Kent Football League (1894–1959)
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The Kent League was a
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
league which existed from 1894 until 1959, based in the English county of
Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...
. Another, unrelated, Kent League was formed in 1966, and is now known as the
Southern Counties East Football League The Southern Counties East Football League is an English association football, football league established in 1966, which has teams based in Kent and Southeast London. Its two divisions are allocated at Step 5 and Step 6 of the National League ...
.


History

The league was established by the Kent County Football Association in February 1894. The initial proposal for a twelve-team league was subsequently changed to a nine-member Division I with the addition of a similar-sized Division II, with promotion and relegation decided by a play-off between the bottom two clubs in Division I against the two top clubs in Division II. For the first three seasons of the competition the champions of Division I were awarded the Kent County Challenge Cup, which had previously been presented to the Kent County FA knock-out tournament (Kent Cup) winners. The Division II champions were awarded a new trophy, the Kent County Challenge Shield. From 1897, after the Kent County Challenge Cup returned to being the trophy for the knock-out tournament (now the
Kent Senior Cup The Kent Senior Cup is an English football knock-out competition played between senior clubs in the county of Kent. It is administered by the Kent County Football Association (KCFA). History Now known as the Kent Senior Cup it was originall ...
), the shield was used as the trophy for the Division I champions. The nine clubs who formed the inaugural Division I for the 1894–95 season were Chatham, Sheppey United,
Dartford Dartford is the principal town in the Borough of Dartford, Kent, England. It is located south-east of Central London and is situated adjacent to the London Borough of Bexley to its west. To its north, across the Thames Estuary, is Thurrock in ...
, Gravesend United,
Sittingbourne Sittingbourne is an industrial town in the Swale district of Kent, southeast England, from Canterbury and from London, beside the Roman Watling Street, an ancient trackway used by the Romans and the Anglo-Saxons. The town stands next to th ...
, Ashford United,
Folkestone Folkestone ( ) is a coastal town on the English Channel, in Kent, south-east England. The town lies on the southern edge of the North Downs at a valley between two cliffs. It was an important harbour, shipping port, and fashionable coastal res ...
, Maidstone United and the Training Battalion of the Royal Engineers. The latter two replaced Royal Ordnance Factories, who withdrew, and New Brompton, who withdrew after adopting professionalism. Division II also commenced with nine clubs:
Sevenoaks Sevenoaks is a town in Kent with a population of 29,506, situated south-east of London, England. Also classified as a civil parishes in England, civil parish, Sevenoaks is served by a commuter South Eastern Main Line, main line railway into Lo ...
,
Dover Dover ( ) is a town and major ferry port in Kent, southeast England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies southeast of Canterbury and east of Maidstone. ...
,
Faversham Faversham () is a market town in Kent, England, from Sittingbourne, from London and from Canterbury, next to the Swale, a strip of sea separating mainland Kent from the Isle of Sheppey in the Thames Estuary. It is close to the A2 road (Great ...
, Swanscombe, Cray Wanderers, Folkestone Harveians, Chatham Reserves, Sheppey United Reserves and Sittingbourne Reserves. The latter two replaced
Bromley Bromley is a large town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is southeast of Charing Cross, and had an estimated population of 88,000 as of 2023. Originally part of Kent, Bromley became a market town, charte ...
and Rochester Defiance who had been originally selected. The inaugural Division 1 winners were Chatham; the inaugural Division 2 winners were Swanscombe. For the second season, after the league voted in January 1895 to allow professionalism, Division I expanded to twelve clubs with the addition of New Brompton (who used it as a supplementary league while also competing in the Southern League), Woolwich Arsenal Reserves and
Northfleet Northfleet is a town in the borough of Gravesham in Kent, England. It is located immediately west of Gravesend, and on the border with the Borough of Dartford. Northfleet has its own railway station on the North Kent Line, just east of Ebbsf ...
