Lordswood Association Football Club is a football club based in the Lordswood suburb of Chatham, England. They are currently members of the Southern Counties East League Premier Division and play at Martyn Grove.

Lordswood AFC
Lordswood FC badge
Full nameLordswood Association Football Club
Nickname(s)The Lords
Founded1968
GroundMartyn Grove, Chatham
Capacity600 (123 seated)[1]
ChairmanRaymond Broad & Gary Peck
ManagerRoss Wiles & Lee Garlinge [2]
LeagueSouthern Counties East League Premier Division
2023–24Southern Counties East League Premier Division, 11th of 21
Websitehttps://www.pitchero.com/clubs/lordswoodafc

History

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The club was established in 1968.[1] They joined the Rochester and District League and were promoted in successive seasons to the Premier Division.[3] In 1982 the club moved up to Division Two of the Western Section of the Kent County League.[4] A third-place finish in their first season in the division saw them promoted to Division One.[4] In 1984–85 the club were Division One runners-up, earning promotion to the Premier Division of the Western Section.[5]

Lordswood were Premier Division runners-up in 1986–87 and were promoted to the Senior Division.[5] They were subsequently Senior Division runners-up in 1989–90.[5] Although the club finished bottom of the Senior Division in 1991–92, league reorganisation and a merger of the Eastern and Western sections saw them placed in the Premier Division of the league the following season.[6] They were Premier Division runners-up in 1994–95, before moving up to the Kent League in 1996.[7]

In 2004–05 Lordswood finished bottom of the Kent League. This was repeated in 2009–10, but there was no relegation in either season. In 2013 the league was renamed the Southern Counties East League, and following the addition of a second division in 2016, the club became members of the league's Premier Division.[7] They finished the 2021–22 season in the relegation zone, but were reprieved due to vacancies in divisions above.

Ground

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The club play at Martyn Grove. The ground has hardstanding on three sides of the pitch and a 123-seat stand on the southern side of the ground. The record attendance of 600 was set for a friendly match against Gillingham in July 2003 to mark the opening of a new boardroom, with the visitors winning 5–0.[3]

Records

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Mike Williams & Tony Williams (2016) Non-League Club Directory 2017, Tony Williams Publications, p513 ISBN 978-1869833695
  2. ^ "Club Statement".
  3. ^ a b History Lordswood F.C.
  4. ^ a b Kent County Amateur League 1979–1984 Non-League Matters
  5. ^ a b c Kent County League 1984–1991 Non-League Matters
  6. ^ Kent County League 1991-1998 Non-League Matters
  7. ^ a b c d Lordswood at the Football Club History Database
  8. ^ "Sittingbourne claim bragging rights to progress in Emirates FA Cup". The FA. 14 September 2024.
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51°20′30.20″N 0°32′49.22″E / 51.3417222°N 0.5470056°E / 51.3417222; 0.5470056