Redbridge Forest F.C.

Football club infobox
clubname = Redbridge Forest


fullname = Redbridge Forest Football Club
nickname =
founded = 1979 as "Leytonstone/Ilford"
1989 as "Redbridge Forest"
dissolved = 1992, merged with Dagenham
ground = Victoria Road, Dagenham
capacity = 6000
league =
season = 1991-92 | position = Conference National, 7th
pattern_la1=|pattern_b1=|pattern_ra1=
leftarm1=ff0000|body1=ff0000|rightarm1=ff0000|shorts1=0000ff|socks1=ff0000
pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=_whiterightsash|pattern_ra2=
leftarm2=ffffff|body2=ffffff|rightarm2=ffffff|shorts2=ffffff|socks2=ffffff

Redbridge Forest F.C. was an English football club, founded in 1989. The club came into being by a merger between Leytonstone/Ilford and Walthamstow Avenue, though the merged clubs played one season under the original name.

In 1992 the club merged with Dagenham to form the present Dagenham & Redbridge. It is not to be confused with the current Isthmian League club Redbridge, which was known as Ford United until July 2004.

History

The club are the direct descendents of Leytonstone/Ilford F.C. which was founded in 1979 by a merger of old clubs Leytonstone (founded in 1886) and Ilford (founded in 1881). They were somewhat successful in non-league football, while under the name Leytonstone & Ilford, they were crowned Isthmian League champions during 1981-82. The following season the club finished as runners-up in the same league. At the end of the season, they changed their name Leytonstone/Ilford Football Club.

Another merger was incorporated in 1988 when Walthamstow Avenue were incorporated. Initially there was no name change, and the club won the Isthmian League that season; they were due to be promoted to what is today known as the Conference National, but were denied due to ground problems.

Under the Redbridge Forest name

For the 1989 season, the name of the club was changed to Redbridge Forest. Redbridge Forest won the Isthmian League in the second season under the new name (the same set of players had won it the 1988-89 season, under the old name).

As a result, in order to the club to gain promotion to the Conference, they moved in to share Dagenham F.C.'s Victoria Road ground, which was of a better standard than their own and would allow them to pass the regulations.

Redbridge Forest were in the Conference for one year and achieved a seventh place finish during the 1991-92 season. For the 1992-93 season, they merged with the Dagenham (the club whose ground they were sharing) and became Dagenham & Redbridge. The new club reached the Football League at the end of the 2006-07 as Conference National champions.

Honours

"As Leytonstone/Ilford F.C"
*Isthmian League
**Champions: 1981-82, 1988-89
**Runners-up: 1982-83
*Isthmian League Division One
**Champions: 1979-80, 1986-87

"As Redbridge Forest F.C"
*Isthmian League
**Champions: 1990-91
*FA Trophy
**Quarter-finalists: 1991-92

External links

*fchd|id=REDBRIDF|name=Redbridge Forest
*fchd|id=LEYTONSI|name=Leytonstone Ilford
*fchd|id=LEYTONST|name=Leytonstone
*fchd|id=ILFORD|name=Ilford