Brief History of Burnham Ramblers F.C.

The first record of football being played in Burnham dates back to 1895.  Out of this Burnham Ramblers came to be formed in 1900.

For 27 years the club used four different grounds until they moved to Wick Road.  The ground was gradually improved and extended over the years and, after many successful seasons as a junior club, gained intermediate status in 1960.  The club then progressed further to gain senior status in 1985.

Prior to 1985, Ramblers played in many competitions and won several honours, including reaching the Essex Junior Cup Final on three occasions and the Essex Intermediate Cup Final in 1981, losing to Leytonstone & Ilford.

The club’s greatest venture was completed when after years of preparation we moved to our current ten-acre complex.  This includes three pitches and a training pitch.  Over the last few years we have improved our facilities even more in preparation for our aim to gain promotion from Step 5 to Step 4.

In 1988/9 Ramblers had their greatest success to date when they reached the last sixteen in the F.A. Vase, but lost 1-0 to Southern League Bury Town.  In 1991/2 we reached the last 32, losing at Newport (l.o.W) 3-1.

Currently we run three adult sides plus Under 18's and 16's Youth teams. The boy's section

runs some eleven teams. In 1997 the club won its first senior trophy when we beat Stansted 2-1 in the Harry Fisher Cup Final.  Since then we have been runners up in E.S.L competitions six times. Three players made it into full professional football, Fred Wolfe to West Ham in 1911, Gordon Brasted to Arsenal in 1953 and John Warner to Colchester in 1988.

A major blow in 2000 was the untimely death of our Chairman Gordon Brasted. With the demise of the Harry Fisher Trophy, we were delighted to replace it with the Gordon Brasted    Trophy in the Essex Senior League, a fitting memorial to Gordon. William (Billy) Hannan took over as Chairman in 2003, Billy remains as our chairman today.

Mike Everett became 1^st team manager for season 2003/2004. With a new team the season started better than hoped reaching the 2^nd Qualifying round in the FA Cup and the 2^nd round in the FA Vase but failed to reach expectation as the season progressed.

Season 2004/2005 was the most successful in the clubs history finishing runners up to     Enfield Town by just one point in the league and just missing out again on promotion, reaching the Gordon Brasted Final and loosing to Waltham Abbey on penalty’s, winning the Tolleshunt D’Arcy Memorial Cup beating Stanway Rovers 2 – 1 in the final and semi finalists in the League Cup.

Work was completed on the ground in 2005 in readiness for promotion to Step 4 with the  inclusion of three new turnstiles and new perimeter fencing. The club was optimistic with regard promotion in season 2005/2006, unfortunately this was not to be with an under par performance in the last two months of the season just missing out on that illusive promotion spot by one point and reaching the semi final of both the Gordon Brasted Memorial Trophy and the League Cup.

Derek Robinson takes over as 1^st team manager for season 2006/2007, with the departure of many of last seasons players Derek will be building a new team for this season, he brings in as his assistant Gary Kimble who also has a vast experience within the game. The season saw many highs and lows and again as in 1988/89 the Ramblers reached the last sixteen of the FA Vase this time losing to Street FC 1-2 and finished 5th in the league.

Season 2007/2008 sees many of last seasons players still with the club and it must be said Derek Robinson has one of the strongest management teams in the Essex Senior League.