How It All Began
19 Sep 2007

On the 17th October 1951 a meeting was called to form a village football team and this was when Barnston football club was founded. John Salmon was appointed as president and allowed the football team to play on his land at Martels. To start of with Barnston just played friendly matches, they then went on to join the Chelmsford combination league and moved ground to Barnston Brook. After several successful years Barnston football club moved grounds yet again ( now Rayfield close), the ground was supplied by John Salmon. The team was then playing for the Mid-Essex league and they went on to be promoted to the premier division and they won the Bardfield cup. Through the 1950's and early 1960's the late Don Churchill was the club secretary until the current standing secretary Bob Tyler took over the position. In 1967 the ground was sold for building and the present ground was leased, with only �150 the clubhouse was built by club members, giving up Sunday football for a season to build it. Quite a lot of materials were supplied by contractors constructing the M11, but to obtain these, buildings had to be knocked down and transported to Barnston. Some 9000 bricks were cleaned to re-use for the new clubhouse.
The bar was installed, license obtained and now the clubs life line. Football fortunes increased and Intermediate status was obtained with the club joining the Essex Intermediate league In 1989.
The Sunday team enjoyed a successful spell winning the Northwest Sunday League Premier Division, three seasons running. Further Improvements to the Club, included larger dressing rooms, new toilets and referees room with shower, Dug-outs and pitch barrier, again with club members working hard to construct a Car park to enable approximately 70 cars to be parked.
A second pitch was leased and is currently being used by our youth teams and our very successful soccer schools. The club is currently very active, fielding Six teams consisting of two Saturday teams playing in the Essex Olympian League (Senior Division 3 and Reserves Division 3) and Five Sunday Youth teams playing in the Blackwater & Dengi Youth League.