Club Background
Even though the current incarnation of Hornchurch – it has gone by different names down the years – is a little over 100 years old, there has been football in this part of Essex since 1881. The club was a founder member of the Essex FA and entered the 12th edition of the FA Cup in the 1882-83, but only lasted until the start of the 1885-86 season when it was wound up due to heavy debts – a hefty £22.
Reformed as Upminster Wanderers, they played in the local parks league, the Romford League for much of the next 30 years with a brief stint in the Spartan League when the Wanderers was removed from their names. There was some success with four championships and winning the Romford Charity Cup, but in 1952 the club changed their name to Hornchurch & Upminster and relocated to Bridge Avenue, known to fans as “The Bridge”, and initially played in the newly-formed Delphian League before being elected to the more competitive Ayhenian League.
By 1960, the Upminster was gone and Hornchurch FC was born and in 1974-75 the club were elected to the Isthmian League, the top tier of the amateur game in the South East. Survival was about all the club could hope for as they yo-yoed between Division One and Division Two and a fire which destroyed the Urchins’ clubhouse in 1989 saw them suffer a financial hit from which they struggled to recover. By 1991, they were playing in Division Three of the Isthmian League.
It was not until the late 1990s that they began to rise again. Under manager Mick Marsden, who was appointed in February 1998, the club rose to the Isthmian Premier Division by 2003 when they appoint George Borg. Borg is a name who will be known to Yeovil supporters from his time in charge of an Enfield side which the Glovers went toe-to-toe with and came out on top in their two seasons at Isthmian League level in the late 90s. He built a side around prolific striker Danny Heale and brought in players who had served him at both Enfield and Aldershot Town, notably defender Steve West. The creation of Conference South for the start of the 2003-04 season including Hornchurch who got national attention when they reached the second round of the FA Cup with victory over League club Darlington in the first round and then a televised second round tie with Tranmere Rovers in the second. In front of more than 3,500 fans, a capacity for Bridge Road, the Urchins were the better side and Borg complained they were “robbed by the ref” who denied them a ‘goal’ and a penalty.
The end of that season saw Borg depart replaced by another familiar non-League face, Garry Hill, who had enjoyed considerable success at nearby Dagenham & Redbridge with the club’s ambitions under its owners the Carthium Group backed by serious money. Even though gates were not breaking four figures, they still managed to sign players with League experience including ex-Tottenham Hotspur players Darren Caskey and Justin Edinburgh and ex-Glover Kirk Jackson, who reportedly doubled his wages after leaving Yeovil. Despite the club becoming full time, Hornchurch’s then-chairman, Gary Calder, described suggestions they had raised their budget as “a myth” with much of its finances reported to come from businessmen linked to a local double-glazing firm.
If the finances were a mystery, success was not and under Hill as they stormed to the top of the Conference South after going 16 matches unbeaten before in November 2004, just six months after Hill’s arrival, the Carthium Group disappeared overnight with the entire squad being released. By that point the club had already reached the FA Cup first round with six debutants and youth team players filling the shirts for a tie which Hornchurch eventually lost. Almost 100 players turned out for the club that season and, despite a ten-point deduction, they managed a ninth place finish under Hill’s replacement, Tony Choules. Having gone in to administration, Hornchurch FC folded and were replaced by AFC Hornchurch which began life in the Essex Senior League in the 2005-06 season which they topped in some style, winning the league and two cup competitions. Having won the Isthmian League North the following season, AFC were in the Isthmian Premier within two years of their formation and in 2007-08 they got to the play-offs losing out to AFC Wimbledon in the semi-finals in front of a crowd of almost 3,000.
Financial troubles left by the collapse of their previous owners continued to dog the Urchins with manager Colin McBride taking over as chairman to try and sort them out, appointing his assistant, Jimmy McFarlane, as manager. Under their stewardship, they made it back to Conference South with a play-off win over Lowestoft Town in 2012. They survived just one season and managed just one point from their opening eight matches having been forced to play away from Bridge Avenue with the local council installing new floodlights and were eventually relegated out of the Isthmian Premier. It took until the 2017-18 campaign for them to regain Premier status when they won the Isthmian North by 13 points scoring more than 100 goals.
