Brimsdown Rovers Football Club
Founded 1947

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The Club was formed just after World War II in 1947 by a number of Geordies following a merger
with a club called Durham Rovers.

The Club's colours have always been the famous black and white stripes of Newcastle United,
whilst in the early days their change of strip saw the red and white stripes of Sunderland in use,
to keep everyone happy! As with Newcastle United, its mascot has also always been a magpie.

Playing on the local playing fields, the Club entered the Enfield Football Alliance and in the
first season were joint winners of Divsion One, were runners-up in the Premier Division for the next two
seasons as well as winning the League Cup in 1948/49.

In 1950 the Club joined the Northern Suburban League, again winning Division One in their
first season. In the next 25 seasons, the Club won the Premier Division on six occasions,
the most ever by any club and since the League's sad demise, the Championship Shield
has hung proudly on Brimsdown's clubhouse wall.

In acknowledgement of the Club's past and in an attempt to contribute to junior football in the
area, we still retain close links with the Enfield Football Alliance. The League use the Club's
facilities for all of their League and Committee meetings as well as fund raising events and
stage their domestic cup semi-finals and finals at the ground every season.

In 1956 the Club was offered a then 11.5 acre site, which is still its home, but which has been
enlarged by the acquisition in 1993 of the adjacent Johnson Matthey ground. A brick clubhouse was
built in 1958, allowing the Club to donate its existing wooden building to a local scout group,
which is still in use!

Since then the clubhouse has seen a number of extensions and improvements made, including
separate changing room facilities in 1964.

The players of that early period were also responsible for laying the cricket table and
shared the ground with the cricket club and this was typical of the commitment shown by
the players of that era. Sadly, but inevitably, there are now only a handful of survivors
from the Club's original two teams, some of whom still use the social facilities on a regular basis.


The Club joined the London Spartan League in 1976 and won Reserve (Intermediate) Division Two B
in their first season, finished runners-up in Division One the following season, winning that
Division in 1982 and gaining promotion to the Senior Division.

In 1982/83, the Club finished third in the league and won the London Intermediate Cup, gaining
Senior Status and promotion to the Premier Division. In the 16 subsequent seasons the Club only ever
finished outside the top five on six occasions, finished runners-up in 1991/92 and won the
Championship the following season under Manager Derek Townshend and Assistant Tony Faulkner.

In 1997/98 the Spartan League and the South Midlands League amalgamated and the Club stayed in the
Premier Division of the new Spartan South Midlands League for a season. They were relegated
to the Senior Division, (now Division One) in 1998/99 and have finished
8th, 14th, 17th, 11th, 10th and 11th in the table since then.

In 2002/03 Gary Brooker became Chairman and on the resignation of Manager Tony Faulkner,
Stewart Margolis was appointed Manager in 2004/05. Stewart went back to Ilford in January
last season and Gordon Boateng and Rudi Geohagen were appointed and brought an influx of new players
and the Club rose from a mid-table position to finish the season in fifth place.

The Club were also beaten finalists in the Spartan League Cup in 1986/87 and 1987/88,
but won the competition in 1996/97 in a replay against League Champions, St.Margaretsbury.

In other cup competitions in recent years, the Club won the Roy Bailey Memorial Trophy in 1991/92,
were finalists in the London Senior Cup in 1992/93 and won the Tottenham Charity Cup in 1994/95
and last season won the SSML Division One Cup beating Buckingham Athletic 1-0 at Tring.

In the FA Cup, the Club's most significant season, was in their first season of entry 1991/92,
when after holding St. Albans City of the Diadora Premier Division to a 1-1 draw away at Clarence Park
they defeated them 2-1 in the replay and in the next round were drawn against Chesham United also
of the Diadora Premier Division at home and again achieved a 2-2 draw after being 2-0 down in 15 minutes,
but lost the replay 2-1.

In the FA Vase in the first season in the competition in 1984/85, the Club reached the Second Round
only to lose to the holders Stansted in a replay after conceding a late equalising goal in injury time
in the first game. Its best performance was in 1993/94 when the Club reached the Third Round before
losing to Soham Town Rangers.

Up until 1990, the Club also ran a Sunday football section which plays in the Mercury Waltham Football League
and always figured prominently in domestic competitions, as well as winning the Middlesex Intermediate Cup
in 1981/82 and the London Intermediate Cup the following season.

In 1982/83 the Club decided to concentrate on developing a youth team policy to secure the
long-term success of the Club. The youth section has regularly enjoyed success at both League and
County level since its formation and its most famous product is David Beckham, the Manchester United
and England star (now with Real Madrid). From the same team in which David played, Micah Hyde (Watford)
now with Burnley and Jason Brissett (Walsall) both made the professional ranks whilst Ryan Kirby
had spells at Arsenal, Doncaster Rovers, Stevenage Borough and Aldershot and Ian Wiles a more recent
product of the youth section, signed for Colchester United. Following these players' examples,
there were a number of boys who regularly attended various Schools of Excellence.

Following years of success at youth level, the Club re-introduced Sunday morning football in 1997/98.
Under 18's Manager Paul Ulatowski and his team forming the core of the side.

In that season they finished runners-up in Division Two of the Waltham Sunday League and won the League's
Intermediate Cup. In 2000-01 promotion to the Premier Division was gained and in 2001-02 they won the
League Senior Cup and the following season the Championship and again the League Senior Cup were won
.

For several seasons now the Club has followed FA instructions and run Mini-Soccer for Under-7's, 8's
and 9's on Saturdays and Sundays, with boys playing on small-sized pitches with a small ball and small goals,

but the level of enjoyment shown by the boys is immense. The Club's objectives are to provide boys with every
opportunity of playing and most importantly, enjoying the game from a very early age, with ultimately the
hope that some boys will make it through to the Club's senior sides and possibly beyond.

At the other end of the scale, the Club also runs two Veterans sides, which play friendly matches on Sunday
mornings. The Veterans squad consists almost entirely of former players, many of who have returned to the
Club to finish their careers.

In 2005/06 a Reserve team was formed to play in the Enfield Alliance League and this season will play in
the SSML Reserve Division Two.

In 2001 Enfield Town was formed and on there entry to the Essex Senior League needed somewhere to play,
planning permission was applied for and granted to enable both Clubs to ground share and grants were
secured to enable the ground to be upgraded.

We now have a Ryman B graded ground with covered seating for 150 spectators and covered standing
areas for 300, turnstiles, toilets and food bar.

Unfortunately, this meant losing the cricket table and the cricket section has disbanded owing to
lack of interest. The Club boasts some of the finest facilities throughout the leagues in which it
competes and also offers its members a further choice of bowls, darts, pool and cribbage as pastimes
and also has a social section.