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CLUB HISTORY
Introduction
Stanway Rovers Football Club is a football club based in Stanway, in Colchester, Essex, England.
They are members of the Isthmian League North Division and play at the FND and KMCO Community Stadium, 50 New Farm Road, Colchester, Essex, CO3 0PG (what3words = supper.lions.coffee)
Stanway Rovers Football Club was formed in 1922 [Reference 1] with Mr Brooks as President, Mr Jarman as Secretary and Mr "Fred" Tiggy Nice on the committee. Mr S Isom then took over the job of secretary from Mr Jarman, a position he retained until he became a successful referee.
The First Team initially played their matches on a field owned by a Stanway rose grower. This field is now used by St Leonard’s Nursery (also called Stanway Garden Centre). The club then moved to play on a pitch in Winstree Road (formerly Stanway Straight Road), with everyone carrying their kit to the pitch from their “changing rooms” in St Andrews Church Hall (formerly “The Mission Room”) on London Road. Their next pitch was a much shorter walk, being on a meadow near St Andrews Church Hall. Houses have since been built on this meadow.
In September 1923 [Reference 2] the club had two teams, both playing in the Kelvedon and District League:
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the First Team, playing in Section 2 of the full league and
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the Stanway Rovers Junior Team, playing in the Junior League
The First Team moved to the Essex and Suffolk Border League (date unknown), becoming Division II B Champions [References 3 and 4] in the 1927–28 season – their first trophy.
1922 to 1956
1956 to 1975
​10th July 1956 is recognised as the official formation of the “modern club” of Stanway Rovers. The first members' meeting of the “modern club” was held at St. Albright’s Hall in Stanway, chaired by Jack Poole of the Essex County FA.
On this date the club transferred from the Essex and Suffolk Border League to Division Two of the Colchester and East Essex League and moved their home matches to the King George V playing fields in Lexden (commonly known as the Clairmont Road pitches).
By 1960, Stanway Rovers had progressed to the Premier Division of the Colchester and East Essex League and in 1961, they relocated back to Winstree Road, to the playing fields of Stanway Secondary School (now called The Stanway School). The headmaster at that time, Mr Gardham, became Club President, an office that all Headmasters at the School held over the 18 years or so that the Club stayed there.
They won the Premier Division title in the 1967–68 and 1973–74 seasons and, in the 1974–75 season, they reached the final of the Essex Junior Cup but lost 1–0 to Takeley.
1975 to 1992
In 1975, Stanway Rovers transferred back to the Essex & Suffolk Border League, joining Division One. In 1978, they were placed into the newly created Division Two, finishing third in the 1978–79 season and earning promotion to Division One.
In 1979, the club secured a 99-year lease with the local council for a 4.6-acre plot of land – which was given the name “The Hawthorns” after the shrub which grew prolifically in the area at the time. On 18th November 1982, their new clubhouse, also named “The Hawthorns,” was opened.
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The club was relegated back to Division Two of the Essex & Suffolk Border League but won the division in the 1981–82 season to get back into Division One. They were again relegated back to Division Two and won the division again in 1985–86 to return to Division One. They won Division One the following year, in the 1986–87 season, securing promotion to the Premier Division of the Essex & Suffolk Border League.
The club reached the final of the Essex Intermediate Cup in the 1989–90 and 1990–91 seasons, losing both finals 3–1.
The 1991-92 season saw Stanway finish as runners up in the Premier Division and their application to join the then Jewson League was duly accepted. The club was granted Senior Status and their first game in the Jewson League Division 1 was a 2-2 draw at Swaffham Town on 22nd August 1992.
1992 to present
Floodlights were installed at The Hawthorns in 1992, inaugurated with a friendly match against Norwich City.
The 1991–92 season saw Stanway Rovers finish as runners-up in the Essex & Suffolk Border League Premier Division, which earned them promotion to Division One of the Eastern Counties League.
Although it had served the club well since it had been built in 1982, the club house was rebuilt across 2000/2001. The new, air-conditioned headquarters of Stanway Rovers Football Club, consisting of a Members Bar and a function room and kitchen, plus a Committee/Board Room, was officially opened on 28th March 2001 by Colchester MP Bob Russell (later to become Sir Bob Russell).
The club won the Eastern Counties League Division One title in the 2005–06 season, gaining promotion to the Premier Division.
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They went on to win the League Cup in 2008-09, beating Leiston 4-2 on penalties in the final. They won the cup again in 2011-12 with a 2-1 win over Norwich United in the final.
At the end of the 2017–18 season, Stanway Rovers were transferred to the Essex Senior League. At the end of the 2018-19 season they were moved back to the Eastern Counties League Premier Division. They were transferred back to the Essex Senior League in at the end of the 2020-21 season.
The club’s football pitch, club house and functions rooms were renamed from “The Hawthorns” to “The FND & KMCO Community Stadium” at the start of the 2024-25 season.
