BILLERICAY TOWN
HISTORY
Little is known about the formative years of the club, but Billericay Football Club was formed in 1880. The 1977 F.A. Vase Final programme suggested the club celebrated it’s centenary in 1976.
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From the 1900’s Billericay F.C. was playing it’s matches on Archers Field, Laindon Road. The Memorial Hall was built there in the 1930’s.
The earliest known honour the club lifted was the 1912-13 Mid-Essex League, Division Two title.
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Billericay Football Club, circa 1900
Back row: Third from left is Richard Scott (town blacksmith), centre in the bowler hat is Walter Totman (cattle driver), third from right Sam Heard (undertaker). Centre row: Far right is Sam Leeds (coach driver and coffin maker). Front row: Sam Quilter, third right is Arthur Crook and fourth right Gillie Crook. Thank you to the Cater Museum.
Billericay F.C. weren't the only club to represent the town. Billericay Albion F.C. played on a pitch at Newlands Road and Billericay Thursdays F.C. sometimes played near the current site of New Lodge as well as sharing Archers Field with Billericay F.C either side of the war.
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During the early years the club competed in the Romford & District League and the Mid-Essex League. By the 1930’s Billericay were competing in the Chelmsford & District League, winning Division Three in 1933. The Mid-Essex League, Division Two was also won on another two occasions, along with the Mid-Essex League, Division Two League Cup, also twice.
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They joined the South Essex Combination League after the last war until they were founder members of the Essex Olympian League for the 1966-67 season. Burnham Ramblers were crowned Champions with Town finishing seventh, below Bowers United and Essex Police.
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A local paper printed a photo of the Billericay team that won the 1932-33 Chelmsford & District League, Division Two title.
John Newman joined as manager for the 1969-70 season which finally saw Billericay Town top the Essex Olympian League table, winning the title on goal difference over Chadwell Heath. The following season they retained their title, only losing one match, this triumph was added to with the club lifting the Essex Olympian League Senior Division Cup and Challenge Cup.
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In 1971 Billericay Town was one of nine founder members of the Essex Senior League for its inaugural season.
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​They had been granted senior status and moved in to their current home at New Lodge, which had previously been used by Outwood Common F.C. New Lodge was named after the hospital, which stood at the corner of Blunts Wall Road and Tye Common Road.
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They finished that season as runners-up behind Witham Town.
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It was also around this time that the club badge was designed. The badge features an image of the Mayflower, which set sail for North America in 1620. Some of the ship's passengers were from Billericay.
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They lifted the Essex Senior League title for the first of three times at the end of the 1972-73 season, also picking up the Essex Senior League Challenge Cup, beating Saffron Walden Town in the final.
The 1974 season saw Town finish second behind Saffron Walden but the title was reclaimed the following season, and reclaimed the season after that. The Essex Senior Cup was added to the Essex Senior League success when Epping Town were beaten 3-2.
The first of five consecutive J. T. Clark Memorial Trophies was won in 1975.
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The 1975-76 season saw the club make its first trip to the famous twin towers of Wembley Stadium as they competed in the final of the F.A. Vase. This was the second season since the Vase had been created, Billericay were beaten by Hoddesdon Town the previous season as Hoddesdon went on to lift the Vase. Billericay Town played Stamford in the '76 final with Geoff Aslett scoring the only goal of the match. The people of Billericay lined the High Street as the team paraded the Vase from the top deck of an open top bus.
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On 5 May 1976 Billericay Town recorded their biggest victory, an 11-0 victory against Stansted.
1976-77 would be Billericay’s last season in the Essex Senior League, finishing third but winning another Essex Senior League Cup.
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Town made a second trip to Wembley in 1977. They faced Sheffield, the oldest club in the world. On the way to this season’s final they played two replays and a 1-1 draw was the outcome of the final, with Freddie Clayden scoring Billericay’s goal. The day after the final they won the Phillips Electrical Floodlit Trophy, a 6-a-side tournament held at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre winning a set of floodlights for the ground.
