Canvey Island F.C.
| Canvey Island crest | |||
| Full name | Canvey Island Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Gulls Yellow Army | ||
| Founded | 1926 | ||
| Ground | Park Lane, Canvey Island | ||
| Capacity | 4,308 | ||
| Chairman |  Dennis Rugg | ||
| Manager | John Batch | ||
| League | Isthmian League First Division North | ||
| 2005-06 | Conference National, 14th (Resigned) | ||
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Canvey Island F.C, known as the Gulls or Yellow Army, are an English association football club founded in 1926.
Based on Canvey Island in the estuary of the Thames, their ground Park Lane is a few feet below sea level and at one end ships are sometimes seen going by in a highly visible reminder of this. The early records of the club were destroyed in a major flood during 1953.
History
Canvey Island F.C. were formed in 1926 but had not achieved major success prior to the early 1990s. The club had floated around the regional amateur leagues in Essex for that time. Former player Jeff King became both manager and owner of the then Essex Senior League side in 1992 and has led the club through four promotions in the football pyramid, reaching the Conference after a 2003/04 season that saw them win the Isthmian League by 19 points - winning the title with seven games to spare.
At the end of the 2005/06 season, however, owner-manager Jeff King announced that he was no longer willing to fund the club any longer and left to join Isthmian League Premier Division side Chelmsford City F.C.. This left the club in financial difficulties, and as a result of which Canvey voluntarily resigned from the Football Conference, dropping three divisions to join the Isthmian League First Division North in 2006/07. Long-serving reserves and youth team manager, John Batch, assisted by former player Garry Britnell, took over at the club following King's departer and began to re-build the club following the departure of the entire first team-squad.
Cup competitions
Canvey's most significant cup success came in 2001 when they defeated Forest Green Rovers 1-0 after a 14th minute goal by captain Ben Chenery in the final of the FA Trophy, the leading cup competition in England for clubs outside of the four top leagues- at Aston Villa F.C's Villa Park stadium in front of a crowd of 10,007. They also nearly won the FA Trophy again in 2002 when they narrowly lost out in the final.
Canvey Island gained further recognition through FA Cup runs, notably in 2001-02 when they knocked out Northampton Town and current Premiership side Wigan Athletic en route to the third round proper of the competition. This gained much publicity for the club and they feature on such programmes as the BBC's Match of the Day, and Sky Sports.
Chronology
- 1975-76 - Joined Essex Senior League
- 1978-79 - Essex Senior League runner-up
- 1982-83 - One game, home to Eton Manor, not played
- 1986-87 - Essex Senior League Champions
- 1992-93 - Essex Senior League Champions (2nd time). F.A. Vase semi-finalists
- 1994-95 - Joined Isthmian League Division Three. Isthmian League Division Three runner-up; promoted to Division Two
- 1995-96 - Isthmian League Division Two Champions; promoted to Division One
- 1997 - Relegated to Division Two
- 1997-98 - Isthmian League Division Two Champions (on goal difference); promoted to Division One
- 1998-99 - Isthmian League Division One Champions; promoted to Premier Division
- 2000-01 - F.A. Trophy Winners. Isthmian League runner-up
- 2001-02 - Isthmian League runner-up
- 2002-03 - Isthmian League runner-up
- 2003-04 - Isthmian League Champions; F.A. Trophy runner-up
- 2004-05 - Joined Football Conference in newly-renamed National Division
- 2006-07 - Resigned from the Football Conference, joining Isthmian League First Division North
- Best league position: 18th in Football Conference National Division (level 5) 2004-05
- Best FA Cup performance: 3rd round, 2001-02
- Best FA Trophy performance: Winners, 2000-01
- Best FA Vase performance: Semi-final, 1992-93
Source: Canvey Island at the Football Club History Database
Honours
- FA Trophy winners 2000-01; runners-up 2003-04
- Isthmian League Premier Division champions 2003-04; runners-up 2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03
- Isthmian League First Division champions 1998-99
- Isthmian League Second Division champions 1995-96, 1997-98
- Isthmian League Third Division runners-up 1994-95
- Essex Senior League champions 1986-87, 1992-93; runners-up 1978-79,
Current squad
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Goalkeepers
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Defenders
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Midfielders
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Forwards
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