. Before the start of the following 1896–97 season, eight clubs left the league (primarily to the Southern League), and by the commencement of the 1897–98 season the league had only 15 members across its two divisions, leading to the amalgamation of the divisions into a single Division I for the following season. There were further reductions in members and by 1910 there were only nine members (five of whom left at the end of the season). The league was reconstructed for the 1910–11 season under the auspices of the KCFA, which had relinquished their role on the management committee a decade previously. Two regional second divisions (East and West) were added, drawing their members from the top clubs of the East Kent and West Kent leagues. As a result, the league expanded to 32 clubs; twelve in Division I, with the Division II East and West divisions having eleven and nine members respectively. As part of the reconstruction, reserve teams of Kent and South London clubs playing in the Southern League were invited to enter the Kent League. As a consequence of these stronger teams being introduced, between 1911 and 1914 the Division I championship was won by two of these teams – Millwall Reserves on three successive occasions and then Crystal Palace Reserves. In March 1923 informal discussions took place concerning a knock-out Kent League Cup competition for the Division I teams. This came to fruition and in the 1923–24 season Northfleet United were the first winners of the competition. Apart from a five-season hiatus owing to
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
the league structure remained broadly the same until 1928, albeit with a churn of clubs. In 1923 the Division II Western Section became part of the Kent County Amateur League and a new Mid-Kent Section (effectively replacing the Western Section) was added at Division II level; while the Division II Eastern Section, having had just three members in 1923–24, was suspended for three seasons before being reintroduced for the 1927–28 season, when the league comprised 26 clubs, 14 in Division I with just three in the East Section and nine in the Mid-Kent Section of Division II. With the lack of clubs at the Division II level, the two sections were merged into a single division in 1928. The league continued in this format until its demise in 1959 apart from two seasons between 1935 and 1937 when Division II was temporarily discontinued in preference to it being part of the Kent County Amateur League, after which it was reinstated. Both divisions were suspended in September 1939 following the outbreak of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
: Division I was restarted in 1944–45, but Division II did not return until 1946–47. In April 1958 Folkestone Town and
Dover Dover ( ) is a town and major ferry port in Kent, southeast England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies southeast of Canterbury and east of Maidstone. ...
, two of the larger clubs, indicated their intention to leave the Kent League and join the expanding Southern League, with Bexleyheath & Welling and Tunbridge Wells United doing the same shortly afterwards. Although, owing to contractual arrangements, the clubs had to play in the Kent League for the 1958–59 season, the number of rebel clubs expanded to eight with the addition of Ashford Town,
Margate Margate is a seaside resort, seaside town in the Thanet District of Kent, England. It is located on the north coast of Kent and covers an area of long, north-east of Canterbury and includes Cliftonville, Garlinge, Palm Bay, UK, Palm Bay and W ...
, Ramsgate Athletic and
Sittingbourne Sittingbourne is an industrial town in the Swale district of Kent, southeast England, from Canterbury and from London, beside the Roman Watling Street, an ancient trackway used by the Romans and the Anglo-Saxons. The town stands next to th ...
. As a consequence, in December 1958 the Kent County FA stated they were unwilling to continue the Kent League and would be disbandingit after 65 years of existence at the end of the season. At the time of disbanding, the league had 18 clubs in both Division I and Division II. Of the Division I clubs, the eight wantaway teams (who were mostly the top clubs in the final Kent League table) joined Division One of the Southern League; seven clubs joined the new
Aetolian League The Aetolian (or Aitolian) League () was a confederation of tribal communities and cities in ancient Greece centered in Aetolia in Central Greece. It was probably established during the early Hellenistic era, in opposition to Macedon and the Ac ...
( Snowdown Colliery Welfare,
Herne Bay Herne Bay is a seaside town on the north coast of Kent in South East England. It is north of Canterbury and east of Whitstable. It neighbours the ancient villages of Herne, Kent, Herne and Reculver and is part of the City of Canterbury loca ...
, Chatham Town, Faversham Town, Sheppey United,
Whitstable Whitstable () is a town on the north coast of Kent, England, at the convergence of the The Swale, Swale and the Greater Thames Estuary, north of Canterbury and west of Herne Bay, Kent, Herne Bay. The town, formerly known as Whitstable-on-Se ...
and Deal Town), while Canterbury City joined the
Metropolitan League The Metropolitan League was a football league in the south-east of England between 1949 and 1971.Gillingham Reserves joined the Football Combination.