McFarlane resigned in November 2018 after a poor run of form replaced by former Newcastle United and Portsmouth player Mark Stimson, who guided the club in an FA Trophy win in the COVID-hit 2020-21 season and came close through the play-offs twice. In the summer of 2023, the Isthmian Premier side made an eye-catching managerial appointment in Steve Morison, a legendary striker at Millwall. Morison guided the club to just one defeat in their first 22 games before announcing he was departing to take up the job at League Two side Sutton United with Hornchurch top of the Isthmian Premier. His replacement, ex-Dagenham manager and current Urchins’ boss, Daryl McMahon, guided them to the title in 2024 and a return to National League South after a 12-year absence.
Last season, McMahon built on that success with a fifth-placed finish in National League South, beating Weston-super-Mare in the play-offs before booking their place in the Premier Division with a 3-2 win over Torquay United after extra time.
We’ve Met Before
Yeovil Town have never played Hornchurch in a competitive fixture.
| DD/MM/202X | Home/Away | NLP | WDL | Result | Att | Scorer Minute | |
Club Statistics
RECENT RESULTS
| DD/MM/2026 | Opponent | H/A | NLP | WDL | Result | Att | Scorers minute | |
LEAGUE ATTENDANCE STATISTICS
Highest League Attendance:
Lowest League Attendance:
Average League Attendance:
CURRENT SEQUENCE STATISTICS
| Games Without A Win: | Games Without A Home Win: | |||
| Games Without An Away Win: | Games Without Defeat: | |||
| Games Without A Home Defeat: | Games Without An Away Defeat: | |||
| Games Without A Draw: | Games Without A Score Draw: | |||
| Games Without A No-Score Draw: | Games Without Scoring: | |||
| Games Without Conceding: | Home Results Sequence: | |||
| Away Results Sequence: | Overall Results Sequence: |
Club Information
Address: Hornchurch Stadium, Bridge Avenue, Upminster, Essex, RM14 2LX (click for map)
Telephone: 01708 220080
Email: enquiries@hornchurchfc.com
Chairman: Alex Sharp
Club Secretary: Andrew Dickinson
Facilities Manager: Terry Fisher
Media & Communications: Jordan Newman
Supporters’ Association Vice-Chairman: Dave Cook
Supporters’ Association Secretary: Stephen McEnnerney
Manager: Daryl McMahon
Capacity : 3,500
Seated : 800
Away Capacity: 900 (partially covered terrace + seating)
Surface : Grass
Record Attendance : 3,004 – vs Dagenham & Redbridge, 03/04/2026
Colours : Red shirts, white shorts, red socks
Nickname : The Urchins
Programme : £3.00
Ticketing
Ticket information will be updated when available.
Official Away Travel
The Green & White Supporters’ Club is running away travel to our trip to Hornchurch on XXXday XX XXXX, XXp.m. kick-off.
Details are as follows:
Members: Adult £XX; Concession £XX
Non-Members: Adult £XX; Concession £XX
Coach departs Huish Park: XXam
To book, call Paul Hadlow on 07736 044570. You may be asked to pay a £5 deposit to reserve your seat. Prices are maximum and may reduce depending on booking numbers.
Payment can be made by bank transfer, please reference the match you are booking for and message Paul Hadlow to confirm the payment.
Account name: Green & White Supporters’ Club.
Account number: 8343 6772
Sort code: 20-68-15
Directions To The Ground
General
By Road
Take the M25 to junction 29 on the A127 towards London. Come off at the next major turn-off (signposted to Upminster) and turn left into Hall Lane. Follow this road for about a mile and a half, passing Upminster station on your left, until you come to a major crossroads with traffic lights. Turn right at the lights into St Mary’s Lane. Continue down the hill and take the second turning on the left (Bridge Avenue). The stadium is found about 200 yards down Bridge Avenue on the right.
If you are coming from the south of side of the M25, you will need to go over the Dartford River Crossing which is a toll road – so don’t forget to pay if you need to.
Parking
Car parking is available at the ground on for players and officials only. When full, street parking is available along Bridge Avenue and opposite the ground in Brookdale Avenue. Please be aware that there will be increased traffic enforcement in this area on matchdays due to parking across driveways and on double yellow lines.
