Cray Valley (PM)

Cray Valley Paper Mills FC is a non-league football which was formed in 1919 for the workers of the paper mills in and around Crayford in Kent. The club initially became a member of Division Two of the Sidcup & District League upon formation.

Promotion to Division One of that league was achieved in their debut season. A few years later, ‘The Millers’ joined the Kent County Amateur League, going on to lift the Division Three West title in 1936-37. Cray Valley moved to join the South London Alliance from the 1954-55 season. 

The team was crowned as Division One champions in 1979-80 before lifting the Premier Division title in 1981-82. The club had played up until that point at the Paper Mills Sports Ground in St Paul’s Cray. However, when the mill shut in 1981, the club was forced to use several different grounds.

Despite a subsequent demotion, Paper Mills won Division One once again in 1983-84 and finished runners-up of the Premier Division in 1988-89. In 1991, the club progressed to the Spartan League. When the Spartan League merged with the South Midlands League in 1997, Cray Valley were placed in Division One South. 

The Millers finished runners-up in the inaugural season but decided to leave the competition and join the London Intermediate League. Valley made another switch for the 2001-12 season as they were placed in Division One West of the Kent County League. The divisional title was won in 2002-03 as the club was promoted to the Premier Division.

A third-place finish in 2010-11 saw Paper Mills promoted to the Kent League. The Millers moved into The Badgers Sports Ground in Eltham, while the league was renamed the Southern Counties East League from the 2013-14 season, with PM being led by manager Steve Chapman.

Greenwich Borough FC signed a thirty-year lease to share Badgers from the 2016-17 season, as numerous ground improvements were carried out at the venue. When an additional division was added in the summer of 2016, Cray Valley became members of the Premier Division under new manager James Collins.

He led the team to a fourth-place finish in 2016-17, the club's highest-ever league finish. The season also ended in further glory, as Cray Valley PM became the lowest-ever ranked side to lift the London Senior Cup when they defeated Metropolitan Police 2-1 at Champion Hill, Dulwich. 

Despite this, Collins was dismissed in August 2017 owing to alleged boardroom interference as Kevin Watson replaced him. He took the side to the league title in 2018-19 as well as the final of the FA Vase, where they went down 3-1 after extra time to Chertsey Town. Veteran forwards Kevin Lisbie and Gavin Tomlin played a huge part in the success story.

In the summer of 2019, Greenwich Borough were evicted over non-payment of rent, leaving Valley as the sole occupier of Badgers. The club was forced to wait two years before completing a season as an Isthmian League club owing to the global pandemic. They reached the playoffs of the South East Division in 2021-22.

This ended in a semifinal defeat to Ashford United before coach Tommy Osborne replaced Watson in November 2022. Steve McKimm was appointed as manager at the start of the 2023-24 campaign, which saw the Millers lift the league title to join the Premier Division. The side reached the playoffs in 2025-25, losing their semi-final to Dartford.

McKimm's era came to an end in February 2026 when he was replaced by former player Kevin Lisbie. The side was relegated to the South East Division a couple of months later.

Cray Valley Paper Mills FC will play in the Isthmian League South East Division in the 2026-27 season.

My visits

Greenwich Borough 3 Corinthian-Casuals 4 (Tuesday 25th April 2017) Isthmian League Division One South Play-Off Semi-Final (att: 427)

Click here to read about my first visit to Badgers for an exciting play-off semi-final.

Cray Valley Paper Mills 3 Dulwich Hamlet 2 (Thursday 20th July 2017) Pre-Season Friendly (att: c60)

It was a pleasant but blustery evening as I set out after a brief siesta to take the edge off an interesting early shift at work. The tube to London Bridge was followed by a train down to Lee, from where I walked to the Badgers Sports Club.

I paid my £5 admission in advance to ensure I got a team sheet, which came with another page of club information, before heading to the bar. My 300cl bottle of Magners was extravagantly priced, so I savoured every drop at a very steady pace before entering the ground.

The ground had been added to over the summer in the shape of a rather ugly scaffold cover behind the near goal. The pitch was very grassy and had signs of being well watered. This was a vast improvement from the surface of a couple of months previously.

The Greenwich Borough squad were put through their paces on the practice pitch next door as the teams came out rather haphazardly and in a way to remember the good old days before the current PC formality.

