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Ebbsfleet United F.C.

Coordinates: 51°26′58″N 0°19′21″E / 51.44943°N 0.322369°E / 51.44943; 0.322369
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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Equant (talk | contribs) at 23:52, 5 August 2009 (→Honours: removed the word 'tie' from photo caption. Not sure what the author was getting at, the game did not end in a tie.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Ebbsfleet United
Gravesend and Northfleet F.C. logo
Full nameEbbsfleet United Football Club
Nickname(s)The Fleet
Founded1946 (as Gravesend & Northfleet)
GroundStonebridge Road
Kent
Capacity5,011
ChairmanJohn Moules
Head CoachLiam Daish
LeagueConference National
2008–09Conference National, 14th
Current season

Ebbsfleet United Football Club is an English football team currently playing in the Football Conference. The team plays their home matches at Stonebridge Road in Northfleet, Gravesend, Kent. However, the club is now looking to build a new stadium in the Ebbsfleet Valley vicinity in Gravesham.

Prior to May 2007 the club was called Gravesend & Northfleet. The change was announced at a public consultation meeting on the evening of 1 May 2007.[1] The club is sponsored by Eurostar, whose trains serve Ebbsfleet International railway station.

Since February 2008, the club has been owned by the web-based venture MyFootballClub, whose members may vote on team selection and player transfers, instead of those decisions being made exclusively by the club's management and staff as at most other clubs.[2]

History

Gravesend & Northfleet F.C. was formed in 1946, following the Second World War, after a merger between Gravesend United (originally formed in 1893) and Northfleet United (originally formed in 1890) with the new club retaining the red & white home colours (and the Stonebridge Road stadium) of Northfleet United.[3]

In 1979, the team was one of the founder members of the Alliance Premier League (now today's Conference National),[4] but were relegated back into the Southern League Premier three seasons later.[5]

For the 1997-98 season, Gravesend & Northfleet left the Southern League and joined the Isthmian League. They played in the Premier Division of the league until the 2001-02 season, when they finished as champions and earned promotion back into the Conference, where they have remained since then.

The current head coach is former Coventry City defender Liam Daish, and the assistant manager is Alan Kimble, who used to play for Wimbledon. Gravesend and Northfleet have also been managed in the recent past by Andy Ford, who resigned after a GLS Cup game after an extended run of poor fixtures, only to pursue a coaching job at Stevenage Borough a few months later.

On 10 May 2008, Ebbsfleet United won the FA Trophy, defeating Torquay United 1-0 in the final on the club's first trip to Wembley, becoming the first Kentish team to win this trophy.[6] Ebbsfleet United went on to win the Kent Senior Cup in the same season, with a 4-0 victory over Cray Wanderers on 26 July 2008.

Ebbsfleet United v. Stafford Rangers at Stonebridge Road, November 2007

Traditional rivals

MyFootballClub takeover

On 13 November 2007, it was announced that the website MyFootballClub had entered a deal in principle to take over the club.[7] Approximately 27,000 MyFootballClub members each paid £35 to provide an approximate £700,000 takeover fund and all own an equal share in the club but make no profit nor receive a dividend. Members have a vote on transfers as well as player selection and all major decisions. Because of the nature of MyFootballClub, it was announced that manager Liam Daish would become instead the first team Head Coach. His backroom staff would remain at the club.[7]

Between 16 January and 23 January 2008, MyFootballClub members were given the choice to vote on whether to proceed with the takeover and whether to allow Liam Daish to continue with his plans for the January transfer window. Both resulted in overwhelming "Yes" votes: 95.89% voted to proceed with the takeover while 95.86% voted to allow Daish to continue his transfer plans. The deal was ratified at an Extraordinary General Meeting of the club's board on 19 February.

Honours

Part of the crowd at Wembley for the 2007-2008 FA Trophy Final in May 2008
  • Southern League
    • Champions: 1957-58
  • Southern League South Eastern Section
    • Runners Up: 1958-59
  • Southern League Southern Division
    • Champions: 1974-75, 1993-94
    • Runners Up: 1988-89
  • Isthmian League Premier Division
    • Champions: 2001-02
  • FA Cup
    • Best season: 4th Round, 1962-63
  • FA Trophy
  • Kent Senior Cup
    • Winners: 1948-49, 1952-53, 1980-81, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2001-02, 2007-08
    • Runners-Up: 1947-48, 1976-77, 1990-91, 2005-06

Players

As of 29 July 2009.

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK England ENG Lance Cronin
6 DF Ireland EIR Paul McCarthy (captain)
11 MF England ENG Craig Stone
12 DF England ENG Dean Pooley
16 MF Trinidad and Tobago TRI Ricky Shakes
21 GK England ENG Sam Mott
24 DF England ENG Darius Charles
No. Pos. Nation Player
27 FW Ireland EIR Matthew Judge
28 DF England ENG Steven Springett
— DF England ENG Jordan Collins
— FW England ENG Jamie Forshaw
— FW England ENG James Lindie
3 DF England ENG David Risebrow

References

  1. ^ Hudd, Tony. "Shock as Fleet change their name". Kent Online. Retrieved 2007-12-29.
  2. ^ "Fans website approve 'Fleet deal". BBC Sport. 2008-01-23. Retrieved 2008-01-23.
  3. ^ Miller, Ed. "Official Website - 1940s". Ebbsfleet United F.C. Official Website. Retrieved 29 December 2007.
  4. ^ Rundle, Richard. "1979-1980 Alliance Premier League". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 29 December 2007.
  5. ^ Rundle, Richard. "1982-1983 Alliance Premier League". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 29 Deember 2007. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  6. ^ Howard, Tom (10 May 2008). "Ebbsfleet make FA Trophy history". kentnews.co.uk. Retrieved 12 May 2008.
  7. ^ a b "Website agrees Ebbsfleet takeover". BBC Sport. 13 November 2007. Retrieved 25 February 2008.

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