Kingsdale The History and the return to Sunday League....
02 Jun 2010

Kingsdale FC was formed by Michael Collins in 1985 as a 5-a-side team with Ian Collins, Patrick Molloy, Barry Beesley and Maurice Connolly making up the original team members. The club name was chosen as 4 of the 5 original members attended St Pauls RC School in Wickham Lane, Abbey Wood, with the sports fields a mile or so away in Swingate Lane, Plumstead. After a tough two hour football session and facing a long tiring walk back to school, or even further back home, the 400 yard downhill stretch that is “Kingsdale Road”, which links Plumstead to Abbey Wood, was always warmly welcomed. With the sight of the “Kingsdale” street sign always being synonymous with both football and a sense of relief and cheer, “Kingsdale” was a natural choice as the name for the football team.

The 5 soon had enough numbers to make a squad and in 1986 Kingsdale FC became official, making their debut in the Woolwich & District Sunday League - The first two years in the WDL saw the largely teenage Kingsdale team finding their feet and trying to establish themselves against much more experienced teams with far bigger squads and far more resources. However, having learned their lessons over the previous two campaigns and having matured both physically and mentally during that period, the 1988-89 Season was the start of an unprecedented successful six year run in the WDL in which Kingsdale won all major Honours, including 4 league titles including the coveted Premier Division League Title and 2 major Cup Finals. Additionally, during this period Kingsdale set a League record of going 2 years without a League defeat and were further recognised with Patrick Molloy, Brian Rance, Michael Costello and Steven Dolan all making the WDL League Representative Team. Other regulars during this purple patch in the club’s history include: Shaun Hanley, Roy Marshall, Steven Riley, Faisal Sheikh, Alan Dolan, Martin Kirotar, Ian Jordan and John McIlfatrick.

By 1994 having won all possible Honours in the Woolwich & District League, Kingsdale decided to face fresh challenges in the London and Kent Border League. By this stage the club had grown enough to warrant 2 teams with Ian Collins managing the "B Team", subsequently passing responsibility to Martin Hall some years later. The Senior team won the Division 1 title in their first year and were promoted to the LKB Premier Division where they remained for the next 6 years, achieving a best league position of 4th.

In the final season 2003/04 in the LK&B league Kingsdale were under the management and guidance of Joe Wallis, with the squad lacking in numbers the decision was made to pull out of Sunday league football. Whilst for a number of years the 11-a-side team was in the football wilderness, the Kingsdale lads (including most of the original 5-a-side team founded over 20 years previously) retained their competitive spirit and would still meet at GOALs, Bexleyheath on Tuesday nights, and a regular fixture which they still religiously maintain to this day.

The success of the original team during the 1980s and 1990s was based upon the perfect combination of some quality players (Brian Rance scored approx 350 goals wearing the Kingsdale number 9 shirt, with Michael Costello netting approx 150 wearing the number 10), a fierce competitive edge amongst all of the players (which is still evident today at “GOALs” every week) and an unrivalled team spirit with the players not only playing for Kingsdale together but also socialising regularly together. The Kingsdale players were best of friends both on and off the pitch and this created staunch team loyalty and close personal bonds, all of which are as strong today as they were over 20 years ago.

On 29th January 2009 the re launch of Kingsdale FC back into Sunday league football was being attempted by Andy Hammond (Club Secretary in 2003/04), with the first session attracting a total number of 18 possible players, 13 which have continued and stayed with the squad to this very day. With all the hard work, and getting everyone together having training on a fortnightly basis, the good work of Andy Hammond, Ben Edwards, Joe Wallis, Adam Hammond and Roy Fletcher propelled Kingsdale FC into the Orpington and Bromley District Sunday League (www.obdsfl.com). Kingsdale held there first AGM in July 2009, after all the hard work getting the club into the league, Andy Hammond was voted in as Chairman and Manager, Joe Wallis as the Club Secretary, Dan House to be club treasurer (replaced by James Cooke in October due to work commitments) and Ben Edwards to be Match Contact, Kingsdale was officially reborn and back up and running.

Kingsdale then went on to secure sponsor deals with the Aligor Indian Cuisine (Bexleyheath) and The Wrong Un pub (Bexleyheath), both parties were a massive part in the reform of the club, purchasing the Kingsdale Home and Away kits for the club, Aligor sponsor the home kit, and The Wrong Un sponsor the away kit.

We have enjoyed a very good 2009/10 season in the OBDSFL’s division 4, we have avoided relegation (which was the main aim for the first season) and as a squad we have grown from strength to strength throughout. We started of the season with a 5-0 thrashing to FC Wasps, but come the turn of the year we beat the division 4 champions Flames 2-1, and went on a 7 game unbeaten run. The club is stable throughout, with a great committee, quality squad, and most importantly a decent set of lads who all want to enjoy playing the game of football, the future is looking good for Kingsdale FC.