Kick-off was slightly delayed as hoses had to be pushed back from the far touchline before the game got off to a pacy and even opening. There were plenty of nice touches and clever passing. This was promising to see, as Hamlet’s lineup was very much second string.

The experienced Dulwich forward Gavin Tomlin opened the scoring when put through and slotted the ball through the legs of the advancing keeper after ten minutes. The visitors centre back, Harly Wise, controlled the back four, with the leggy Mohammed Mohammed playing well in midfield.

Paper Mills had a couple of decent half-chances. Both Aaron Rhule and Zenze Gayle caused problems with their pace from out wide, but centre forward Scott Reilly was a little short on his finishing skills.

During the half while sitting in the stand, I overheard a couple of blokes chatting. One had been to the opening of Scarborough’s ground the previous Saturday and had not been totally impressed. I know I should have kept out of the way, but he was talking cobblers.

It turned out he was a Charlton Athletic fan who also visits Pickering and supports the Pikes. It’s amazing how local gossip about incorrect players' wages went the full length of the country. He also had difficulty grasping the difference between in-house catering to 100 and 1,000 fans.

At least his mate cleared up that it wasn’t the old Eltham Town ground where we were watching, so I hadn’t played there in the past. That particular venue was on Green Lane, a good half mile away.

Grabbing a cup of tea for £1 at the break, I took up a position on the small covered terrace for the second period. A few substitutions had been made during the break, and the changes soon benefited the home side.

Soon after the restart, Gayle cut inside and fired past Hamlet keeper Ferdinand De Sena. The custodian had flapped at several crosses previously, and I would guess that he would have been upset that the shot got past him.

Valley’s central defender Joe Matthews came close with a header as De Sena once again misjudged a cross. The temperature was dropping by the minute as an almighty scramble in the Hamlet area somehow kept the ball out.

However, there was nothing anyone could do about a twenty-five-yard rocket from full-back Danny Smith, which flew into the top corner of the net to put the home side ahead. The home skipper, Russell Bedford, was having a fine game in midfield as his side took control.

Several more changes were made from both benches as players picked up invaluable match time. Kicking up the slope was helping Cray Valley as they continued to heap on the pressure.

They made it 3-1 with around twenty minutes remaining as Gayle fired in a low cross, which was met on the half volley by Jordan Sandiford, who fired home. 

Then, after a little lull, Hamlet began to fight back. In their first attack in some time, a Hamlet replacement was brought down in the box. Referee Alex Stacchini had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Caio Guimares made no mistake as he fired into the bottom corner.

Dulwich continued to have plenty of possession and was starting to put the Millers' defence under a bit of pressure. However, with just a few minutes remaining, I decided to bite the bullet and head off as I had an early start the next day.

The 321 to New Cross Gate, Overground to Canada Water, and then the Jubilee line got me back to Kingsbury in just over an hour. I’d thoroughly enjoyed my evening out, despite being preached to about my own club!

Coventry United

Coventry United FC is a non-league football club from the West Midlands city of the same name, in response to Coventry City FC’s ownership and the move to share Sixfields with Northampton Town in the summer of 2013.

United was formed by four co-chairmen: Jason Kay, Jason Timms, Marcus Green and Pete Schofield, along with Secretary Graham Wood. Edwin Greaves was named as team manager. The club started its life playing in the Midland Football League Division Three.

The club adopted the city’s civic colours of red and green and began playing at the Alan Higgs Centre, a community sports facility named in honour of Alan Higgs, a self-made millionaire from his house-building business, who wanted his legacy to create a charity to help deprived children from the city. Cov United finished as league runners-up in their debut season, a campaign that included a 28-0 victory over Polesworth. 

In 2014-15, the team were crowned as champions of the Midland Football League Division Two. The club extended its community roots in the summer of 2015 with a takeover of Coventry City Ladies FC, while the men’s first team won a third successive promotion when winning the Division One title in 2015-16.

United finished their first campaign in the fifth step Midland League Premier Division in eighth position. Greaves was replaced by Terry Anderson as manager towards the conclusion of the season. The club brokered a move to share Butts Park Arena close to the city centre to share with Coventry Rugby FC and Coventry Bears Rugby League FC for the start of the 2017-18 season. 

