Holmesdale F.C.
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| Full name | Holmesdale Football Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Dalers |
| Founded | 1956 (as Holmesdale Baptist) |
| Ground | Oakley Road, Bromley |
| Capacity | 1,000 |
| Chairman | Mark Harris |
| Manager | Ian Varley |
| League | Southern Counties East League Division One |
| 2015–16 | Southern Counties East League Premier Division, 19th (relegated) |
Holmesdale F.C. is an English football club founded in South Norwood, London, but are currently based in Bromley. The club is affiliated to the Kent County Football Association. The club plays in the Southern Counties East League Division One.
The club was established in 1956 as Holmesdale Baptist by the 3rd East Surrey Boys Brigade Company, who decided to resurrect the original Holmesdale FC that was founded in the 1920s and competed in the Excelsior Football League. The new club even inherited the original club's Post Office savings account of £7 which had risen to £12 after 33 years worth of interest. The new club started life in Division Six of the Thornton and District League, which they won at the first attempt. The word Baptist was dropped from the club's name the following year. The club then worked their way through the Thornton and District league and at the end of the 1971–72 campaign had made it to the Premier Division.
At the end of the 1986–87 season the club won the Premier Division and gained promotion to the then named Surrey Intermediate League. After six more seasons the club won the First Division championship, which sealed promotion to the Surrey County Premier League. The following years saw the club progress off the field as they developed the club's home in Oaks Road, Shirley, into a senior status venue. However, the club were not permitted to install floodlights or a licensed bar area due to the ground being under the ownership of the local council.
The decision was made at the turn of the millennium to move to Oakley Road, Bromley, with the first and reserve teams moving into the Kent County League. The club joined Division 1 (West) of the Kent County League. Holmesdale won the Kent County Division One West and the Surrey Intermediate Cup in the 2005–06 campaign and were crowned champions of the Kent County League Premier Division and gained promotion to the Kent League Premier Division the following season. Floodlights were subsequently installed to bring the ground up to the required standard and to enable the club to participate in the FA competitions, with the club making their debut in the FA Vase in 2008 and the FA Cup a year later.
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