By Rail
The nearest station is Upminster which is a National Rail which is on the Southend/Shoeburyness line from Fenchurch Street, and on the London Underground accessible on the District Line. The Underground station to the stadium is Upminster Bridge, the penultimate stop if you travel eastbound on the District Line. Turn right out of the station, walk under the railway bridge and take the second right turning into Bridge Avenue. Don’t get off at Hornchurch or you will be further from the stadium.
By Bus
There are buses which go past Upminster Bridge station, see directions to stadium above, which go from Romford Market (248 Bus towards Cranham) and Mercury Gardens, Romford (370 Bus towards Lakeside).
By Taxi
Upminster Station Cars – 01708 250000
Lymo Rides – 01708 344100
Voom Ride – 01708 444222
Star Mini Cabs – 01708 722227
Web Resources
Web Sites
Hornchurch FC – Official Site
Social Media
@HornchurchFC – X/Twitter
Hornchurch FC– Facebook
Hornchurch FC Official – Instagram
Hornchurch FC – YouTube
Local Press
Romford Recorder – a few articles amongst a myriad of other stories
Food & Drink
General
Club bar
Bridge Avenue has three bars inside the stadium;
- The Clubhouse (Cash & Card Payments Accepted)
- The Jimmy Mac Bar on Hasbeens’ Hill (Cash & Card Payments Accepted)
- The Temper Gold Bar within the stadium (Card Payments only)
Local Pubs
Windmill: Closest to the Ground, which is in Upminster Bridge area not Hornchurch. Pub named after the nearby Upminster Windmill. Beers – Cask 2 Regular – Greene King tied house – usually IPA & Abbot Ale. Opening hours: 11.30am-Midnight – Saturdays.
Address: Windmill 167 Upminster Road RM14 2RB. Telephone: 01708 442657. Website Map
Address: Upminster Tap 1b Sunnyside Gardens Upminster RM14 3DT. Telephone: 07801 413540. Map
Optimist Tavern Suburban local part of the Ember Inns Group. Food orientated pub with patio area at the front and a beer garden at the rear. Beers – Cask 3 regular usually Doom Bar & Fullers London Pride and one changing guest often from St Austell Close to the ground. Opening hours: Midday-11pm.Address: Hacton Lane/Little Gaynes Lane Upminster RM14 2XY. Telephone: 01708 641530. Website Map
Hop Inn: Great micropub – with beers & ciders dispensed from a cool room. National Cider Pub of the Year 2022 & regular winner of London Cider Awards. Very knowledgeable staff who are happy to offer tasters to ensure customer satisfaction. This is a 15-minute walk from the stadium, but worth the walk. Beers – Up to five cask ales and up to eight ciders. Opening hours: Midday-10.30pm – Saturdays.
Likelihood the Natives Will Understand You:You’re technically in Essex, but Hornchurch and Upminster sit in that strange borderland where Essex meets London and everyone sounds like they’ve spent half their life on a District Line platform. Expect plenty of cockney-infused accents, liberal use of “mate”, and the occasional conversation conducted entirely through sighs about house prices. If you managed in Dagenham, you will be fine here.
Top-Tip: If you’ve got time before kick-off, head into Upminster rather than hanging around the industrial estates around the ground. The town centre has a decent selection of pubs, cafés and takeaways, and feels far more like a traditional suburban high street than you’d expect this close to London. Plus, if you’re arriving by Tube, it’s the natural place to stock up on refreshments before making the short walk to the stadium.
Local Amenities: Hornchurch and Upminster offer more than your average suburban away day. Hornchurch Country Park provides surprisingly scenic walks on the site of a former RAF airfield, while nearby Upminster Windmill is one of the best-preserved smock mills in the country. If retail therapy is your thing, Lakeside Shopping Centre is only a short drive away, though we accept that spending your Saturday in a shopping centre may not have been what football away days were invented for.
Other Points Of Interest: Probably nothing we haven’t already listed above.
[No responsibility is taken for any inaccuracies. This page is entirely the product of bias and prejudice. ]