Full name | West Essex Football Club |
---|---|
Founded | 1989 |
Ground | Mayesbrook Park, Barking |
Capacity | 2,500 (200 seated) |
Chairman | Peter Barnes |
Manager | Kwame Kwateng |
League | Essex Senior League |
2016–17 | Essex Senior League, 13th of 22 |
West Essex Football Club is an English football club based in Highams Park in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. The club's first team play in the Essex Senior League.
West Essex play their home games at the home ground of Barking F.C., Mayesbrook Park in Dagenham.
The brainchild of former West Essex Cricket Club stalwart John Spinks, West Essex F.C. formed in 1989. Initially the objective was to keep some of the cricket club members in touch throughout the winter and generate income through the club bar on a Saturday afternoon. After four seasons in the Ilford & District League, an 'A' team was added for the 1993-94 season and the 1st & reserve teams moved to the Essex Business Houses League.
In 2007-08, the 1st XI effectively folded and the club ran one senior side which finished bottom of the EBHFL Division 1. Towards the end of that season, Gary Lefley became involved with the side. Gary forged a strong partnership with existing player/manager Dan Reading and their first full season together proved to be a very successful one as West Essex lifted the EBHFL Division 1 title in 2008-09.
At the end of the 2009-10 season, the management took the decision to withdraw the 1st XI from the Essex Business Houses League and move them to the Middlesex County Football League, where West Essex were crowned champions of the MCFL Division 1 Central & East, gaining promotion to the Premier Division. In the 2013-14 season the club won the Alec Smith Premier Division Cup. The following season the club achieved its highest ever MCFL Premier Division finish of 6th and, with a ground-share agreement in place, West Essex took the decision to apply for promotion from the MCFL the following season. In 2015-16 West Essex were crowned champions of the MCFL Premier Division and thus gained promotion to the Essex Senior League.
Coordinates: 51°32′51.39″N 0°06′41.23″E / 51.5476083°N 0.1114528°E