Thurrock

Thurrock FC

Ground: Ship Lane

Capacity: 3,500

Club Founded: 1984

Club Dissolved: 2018

The story of Thurrock FC, its climb through the non-league pyramid and FA Cup runs were all thanks to the dreams of owner Tommy South, before he dissolved the club after nobody wanted to buy it from him.

Club History

 

The club was based on the north Thames Estuary, formed in 1984 by Tommy South as Essex Sports before changing its name to Purfleet FC a year later. The team played in the grounds of Thurrock Hotel, which had two pitches, while competing in the Essex Senior League Reserve Division. 

Dressing rooms were constructed so that they could join the senior division. The 1987-88 season saw the team win the Essex Senior League and cup double, to win promotion to Division Two of the Isthmian League. They went up another division a year later, while their Ship Lane venue was gradually developed.

My drawing of Ship Lane, when the club was called Purfleet FC.
Click on the image to enlarge it.

Following the Isthmian League reorganisation, Purfleet were placed in Division Two, of which they were crowned champions in 1991-92. They won promotion to the Premier Division a couple of seasons later when they changed their name to Thurrock FC to try to attract increased support, before becoming a founder member of the Conference South in 2004-05. 

The club had been introduced to a wider audience by reaching the first round of the FA Cup on a couple of occasions against Luton Town and Oldham Athletic, with both games being televised live. The team was reprieved from relegation at the end of the decade before going back down to the Isthmian League in 2011-12.

New boss Mark Stimson took over the managerial reins from Robbie Garvey. Stimson's first season in charge ended in relegation to Division One North, but in very controversial circumstances after the team had ended the season two places above the drop.

However, it was found that Thurrock had fielded an ineligible player the previous August, so three points were deducted, leaving them at the bottom of the table. A long legal dispute followed, but the decision stood.

Stimson's side reached the playoffs in 2014-15, going down to Brentwood Town in the final. The following season, AFC Hornchurch won the semi-final tie. However, the 2016-17 playoffs saw wins against AFC Hornchurch and then Maldon & Tiptree as Thurrock regained their Premier Division place.

However, the 2017-18 campaign would prove to be the club's last. An ageing Tommy South put the club up for sale owing to health issues, but there were no takers. Thurrock put in their letter of resignation to the Isthmian League and finished the season in fifteenth position.

My visits

January 2001

At the time, Dartford FC were homeless and groundshared at Purfleet. I set out one Sunday morning and went for a look at the Rush Green Road ground, which was home to Ford United; later, Redbridge, at the time. I then caught a bus from Elm Park down to Ship Lane, ready to watch the Darts in action after having a pint in a very strange place near the station.

I arrived to find the place deserted as the game had been postponed! I still managed to get a peek inside. It was dominated by the seated South Stand, built into a grass bank with the Thurrock Hotel behind it. It was named after the club's Chairman rather than its location. 

The near Ship Lane End was a small covered terrace. There was another small cover at the M25 end with the changing room blocks next to it. The fourth side consisted of an open flat standing area.

I have to say I was quite impressed, especially as it was a relatively newly constructed ground. The clubhouse wasn't open for a beer, and the buses ran hourly, so I set off for Lakeside Shopping Centre to have a bite to eat before taking a bus to Hornchurch and the train home.

Thurrock 0 Oldham Athletic 1

FA Cup First Round - Sunday 14th November 2004

👨‍👨‍👧‍👧 1,156 🎟️ £10

By now I had got a new job with London Underground, so I grabbed opportunities to get to games on a day off with open hands. Again, I headed to Elm Park, where I didn't wait long for my bus. The clubhouse at the ground was busy with a lot of Latics fans enjoying the southern hospitality.

I went inside and found that the away fans were given the segregated open side terrace. It wasn't segregated too well, as it was easy to go through and use the catering fan. 

The facilities in the home areas had huge queues. Kids eager for their burger and hot dog boost after being dragged along by their parents, many of whom appeared to be off-duty West Ham fans, meant a wait. The game was tight on a blustery day, which didn't assist the entertainment. 

The Latics came close as Chris Killen headed over, with Fleet keeper Billy McMahon being forced to tip over a Lee Croft shot. Oldham went through courtesy of a contentious penalty in the second half. Killen tucked away the spot kick after referee Kevin Friend adjudged that Lee Hodges had brought down Croft in the area.

Cliff Akurang spurned a couple of opportunities for Thurrock before Kris Lee saw his shot saved by Oldham keeper Les Pogliacomi. At full time, I went back to Elm Park on the bus to head to Brixton to meet my brother Paul for Sunday dinner.

Wednesday 27th September 2007

I was out for the day around Essex and North East London with a camera in hand, eager to see as many grounds as I could in a day.

I had been given a warm and helpful welcome at Dagenham & Redbridge before my next journey required a tube ride to Elm Park, where I needed to catch a bus to my furthest point for the day at Thurrock FC. The route only has two buses an hour. It was obviously my day as one arrived within two minutes.

It dropped me off outside the Thurrock Hotel ground, as it was called at the time, and I had fifteen minutes before the bus would take me back. A gate was open, and once inside, I started snapping away. I was being watched by a man cutting the grass in his motorised mower, with his trusty Labrador by his side. 

When he came back down the pitch to where I was, he pulled up for a chat. He turned out to be Tommy South, the club's owner and founder. By now, the ground had covered its fourth side with seats and a terrace. Tommy was a real gentleman whose eyes lit up when I mentioned my support of Scarborough Athletic FC. 

Through a former editor of the Scarborough Evening News and a relation, he had organised some training kit to be sent to Boro when they started out in July 2007. If only all football club owners were of the same spirit as Mr South.