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Enfield F.C.

Full name	Enfield Football Club
Nickname(s)	The E's
Founded	1893
Dissolved	2007
2006–07	Isthmian League Division One North, 13th
Home colours Away colours

Enfield F.C. was a football club traditionally based in Enfield, Middlesex, but later temporarily based in Hertfordshire, at Borehamwood and Ware during its demise in later years.

Enfield was one of the most successful amateur clubs in England and at one point was seen^{[according to whom?]} as a potential Football League entrant due to its Football Conference exploits, but went into freefall due to the decision to relocate to Borehamwood.

In 2001, after the sale of the Southbury Road stadium the club lead a nomadic life playing at various grounds around Hertfordshire.
During the close season at the end of the 2006–07 season, Enfield had no choice but to liquidate due to debt. Enfield Town approached Enfield proposing a merger, but the Enfield F.C. officials could not in reality accept the needs so opted to remain a separate club, and formed a new club named Enfield 1893 F.C.

The traditional rival of the original Enfield was Barnet F.C..

History

Early years

John Bruce Skinner founded Enfield Football Club in August 1893 as Enfield Spartans, and the club spent its initial season playing friendlies.

The start of the 1894–95 season saw the club play league football for the first time when it joined the Tottenham & District Junior Alliance League.

The club made the move to the larger Tucker's Field and joined the North Middlesex League in 1896. In 1900 the club dropped the Spartans from the end of its name – this name is now used by a local Youth Football Club – and also made the move to Cherry Orchard Lane. This picked things up at the club and in the 1901–02 and 1902–03 seasons it won back-to-back league titles and so attained ‘senior’ status.

The 1903 saw the club join the London League Division Two. It won the title in 1911 and so gained promotion to the Premier Division.

Most of the next 50 years, the club played in the Athenian League.

After the First World War, Enfield disbanded. Members of Grange Park F.C., which had been a local junior club before the war, held a meeting at the Bell Inn, Baker Street, Enfield in May 1919 with a view to stepping up to senior football and taking on the mantle of Enfield. The decision to become the "new" Enfield was taken the next month.^[1]

Isthmian League years

They enjoyed little success until the arrival of Thomas Lawrence in the early 1960s. Lawrence was a charismatic centre forward who attracted much stronger players to the club. His career as a player was cut short when he fractured his skull playing for Great Britain in an Olympic Games qualifier. Successful as a manager, he did even better later in business. Lawrence's arrival was the origin of the success of Enfield, that lasted 30 years. It was not until 1961–62 that the club won the league title for the first time, and a second successive title in 1962–63 won them entry to the Isthmian League. They won seven further league titles, and were one of the first two Isthmian League clubs to join the Alliance Premier League in 1981. During their period in the Isthmian league they made their first appearance in the FA Amateur Cup Final. After taking an early lead their goalkeeper, Malcolm Mitchell broke his arm, and Roy Thomas, a winger, went into goal. No substitutes were allowed and Crook Town won 2–1.

Alliance/Conference years

During the early 1980s, Enfield was among the strongest Conference sides, winning the title in 1982–83 and 1985–86, and the FA Trophy in 1981–82 and 1987–88. Their form slipped and they were relegated to the Isthmian League in 1990. Despite a run of seven consecutive top-three finishes they remained in that league, being denied promotion after winning the title in 1995 because the Football Conference were not satisfied with the club's financial credentials.

They won their most recent conference title in the final season of the re-election system, in which the Football League members had to vote on whether or not to replace one of the bottom four teams in the Fourth Division with the champions of the highest non-league division. However in the ballot which followed Enfield received just 7.5 votes, while the four league sides applying to retain membership received between 61 and 64 votes.^[2]

After Southbury Road

In 1999, the club sold its Southbury Road stadium, and began ground sharing with several nearby clubs. Eventually, the board decided on a long term ground share with Boreham Wood, 10 miles away. Fearing that the club would never return to its home borough and the team would continue to struggle near the foot of the league, a group of fans set up a supporters' trust. The trust hoped to become involved in the running of Enfield F.C. and to bring about the club's return to play in the Borough of Enfield. For months, their attempts to help were rebuffed by chairman Tony Lazarou. In February 2001 a deal to transfer control of the club to the Trust was proposed, but Lazarou stalled on the deal for several months and by the beginning of June nothing had happened.^{[citation needed]}

When the club sold Southbury Road, £750,000 from the sale had been placed into an escrow account, for the use of the club in building a new ground. In 2001, chairman Lazarou asked Enfield Council to hand the money over to him even though he had not identified a site for a new ground; after Lazarou threatened legal action, the Council handed over the money. After this, a group of supporters formed their own club, Enfield Town F.C., based in Brimsdown, "to keep football alive in the borough of Enfield".^{[citation needed]}

After these events, Enfield F.C. struggled in the Isthmian League Premier Division, and was relegated in 2003. The 2003–04 season was even worse, finishing bottom of Isthmian League Division One North. In 2004–05 Enfield F.C had moved to Wodson Park, Ware and came second in the Isthmian League Second Division, winning promotion to the Southern League Division One East.

Lazarou owed Enfield Football Club a vast amount of money from the sale of the ground at Southbury Road. A Football Association hearing stated he should repay to the club a sum believed to be in the region of £200,000.

During the close season at the end of the 2006–07 season, Enfield had no choice but to liquidate due to the debts owed to the inland revenue by former chairman Lazarou, forcing the club to resign from the Isthmian League Division One North. Enfield Town F.C. approached Enfield F.C. proposing a merger, but the Enfield F.C. officials opted to remain a separate club, and formed a new club named Enfield 1893 F.C.

