F.C. Elmstead
ClubnameFC Elmstead
FullnameFC Elmstead
Founded1958
GroundLower Road, Hextable
ChairmanPaul Brook
ManagerFabio Rossi
Pattern b 1_redwhitevertical
Leftarm 182CAFF
Body 182CAFF
Rightarm 182CAFF
Shorts 1FF0000
Socks 1FF0000
Pattern la 2_bluelines
Pattern b 2_bluestripes
Pattern ra 2_bluelines
Leftarm 2FFFF00
Body 2FFFF00
Rightarm 2FFFF00
Shorts 20000FF
Socks 20000FF

F.C. Elmstead is a semi-professional football club based in Elmstead, London, England. They are currently members of the and groundshare at Sutton Athletic's Lower Road ground in Hextable. The club's badge features a Minorca cockerel; the club motto is "nil desperandum".[1]

History

The club was founded as Elmstead Rovers on 13 October 1958 at a meeting at 74 The Avenue in Chislehurst,[2] and were initially a Sunday league club. In 1964 the club adopted its current name, with the mid-1960s also seeing the club change its colours of claret and blue to scarlet and blue after the kit was accidentally boil-washed, changing the colour.[2]

In 2013 the club switched from the Metropolitan Sunday League to playing Saturday football and joined Division Three West of the Kent County League.[3][4][5] After finishing as runners-up in their first season in the division, they were promoted to Division Two West. The following season saw them finish as Division Two West runners-up, earning promotion to the Kent Invicta League. In 2016 the Kent Invicta League merged into the Southern Counties East League, becoming its Division One.[5]

Ground

The club played at the Chislehurst Recreation Ground from their establishment in 1958 until joining the Kent County League in 2013,[3] when they started groundsharing at Tiepigs Lane in Coney Hall.[6][7] After moving up to the Kent Invicta League, they moved to Holmesdale's Oakley Road ground in Bromley.[8] Since the summer of 2018, they have been playing at Sutton Athletic's Lower Road ground in Hextable.[9]

Records

  • Best FA Vase performance: First round, 2016–17, 2025–26[5]

See also

  • c. F.C. Elmstead players

References

  1. ^ "Elmstead". Southern Counties East League
  2. ^ Club history F.C. Elmstead
  3. ^ Elmstead are embarking on a five-year ambitious development plan, says Fabio Rossi Kentish Football, 6 June 2013
  4. ^ We have done remarkably well in our first season, says FC Elmstead boss Fabio Rossi Kentish Football, 4 May 2014
  5. ^
  6. ^ FC Elmstead announces improvements to home ground, Chislehurst Recreation Ground News Shopper, 19 June 2013
  7. ^ It will be a long, hard journey ahead, says FC Elmstead boss Fabio Rossi Kentish Football, 14 June 2013
  8. ^ Friday night football is something I have been mentioning for some quite some time now, says FC Elmstead general manager Fabio Rossi Kentish Football, 23 July 2015
  9. ^ Sutton Athletic agree two-year groundshare deal with league rivals FC Elmstead Kentish Football, 11 May 2018