Well, the club was originally formed in the 1920's and can be traced back to the Baptist Church in Holmesdale Road, South
Norwood, where it was affiliated to the London FA and competed in the Excelsior Football League. In fact, it was based
in Holmesdale Road long before that other football club......Crystal Palace!
After two years in the Excelsior Football league, the club moved to the Thornton Health and District League where they
finished second in the 3rd Division and won the Sportsmanship Cup. To play for the team in those days you had to be
involved in the church, attend Bible class and pay match fees of 6d (2.5p) with a signing on fee of six shillings (30p).
The Holmesdale Baptist FC colours were green and gold shirts with blue knickers (as they were then known!). An original
club shirt can be seen on the wall of the clubhouse.
Sadly, in 1923, the team folded for a period of 33 years, before being resurrected in 1956 by the 3rd East Surrey Boys
Brigade Company. They were pleased to inherit the original Post Office savings account of the predecessors which had
funds of £7.00, but with 33 years interest had risen to the pricely sum of £12.00. During the first season Holmesdale
Baptist reached the top of Division 6, having dropped only six points in 18 games - scoring 77 goals and conceding only 24.
The first documented team was: J Standing, J Percial, D Lyle, D Swales, L Boxall, B Thomsitt, C Sayers, B Tibbert, D Dunford,
D Charlton, P Dalley and reserve A Wooll. You will see on our honours page how our current players contend for trophies
and awards inspired by some of these players or their families.
In the 1957-58 season the Holmesdale Baptists were promoted from Division 6 to Division 4 but due to National Service
struggled for players. To strengthen the membership the Baptists raided the Holy Innocents Church Youth Club to make
up the numbers (we're nothing if not resourceful!) but it meant removing the word Baptists from the name.
As the years progressed, the club went from strength to strength, running more teams and providing more opportunities
for players to participate in "the beautiful game" and gaining many successes in the seventies and eighties. However,
the club had to wait till the 1986/87 season before winning the Thornton Heath Premier Division. This opened the gateway
to the then named Surrey Intermediate League where after six years the club won the First Division Championship which sealed
promotion to the Surrey Premier League. The Club played in the Surrey Premier League for six seasons from Oaks Road
in Shirley where the dedicated committee devoloped the basic facilities into a Senior status venue, but unfortunately as the
ground was owned by the local council we could not install floodlights or have a social / licensed bar area.
In the year 2000 part of Holmesdale FC moved to Oakley Road in Bromley (our current home), leaving three of our sides
to play from our old Shirley Oaks venue with the first and reserve teams moving into the British Energy Kent County League.
Since moving to Oakley Road the club has developed the facilities to boast a floodlit training area, a fully barrierd
senior pitch with dugouts and a licensed bar with function hall (available to hire!).
In 2005-06 the first team won the Kent County Division One West (gaining promotion to the Premier Division) and the Surrey
Intermediate Cup.
Last season the first team were crowned champions of the Kent County Premier Division and gained promotion to the Kent
League.
We now have the opportunity to play in the Kent League and have one season to get the floodlights up and working, once
installed we will be able to also enter the FA Cup and FA Trophy!!! What an achievement for a club from a former Baptist Church.
We are all looking forward to a season that will be an enormous test of all our characters. Heres to 2007-08 in the Kent
League.