Phoenix Club

Enfield 1893 was immediately founded after Enfield F.C.'s demise as a phoenix club, and joined the Essex Senior League which was situated one step below the Isthmian League Division One North. Enfield 1893 retained all of the Enfield F.C. playing staff who had finished in 13th place in the Isthmian League First Division North the previous season under manager Kevin Lucas. They led the table for much of the year but missed out on promotion on goal difference. They finished second again in the 2008–09 season.

Timeline

• 
  1893 – Enfield Spartans founded


• 
  1894 – Joined Tottenham & District Junior Alliance


• 
  1896 – Joined North Middlesex League


• 
  1901–02 – North Middlesex League Premier Division Champions


• 
  1902–03 – North Middlesex League Premier Division Champions


• 
  1903 – Joined London League


• 
  1911 – London League Division One Champions


• 
  1912 – Founder member of Athenian League
  


• 
  1919 – Did not re-join Athenian League after the War
  


• 
  1921–22 – Rejoined Athenian League


• 
  1934–35 – Athenian League runner-up;London Senior Cup Winners^[3]
  


• 
  1939–40 – Athenian League abandoned on outbreak of the War
  


• 
  1961–62 – London Senior Cup Winners^[3]
  


• 
  1961–62 – Athenian League Champions


• 
  1962–63 – Athenian League Champions (2nd time)


• 
  1963–64 – Joined Isthmian League; FA Amateur Cup finalists;London Senior Cup Runners up^[3]
  


• 
  1964–65 – Isthmian League runner-up after losing Championship play-off against Hendon
  


• 
  1966–67 – FA Amateur Cup Winners; London Senior Cup Winners^[3]
  


• 
  1967–68 – Isthmian League Champions; London Senior Cup Runners up^[3]
  


• 
  1968–69 – Isthmian League Champions (2nd time)


• 
  1969–70 – Isthmian League Champions (3rd time in a row). FA Amateur Cup Winners (2nd time)


• 
  1970–71 – London Senior Cup Runners-up^[3]
  


• 
  1971–72 – Isthmian League runner-up; FA Amateur Cup finalists; London Senior Cup Winners^[3]
  


• 
  1972–73 – London Senior Cup Winners^[3]
  


• 
  1974–75 – Isthmian League runner-up (lost the title on goal average)


• 
  1975–76 – Isthmian League Champions (4th time). FA Trophy semi-finalists; London Senior Cup Winners^[3]
  


• 
  1976–77 – Isthmian League Champions (5th time)


• 
  1977–78 – Division One renamed Premier Division. Isthmian League Champions (6th time)


• 
  1979–80 – Isthmian League Champions (7th time)


• 
  1980–81 – Isthmian League runner-up. Reached F.A. Cup 4th Round.


• 
  1981–82 – Joined Alliance Premier League. Alliance Premier League runner-up. FA Trophy Winners


• 
  1982–83 – Alliance Premier League Champions


• 
  1984–85 – FA Trophy semi-finalists


• 
  1985–86 – Alliance Premier League Champions (2nd time). FA Trophy semi-finalists


• 
  1986–87 – Alliance Premier League renamed Conference


• 
  1987–88 – FA Trophy Winners (2nd time)


• 
  1990–91 – Relegated to Isthmian League. Isthmian League runner-up


• 
  1991–92 – Isthmian League runner-up


• 
  1993–94 – Isthmian League runner-up. FA Trophy semi-finalists


• 
  1994–95 – Isthmian League Champions (8th time)


• 
  1995–96 – Isthmian League runner-up (lost title on goal difference)


• 
  1996–97 – Isthmian League runner-up


• 
  2002–03 – Relegated to Division One North


• 
  2003–04 – Relegated to Division Two


• 
  2004–05 – Isthmian League Division Two runners-up


• 
  2007 – Enfield FC go into liquidation.

Honours

• 
  FA Trophy winners 1981–82, 1987–88


• 
  FA Amateur Cup winners 1966–67, 1969–70; runners-up 1963–64, 1971–72


• 
  European Amateur Cup Winners Cup 1970–71


• 
  Football Conference champions 1982–83, 1985–86; runners-up 1981–82


• 
  Isthmian League champions 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1979–80, 1994–95; runners-up 1964–65, 1971–72, 1974–75, 1980–81, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1993–94,


• 
  Athenian League champions 1961–62, 1962–63; runners-up 1934–35


• 
  Middlesex Senior Cup winners 1913–14, 1946–47, 1961–62, 1965–66, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1997–98


• 
  London Senior Cup winners 1934–35, 1960–61, 1966–67, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1975–76; runners-up 1963–64, 1967–68^[3]
  


• 
  Middlesex Charity Cup winners 1958–59, 1960–61; runners-up 1948–49, 1954–54, 1959–60, shared 1961–62

Best Performances

• Best league position: 1st in Alliance Premier League (now Conference National), 1982–83 1985–86.


• Best FA Cup performance: 4th round, 1980–81


• Best FA Amateur Cup performance: winners 1966–67, 1969–70;


• Best FA Trophy performance: winners 1981–82, 1987–88


• Best FA Vase performance: 5th round, 2004–05

Source: Enfield at the Football Club History Database

Former players

1. Players that have played/managed in the Football League or any foreign equivalent to this level (i.e. fully professional league).

2. Players with full international caps.

3. Players that hold a club record.

• 
  Mark Warburton
  


• 
  Lee Holmes
  


• 
  Kevin Dare
  


• 
  Lionel Pérez
  


• 
  David Silman
  


• 
  Paul Furlong
  

References

External links

• Official website


• 
  Enfield at the Football Club History Database