Canvey Island F.C.

Football club infobox
clubname = Canvey Island


fullname = Canvey Island Football Club
nickname = The Gulls Yellow Army The Islanders
founded = 1926
ground = Park Lane,
Canvey Island
capacity = 4,308
chairman = Dennis Rugg
manager = John Batch
league = Isthmian League Premier Division
season = 2007–08
position = Isthmian League First Division North, 5th (promoted)
shirtsupplier = Venom Sports shirtsponsors = Frost Financial Services pattern_la1=_sky_blue_stripe
pattern_b1=_sky_blue_stripes
pattern_ra1=_skybluepinstripe
leftarm1=ffff60
body1=ffff60
rightarm1=ffff60
shorts1=97CBFF
socks1=FFFFFF
pattern_la2=_blueshoulders
pattern_b2=_blueshoulders
pattern_ra2=_blueshoulders
leftarm2=FFFFFF
body2=FFFFFF
rightarm2=FFFFFF
shorts2=FFFFFF
socks2=FFFFFF

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. Frank Saul, an FA Cup winner with Spurs, and several other players with league experience, played for the Islanders. They share a healthy rivalry with fellow islanders, Concord Rangers F.C.

History

Football has been played on the Island since Victorian times, with several precurssors to the current team folding. Canvey Island F.C. were formed in 1926 but had not achieved major success prior to the early 1990s. The early records of the club were destroyed in a major flood during 1953, their loss referenced in the song "Canvey Island" on the album Do You Like Rock Music? by the group British Sea Power. 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. Canvey have produced several notable footballers including Frank Saul and Dean Marney (formerly of Tottenham Hotspur).

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.

In January 2008, the club had 4 of their players called up to play in the 2010 World Cup Qualifiers and International Friendlies. Midfielders Ryan Edgar and Danny Francis were called up for Caribbean country Dominica to face Barbados, with Defender Chris Bourne and Midfielder Clydie Roberts being selected for the Guyana squad to face Cuba. Canvey will play in the Isthmian League Premier Division in the 2008-09 season after winning the playoffs. They finished 5th in the league, beat AFC Sudbury in the semi-final and beat Redbridge F.C. on penalties in the final.

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'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 featured 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). FA 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 - FA Trophy Winners. Isthmian League runner-up
*2001-02 - Isthmian League runner-up
*2002-03 - Isthmian League runner-up
*2003-04 - Isthmian League Champions; FA 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
*2007-08 - Isthmian Division One North Playoff Winners, joining Isthmian League Premier Division

* 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: fchd|id=CANVEYIS|name=Canvey Island

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,

Managers

:"Listed according to when they were managers for Canvey Island:"
*Jeff King 1992-2006
*John Batch 2006-Present

Notable Former Players

*Lee Boylan
*Julian Dicks
*Alex Inglethorpe
*Frank Saul
*Peter Taylor
*Steve Tilson
*Steve Ward

Current squad

Goalkeepers *Mel Capleton *Ricky Wiseman

Defenders *George Blewer *Craig Davidson *Kevin Dobinson *Dave Kreyling *Chris Moore *Tarkan Mustafa *Ryan Oliva *Ben Patten *Andrew West

Midfielders *Stuart Batch *Steve Corbell *Jon Edwards *Gabriel Fanibuyan *Richard Halle *David Lee

Forwards *Leon Antoine *Danny Curran *Jay Curran *Leon Gordon *Ian Luck

Miscellaneous

*The football team is referenced in the song "Canvey Island" by the English rock band, British Sea Power.

External links

* [http://www.canveyislandfc.com/ Club Website]
* [http://www.canveyfc.com/ www.canveyfc.com - Fan website]
* [http://www.canveyisland-mad.co.uk/ Canvey Island Mad - Fan Website]
* [http://www.fansfocus.com/canvey Fans Foucus - Fans Forum]
* [http://www.myspace.com/canveyislandfc My Space - Video Highlights of Home Games]