Whitstable Town

Whitstable Town come from the seaside town of the same name on the North Kent coast. ‘The Oystermen’ were formed in 1886 as Whitstable FC and apart from their first two years have spent their entire history at The Belmont Ground.

Whitstable became members of the original Kent League in 1909, where they remained until it disbanded in 1959; going on to join the Aetolian League as founder members. The club left after just one season before retaking their position for the 1963-64 campaign.

A year later the Aetolian League merged with the London League to become Greater London League; while Whitstable added ‘Town’ to their title in 1966. A move to the Kent Premier League; later the Kent League arrived in 1967-68.

The 1996-97 season saw a fine run in the FA Vase, as Town reached the last sixteen before going out 1-0 away to North Ferriby United. After extension, the Kent League expanded to two divisions with Division One being renamed the Premier Division in 1998; with Whitstable placed in the higher level.

The club went on to become league champions in 2006-07 under player-manager Marc Seager. Town’s reward was promotion to the Isthmian League Division One South. Former Gillingham star Nicky Southall took over as manager in 2013-14; taking the team on a fine FA Trophy run.

Jim and Danny Ward were appointed as the management team for the following season before several others had their go at the helm. Scott Porter was in charge of the team but couldn’t help them see off relegation to the Southern Counties East League at the completion of the 2015-16 season.

After finishing in fifth spot, a runners-up place twelve months later saw Whitstable regain their Isthmian League status in 2017-18. Town finished in mid-table on their return before Lloyd Blackman replaced Porter as manager in the summer of 2019.

The 2021-22 campaign saw Whitstable drop back down to the Premier Division of the Southern Counties East League with Richard Styles taking over as manager. He departed within five months to be replaced by Marcel Nimani. The side narrowly missed out on a playoff berth in 2023-24.

Jamie Coyle became team manager in May 2024, taking the Oystermen to the semifinals of the FA Vase in his first season in the job.

Whitstable Town FC will play in the Southern Counties East League Premier Division in the 2024-25 season. 

My visits

Friday 16^th 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 had already been to three grounds before the train took me from Herne Bay to arrive in Whitstable.

The town seemed very pleasant in the short time I was there. The Belmont Ground was less than ten minutes away from the station along Old Bridge and Belmont Roads. I walked to the main entrance past the immaculate Belmont Cricket Club.

The gates were open and a man was having a smoke outside the clubhouse while two men who turned out to be on the committee were working on the advertising boards at the side of the pitch. The Belmont Ground was very neat. 

The Oysterman Chairman was tending to the playing surface. It was quite apparent that those in charge of Whitstable Town cared deeply about their club. We got chatting and they seemed very pleased I had shown interest in their club and Kent non-league football in general. 

We agreed about how hard it was for clubs to keep their finances in order, but they enjoyed doing it. They told me of a major sponsor who was once at the club and promised the world. His adverts were placed everywhere and the manager of the time was extravagant with the playing budget. 

Then halfway through the season the sponsor pulled the plug and left, leaving the committee to sort out the entire mess. It was a sad but regular tale that clubs should be most wary of.

The ground itself was a credit to the club, with ample facilities. There was a lot of flat open standing consisting of concrete and grass. The far end was open standing apart from a small cover. The far touchline had a traditional old seated stand on the halfway line with the club's name on the roof; something I think there should be more of. 

Behind the goal where we were chatting was a long cover for standing spectators. Further along, there was the club offices by the turnstiles. On the Cricket Ground Side stood the clubhouse and then another small seated stand before more flat open standing.

I got back to the station with plenty of time to spend before my next train through Kent and onto Faversham.

Whitstable Town Reserves 1 Lordswood Reserves 3 (Wednesday 19th May 2021) Kent Intermediate Cup Final (att: c400)

Several years previously I had visited the Belmont to take some snaps. It was about time I returned for a match. Indeed, I had been in the town a few weeks previously for a day out with a pal to escape London for a few relaxing hours.

