Herne Bay F.C. is a football club based in Herne Bay in Kent, England. In 1974, they joined the Kent League and reached the 5th round of the FA Vase in the 1996-97 season. They have won the Kent League four times in their history. They are currently members of the Kent League Premier Division.

History

Herne Bay FC was formed in 1886 and first played in the East Kent League, which they dominated for several years. In 1896 they stepped up to the Kent League (not the same league that exists today), however this was short lived and by the turn of the century they were again competing in the East Kent League. They once again dominated this league, winning the title for four successive years, and in 1909 they returned to the Kent League, however within two years the club had folded.

In 1935 the club was re-born, as Herne Bay Invicta took over the Herne Bay F.C. name and entered the Kent Amateur League. In 1953 the club moved to its current home at Winch's Field and soon re-entered the Kent League at the Division 2 level. In 1955 they lifted the Division 2 title, winning promotion to Division 1, but soon after this a mass exodus of clubs to the Southern League caused the Kent League to fold.

Like several other former Kent League clubs, the Bay played briefly in the Aetolian League before switching to the Athenian League, where they enjoyed several successful seasons followed by promotion to Division 1.

At the start of the 1974/75 season the Kent League was reformed with Herne Bay as a founder member, and they have remained in the top division to this day. In the nineties they were the dominant team in the Kent League, winning the title four times, although ground grading requirements meant that promotion to a higher league always eluded them.

Honours

• Kent League
• Champions 1991/92, 1992/93, 1996/97, 1997/98

Club records

• Best league position: Kent League champions on four occasions
• Best FA Cup performance: 4th qualifying round, 1970/71, 1986/87
• Best FA Vase performance: 5th round, 1996/97

Ground

Winch's Field boasts four stands, floodlights and a well-appointed clubhouse which is regularly hired out for functions. The ground sits on the site of the former Winch's brick yard, a Herne Bay landmark since Victorian times.

Sources

External links

• Official website