Basildon United F.C.

Infobox Football club
clubname = Basildon United


fullname = Basildon United Football Club
nickname = The Bees
founded = 1967
ground = Gardiners Close, Basildon
capacity = 4,000 approx with 100 Seating in Main Stand
chairman = John Moran
secretary = Terri Morris
Joint Managers = Colin Cook & Gary Morris
reserve manager = TBA
under 18's manager = TBA
league = Essex Senior League
season = 2007-08
position = Essex Senior League, 16th
pattern_la1=|pattern_b1=_blackstripes|pattern_ra1=
leftarm1=FF8800|body1=FF8800|rightarm1=FF8800|shorts1=000000|socks1=FF8800
pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=_whitehoops|pattern_ra2=
leftarm2=FFFFFF|body2=008000|rightarm2=FFFFFF|shorts2=FFFFFF|socks2=FFFFFF

Basildon United Football Club is an English football club based in Basildon, Essex. They currently compete in the Essex Senior League, which they have won more times than any other club and record of 5 times winners. The club is nicknamed the Bees, due to the club adopting amber and black as the team colours, during 2007/2008 season Bees Fans nicknamed the Ground the HIVE and the faithful fans now call themselves the HIVE CF.

History

1967 to 1970

Basildon United came into being in 1967, previously operating under the name Armada FC as a junior club that were formed in 1963. In 1967–68, the club joined the Thurrock Thames-side Combination League, moving into the Greater London League the following season.

1970 to 1980

The first major step came in 1970 when the Essex County FA granted Basildon United senior status and they became founder members of the Essex Senior League. It was not long before Basildon got amongst the honours, and when they successfully applied for promotion to the Athenian League in 1980, they could look back on four consecutive Championships from 1977 to 1980 and this still stands as a League record, in addition they also finished runners-up in 1973 and 1975 and the League Cup was won in 1978 to complete that season's double. The following season they carried off the Essex Senior Trophy.

1980 to 1990

Basildon United's membership of the Athenian League only lasted one season as they finished runners-up behind Windsor and Eton and earned promotion to the Isthmian League Division Two. Also in this season, 1980–81, they progressed to the Quarter-Finals of the FA Vase before Irthlingborough Diamonds ended the Bees run, winning 6–4 in a sixth round replay.

After 3 seasons in the Isthmian League Division Two, Basildon United were promoted as Champions in 1984, pipping St. Albans by one point on the last day of the season. This saw them reach the finals of both the Essex Senior Trophy and the Eastern Floodligh Competition. The Bees found life a lot harder in Division One and eventually lost their struggle against relegation in 1989 back to Division Two (North), this was the first and only time the club have been relegated in their history. Two further seasons were spent in Division Two (North) before the decision to de-regionalise the Isthmian League.

1990 to 2000

The club rejoined the Essex Senior League in 1991–92. The club felt that an excess of travelling in the Isthmian Division was financially unviable at that point. The club quickly regrouped both on and off the field and it wasn't long before the Senior League successes of the late 1970s were emulated. The Bees finished in the top six in both 1991–92 and 1992–93 and made a League Cup Final appearance in 1992. A superb 1993–94 season saw Basildon United again win the Essex Senior League double, the Championship being won for a record fifth time and the following season they battled through to the FA Vase Quarter-Final for the second time in their history before losing out to Raunds Town.

During 1997–98, Basildon United equalled Brentwood FC's (now Brentwood Town F.C.) record of three Essex Senior League Cup wins by beating Burnham Ramblers 1–0 in the final and it was Basildon's sixth appearance in the League Cup Final, which is also a record. The Bee's also finished runners-up to Concord Rangers in the Essex Senior League. 1999–2000 saw Basildon United finish 13th, their worst ever season till 2007/2008 season.

2000 to 2008

The club are hoping to move to a new ground soon to be located in or near to Basildon. So the club has been in much turmoil, the club has had three managers, John Doyle, John Higley and current manager Jason Emery, who took over half way through 2007/2008 as he stepped up from being the reserves manager, he brought in former Basildon player Steve Hickey coming in as coach. Steve Hickey has been at the club for 7 long seasons at now moves into his first coaching role.The club still remains a member of the Essex Senior League of which they came 16th in the 2007/2008 the lowest they have ever been since rejoining the league, during that season the club used no fewer than 72 first team players. Hopefully 2008/2009 will be a better year for the Bees.

Basildon Utd Programmes

The match-day programme, produced and edited by Terry Jeffreys, was named Essex Senior League Programme of the Year for the 2007/2008 season.

Gardiners Close

Nicknamed: The HIVE

Their home ground, Gardiners Close, was opened by then West Ham United players Geoff Hurst and Jimmy Greaves and the first match was played against West Ham United in front of a crowd of 4,000.The club are hoping to move to a new ground in the near future though a site has not been chosen yet. The Gardiners Close site is wanted for redevelopment by Basildon Council so therefore sadly cannot be developed on by the club. Within the Grounds there is a bar, decent size car park, small training facilities, changing rooms, and Main stand with two covered standing area either side.

Concessions

Current Home Match-day prices to enter the ground:

Current Players

During the 2007/2008 season Basildon registered 72 first team players, but the current squad is much smaller than that!!!

:"As of April, 2008."

football squad player | no=3 | nat=England| pos=DF | name=Paul Talbot Captain

Starting Line-up for the last 3 games of the 2007/2008 Season against Sawbridgeworth Town (0~0 Draw), Hullbridge Sports (2~2 Draw) and Barking (1~1 Draw)

More Records

Honours

Trophies that the club has won since 1967

Isthmian League, Division Three
*Champions: 1983–84

Athenian League
*Runners-Up: 1980–81

Essex Senior League
*Champions: 1976–77, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1993–94
*Runners-Up: 1972–73, 1974–75, 1997–98

Essex Senior League Challenge Cup
*Champions: 1977–78, 1993–94, 1997–98
*Runners-Up: 1975–76, 1979–80, 1991–92

Essex Senior Trophy
*Champions: 1977–78
*Runners-Up: 1983–84

Eastern Floodlight Competition
*Runners-Up: 1983–84

External links

* [http://www.basildonunitedfc.com/ Official Club Website]
* [http://www.fansfocus.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/forums/130/1/Basildon_United.html/ Fans Focus Fansite]
* [http://www.multimap.com/maps/?hloc=GB|SS14%203AW/ MultiMap]
* [http://basildonutdfc.page.tl/ Unofficial Club Website]