Jaded after an early shift and a latish night at Aldershot I grabbed a nap on the train down from St Pancras. I was greeted by thunder and rain upon my arrival. Fortunately, pubs were now allowing customers indoors rather than my last visit when it was chilly in the yards and gardens.

The JDW Peter Cushing was interesting enough inside converted from a cinema and named after a famous townsperson. My first pint back inside a pub. Wetherspoons divide opinion but I loved just hearing that unmistakable buzz when I opened the door.

Sure, the owner's political stance doesn't match mine, but he offers me a warm pub, cheap ale, a value bite to eat and habitable loos. All I need. Mr Martin had provided me with an invaluable service over many years. The Twelve Taps up the road was as it suggests a veritable choice.

Sadly, all on keg craft offerings but enjoyable all the same. Lovely ambient background music playing and quality customer service. And I got a window seat so I could do some licking if the ale was strong.

Here’s the beauty of the Non-League Matters forum. I’d already more or less put a list of pubs together until I bumped into a regular poster on Aldershot station the previous evening. He alerted me to micropubs in the town, which I wouldn’t even have looked for.

I headed to another, the Handsome Sam but was met with a full house. The gent seating folk was most apologetic and suggested I pop back as they were all heading to the football at 7.30. Ah well. Plan B. The Labour Club was just a few yards nearer the ground.

Interesting. Surreal even. I asked if I could have a beer and thought my CAMRA card might get me in. The lass behind the counter asked me if I was a red. Daft question. I was welcomed in, even though a gaggle in the corner said that they were the UKIP table.

Both ales’ on offer were OK and at club prices. Happy days. But it will almost certainly be my one and only visit. I got chatting to an old lad, much to the relief of the bar lady by her expression. He was a kind soul keen to tell me of his time residing near Thirsk, and the lack of common sense in the world and gave the impression he was past caring. He struck a chord.

On towards the game where a group were heading back down the lane. The Kent FA had taken over the ground and deemed we had to walk to the far entrance to gain admission. We ended up along a narrow path by a beck. As well I was following the locals.

All tickets had been sold in advance. It was £7 for an adult with an online programme available to download. I really liked the Belmont. A proper old venue. If Walmington-on-Sea had a football team in Dad’s Army they’d have surely played there.

I find county and local finals strange affairs, especially at lower grades. There is not always the usual non-league fraternity in attendance. It attracts some partisan fans who hit the pop. Some bitters lads tell all and sundry that X and Y are crap, and they are far better players, while they are downing lager.

My pie, chips and tea for £4 from Pat’s Pantry was excellent and probably the best deal in town while county FA officials confused everyone with ground regulations that left the home club shaking their heads. The icing on the cake was the ref.

He was someone obviously looking to make his way in the game and making sure everyone noticed him. Not that his decision-making was poor, it was just the way he gesticulated, making Clive Thomas look shy. God, I’d missed it all!

On the night the right side deservedly won. The weather added to the attraction as the pitch cut up leading to errors and mistimed challenges as the young players on both sides gave it their all in a blood and thunder encounter.

The visitors went ahead on nineteen minutes when Charlie O'Neill headed home a James Bush corner. Town levelled a couple of minutes after the interval when Isaak Sergeant finished well after his side ended the first half on top.

Zach Jakubowski had a goal chalked off for offside for Lordswood before their lead was restored by the same player who pounced on a loose ball after the Whitstable failed to deal with a Bush cross on sixty-two minutes.

With around fifteen minutes remaining Damon Lanckmans was brought down in the box. Our official, in a manoeuvre, Robin Cousins would have been proud of, pointed to the spot. Bush smashed home the penalty.

I caught up with some Gillingham fans I’d walked with to the ground. They turned out to be three of those who prevented me from getting in the pub. They reported the cider to be potent as they gave me useful advice about future games in the Kent Post Lockdown Cup, reporting that there had been 500 at Rochester the previous evening.

I departed when the board went up for injury time to catch the train back to the metropolis and some much-needed shut-eye. A good night out all told.