Community and team awards continued to be collected, as Coventry-based businessman Joe Haggarty bought the club from the original owners in 2020 during the two seasons abandoned owing to the pandemic. When United returned to action, it was in the Premier Division South of the United Counties League. In November 2021, Russell Dodds was appointed as manager.

Haggarty filled in before he walked away to be replaced as chairman and manager by Ivor Lawton, before Nigel Ward purchased the club in March 2022. Carl Nolan came in as the new manager, lasting a few months until being succeeded by Ellis Alleyne.

In March 2024, the club was sold again, this time being bought by Raymond Nowack and Hamad Al Salam, who appointed Jamie Hood as manager within a couple of months. His spell lasted three games, with Alleyne returning to the post. His side was promoted to the Northern Premier League Division One Midlands in 2025-26 following playoff wins against Aylestone Park and Atherstone Town.

Coventry United FC will play in the Northern Premier League Division One Midlands in the 2026-27 season.

My visit

Coventry United 3 Tipton Town 1 (Sunday 10th September 2017) FA Vase First Qualifying Round (att: 282)

With the day off work, I was mulling over my options. Games at Ascot United, Erith & Belvedere and Barkingside all looked decent enough, but for some reason, the tie in Coventry was shouting out to me.

My mind was made up following a text to Ian Anderson, a fellow Scarborough fan who’s based in Northampton. He also fancied it. It was about time that we met up for a game, and I could also hand over a bag full of programmes taking up space in my studio.

The offer of a rail fare for just £22 return was another factor to throw into the equation. However, I nearly made a real mess of a seemingly simple ride down to Euston.

I’d forgotten that planned engineering works would add time to the trip. I ended up getting on the wrong bus from Baker Street to compound matters, but I got lucky with another dropping me outside the major terminal soon after.

I’d got the timing of departure slightly wrong, but in my favour. There was time to grab a baguette that emptied my pocket of change, and then I managed to find a seat on the slow London Midland service among the many overweight punters who all had those annoying drag-along small cases.

Perhaps it was just my age, but I couldn’t work out why nearly everyone needed to travel with such items, thus blocking up spaces on the train; and that’s before our increasingly obese population struggle to fit between the seats.

Anyway, I was on my way. My pre-planning was shown up for its incompetence when we stopped at Harrow and Wealdstone, just forty minutes at most from home. The rest of the decent ride was spent listening to music and reading The Non-League Paper.

The train pulled in at 12.30 and within fifteen minutes I’d negotiated a shortcut by the ring road where a pavement one stood before walking down Butts Road for my first view of the arena before entering the magnificent Broomfield Tavern.

I’d heard lots about this pub from my drinking pal Steve Speller, who’d used it a few times with friends and family before going to watch Wasps play at the Ricoh Arena. He rated it very highly, and it was easy to see how.

While there were only three other patrons inside, two of them were groundhoppers, including Luke from Worthing, whom I’d not seen for a season or two. We had a good chat while enjoying some fine regional ales as more and more neutral fans arrived.

By 1.30 Ian had joined us. Thirty minutes later, the pub was teaming with fellow ‘hoppers’; many of whom post on the excellent Non-League Matters Forum, which can be seen here. It was great to meet some posters for the first time in a really good, buzzing atmosphere.

Ian had tried to get some extra programmes to bring to the pub for the fans, but the club were already limiting sales to two per person. They’d been caught up in the interest in the match. With my issue secured, we were among the last four to leave.

Admission to the match was £6, with admission being gained by buying a ticket at the hut by the gate. The programme set me back £1.50. Ian had also grabbed me a very professional little book handed out by the club, which detailed their history and aims for the future. It all had a very professional feel.

United shared the shop with the rugby union club just inside the gate and sold a decent range of souvenirs. Ian had been a few times previously to watch Coventry Bears in rugby league action, so he was familiar with the set-up.

The first port of call was the area under the Main Stand, which had a bar serving real ale and a hot food counter, as well as a couple of well-sized toilets. I purchased a chicken and mushroom Pukka Pie along with French Fries for a reasonable price of £4 before we took our seats.

The stand was one tier of steep seating with decent legroom. The subs and coaches occupied a small area in the centre. There was hard standing behind both ends and along the far side, although that was cordoned off for the match.

