Herne Bay

Herne Bay FC is a non-league club that represent the seaside town of the same name located on the north Kent coast. The original incarnation of the football club was formed way back in 1886, spending many years alternating between the Kent and East Kent Leagues before folding in 1911.

The 'Bay' were reformed in 1935, firstly as Herne Bay Invicta and playing in the Eastern Section of Division Two of the Kent County League. Post war, the team played in the North Division before the competition was reorganised, with Bay being placed in Division One in 1948-49.

Having obtained their new Winch's Field ground, the club was elected to the Kent League in 1953, winning the Division Two title in 1954-55, but were not promoted until 1957-58. The league folded in 1959, leading Bay to join the Aetolian League as founder members, competing in Division One.

The league merged with the London League to become the Greater London League ahead of the 1964-65 season. Instead, Herne Bay chose to join the Athenian League, going on to become Division Two champions in 1970-71. The Kent League was reformed ahead of the 1974-75 season, which the club decided to join.

Their highest place finish in over a decade was fifth in 1986-87. The side finished bottom in 1988-89 before a huge transformation took place under manager Tommy Sampson. Four Kent League titles were won in, 1991-92, 1993-94, 1996-97, and 1997-98 as the club became one of the most successful in the county.

Despite their superb achievements, promotion eluded the club because of insufficient ground grading requirements. Sampson and many of the squad departed after their final triumph to be replaced by Nick Denly, whose son Joe would go on to play cricket for England. Fifty years at Winch's Field was marked with improvements being made after a grant was sourced.

Jason Lillis was appointed manager for the 2004-05 campaign, lasting until part of the way through 2007-08 when he was replaced by Barry Morgan. October 2009 saw the appointment of Simon Halsey who led the team to another Kent League title in 2011-12 as well as a magnificent run in the FA Vase.

The likes of Winchester City, Hanwell Villa, and Newcastle Benfield were swept aside before Bay were halted one step short of Wembley by West Auckland Town in the semifinal. Consolation came by being promoted to Division One South of the Isthmian League. Halsey was succeeded by Sam Denly at the end of the 2012-13 season.

Denly introduced many players that had progressed through the youth systems and taking the side to eighth place in 2015-16. The manager departed along with many players in the summer of 2017, with Jermaine Darlington and John Embery took over as joint bosses. 

They resigned before the end of their second season at the helm, with finances being an issue at the club, which led to a new consortium coming in to take over ownership. Ben Smith was appointed as manager by the new team. By now Bay were in the South East Division following enlargement of the Isthmian League.

In 2021-22 the side reached the playoffs where Haywards Heath Town and Ashford United were defeated to send Bay to the Premier Division. Their spell there lasted just twelve months, as the chairman resigned along with Smith while the club installed a new artificial playing surface. Kevin Watson had been brought in as manager but it was too late to save the situation.

Steve Lovell was appointed as manager in May 2023, taking the side to eighth place in the South East Division, before he departed in January 2025. James Collins arrived in his place.

Herne Bay will play in the Isthmian League South East Division in the 2024-25 season.

My visits

Friday 16th July 2010

I was on annual leave from work so I decided after plenty of research to have a day’s groundhopping in North Kent. I arrived on the train from Margate around lunchtime on a pleasant day, while listening to the Test Match between Australia and Pakistan at Lord's. 

As is in so many visits to grounds I soon found out that Google Maps must be read correctly so that timings can be estimated clearly. Spenser Road was a far longer, albeit pleasant walk than I imagined. I walked past a lovely park and a bowls club before turning right into Stanley Gardens, where the entrance to Winch's Field was.

The gates were locked and the ground had high metal blue fences surrounding it. This made my view into the ground very restricted, which was a great shame as it looked a decent little arena. There was cover on all four sides. The near Stanley Gardens End had a cover over the centre for standing fans. 

The far Canterbury Road End was not disimilar. Either side had seated stands with the far Railway Side being slightly larger. The near Spenser Road Side had a smaller stand straddling the half way line with a low pitched blue roof and glass panels enclosing it from the wind. The clubhouse stood between there and the main entrance.

I couldn't find another vantage point to take photos, try as I might. I took what I could and walked back to the station in readiness for my next ride onto Whitstable.

Herne Bay 0 Dover Athletic 1 (Monday 16th January 2017) Kent Senior Cup Round Two (att: 220)

It was my week off work and although I was heading for a week on the road from the Wednesday, I wanted to fill in my other days with something interesting. Once again social media came up trumps when fellow hopper Anders Johansen alerted me to the game at Herne Bay.

This would end up completing a sporting double as I took the tube and then bus to Alexander Palace where the Masters Snooker championship was taking place. I booked a ticket online for £15 for the afternoon game between John Higgins and Mark Allen.

It was wonderful to meet and have my photo taken with my snooker hero Jimmy White in the auditorium outside the main hall and bump into Neal Foulds who I’d met at The Oval at a Surrey game the previous summer.

My snooker game was an absolute classic as Allen defeated Higgins 6-5. My seat was absolutely perfect on the front row near to the Irishman’s seat. Apparently I was seen on TV throughout the afternoon.

Once done I caught a bus to Wood Green tube down to Holborn from where I walked to Cannon Street station to take the train to the north Kent coast on a cold but dry evening. The Altira Park Stadium, as Winch's Field had been renamed in a sponsorship deal was a ten minutes walk from the station.

Admission was £9, with the programme costing an extra couple of quid. The ground was a proper old school venue, with decent cover behind each goal, a seated stand along the far side and an area for officials along with the clubhouse and tea bar opposite.

The chips with curry sauce along with a Bovril helped keep out the cold as I bumped into Anders for a good chat and catch up. His marathon hops over from Norway really had to be admired.

Athletic manager Chris Kinnear sent a strong side along, and the team attracted a decent following. It was really good to be somewhere that the traditional county cup still mattered. In too many places it had become a necessary inconvenience.

Danny Walder had the games first opportunity for Bay, but his effort was saved by Mitch Walker. The game ebbed and flowed and was played competitively at a decent pace. There was little to divide the two teams despite the difference in league status.

The visitors went ahead five minutes before the interval when a shot on the half volley from Tyrone Marsh got past Bay goalkeeper Jack Delo from twenty five minutes. I thought that the keeper could have done better and would be disappointed with his effort.

James Turner came close to levelling the scores on fifty minutes as his shot cannoned off the crossbar with Walker well beaten. Herne Bay continued to press forward but the Dover defence held firm before their general fitness took effect.

Jim Stevenson and Mitch Pinnock were both denied for Dover by brilliant keeping from Delo, while his defence made some brave and heroic blocks to keep their side in the game. They lacked the fire power at the other end to equalise.

It had been a really good competitive cup tie in front of a passionate and appreciative crowd. It was time for me to get warm with a walk as I headed to the promenade to take in the sea air. Herne Bay looked a lovely place and well worth a visit on a nice afternoon.

It looked to have some cracking pubs; albeit mainly from the Shepherd Neame brewery and a nice waterfront and pier. Slightly warmer, I headed to the station to take the train back to Victoria. I was delighted to get inside those warm carriages!