th position in their first season (2008–09). They were crowned champions of the Isthmian League Premier Division in their second season (2009–10), and started playing in the Conference South from the 2010–11 season. That season they finished in 10th place, but once again gained promotion at the second attempt in 2011–12, by winning the play off final, after finishing second in the table. Since the 2012–13 season they have been playing in the Conference Premier, the very top level of the English Non league Pyramid.
Home matches are played at the club's environmentally friendly stadium, Princes Park, opened in November 2006. The club was formed in 1888 by members of the Dartford Working men's club. Dartford's best performances in the FA Cup came in 1936 and 1937 when they reached the 3rd round of the competition and their best in recent times was when they reached the 1st round in 2010–11 season where they gained a replay. They have also reached the final of the FA Trophy once.
Dartford Football Club was formed in 1888 by members of the Dartford Working Men's Club, initially playing only friendlies. The club soon was entering cup competitions, reaching the final of the Kent Senior Cup in 1894. Following this, Dartford were founder members of the Kent League for the 1894–95 season, and entered the FA Cup for the first time the season after.
Two seasons later, Dartford became founder members of the Southern League Division Two, winning the Championship at the first attempt. The club moved between the Southern and Kent Leagues several times over the following seasons, dropping to the West Kent League in the 1900s, following financial difficulties. Around the same time the club found its first permanent home ground, Summers Meadow in Lowfield Street, obtained on a long lease.