A LOOK INTO HISTORY 193

A LOOK INTO HISTORY ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY THREE

ASHFORD TOWN (KENT) GROUND OPENING

Originally formed in 1891 as Ashford United at a ground behind the
Victoria Hotel. Our club were founder members of the Kent League in
1894-95 relocating to an enclosed ground at Godinton Road. Sadly that
club was to fold and Ashford Railway Works FC formed but once again
that club ceased to exist in 1928 and out of those ashes came Ashford
Town in 1930. They moved to Essella Park where they stayed until 1987
when it was sold for Housing but as planning permission was still to be
sort for a new stadium at Homelands it meant a two year share with
Folkestone FC.
Our Match Programme is a souvenir edition for the Official Opening of
their new ground v Charlton Athletic on Saturday 29 th July 1989 and is in
A4 colour at £1.00. Ashford were playing in the Beazer Homes Southern
League. The Charlton team has a significant Essex Senior League
connection though you would know it by his Wikipedia page. Miguel de
Souza who had just turned professional on July 1st had been a player
with East Ham United ! The guest list took up a full page of folk
connected with the building and the forward was by Chairman, the late
Doug Gillard who would become Chairman of the Southern League. The
Match Events were to see The Red Devils Parachute team, Saffron
Majorettes and Medway Band culminating in a release of balloons.
Charlton Athletics history preceded a copy of a Floodlight match
programme for 14 th December 1959 against the same team when Ashford
were running third behind Clacton Town and Guildford City. Charlton won
5-1 on that occasion. Photos took up two pages of Homelands being built
and the teams were on the back page but all other of the 26 pages were
taken up with adverts of companies proud to be associated with the new
venture.
In 2010, Ashford Town fell into financial trouble and as members of the
Isthmian League resigned at the end of the season and out of those ashes
came a phoenix club Ashford United in 2011 which was, in a way, full circle
since first formation in 1891. The only issue was that F A rules decreed they
had to start again at Step 6 which was the Kent Invicta League, then Step 5
Kent League where results came good as the years progressed and they are
back in the Isthmian League South Central Division.