Basildon United F.C.
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| Basildon United | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Basildon United Football Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | The Bees | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Founded | 1967 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | Gardiners Close, Basildon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Capacity | 4,000 approx. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chairman | Unknown | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manager | John Higley | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | Essex Senior League | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004-05 | Essex Senior League, 7th | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Basildon United are an English football club based in Basildon, Essex. Nicknamed the Bees, due to the club adopting gold and black as the team colours, Basildon United came in to being in 1967, previously operating under the name Armada Sports as a junior club who were formed in 1963. In 1967/68 the renamed club joined the Grays and Thurrock League, moving in to the Greater London League the following season.
The first major step came in 1970 when the Essex County FA granted Basildon United senior status and they became founder members of the Essex Senior League. Their home ground, Gardiners Close, was opened by then West Ham United players Geoff Hurst and Jimmy Greaves and the first match was played against West Ham United infront of a crowd of 4,000. It was not long before Basildon got amongst the honours and when they successfully applied for promotion to the Athenian League in 1980 they could look back on four consecutive Championships from 1977 to 1980 and this still stands as a League record, in addition they also finished runners-up in 1973 and 1975 and the League Cup was won in 1978 to complete that season's double. The following season they carried of the Essex Senior Trophy.
Basildon United's membership of the Athenian League only lasted one season as they finished runners-up behind Windsor and Eton and earned promotion to the Isthmian League Division Two. Also in this season, 1980/81, they progressed to the Quarter-Finals of the FA Vase before Irthlingborough Diamonds ended the Bees run, winning 6-2 in a sixth round replay.
After 3 seasons in the Isthmian League Division Two, Basildon United were promoted as Champions in 1984, pipping St. Albans by one point on the last day of the season. This saw them reach the finals of both the Essex Senior Trophy and the Eastern Floodligh Competition. The Bees found life a lot harder in Division One and eventually lost their struggle against relegation in 1989 back to Division Two (North), this was the first and only time the club have been relegated in their history. Two further seasons were spent in Division Two (North) before the decision to de-regionalise the Isthmian League and rejoin the Essex Senior League in 1991/92. The club felt that an excess of travelling in the Isthmian Division was financially unviable at that point.
The club quickly regrouped both on and off the field and it wasn't long before the Senior League successes of the late 1970's were emulated. The Bees finished in the top six in both 1991/92 and 1992/93 and made a League Cup Final appearance in 1992. A superb 1993/94 season saw Basildon United again win the Essex Senior League double, the Championship being won for a record fifth time and the following season they battled through to the FA Vase Quarter-Final for the second time in their history before losing out to Raunds Town.
During 1997/98, Basildon United equalled Brentwood FC's (now Brentwood Town F.C.) record of three Essex Senior League Cup wins by beating Burnham Ramblers 1-0 in the final and it was Basildon's sixth appearance in the League Cup Final, which is also a record. The Bee's also finished runners-up to Concord Rangers in the Essex Senior League. 1999/2000 saw Basildon United finish 13th, their worst ever season.
The club are hoping to move to a new ground in the town soon. The club is still a member of the Essex Senior League.
[edit] Honours
Isthmian League, Division Three
- Champions: 1983/84
Athenian League
- Runners-Up: 1980/81
Essex Senior League
- Champions: 1976/77, 1977/78, 1978/79, 1979/80, 1993/94
- Runners-Up: 1972/73, 1974/75, 1997/98
Essex Senior League Challenge Cup
- Champions: 1977/78, 1993/94, 1997/98
- Runners-Up: 1975/76, 1979/80, 1991/92
Essex Senior Trophy
- Champions: 1977/78
- Runners-Up: 1983/84
Eastern Floodlight Competition
- Runners-Up: 1983/84
[edit] Notable Former Players
- Ian Renshaw (Went on to play for Scarborough)
- Ken Charlery (Went on to Watford and Peterborough United)
- David Cusack (Formerly of Sheffield Wednesday, Southend United and Millwall)
- Kerry Dixon (Joined briefly for the 1997/98 season)
- Jonathon Gould (Went on to play for Celtic, Scotland and Preston North End)
- Michael Kightly (Joined from Tottenham Hotspur and went on to Southend United and Grays Athletic)
- Craig Tucker (Goal Keeper had played for Eton & Windsor)
| Essex Senior League Premier Division 2006/07 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Barking | Barkingside | Basildon United | Beaumont Athletic | Bowers & Pitsea | Brentwood Town | Burnham Ramblers | Clapton | Concord Rangers | Eton Manor | Hullbridge Sports | London APSA | Romford | Sawbridgeworth Town | Southend Manor | Stansted edit |
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Luke Mccabe is their best player!