Later Kent League

A new Kent League was established seven years later. In the 1966–67 season the Kent Premier League was formed, derived from the Thames & Medway Combination. The word 'Premier' was dropped the following season. The new league did not attract back the clubs from the Southern League but was taken up by some of the clubs that had formed the Aetolian and Seanglian Leagues. In 2013 the new league was renamed the
Southern Counties East Football League The Southern Counties East Football League is an English association football, football league established in 1966, which has teams based in Kent and Southeast London. Its two divisions are allocated at Step 5 and Step 6 of the National League ...
.


Champions and League Cup winners

The champions of the league's divisions and League Cup winners were as follows:


Member clubs

During the league's history, member clubs included: *12th Infantry Training Corps *1st King's Own *1st North Staffordshire Regiment *1st Royal Warwickshire *1st South Wales Borderers *2nd Connaught Rangers *2nd Essex Regiment *2nd King's Royal Rifles *2nd Lancashire Fusiliers *2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers *2nd Royal Irish Rifles *3rd Worcestershire *Army Ordnance Corps (Woolwich) *Army Service Corps (Grove Park) *
Ashford Railway Works Ashford railway works was a major locomotive and wagon construction and repair workshop in Ashford, Kent in England. Constructed by the South Eastern Railway (UK), South Eastern Railway in 1847, it became a major centre for railway works in the ...
* Ashford Railway Works Reserves * Ashford Town * Ashford Town Reserves * Ashford United *Aveling & Porter (Strood) * Aylesford Paper Mills * Aylesford Paper Mills Reserves *Belvedere & District * Betteshanger Colliery Welfare * Betteshanger Colliery Welfare Reserves * Bexleyheath & Welling * Bexleyheath & Welling Reserves *Bexleyheath Labour *Bexleyheath Town *Borstal * Bowaters Lloyd * Bowaters Lloyd Reserves *
Bromley Bromley is a large town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is southeast of Charing Cross, and had an estimated population of 88,000 as of 2023. Originally part of Kent, Bromley became a market town, charte ...
* Canterbury City * Canterbury City Reserves * Canterbury Waverley * Canterbury Waverley Reserves *Carabiners * Catford Southend * Charlton Athletic * Charlton Athletic 'A' * Charlton Athletic Reserves * Chatham * Chatham Reserves * Chatham Town *Chislet Colliery Welfare * Cray Wanderers * Cray Wanderers Reserves * Crystal Palace Reserves *
Dartford Dartford is the principal town in the Borough of Dartford, Kent, England. It is located south-east of Central London and is situated adjacent to the London Borough of Bexley to its west. To its north, across the Thames Estuary, is Thurrock in ...
* Dartford Reserves * Dartford Amateurs *Deal Cinque Ports * Deal Town * Deal Town Reserves * Depot Battalion, RE *Depot Machine Gun Corps (Folkestone) *Depot Royal West Kent Regiment * Deptford Invicta * Deptford Town *
Dover Dover ( ) is a town and major ferry port in Kent, southeast England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies southeast of Canterbury and east of Maidstone. ...
* Dover Reserves *Dover United *Erith * Erith & Belvedere *Erith Oil Works *Eythorne *Faversham Services * Faversham Town * Faversham Town Reserves *
Folkestone Folkestone ( ) is a coastal town on the English Channel, in Kent, south-east England. The town lies on the southern edge of the North Downs at a valley between two cliffs. It was an important harbour, shipping port, and fashionable coastal res ...
* Folkestone Reserves *Folkestone Gas *Folkestone Harveians * Folkestone Town * Folkestone Town Reserves * Gillingham * Gillingham 'A' * Gillingham Reserves * Gravesend & Northfleet Reserves *Gravesend Hotspur * Gravesend United *
Grays Athletic Grays Athletic Football Club is a football club based in Grays, Essex, England. They are currently members of the and play at Chadfields in nearby Tilbury. History The club was established as Grays Juniors in 1890, before merging with former ...
* Grays Thurrock United * Grays Thurrock United Reserves *
