Club History
06 Aug 2008

CORNARD UNITED HISTORY

Cornard United were promoted to membership of the Jewson League in 1989. They achieved senior status after fifteen years as an amateur club formed in 1964.

In the years since their formation, Cornard United have come through the junior and intermediate levels playing first in the Bury St Edmunds & District League, the Colchester League from 1971 to 1978, and the Essex & Suffolk Border League from 1978 to 1989.

Whilst playing in the Essex & Suffolk Border League, Cornard did the double in 1988/89 when they won both the Championship and the League Cup.

Since becoming a senior club, they have won the Suffolk Senior Cup (in 1989/90) and were Jewson Division One champions and Jewson League Cup finalists in 1992/1993.

As often happens in non-league football, the man with the big money moved on & so did the better players. After three seasons of close escapes and clearing debts Cornard were relegated back to Division One at the end of the 1996/97 season and have flirted with mid table ever since. In 2002 they won both the Eastern Floodlight cup and the Harwich Charity cup.

Just about every player in the Sudbury area has played for Cornard at some time in their career and moved on when the money ran out or the going got tough but Chairman Mike Ford & Manager Chris Symes have kept the club alive by dipping in to their own pockets. Last season they finished in 12th position so the squad has been strengthened during the summer.

This season the club will run The Ridgeons League 1st team, Reserve team in the Ridgeons Reserve League south division, Under 18's in the Ridgeons Youth league South division and the Youth teams in the Colchester League and Ladies team in the Eastern Counties League.

Cornard are one of only three Eastern League clubs who have not been able to secure any Grant Aid in their history, despite this they boast some of the best facilities in the region due to determination & hard work of their small backroom team & the popularity of the free function rooms.

The ground at Blackhouse Lane has a capacity of 2,000, seating accommodation for 250 and floodlights. The club record attendance is 400 against West Ham United season 2001/2002. The social club boasts Sky Sports and CCTV and is now booked for parties every weekend since the recent introduction of free hire for functions.