Tilbury F.C. - History

History

Tilbury F.C. was formed in 1900 and initially played in the Grays & District League, where they were champions for five seasons in a row. After World War I they played in the South Essex League. In 1926 the club gained senior status and curiously joined the Kent League a year later, but after four seasons the financial constraints of travelling to Kent for away games saw them leave this league and switch to the London League.

In 1950, buoyed by a successful FA Cup run the year before where they met Notts County, led by ex-England centre forward Tommy Lawton, losing 4–1, Tilbury joined the Corinthian League. In 1957 they switched back to the London League, where they were champions for four consecutive seasons between 1958 and 1962. After their four title win they joined the Delphian League but the 1962–63 Delphian League campaign had to be abandoned due to extensive adverse weather conditions and the league then promptly folded completely.

Tilbury next joined the Athenian League, where they won the Division two title at the first attempt, followed by the Division One title in 1968–69. In 1973, after a third-place finish in the Premier Division, they joined the newly formed Isthmian League Division Two, where they won the championship in 1975–76. In 1979–80 they were relegated from what was now called the Premier Division to the new Division One, followed by further relegation to Division Two North in 1986–87 and Division Three in 1990–91. They were promoted from Division Three at the first attempt but were relegated once again in 1997–98. In 1999-00 they were promoted once again to Division Two, then placed in Division One North when the league was re-organised in 2002. For the 2004–05 season they were switched to the Southern League, being placed in the Eastern Division, where they promptly finished bottom and were relegated to the Essex Senior League. In 2005–06 they finished third in the Essex League, sufficient to see them promoted to the Isthmian League Division One North.

In the summer of 2008 Graham Chester was appointed to the position of first team manager. Chester had previously had success in the Essex Senior League, in his first season of asking he guided Eton Manor to their first trophy in 70 years and in April 2008 won the Essex Senior League Cup. Chester brought with him to Tilbury a wealth of people and passion that looked to reignite success at Chadfields. In the 2008–09 season the team established a mid table League position, however, success came in the form of the Isthmian League Cup. The Dockers conquered Folkestone Invicta and Whitstable Town from the Isthmian League Division One South, then went on to beat Ramsgate, Staines Town and Billericay Town of the Isthmian League Premier Division before beating Harrow Borough 2–0 in the final. This was Tilbury’s first cup success since 1975.

At the beginning of the 2010–11 season Tilbury appointed Paul Vaughan as their new manager. After a first season where the Dockers flirted with the bottom of the table before a late season rally steered them to safety, Vaughan's second season saw the team finish third in the league and reach the play-offs, where Tilbury were beaten 4-3 in extra time by Needham Market.