Extra bars and food areas were located on two of the open sections, but were not required for the match in question. An electric scoreboard adorned the far side on top of a small cover that looked like it may have been for corporate clients.

There was certainly room for expansion on two sides, which explained why Coventry City looked at a possible share before they secured their return to the Ricoh. The only downside with the venue was the standard of the pitch, with long grass protecting the surface from its extensive use.

Tipton Town came into the match in second place in Division One of the West Midlands (Regional) League, while United were in the same position in the Midland League Premier Division, albeit two levels above their visitors.

The game started in the gloom with rain falling. United’s Aaron Opoku brought out the best in the young visiting keeper Josh Morgan with a stinging drive after five minutes. The pressure continued, and only a fine tackle from Jamie Moore denied Tom McGuire.

Town gradually grew into the game and launched a couple of attacks of its own. Jon Patrick fired in a low cross that evaded his teammates with the goal gaping. TJ Davies showed fine footwork as skipper Paul Henley came close to the final touch.

Ten minutes before the interval, Tipton took the lead in a slightly comical fashion. Debutant United keeper James Behan made a complete hash of a back pass and lost control of the ball with his feet, leaving Ebey Marango with an open net to roll the ball home.

Morgan made a save from Craig Reid in the last action of the first half before we decamped downstairs for a drink while looking at the news from other games around the country. The pint of Uno wasn’t bad.

Cov came flying out of the blocks after the restart as Chris Cox had a skidding shot saved with the wind getting stronger and squally showers continuing. Lewis Worsey countered for Town, but the inevitable eventually happened after fifty minutes.

Cox’s left-footed free kick from wide on the right got caught in the wind and evaded defenders, forwards and keeper Moore alike and went straight in at the far post as the hosts drew level. The home crowd really began to get behind their side.

Henley went forward as Tipton nearly regained the lead with a header before O’Grady found room and smashed home an unstoppable rising shot just before the hour mark. The visitors already had a couple of lads well capable of filling their shirts before two hefty subs came on. I wouldn’t mind owning a takeaway in Tipton!

Henley once again had half a chance as Behan nearly fumbled his shot to an advancing attacker. However, the danger was averted before O’Grady ran through the scattered defence who had pushed up in search of an equaliser to make the score 3-1.

Both sides had given everything in awkward conditions on a less-than-pristine pitch and produced a decent spectacle. Ian headed off towards home, while I returned for just one more pint in the Broomfield.

The pub had some kind of community event on, with patrons enjoying a buffet and a band playing over the road in a pub. Two friendly United fans were delighted that the game had grabbed the attention of the ‘hopping’ fraternity and that the gate was actually 380, but complimentary tickets were not included in the official figure.

My train back had started at Birmingham New Street and was already busy reaching Coventry. I was not amused by those on board, with many putting bags on vacant seats or sitting in the aisle seat while the window seat was vacant.

It was maybe tiredness, but such behaviour appalled me. What an ignorant, selfish nation we have increasingly become. I found a seat, but you’d have thought I was an ace criminal, the way the occupier next to me glanced in my direction.

My mood wasn’t helped after receiving some nasty vitriol from a customer old enough to be my Dad at work the previous day, as well as putting up with anti-social youngsters who fear no one and cause grief for decent folk, knowing full well that there’s nothing to stop them.

Fortunately, I drifted off for much of the journey back before waking near Watford Junction. There was no way I was going to make the same error on my return, as I alighted at Harrow and Wealdstone before heading home for a night of sleep before work early the following morning.

Kent Football United

Kent Football United FC was a non-league football club from the Kent town of Dartford that was founded as Dartford Town FC in 1999 by Roy MacNeil. They lasted until 23rd August 2022, when they resigned from the Southern Counties League and folded.

The team started out life by entering the South London Alliance, winning the Division Four title in 2009-10, playing at Glentworth Sports Club in Central Park. A merger with Erith Town FC followed in the summer of 2010, to become Erith & Dartford Town FC. Erith pulled out of the agreement shortly afterwards, but the club name remained intact.

Erith & Dartford Town became founder members of the Kent Invicta League for the 2011-12 season, moving home games to the Oakwood home of VCD Athletic. In the summer of 2012, the club changed their title to Kent Football United following a merger with a youth side of that name.