The club were “double” cup winners in the 2023-24 season, winning both the Errington Challenge Cup and the Peter Butcher Memorial Trophy. The 2024–25 season saw the side promoted to step four for the first time as Essex Senior League champions. The club are currently members of the Isthmian League North Division.​​
CLUB HONOURS
FIRST TEAM
ESSEX SENIOR LEAGUE
- League Champions: 2024/25
- Errington Challenge Cup winners: 2023/24
- Peter Butcher Memorial Trophy winners: 2023/24
EASTERN COUNTIES LEAGUE
- Division One Champions: 2005/06
- League Cup Winners: 2008/09, 2011/12
ESSEX & SUFFOLK BORDER LEAGUE
- Division One Champions: 1986/87
- Division Two Champions: 1981/82, 1985/86
COLCHESTER & EAST ESSEX LEAGUE
- Premier Division Champions: 1967/68, 1973/74
ESSEX & SUFFOLK BORDER LEAGUE
- Division II B Champions: 1927/28
U18 YOUTH TEAM
THURLOW NUNN YOUTH FOOTBALL LEAGUE SOUTH
- U18 League Champions: 2024/25
SATURDAY WALKING TEAM
OVER 50's SATURDAY ESSEX LEAGUE
- Division Four Champions: 2024
SUNDAY WALKING A TEAM
NORTH ESSEX FRIENDLY ALLIANCE LEAGUE
- League Champions: 2024
ESSEX SENIOR LEAGUE - League Champions: 2024/25
ESSEX & SUFFOLK BORDER LEAGUE
Division II B Champions: 1927/28
HISTORY REFERENCES
Reference 1: “Essex County Standard” Newspaper Article
There is no date at the top of this newspaper clipping, so we don't know the exact date this article was printed. but the article states:
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"the club was formed in 1922" and
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"so Stanway Rovers are 62 years old"
which indicates the article was published in 1984.
The article references notes published in the “Essex County Standard”, so we believe this article was also published in the “Essex County Standard”.
The full text of this article reads as:
Monday morning "blues" last week were completely swept away by a letter we received from a Mr. S. Isom, a one-time resident of Stanway and now living in Colchester.
He wrote "I am as an old resident of Stanway, interested in notes in the Essex County Standard. My goodness, how the village has changed from when the water tower stood on the corners of Millers Lane!"
Mr Isom then went on to say how interested he was to read of Stanway Rovers and, for the record, the club was formed in 1922 with a Mr Brooks as president.
Mr Jarman was secretary, and Mr "Fred" Tiggy Nice was on the committee. This latter gentleman was very well known to me personally, he was one of my great-uncles!
Many other names of past and present residents were mentioned by Mr Isom, who then went on to say the matches were played on a field now used by a well-known Stanway rose growers. The club then moved to a pitch in Winstree Road (formerly Stanway Straight Road), everyone carrying their kit from St Andrews Church Hall on the London Road (which was formerly the Mission Room).
Next pitch was on a meadow next to where houses are now built near St Andrews Church Hall.
So Stanway Rovers are 62 years old, and Mr Isom would like to wish them every success, and wishes his regards be given to all who knew him or may be knew of him, as he himself took over the job of secretary from Mr Jarman, until he became a successful referee.
Following receipt of his letter, I went to see Mr Isom and he was able to unearth two photographs of Stanway Rovers of "yesterday" - one very resplendent photo proudly shows the team displaying the Border League Shield!
Unfortunately, Mr Isom has no idea of the exact date of the photographs. So if anyone in the village can help out, we would be only too pleased to hear from them.
Sadly, some of the players mentioned are no longer with us, but I am quite sure their families and friends will be happy and proud to know that their memories still live on. JIC.
Link to the archive: The British Newspaper Archive
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Stanway Rovers’ first mention in the press was in the Chelmsford Chronicle on Friday 7th September, 1923. It went to press with a few type setting errors in the “Football Notes” summary, as shown here.
Reference 2: 1923 – The British Newspaper Archive – Chelmsford Chronicle
​The full article (below) had no type setting errors and gave a brief match report where the Stanway Rovers Junior Team lost 1-0 in their away match with Warren Old Boys in the Kelvedon and District Junior League.
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The full article finished with the fixture list for “tomorrow” (i.e. Saturday 8th September 1923), where the Stanway Rovers First Team had a 3:30 kick-off in their away match at Copford United in Section 2 of the Kelvedon and District League.
Multiple other references to Stanway Rovers appear in the Chelmsford Chronicle after this. All the articles are the copyright property of the Chelmsford Chronicle and extracts from them are permitted to be reproduced here by acknowledging that copyright which we, here, acknowledge.
Stanway Rovers first appeared in a photo in the Chelmsford Chronicle, where the team was shown before their match on Easter Monday 5th April 1926. This is the photograph at the top of the Essex County Standard article in reference 1.
Reference 3: 1928 – The British Newspaper Archive – Chelmsford Chronicle
They next appeared in a photo in the Chelmsford Chronicle proudly displaying the Essex and Suffolk Border League Shield, which they secured as Division II B Champions in the 1927–28 season – their first trophy. This is the photograph at the bottom of the Essex County Standard article in reference 1.
Reference 4: “Essex & Suffolk Border League” records
The success as 1927–28 Division II B Champions is confirmed in the Wikipedia records of the Essex & Suffolk Border League, as repeated here.
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