History
Herne Bay FC was formed in 1886 and first played in the East Kent League. In 1896 they stepped up to the Kent League (not the same league that exists today), however this was short lived and by the turn of the century they were again competing in the East Kent League. They dominated this league, winning the title for four successive years, and in 1909 they returned to the Kent League, however within four years the club had folded.
In 1935 the club was reborn, as Herne Bay Invicta took over the Herne Bay F.C. name and entered the Kent Amateur League. In 1953 the club moved to its current home at Winch's Field and soon re-entered the Kent League at the Division 2 level. In 1955 they lifted the Division 2 title, winning promotion to Division 1. Soon afterwards the Kent league disbanded, due to the expansion of the Southern League and the club bacame founder members of the Aetolian League for the start of the 1959–60 season. At the end of the 1963–64, the Aetolian league merged with the London League into the Greater London League and the club decided to switch to Division Two of the Athenian League instead, and joined where they enjoyed several successful seasons followed by promotion to Division one in the 1970–71 season as champions of Division two. During their first season in the Athenian League the club made their debut in the FA Cup, reaching the second qualifying round at their first attempt, where they were knocked out by Canterbury City.
After finishing bottom of Division one of the Athenian league at the end of the 1973–74 season, the club left the league to become founder members of the Kent League. In the nineties they were the dominant team in the Kent League, winning the title four times, with the 1996–97 season being their best when they completed a treble by also winning the Kent Senior Trophy and the Kent League Division 1 Cup. Despite these league wins the club was denied promotion due to their ground not meeting the requirements of a higher league. In the 2011–12 season under manager Simon Halsey and with work done on their ground, the club finished champions of the Kent league again and this time earnt promotion to the Isthmian League Division One South.
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