The management team of Sam MacNeil and James Cole led the side, which finished towards the bottom third of the table, moving back to a permanent base at Glentworth Sports Club in 2014 as further youth teams were added to the set-up.

Ennio Gonnella took over as team manager in 2015. The club were moved into renamed Division One of the Southern Counties East League for the with Gonnella taking the side to a fourth place finish in 2016-17; this was followed up twelve months later with seventh spot.

Danny Wakeling was appointed as manager in November 2018 after the previous boss departed for pastures new. Wakeling departed to take the Welling Town job in July 2019, with the duo of Steve Devereux and Richmond Kissi replacing him. They departed within a few months.

George Jones was the new incumbent of the position. However, the following two seasons were abandoned owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ennio Gonnella took over as manager in May 2021 for a second spell in charge. The team ended the 2021-22 season in fourteenth place.

Four games into the 2022-23 campaign, the club resigned from the league and folded. KFU chief Sam MacNeil took a coaching position at Ebbsfleet United, with KFU’s entire women’s section moving with them, with 95% of the volunteer base from the club also departing.

It was decided it was impractical to sustainably run the club. Kent United FC was formed in 2023 following the acquisition of assets from Kent Football United, moving into the Glentworth Club ground and becoming members of the Kent County League.

My visit

Friday 4th October 2019

An opportunity to visit a new venue arose on a day off work when visiting Dartford FC’s Princes Park home for the Premier League Cup tie between the under-23 teams of Charlton Athletic and Swansea City.

I had time on my hands before heading to that evening’s Eastern Counties League game featuring Newbury Forest and Frenford over at Barkingside. I also needed a walk, so the pleasant stroll through Central Park was just what the doctor ordered.

I’d read various updates on the excellent Non-League Matters forum about the Glentworth Sports Club and its lack of progress, which would later be retitled the Efes Stadium in a sponsorship deal, but it looked a perfectly suitable venue for the level of football at first glance.

Not sure whether there’d be access through the main gate, I took photos through the fences from the lane off Cranford Road. The near end looked out of access for fans, while the far touchline was open standing with a junior pitch beyond the managers’ benches.

The main facilities were around the entrance in one corner, with one covered seated stand on the touchline, whose seats had come from the Olympics, at the London Aquatic Centre and changing rooms behind the goal. I walked round to the entrance down an opening off Lowfield Street.

An inquisitive gent came out of the social club to see what I was up to. I explained I was taking some photos and he said I should return around 4.30 when there was usually someone about inside the ground.

I didn’t have that amount of spare time, so instead I satisfied myself with a couple more exterior shots of the facilities before heading towards the station, while grabbing a snack at Greggs before wandering through the Orchards Shopping Centre.

With my shopping for work the next day completed at Aldi, I took a train to Bexleyheath, where I enjoyed a couple of perfectly kept pints in The Kentish Belle Ale House & Gin Palace. It was a fine example of what can be done by changing a shop into a micropub.

It had been a fine few hours in south-east London and Kent before I took the 422 bus towards Woolwich Arsenal and the evening leg of my entertainment.

Newbury Forest

Newbury Forest FC is a non-league football club that was formed in 2003 as a Sunday League side to represent the Newbury Park area of Essex on the northeast borders of London.

A move to Saturday football and the Romford and District League followed in 2008, with the team lifting the senior division title in 2009-10, leading to progression to the Essex and Suffolk Border Football League.

After a third-place finish in the Premier Division in 2011-12, Forest moved to Division One of the Essex Olympian Football League. Promotion was achieved to the Premier Division at the first attempt by courtesy of finishing third in the table.

The Eastern Counties League was extended for the 2018-19 season, with Forest being successful in their application to become members of Division One South. The club moved in as tenants of Redbridge FC at Oakside in Barkingside to comply with ground regulations.

The team led by Leo Connolly finished in seventeenth place in the 2018-19 campaign. The first four completed seasons in the elevated status of the club all ended in bottom-third finishes. The club was reprieved from relegation at the end of the 2024-25 season, before finishing just outside the playoff zone twelve months later under manager Marcè Collington.

Newbury Forest FC will play in the Eastern Counties League Division One South in the 2026-27 season.

