A.F.C. Hornchurch

Football club infobox
clubname = AFC Hornchurch


fullname = Association Football Club Hornchurch
nickname = The Urchins
founded = 2005
(or 1923 as Upminster Wanderers)
ground = Hornchurch Stadium, Bridge Avenue
capacity = 3,500 +
chairman = Jon Smith
(officially managing director)
manager = Colin McBride
league = Isthmian League Premier Division
season = 2007-08
position = Isthmian League Premier Division, 4th
shirtsponsors= | Majestic pattern_la1=_red_stripes|pattern_b1=_whitestripes|pattern_ra1=_red_stripes
leftarm1=FFFFFF|body1=FF0000|rightarm1=FFFFFF|shorts1=000000|socks1=FFFFFF
pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=
leftarm2=FFEE00|body2=FFEE00|rightarm2=FFEE00|shorts2=000099|socks2=FFEE00

AFC Hornchurch are a non-League football team based in Hornchurch, Greater London, England.

The club formed in 2005 when Hornchurch Football Club came in to financial problems and was closed down. A.F.C. Hornchurch played in the Essex Senior Football League, an English football league covering Essex and East London, during the season 2005/06, where they were champions at the first attempt, and followed this up by winning the Isthmian League Division One North title in 2006–07.

The Hornchurch home kit has a red and white striped shirt and black shorts whilst the away kit and shorts have yellow and black stripes. The Hornchurch kits are sponsored by Majestic.

Club history

A.F.C. Hornchurch started off their life in the Essex Senior League, having signed many players from other clubs in the division.Fact|date=October 2007. The new club proved to be highly successful on the pitch embarking on an unbeaten run from the second game of the season through to the start of December. The Urchins recorded a record attendance for the league when 702 fans attended Bridge Avenue to watch the derby match with Romford which Hornchurch won 3-0. The club went on to win the league, with six games to spare, finishing with a league record of 78 points. Hornchurch completed a treble by winning both the Gordon Brasted Memorial Trophy and the Westview Essex Senior League Challenge Cup. The season was tarnished for the club somewhat by the death of Club President and founder, Jim Bradshaw, in February 2006. Prior to the new club's formation Bradshaw had been at Hornchurch F.C. since 1971.

They have reached the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup in season 2007-08.

Current squad

Billy Coyne Lance Key

Fans

Before promotion to the Isthmian Premier, Hornchurch were among the best supported teams in their league,Fact|date=March 2008 recently attracting a crowd of over 1000 for a match against Welling United in the latter stages of qualifying for the FA Cup, in October 2006. A visit from local rivals Romford brought a crowd of 702. A.F.C. Hornchurch last season got an average home attendance of around 400 whilst a pre season friendly against West Ham got an attendance of 911.

Rivals

AFC Hornchurch have quite a few Rivals with Grays Athletic, Canvey Island,and Romford

tadium

A.F.C. Hornchurch play at Hornchurch Stadium, Bridge Avenue, Upminster - also home to an athletics club. The stadium has two stands, the Riverside and the East Side. In addition to this, during the 2003/04 season when AFC Hornchurch achieved a good run in the FA Cup, temporary stands were erected at both ends of the ground. The end nearest the tunnel was appropriately referred to as the 'Tunnel End' however these stands were removed shortly after meaning there is no standing or seating behind either goals.

Honours

*Isthmian League
**Division One North Champions 2006-07
*Essex Senior League
**Champions 2005-06
**Challenge Cup Winners 2006
*Gordon Brasted Trophy
**Winners 2006
*Essex Senior Cup
**Winners 2007

External links

* [http://www.afchornchurch.co.uk Official Site]