Romford F.C.

History

The original Romford was established in 1876. They reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup in 1880–81, but lost 15–0 at Darwen, hampered by playing a dribbling game on a slushy pitch; Darwen also had four goals disallowed.

There was no league football for them to play until they joined the South Essex League in 1896. An internal dispute saw several committee and players leave to form a new club in 1909, called Romford United and competing directly against Romford in the South Essex League at a ground literally across the road. The original club continued under new management and joined the Southern League while still playing in the South Essex League, but played only a single season before leaving.

The new regime at the original club proved disastrous, being expelled from the South Essex League during the 1910/11 season and subsequently folding, leaving Romford United as the only club with the town's name. They changed to Romford Town and joined the Athenian League, but finished bottom in their first season and left at the end of their second, before closing down during World War I. Romford Town had remained members of the South Essex League and returned to action after the war, but lack of support saw them withdraw in December 1920 and fold. For the rest of the 1920s the only club under the Romford name was Romford Town Thursday, playing on Thursday afternoons at Brooklands, a ground previously used by Romford's reserve team.

In 1929 the club was re-established. Taking over the use of the Brooklands Stadium, they joined the London League. In 1931 they moved to the Athenian League, which they won in 1935–36 and 1936–37. Following World War II the club transferred to the Isthmian League. In 1948–49 they reached the final of the FA Amateur Cup, but lost 1–0 to Bromley in front of 100,000 spectators in the first final to be held at Wembley Stadium. In 1959 they switched to Division One of the Southern League. They were promoted to the Premier Division in their first season after finishing second, and won the Premier Division in 1966–67. The club made several applications to join the Football League, but were never successful in the elections. In 1974–75 they finished second bottom of the Premier Division, and were relegated to Division One. By this time the club had developed Brooklands considerably in anticipation of eventually being elected to the Football League and had large debts to show for it, and had to sell Brooklands in 1975 but remained until 1977. After a season of borrowing grounds to play home matches they resigned from the Southern League and folded in 1978, with the building work on a new ground barely started and hardly any money left.

Reserve team

After being reformed in 1929, Romford entered a reserve team into Division One of the London League. During their time in the Athenian and Isthmian leagues the reserves played in the reserves sections of the leagues. When the club turned professional in 1959 they entered the reserves into the Eastern Counties League, where they spent four seasons before joining the Metropolitan League in 1963. They went on to play in the Eastern Professional Football League, which they won in 1967–68, and the Essex Senior League, where they had a single season in 1974–75.

The reformed club ran a side called Rom Valley Rangers in the Essex Business Houses League in 1992–93 but there was no reserve side after that until 1996, when a team was entered the Essex & Herts Border Combination, finishing runners-up in the Western Division in each of its first three seasons. Romford remained in that league until 2008.

In season 2009–10 Romford ran their own team in the Essex Olympian League Division 2 which they won.

In season 2012-13 the team finished second in the Essex Senior League Reserve Division West repeating the feat the following season.

At the club's Player Presentation Evening on 10 May it was announced that due to financial restraints, the Reserve and Under-18 side would not be run for the 2014–15 season.

On 8 September 2015 it was announced that the club had teamed up with Belgian 4th Division side SK Berlare with a view to working with them in the future.

For the 2023/24 season, a Reserve team was entered in the Essex Senior League Reserve Division.

The Reserve team was disbanded for the 2024/25 season.

Stadium

The club has led a nomadic existence, playing at nineteen home grounds during its history although most of these have been emergency arrangements when their established home ground was unavailable for various reasons. When the club reformed in 1992 it began playing at the Hornchurch Stadium, before moving to Ford United's Rush Green ground in 1995. In April 1996 they moved to Collier Row's Sungate ground, and the clubs merged during the summer. The spell at Sungate was fraught with problems and there were frequent and protracted periods when Romford had to borrow other grounds to play home matches owing to problems with the facilities at Sungate. In December 2001 they left Sungate for good and played at several different stadiums in order to complete the season. They returned to Rush Green in 2002 (as Ford United had left to groundshare with Barkingside). They remained there until 2008, when they moved to Aveley's Mill Field ground.

In 2009 it was announced that the club had been given permission to build a new stadium on the Westlands Playing Fields on London Road, however building work has yet to commence as planning permission has had to be re-applied for as the original permission expired while awaiting government approval for the change of use.

Romford began sharing with Thurrock at Ship Lane in 2012 but were required to move to East Thurrock United's Rookery Hill in 2018 when Thurrock folded and the ground was closed. This arrangement was only in place for one year however, and it was arranged for Romford to move rather closer to home for the 2019–20 season and share with Brentwood Town. In 2020 Romford announced a ground share that would involve them playing their home games at Mayesbrook Park, home of Barking.

On 29 October 2023, Romford announced the club would be moving back to Rookery Hill the following month after East Thurrock folded at the beginning of October 2023. However the lease proved to be unsustainable and it was confirmed on 26 May 2024 that the Club would move back to Mayesbrook Park to groundshare with Barking, for at least two years beginning with the 2024–25 season.

On 10 December 2025 it was announced that Romford had agreed a deal with Barking to extend the stay for another 2 seasons beginning in the 2026-27 season.

Players and staff

2026-27 current squad

*will be updated once the 2026-27 season squad has been fully announced.

List of managers

*will be updated once the next game is played.

Season by season overview

2019-20, 2020-21 season void

Statistics

Cup runs

Best FA Cup performance: Quarter Final vs Darwen, 1880-81

Best FA Trophy performance: 2nd round replay, 1998–99

Best FA Vase performance: Champions, 2023–24

Best FA Amateur Cup performance: Runners-up, 1948–49

Best Essex Senior Cup performance: Winners, 1911/12, 1931/32, 1933/34, 1937/38, 1946/47

Club records (since 1876)

Attendance: 17 081 vs Southall, FA Amateur Cup 4th Round (replay), 28 February 1953

Biggest victory: 12-1 vs Stork (Purfleet), FA Cup 17 September 1938

Biggest defeat: 0–15 vs Darwen, FA Cup, 5 March 1885

Club records (since 1992)

Highest Attendance: 820 vs Leatherhead, Isthmian League Division Two, 15 April 1997

Lowest Attendance: 41 vs London APSA, Essex Senior League Cup, 2 October 2007

Highest Neutral Attendance: 19,964 vs Great Wakering Rovers, FA Vase final, Wembley Stadium, 11 May 2024

Biggest Victory: 9-0 vs Hullbridge Sports, Essex Senior League, 21 October 1995

Biggest Defeat: 0-13 vs Canvey Island, Isthmian League North Division, 9 April 2022

Player records (since 1992)

Most appearances: Paul Clayton, 396, 2006–2015

Most goals: Nick Reynolds, 79, 2010–2019, 2025-Now

Fastest goal: Danny Benstock 11 seconds vs Great Wakering Rovers, Essex Senior League, 28 August 1995

Most goals in one season: Vinny John 45 (3 pens), 1997/98

Most consecutive appearances: Ryan Boswell 67, 19 December 2015 – 18 February 2017

Youngest player: Perry Burns (15 yrs 266 days, 29 April 2006)

Oldest player: Mark Lord (48 yrs 90 days, 3 March 2015)

Youngest goalscorer: Praise Ogbebor (16yrs 7m, 10 February 2023)

Oldest goalscorer: John Maskell (39 yrs 5 months, 23 March 2019)