My visit

Newbury Forest 2 Frenford 3 (Friday 4th October 2019) Eastern Counties League Division One South (att: 75)

The enlargement of many of the Step Six non-league divisions offered more chances than usual for Friday night games, as many clubs were tenants of other clubs with Saturday fixtures. Newbury Forest was one such example at the home of Redbridge.

I’d already enjoyed a good day, watching the clash at Princes Park in Dartford between the under-23 sides of Charlton Athletic and Swansea City before a visit to the home of Kent Football United and the smashing Kentish Belle micropub in Bexleyheath.

My journey by bus to Woolwich Arsenal was long and noisy, being surrounded by schoolkids having finished their duties for the week. The DLR transported me to Stratford International for another dosage of beer. The home brewed 3% Tonic Ale at Tap East was the perfect medicine.

Onwards to Greggs in the manically packed Westfield Shopping Centre before the walk through the maze of corridors in Stratford station to find a Central line service to Barkingside. It seemed to be far further than I remembered.

Annoyingly, adjacent to the westbound platform, the ground was over a five-minute walk away around Station Road and then back along to the ground entrance. Admission was £5, while the programme was only available online, but free of charge.

Forest would be the third different “home” club I’d seen in action at Oakside Stadium, after Barkingside, the original owners who were forced out in a rent increase by Redbridge, and the other team I’d watched entertain opponents.

The ground required some tender loving care. The far side with a forlorn cover was out of bounds. It would have taken an intrepid explorer to risk the far end, too. Some of the terracing had weeds coming through, while some of the seating was broken.

A cup of tea provided me with refreshment as I took up several different vantage points throughout the first half, including a precarious position on one of the aforementioned seats. It was a risky business!

The pitch was lush and not particularly level as Frenford took the initiative from the start before going ahead in eleven minutes. Forest keeper Brad Simpson kept out the initial effort before the ball looped in the direction of Joe Villiers, who finished.

Harry Daly thought he had doubled the lead with a low shot, but it seemed clear enough that a visiting forward was in an offside position and definitely interfering with the view of keeper Simpson. After initially giving the goal, referee Tony King conferred with his linesman and ruled out the effort.

By now, Newbury manager Leo Connolly was close to blowing a gasket with what he perceived to be injustices and the inability of his team to chase back and assist the defence. He had a point. The Frenford players appeared to be far fitter.

The lead was doubled after thirty-four minutes by Luke Woodward, who was, in my opinion, by far the best player on show. At the break, I honestly thought that it could turn into a rout, but I was to be proved wrong.

Fair play to the ref as we kicked off after just a ten-minute break. He was either desperate for a pint or realised I had a distance to travel home! Newbury Forest came back out looking like a completely different side, competing fiercely.

The front two in particular began to make things awkward for the visiting defence, and it would be that combo who got their side back into it on fifty-six minutes. Nathaniel Cole’s excellent run ended with a shot against the post that Tyrell Holder put away on the rebound.

A group of youths behind the terraced goal offered their feedback and got involved, livening things up. It was good to see the game attract an attendance of mixed ages and cultures. Non-league football certainly needs more of it.

Ten minutes later, Kieren Huddart made it 2-2. It was unbelievable stuff; full of honest endeavour and plentiful errors, but brilliant entertainment all the same. Challenges were flying in with only three yellow cards being very generous.

The physios were extremely busy with a variety of injuries and cramps to a Forest centre-back, which some Frenford fans saw as time-wasting, as their side once again took the initiative over the tiring hosts in the closing stages.

In a new rule for the 2019-20 season from step six downwards, referees could show a yellow card and designate the offender to a sin bin for ten minutes for some offences. Freddie Anderson showed far too much dissent for Mr King and was sent to the bench with eight minutes remaining. It was the first time I’d witnessed it, and I was fully in favour.

He was fortunate the card wasn’t a red one for the abusive feedback he offered. Owing to injuries, he got back on before the end to see out stoppage time. However, his intervention couldn’t save his team in the dying embers.

After mounting pressure, a Frenford corner was headed down towards goal by defender Villiers for Woodward to swivel and score to spark off jubilant celebrations. There was no time and very little energy left for Forest.

At full time I rushed off, encountering a very volatile fellow customer bellowing down the phone in an abusive manner at what I presumed was his partner. I gave him a wide berth and both home for a much-needed kip before an early Saturday start for work.