History & Honours
East Thurrock United Football Club was founded on Sunday 27th April 1969 by a group of devoted football enthusiasts who felt that the expanding area around the Thameside towns of Corringham and Stanford-Le-Hope should have a senior non-league football club.
The foundation for the clubs formation was the very successful Corringham Social Sunday League side, which had enjoyed much local fame in the sixties. An early problem faced by the club was finding a suitable ground, so their first season as members of the Southern Essex Combination, in 1969/70, home matches were played at Corringham Recreation Ground. The manager in that initial season was Brian Payers, a key figure in the formation of the club. He guided the ‘ROCKS’ to third place and the following season they moved up to the intermediate section of the Old Greater London League.
Now playing at the Billet in Stanford-Le-Hope, the ‘ROCKS’ enjoyed much success. In successive seasons the side won Division Two then Division One of the League, prompting an application to the Essex F.A for senior status in order to achieve this the club moved in with nearby Grays Athletic, and it was admitted to the Senior Division Two of the Metropolitan London League.
East Thurrock gained its third championship in arrow and won promotion to the Premier Division. However, fortunes then took a turn for the worse, and a ten-year period of struggle began.
During this time various managers came and went, followed by several of the founding fathers. This period also brought ground problems and East Thurrock shared with Tilbury and Grays again to mention a few. Then finally with the help of the F.A., Thurrock Council and brewers Greene King the club acquired some land and built Rookery Hill.
In 1985/86, and for the following two seasons East Thurrock United Finished in a very commendable fifth place in the Essex Senior League but managed to achieve an even more impressive second place in 1988/89 when the team also went onto win the League Cup, it’s first ever Senior trophy.
In 1982 the League Cup was back at Rookery Hill and the team reached the final of the Essex Senior cup. In also achieving second place in the league, an application was put in to join the Isthmian League and East Thurrock became members of Division Three for the following season.
After seven up and down seasons in the basement division, United appointed Lee Patterson as their manager for the start of the 1999-2000 campaign. After a slow start, his side went on to take the title and earned promotion to division two. Patterson left during the clubs first season in division two with The Rocks sitting top of the table. Along with him went many of the players after his budget was cut. The club slid down the table still finishing in the top half.
2002/03 saw the forming of division one north and also new owners at Rookery Hill. Patterson returned as manager and fortunes eventually turned. After a poor start to the season the Rocks picked up an impressive 45 points after Christmas and secured some silverware in the form of the East Anglian Cup.
2003/2004 saw the club reach the F.A 4th qualifying round for the first time eventually losing to the Conference side Woking 2-0 after a 1-1 draw at Rookery Hill. The club were featured on BBC1 show 'Road to Cardiff'.
2004/2005 was when the club switched to the Southern League following a FA re-structure. The club remained in the top 5 all season, and finished runners up to Fisher Athletic and promotion back to the Ryman League and the Premier Division - reaching the highest level of football in the Clubs history. The Rock's spent the next two seasons in the Premier. Patterson left in the Autumn to take over at Conference South Braintree. John Coventry took over the reigns but they were eventually relegated by one point - which had been deducted for playing and ineligible player who only featured for 2 mins at the end of a match.
2008/2009 - A good season which unfortunately ended cruelly. Having been in the play off zone for most of the season. Having reached the top of the table and playing host to second place Aveley in and end of season finale. An amazing match which did not end in the Rock's favour. Aveley won the league and in the semi final playoffs the dream was over with the Rock's losing 1-0 at home to Concord. A memorable season with a good FA Cup run, losing to Blue Square North high fliers Tamworth. The FA Trophy was also a good run, going out to higher level opposition Bath City.
Honours Year
Isthmian Division 3 Champions 1999/2000
Metropolitan Division 2 Champions 1972/1973
Essex Senior League Challenge Cup Winners 1988/89, 1991/92
Essex Senior League Runners Up 1988/89
Essex Senior Trophy Finalists 1991/92
Harry Fisher Memorial Cup Finalists 1983/84, 1990/91
Essex & Herts Border Combination Champions 1989/90, 2001/02
Essex & Herts Border Combination Cup Winners 1989/90
Fred Budden Trophy Finalists 1989/90
Brian Hitchens Memorial Trophy Winners 2002/03
East Anglian Cup Winners 2002/03
Highest Lowest
Match Date Attend Comp Match Date Attend Comp
Woking 25/10/2003 1215 FAC Kinsbury11/10/199735 LGE
Bashley 12/03/1988849 FAV Stansted28/09/199936 ESC
AFC Sudbury 11/10/2003810 FAC Tiptree 14/10/199739 TT
Stevenage 09/11/1993 622 FAC Corinthian 16/02/199945 LGE
Aldershot 03/10/1992543 LGE Camberley20/04/199946 LGE
Canvey Island19/11/2003 373 FAV Tring 02/05/199847 LGE
