Sheppey United are born

 

:: 1886-1890 - Origins of football on the Isle of Sheppey :: 1890-1894 - Sheppey United are born :: 1894-1901 - Original members of the Southern League :: 1901-1914 - From the Southern League to the Kent :: 1914-1919 - A wartime interlude :: 1919-1927 - Kent League days :: 1927-1932 - Back to the Southern League :: 1932-1939 - Depression brings back the Kent League :: 1939-1945 - World War II interrupts :: 1945-1959 - Tough times in the Kent League :: 1959-1972 - Professional football returns :: 1972-1984 - Glory days in the Kent League! :: 1984-1990 - Southern League revisited ::1990-2001 - Anyone got a ground? ::2001-2003 - The senior side's disbanded ::2003-present - A new beginning? :: Season by Season League Tables

"We have much pleasure in calling attention to a notice in our advertising columns announcing a meeting of the Sheppey United Football Club on Monday evening next for the purpose of making arrangements for the coming season. Any information respecting the newly formed club may be obtained from Mr W N Rule, hon sec pro term".

With that simple statement in the Sheerness Guardian dated August 23rd 1890, along with the aforementioned advert, the arrival of Sheppey United is announced to the people of the Isle of Sheppey. The following week's paper announces that the club has elected it's officers for the coming season while deciding to play in blue and white!! It was also announced that the club would look to play it's home games at the Sheppey United Cricket Club ground at Botany Road. One final announcement stated that the club would also enter the Kent Senior Challenge Cup.

The draw for the Kent Senior Cup was announced 2 weeks later with the Sheerness Guardian relieved that Sheppey had not drawn Chatham this year (the combined Victoria/Invicta side had been knocked out in each of the last 2 seasons by Chatham) after being drawn with Submarine Miners.

Sheppey's first ever game - appropriately enough - was against Sittingbourne on September 20th 1890 and resulted in a 3-1 win. The team that day was:-

Button; H Noakes, Armstrong; Walker, Killpatrick, Collard; Rule, Ratcliffe, Pack, Edwards, T Noakes.

In one of those coincidences that always seem to happen, one of Sheppey's players that day - A Walker - is a relative of current Sheppey keeper Kevin Aldworth.

Sheppey's first ever competitive game was a long time coming as the game was postponed for several reasons (one time as the Miners team couldn't make it due to a Duke visiting the barracks where they were based!). Unfortunately, Sheppey were beaten 2-1 when the game was eventually played. All the more frustrating for Sheppey was that they beat the same side in a friendly match played shortly after.

That's all I have so far as my last trip to the library was cut short as my car needed to be put into a garage. I'm due down at the library next a week on Monday when I will get more information on Sheppey's early years.