Herne Bay Herne Bay is a seaside town on the north coast of Kent in South East England. It is north of Canterbury and east of Whitstable. It neighbours the ancient villages of Herne, Kent, Herne and Reculver and is part of the City of Canterbury loca ...
* Herne Bay Reserves * Lloyds Paper Mills * Lloyds Paper Mills Reserves * London Paper Mills *Loyal Regiment *Luton *Maidstone Athletic *Maidstone Church Institute *Maidstone Institute *Maidstone Invicta * Maidstone United * Maidstone United Reserves *
Margate Margate is a seaside resort, seaside town in the Thanet District of Kent, England. It is located on the north coast of Kent and covers an area of long, north-east of Canterbury and includes Cliftonville, Garlinge, Palm Bay, UK, Palm Bay and W ...
* Margate Reserves *Medway Corrugated Paper Company * Metrogas * Millwall Reserves *Minster United *Murston Rangers *New Brompton *New Brompton Amateurs *New Brompton Excelsior *
Northfleet Northfleet is a town in the borough of Gravesham in Kent, England. It is located immediately west of Gravesend, and on the border with the Borough of Dartford. Northfleet has its own railway station on the North Kent Line, just east of Ebbsf ...
* Northfleet United *
Orpington Orpington is a town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is 13.4 miles (21.6 km) south east of Charing Cross. On the south-eastern edge of the Greater London Built-up Area, it is south of St Mary Cray, sou ...
*
RAF Eastchurch Royal Air Force Eastchurch or more simply RAF Eastchurch (formerly RNAS Eastchurch) is a former Royal Air Force station near Eastchurch village, on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, England. The history of aviation at Eastchurch stretches back to the ...
*Rainham *Ramsgate *Ramsgate Reserves * Ramsgate Athletic * Ramsgate Athletic Reserves *Ramsgate Grenville *Ramsgate Press Wanderers *Ramsgate Town * RETB Chatham * Rochester *Rochester & Borstal *Royal Artillery * Royal Marines (Chatham) * Royal Marines (Chatham) Reserves *Royal Marines (Deal) *Royal Marines (Deal) Reserves *Royal Naval Depot (Chatham) *Royal Naval Depot (Chatham) Reserves * Royal Ordnance Factories *Royal Scots Fusiliers *Royal West Kent Regiment *S.E. Railway Mechanics Institute *S.R. Athletic *
Sevenoaks Sevenoaks is a town in Kent with a population of 29,506, situated south-east of London, England. Also classified as a civil parishes in England, civil parish, Sevenoaks is served by a commuter South Eastern Main Line, main line railway into Lo ...
* Sheppey United * Sheppey United Reserves * Shorts Sports *
Sittingbourne Sittingbourne is an industrial town in the Swale district of Kent, southeast England, from Canterbury and from London, beside the Roman Watling Street, an ancient trackway used by the Romans and the Anglo-Saxons. The town stands next to th ...
* Sittingbourne Reserves * Sittingbourne Paper Mills *Snodland Town * Snowdown Colliery Welfare * Snowdown Colliery Welfare Reserves *South Lancashire Regiment * Southend United Reserves *Strood *Swanscombe *
Tilbury Tilbury is a port town in the borough of Thurrock, Essex, England. The present town was established as separate settlement in the late 19th century, on land that was mainly part of Chadwell St Mary. It contains a Tilbury Fort, 16th century fort ...
*
Tonbridge Tonbridge ( ) (historic spelling ''Tunbridge'') is a market town in Kent, England, on the River Medway, north of Royal Tunbridge Wells, south west of Maidstone and south east of London. In the administrative borough of Tonbridge and Mall ...
*Troy Town Invicta * Tunbridge Wells United * Tunbridge Wells United Reserves *Vickers (Crayford) *Vickers (Erith) *
Whitstable Whitstable () is a town on the north coast of Kent, England, at the convergence of the The Swale, Swale and the Greater Thames Estuary, north of Canterbury and west of Herne Bay, Kent, Herne Bay. The town, formerly known as Whitstable-on-Se ...
* Whitstable Reserves *Woolwich *Woolwich Reserves * Woolwich Arsenal Reserves


Notes


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kent Football League (1894-1959) 1 1894 establishments in England Sports leagues established in 1894 Kent Football League (1894–1959) players