Erith & Belvedere F.C.

History

The club was established in 1922 as part of a restructure of Belvedere & District, which had been formed in 1918. Belvedere & District had joined Division Two West of the Kent League in 1919, but left the league at the end of the 1920–21 season. The new club joined the Kent League for the 1922–23 season and were placed in Division One. In 1923–24 they reached the final of the FA Amateur Cup, losing 3–0 to Clapton at the Den. However, the season also saw them win the Kent Amateur Cup.

After finishing third in 1928–29, Erith & Belvedere joined the Premier Division of the London League, the club's reserves having played in Division One of the league since 1923. However, both teams left the league at the end of the 1929–30 season, with the first team returning to Division One of the Kent League. In 1937–38 they reached the FA Amateur Cup final again, losing 1–0 to Bromley at the Den. During World War II they played in the South-East Combination, winning the league and League Cup double and the Kent Senior Cup in 1941–42.

After the war Erith & Belvedere won the London Senior Cup in 1945 and were founder members of the Corinthian League for the 1945–46 season. They won the league's Memorial Shield three times in row between 1947–48 and 1949–50 and were league runners-up in 1962–63 but the league disbanded at the end of the season and together with most other teams in the league, they became members of the new Division One of the Athenian League. They were Division One runners-up in 1970–71, missing out on the title on goal average, and were promoted to the Premier Division. They went on to win the League Cup in 1973–74. After finishing second-from-bottom of the (now single division) Athenian League in 1977–78, the club returned to the Kent League.

Erith & Belvedere were Division One champions in 1981–82, earning promotion to the Southern Division of the Southern League. However, the club finished bottom of the South East Division the following season, and were relegated back to the Premier Division of the Southern Counties East League.

Ground

The club originally played at Park View, where they remained until the main stand was burnt down in 1997. In 1999 they moved into Welling United's Park View Road.

Honours

• Athenian League
  • League Cup winners 1973–74
• Corinthian League
  • Memorial Shield winners 1947–48, 1948–49, 1949–50,
• Southern Counties East League
  • Premier Division champions 2022–23
  • Champions 1981–82, 2012–13
  • Premier League Cup winners 2012–13
• South-East Combination
  • Champions 1941–42
  • League Cup winners 1941–42
• Kent Senior Cup
  • Winners 1941–42
• London Senior Cup
  • Winners 1944–45
• Kent Amateur Cup
  • Winners 1923–24, 1947–48, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1968–69, 1969–70

Records

• Best FA Cup performance: Third qualifying round, 1926–27, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1974–75, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1993–94, 1997–98
• Best FA Amateur Cup performance: Finalists, 1923–24, 1937–38
• Best FA Trophy performance: Second round, 1999–2000, 2002–03
• Best FA Vase performance: Quarter-finals, 2014–15, 2024–25
• Record attendance: 5,573 vs Crook Colliery Welfare, FA Amateur Cup, 19 February 1949
• Biggest competitive victory: 14–1 vs Orpington, Kent Senior Cup, 14 March 1942
• Worst defeat: 15–0 vs Ashford, Kent League, 28 April 1937

References

References

1. Mike Williams & Tony Williams (2016) ''Non-League Club Directory 2017'', Tony Williams Publications, p512 {{ISBN. 978-1869833695
2. [https://web.archive.org/web/20171001150722/http://www.erithbelvederefc.co.uk:80/a/club-history-34416.html History] Erith & Belvedere F.C.
3. [http://www.nonleaguematters.co.uk/nlmnet/Addons/OKL94.html The 'original' Kent League 1894–1922] Non-League Matters
4. [http://www.nonleaguematters.co.uk/nlmnet/Addons/OKL22.html The 'original' Kent League 1922–1939] Non-League Matters
5. {{fchd
6. (17 April 2023). "Tunbridge Wells 0-0 Erith & Belvedere".
7. (17 April 2024). "Sittingbourne Open Up An Advantage In The Battle For Third Place- And The Deres Are Down".