Berkhamsted Football Club is a football club from Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England. Founded in 2009 after Berkhamsted Town folded, they are currently members of the Southern League Division One Central and play at Broadwater.
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| Full name | Berkhamsted Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Comrades | ||
| Founded | 2009 | ||
| Ground | Broadwater, Berkhamsted | ||
| Capacity | 2,500 (170 seated)[1] | ||
| Chairman | Steve Davis | ||
| Manager | Chris Devane | ||
| League | Southern League Division One Central | ||
| 2023–24 | Southern League Premier Division Central, 21st of 21 (relegated) | ||
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History
editThe club was founded in 2009 after Berkhamsted Town folded, taking the name of a club that had played in the Herts County League in the early 20th century.[2] They joined Division Two of the Spartan South Midlands League, winning it in their first season and earning promotion to Division One.[3] The following season they won Division One with 107 points and were promoted to the Premier Division.[3] Their points total was the highest in the National League System and saw the Herts FA award the club the Stanley Rous Memorial Trophy.[4]
The 2012–13 season saw Berkhamsted win the St Mary's Cup, beating Tring Athletic 3–1 in the final.[5] In 2014–15 they won the Premier Division Cup, beating Colney Heath 5–3 on penalties after a 1–1 draw.[6] The club won the Herts Charity Shield in 2016–17 with a 3–2 win over Tring Athletic in the final.[7] In 2017–18 the club were runners-up in the Premier Division, earning promotion to Division One East of the Southern League. They were top of the league after 28 games in 2019–20 when the competition was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Berkhamsted were Division One Central runners-up in 2021–22, but lost to North Leigh in the play-off semi-finals. However, the following season saw them win the division, earning promotion to the Premier Division Central.[8] In 2023–24 they finished bottom of the Premier Division Central and were relegated back to Division One Central.[9]
Ground
editThe club play at Broadwater, located between the Grand Union Canal and the West Coast Main Line. The ground has a seated stand on one side of the pitch, with an uncovered terrace adjacent to it. There is also covered terracing behind both goals.[10]
Honours
edit- Southern Football League
- Division One Central champions 2022–23
- Spartan South Midlands League
- Premier Division runners-up 2017–18
- Division One champions 2010–11
- Division Two champions 2009–10
- Premier Division Cup winners 2014–15
- Herts Senior Cup
- Winners 2022–23
- Herts Charity Shield
- Winners 2016–17
- St Mary's Cup
- Winners 2013–14
Records
edit- Best FA Cup performance: Third qualifying round, 2022–23, 2023–24[3]
- Best FA Vase performance: Fifth round, 2015–16[3]
- Record attendance: 534 vs Kidlington, 1 April 2023[11]
- Biggest win: 12–1 vs Stotfold, FA Cup extra preliminary round, 5 August 2017[12]
- Heaviest defeat: 7–1 vs Hanwell Town, Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division, 2011–12; 6–0 vs Hemel Hempstead Town, St Mary's Cup, 2011–12[13]
- Most goals in a season: Matt Bateman, 44 in 2018–19[14]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Mike Williams & Tony Williams (2012) Non-League Club Directory 2013, p761 ISBN 978-1-869833-77-0
- ^ Berkhamsted{1} at the Football Club History Database
- ^ a b c d Berkhamsted at the Football Club History Database
- ^ Major honour for Berko's champions Berkhamsted & Tring Gazette, 24 August 2011
- ^ Dacorum derby delight for Comrades in the cup Berkhamsted & Tring Gazette, 7 May 2013
- ^ Comrades keep their cool to end the season with trophy win Berkhamsted & Tring Gazette, 5 May 2015
- ^ Berko Clinch the Charity Shield Hertfordshire FA, 27 March 2017
- ^ Berkhamsted FC: Promotion secured despite end of perfect home record BBC Sport, 1 April 2023
- ^ "Friday/Saturday review". Southern League. 30 March 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
- ^ Peter Miles (1997) The Non-League Football Grounds of Hertfordshire, p18
- ^ Berkhamsted FC [@BerkoFC] (1 April 2023). "A record attendance here at the @GlencarTweets Community Stadium. 534 https://t.co/VBSWAImToj" (Tweet). Retrieved 6 April 2023 – via Twitter.
- ^ Stotfold 1 Berkhamsted 12 Berkhamsted F.C.
- ^ History Berkhamsted Town F.C.
- ^ 10 man Berko win again Berkhamsted F.C.