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​The following Wednesday the two clubs met again, this time at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground.
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Geoff Aslett scored another F.A. Vase final goal with Billy Woodhouse scoring the eventual winner as Town triumphed 2-1.
To celebrate the installation of the new floodlights a friendly was held with West Ham United. A club record crowd of 3,841 fans turned up.
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The following season they switched to the Athenian League and they were crowned champions for the 1977-78 and 1978-79 seasons before joining the Isthmian League. The Athenian League Cup was also lifted at the first attempt.
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The 1977-78 season was the first time Billericay Town would compete in the F.A. Cup. Harwich & Parkeston visited New Lodge in the 1st Qualifying Round, earning a draw. Billericay won the replay 4-1.
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John Newman left the club and his assistant, Colin Searle, stepped in to the managers’ role.
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Billericay Town made their third, and final, appearance in an F.A. Vase Final at Wembley in 1979. This time they faced Almondsbury Greenway and won the match comfortably 4-1 with Freddie Clayden scoring another finals goal and Dougie Young scoring a hat trick. Young’s hat trick was the first in a Wembley final since Geoff Hurst’s for England in the 1966 World Cup Final against West Germany.
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Success continued in the Isthmian League as the Division Two title was lifted at the first time of asking, earning promotion to Division One. The 1980-81 season ended with the runners-up position, behind Bishop’s Stortford, and another promotion.
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Five seasons were spent in the Isthmian League, Premier Division before Billericay Town suffered their first relegation as a senior club. The Blues wouldn’t return to the top levels of the Isthmian League until 1999.
​Town reached their second Essex Senior Cup Final in 1986, losing to Chelmsford City 3-0 on aggregate. The season after, 1986-87, the Essex Thameside Trophy was won for the first time.
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The Essex Thameside Trophy was won again in 1992. Third place finishes were recorded in the Isthmian League, Division Three in 1991 and Division Two in 1992. Between 1994 and 1996 Billericay lost three consecutive Essex Senior Cup finals.
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The 1997-98 season ended with The Blues finishing as runners-up in Isthmian League, Division One. The club also reached the F.A. Cup First Round Proper for the first time, losing out to Wisbech Town.
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Another F.A. Cup First Round appearance was made in 2004-05, this time losing out to Stevenage Borough. Three years later the club made their third First Round appearance. They went ahead against League One Swansea City before losing 2-1.
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Thirty-five years after the clubs first Essex Senior Cup success the title was won again, this time after a 2-0 victory over Aveley. This was the clubs first trophy win for 19 years. The following season, 2011-12, saw the clubs biggest success since the 1970’s. Having lead the club to Essex Senior Cup success manager Craig Edwards lead his side to the Isthmian League, Premier Division title and promotion to the Conference South.
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The Blues were relegated after only the one season in the Conference South but in December 2016 the club was bought by Glenn Tamplin who immediately set about improving the wage bill and the clubs facilities.
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The 2016-17 season ended with the club having lifted the Isthmian League Cup for the first time.
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Billericay Town went in to the 2017-18 season as favourites to win the Isthmian League Premier Division title.
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It was during the 2017-18 season that Billericay Town had their first player capped at international level. Ricky Modeste was called up to the Grenada squad for a friendly in Trinidad. Grenada took a 2-0 lead with Ricky scoring their second goal. The match ended 2-2.
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During March 2018 The Blues beat Chelmsford City 2-1 at Colchester United to lift the Essex Senior Cup. The following month Town beat Met Police 5-3 in extra time at Aveley to become the first club to retain the Isthmian League Cup in 34 years, then on the night of Tuesday 24 April 2018 The Blues beat Harlow Town 2-0 at New Lodge to seal with Isthmian League title for the second time in 6 years.
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The Blues spent four seasons in the National League South before being relegated at the end of the 2021-22 season, having finished bottom of the league table. This is the first time the club have finished bottom in its senior history.
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