Saturday 17th February 2024
Sevenoaks Town vs Erith & Belvedere
Pitching In Isthmian League South East Division
Kick-off 3.00pm
The Bourne Stadium, Greatness Park, Mill Lane, Sevenoaks, TN14 5BX

We travel down into Kent tomorrow when we take on Sevenoaks Town as we continue our hunt for league survival.

Tomorrow's game is a designated Football vs Homophobia game, find out more about the amazing work carried out by Football vs Homophobia by clicking here

Here is everything you need to know about tomorrow's game.

Admission Prices
When purchased on the day
£10 - Adults
£5 - Concessions
£1 - Under 18's

Tickets brought in advance by clicking here
£9 - Adults
£4 - Concessions
£1 - Under 18's

Match Officials
Referee: Simon Cutler
Assistant Referees: Rhys Jeffery & Stuart Beadle

Getting to the Game
Address: Mill Lane, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN14 5BX

Car: Mill Lane is the road adjacent to the Shell Petrol Garage off of the A25 (Seal Road). The garage will be on your left if you are coming from the direction of Westerham/Otford and on your right if you are coming from the direction of Seal/Borough Green.

Train: The nearest train station Bat & Ball. Turn left out of the station onto Otford Road. At the traffic lights turn left onto the A25 (Seal Road). Continue on this road until you pass the Shell Garage and then turn left onto Mill Lane and the entrance to the car park and ground is on the right

The Opposition
Club Name: Sevenoaks Town
Ground: The Bourne Stadium, Greatness Park, Mill Lane, Sevenoaks, TN14 5BX
Distance from Park View Road (Round Trip): 42 miles
Colours: Blue & Black
Manager: Harry Hudson
Last Season: 8th

History
Sevenoaks Town FC was originally formed in 1883 and were founder members of the original Kent League, but they left after just one season and would not return for another 110 years. There are few existing records of the club during that era, but it is known that on 26 April 1893 they played Royal Arsenal, who were at the time the only professional team in the South of England, with over 1,000 spectators watching the game.

In 1906 the club, now known as Sevenoaks Town, became one of the founder members of the Sevenoaks League. In 1951 Town amalgamated with another local club, St. John’s United, and became members of the Kent Amateur League (Western Region), which they won on two occasions. In 1984 the Kent Amateur League was re-organised as the Kent County League and Sevenoaks were the first Premier Division champions, a feat they repeated in seasons 1995-96 and 2002-03.

After over a century playing in almost exclusively amateur leagues, Sevenoaks applied for promotion to the semi-professional Kent League after winning the 02-03 title. Their first season in the county’s senior league ended with a respectable 11th place and included a memorable victory away to former Football League side Maidstone United, when they recovered from a 3-1 half-time deficit to win 4-3.

The move to senior level also meant Sevenoaks were eligible for FA competitions. Their first appearance in the FA Vase came in 2004-05, when they lost 2-1 at home to Deal Town. Their longest run in the competition came in the final season they were eligible, 2017-18, when they made it to the third round proper before losing 3-1 away to Thatcham Town.

Since achieving promotion to the Isthmian League, Town have switched to the FA Trophy. In their first ever match in the competition in 2018-19 they beat former Conference side Grays Athletic 4-2 before losing 2-1 away to Dorking Wanderers, who went on to win the Isthmian Premier Division, in the first qualifying round.

In the FA Cup Town’s best performance came in 2016-17 when they took Chesham to a replay in the second qualifying round. Another memorable tie came in 2008-09 when they held Folkestone Invicta to a 4-4 draw at Greatness Park in the preliminary round. Town led 2-0 and 3-2 but were trailing 4-3 in stoppage time when a free-kick from Dwayne Gibbons earned them a replay, which they eventually lost 4-1.

After a decade during which their highest league position was sixth in 2009-10, Town appointed the former Dartford and Tonbridge player Micky Collins as manager for the 2014-15 season. Having previously won the Kent League title with Erith and Belvedere, Collins oversaw four seasons of progress, which saw the club rise from 16th to eighth, fifth and third in 2016-17, a season which also saw them win the Premier Division Cup. In 2017-18, having installed a 3G pitch, Collins led them to win the Southern Counties East League title and promotion to Step 4 football for the first time in the club's history.

A 10th place finish in their first season in Isthmian League South East proved an impressive start, but two Covid interrupted campaigns followed. 2021-22 proved a

difficult season, a poor run of results ending with the departure of Collins following a 4-0 defeat at Ashford United in mid-February, after seven and a half seasons in charge.

New boss Harry Hudson introduced a host of new players and achieved a dramatic transformation from relegation candidates to mid-table finishers in the remaining ten of the season. It ended with a 2-1 final day win at champions Hastings United: a seventh successive victory, 26 points out of a possible 30, with Hudson named Manager of the Month for April as Town ended in 13th place.

The 2022/23 season saw the club record their best ever runs in the Emirates FA Cup and Isuzu FA Trophy. The FA Cup highlight was the 1-0 win in the third qualifying round at National League South Bath City, before going out to eventual champions Ebbsfleet United - pushing them all the way, before losing 2-0. The Trophy exit a week earlier followed a 1-0 defeat at Lewes. Eighth place in the Pitching In Isthmian South East division was also their best finish as a Step 4 club.

The 140th anniversary season also provided some other impressive statistics.

A total of 1288 players represented the club - 1174 junior players and 114 seniors.

More than 200 volunteers supported the club, with more than 100 sponsors across all level.

Head to Head
Deres: 12
Draw: 2
Oaks: 11
Deres Goals: 61
Oaks Goals: 39

Last Meeting
07/11/2023 - Isthmian League South East
Deres 0
Sevenoaks Town 1

Elsewhere in the League
All Kick Offs are 3.00pm unless stated

Saturday
Pitching In Isthmian League Premier Division
Billericay Town v Horhsam
Carshalton Athletic v Enfield Town
Cheshunt v Cray Wanderers
Concord Rangers v Dulwich Hamlet
Hornchurch v Haringey Borough
Kingstonian v Bognor Regis Town
Lewes v Chatham Town
Margate v Canvey Island
Potters Bar Town v Hastings United
Whitehawk v Folkestone Invicta
Wingate & Finchley v Hashtag United

Pitching In Isthmian League South Central Division
Ashford Town (Middx) v Raynes Park Vale
Chipstead v Chertsey Town
Corinthian-Casuals v Southall
Hanworth Villa v Uxbridge
Hartley Wintney v Sutton Common Rovers
Leatherehad v Marlow
Met Police v Guernsey - 2.00pm
Northwood v Thatcham Town
South Park (Reigate) v Binfield
Westfield v Badshot Lea

Pitching In Isthmian League North Division
Bowers & Pitsea v Lowestoft Town
Enfield v Basildon United
Gorleston v Maldon & Tiptree
Grays Athletic v Walthamstow
Heybridge Swifts v Brentwood Town
New Salamis v Witham Town
Redbridge v Brightlingsea Regent
Stowmarket Town v Ipswich Wanderers
Wroxham v Felixstowe & Walton United

Pitching In Isthmian League South East Division
Burgess Hill Town v Hythe Town
Cray Valley PM v East Grinstead Town
Herne Bay v Beckenham Town
Horndean v Sheppey United
Lancing v Phoenix Sports
Littlehampton Town v Three Bridges
Mertsham v Ashford United
Ramsgate v Broadbridge Heath
Sittingbourne v Chichester City