Hopping all over the World: Billericay Town

Welcome to my blog covering clubs and stadiums in the English League System along with the wonderful people responsible for keeping them going and their maintenance.

Since I was a little lad I've been fascinated in football and more so where games are played. With my love of travel and curiosity of the game I wanted to visit as many grounds and see games wherever possible.

I was fortunate that my Dad also loved the game and spent so much of his spare time taking me to matches. As I got older the boundaries widened owing to my location and increased wages to Europe and indeed the world. The sight of a stand or a floodlight pylon in the distance immediately heightens my senses and eagerness for a closer look.

I hope this site gives you the chance to share in my pleasure and experiences and maybe one day set you on the road to adventure. If you get half as much out of the hobby as I've done, I can guarantee some great memories, good friends and stories to pass on to future generations.

Give your local club a try today. They'll be delighted to see you!

Everlasting thanks primarily to my late and very much missed and dearly loved parents; my Dad, Bob Bernard and my Mum; Ann, who put up with endless years of football chat and my brothers Nick and Paul who gave me the chance and encouragement to do what I have. Thanks to all my friends who offer encouragement and Sally and Stan who inspire and give me great pride. Stan is showing a keen interest in my hobby as he grows into a young man!

Please feel free to post any comments (please use sensible language - I want everyone to be able to enjoy reading) or ask any questions relating to visiting grounds or events. If you want to see any ground reviewed please let me know. It will take quite some time for everywhere to appear, but make sure you keep having a look as the site is continually updated.

If you click on a lot of the pictures you will get a larger version on your screen.

I have also added links to video clips on YouTube where appropriate for those of you who are bored of reading or are filling in time at work. I haven't always gone for the most obvious choices, but items that will be in some cases unusual but always historically interesting.

Click here to see Volume Two of HAOTW, which covers everything non English.

Rob Bernard

London

May 2020

Thursday 13 December 2012

Billericay Town

Billericay Town FC are a non league football club from the commuter town of the same name in Essex, which is located twenty eight miles east of central London. The club were formed in 1880, playing in local league competition for their first eighty six years before becoming founder members of the Essex Olympian League in 1966.

In 1970 and then the following season, they were crowned as champions at the same time as moving into their New Lodge home ground, going on to become founder members of the Essex Senior League in 1972. This began a golden period in the clubs history, as they won that competition in 1973,1975 and 1976. As well as winning their third title 'The Blues' also won the FA Vase at Wembley after defeating Stamford 1-0. They returned to another final the following season, this time drawing 1-1 with Sheffield below the twin towers, before winning the replay 2-1 at the City Ground.

A move to the Athenian League followed this feat, with Town winning the title in their debut 1977-78 season. 1978-79 saw the team regain their title as well as returning to Wembley where a Dougie Young hat trick helped see off Almondsbury Greenway to lift the Vase for the third time. This success led to promotion to the Isthmian League, where they were promoted to Division One at their first attempt.

Yet another promotion was sealed at the end of the 1980-81 season as Town found themselves in the Premier Division. However, that was the end of the glory days for some time. Towards the end of the decade they had found themselves on the receiving end of two relegations. After regrouping The Blues went back up in 1992 and 1998 to find themselves back in the Premier Division at the turn of the millennium.

In the 2004-05 season with new owner Steve Kent at the helm and Justin Edinburgh as manager, Billericay lost to Leyton in the end of season play offs in a bid to be promoted to the Conference South. They failed once more at the same stage to Bromley in 2007. Edinburgh moved on and after a spell which saw Brian Statham in charge, Craig Edwards took over as manager in April 2010.

Edwards assembled a successful team who went on to lift the Isthmian League title in 2011-12 and promotion to Conference South, before Kent put the club up for sale in July 2012. This move may have had an effect to on the field performances as Town were relegated back to the Isthmian League the following May.

Billericay Town will compete in the Isthmian League Premier Division in the 2013-14 season.

My visit

Billericay Town 1 Dagenham & Redbridge XI 3 (Monday 2nd August 2010) Pre Season Friendly (att: approx 250)

How times had changed. For a couple of years when I moved to London in 1999, this had been a normal Ryman’s League encounter. For this encounter Dagenham & Redbridge sent out their reserves as the first team were to start their campaign at Sheffield Wednesday the following Saturday. That was surely something all clubs could take heart from and aspire to?

I eventually found the piecemeal ground on the edge of town and got a warm welcome as I had a Boro polo shirt on. New Lodge had areas of covered terracing on three sides of the pitch, with the far side also containing some seating. The final entrance side was made up of some covering for standing fans, a small raised Main Stand, the clubhouse and elevated sponsors box and then the changing rooms. All areas in between were open hard standing with an occasional few steps of terracing.

The clubhouse was excellent and piped through the pre match music and PA’s from the rest of the ground. What an announcer/DJ they had. We were entertained with everything from punk, prog rock and heavy metal right through to brass bands. Apparently the bloke was a bit of a character in charge of the supporters club who at one half time interval announced the 50/50 winner and then played one long Kiss track through the entire break. An excellent inovation was that fans could pay a tenner and have your favourite ten songs played before the game to raise cash for the club.

I had a brief chat with the amiable John Still, the boss of the visitors, who said what a shame it was about Boro and he always enjoyed our games. He wished us all the best on our climb back.

The game itself was very competitive. Billericay’s league campaign didn’t kick off for a couple of weeks and apparently they were going to pick their final squad from the 25 who were playing pre season for them. Money was tight everywhere so players were desperate to find clubs around the M25 corridor. The home side gave as good as they got before going 2-0 down to a young and athletic Daggers team, rather against the general pattern of the game. They got back into it and could have drawn level before a late goal put the game beyond doubt.

I got a nice surprise as a local fan picked me out. I had let some of my contacts know where I was going, including Simon Cope and low and behold a good friend of his was there. Andy was also a Trust member of Boro despite living in Essex! We had a good chat and I got a lift to Shenfield station after the game.