Woodstock Sports F.C.

Woodstock Sports

Full name	Woodstock Sports Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Sports
Founded	1927 (as Norton Sports)
Ground	W.E.Manin Stadium Woodstock Park Sittingbourne, Kent
Chairman	Ronald Welling
Manager	Ben Taylor
League	Kent League Premier Division
2010–11	Kent League Premier Division, 9th
Home colours Away colours

Woodstock Sports F.C. (formerly Norton Sports F.C. until 2011) is a football club based in Sittingbourne, Kent, England.

Established in 1927. They are members of the Kent League Premier Division after being promoted in 2008. After the 2010-11 season they moved to the W.E.Manin Stadium at Woodstock Park, they changed their name to Woodstock Sports, which they will use from the 2011-12 season.

History

From 1927 until season 1998/1999, Norton Sports competed as a junior club in local leagues, mainly in the now defunct Sittingbourne & District Football League and then the Canterbury & District Football League. During this time the First Division championship was won in seasons 1989/90 and 1996/97 as well as the Faversham Charity Cup in seasons 1986/87 and 1996/97.

Prior to the start of season 1998/1999, Norton Sports amalgamated with local rivals Teynham & Lynsted, who had been founder members of the Kent County League Premier Division and won the championship in season 1993/1994 as well as the Inter Regional Cup in season 1995/1996. Although Teynham & Lynsted were the senior side, as the side were to be playing at Norton Park, the amalgamation was undertaken in the name of Norton Sports with the club continuing in the Kent County League.

Season 1999/2000 saw Norton Sports winning the Kent County League Division One gaining promotion to the Kent County League Premier Division. After a bright start, the club was relegated. The next few seasons saw a rebuilding exercise.

Season 2004/2005 looked ominous as the side lost their first 4 league games, but a run of 18 wins and 2 draws clinched the title with a game to spare and brought a return to the Kent County League Premier Division.

Season 2005/2006 was one of establishment in the Kent County League Premier Division, with Renny Gardner taking over the managers roll, but the side did manage to pick up the Inter-Regional Challenge Cup beating Holmesdale in the final.

At the start of season 2007/2008, ex Sittingbourne and Fisher captain Ben Taylor took over the reins at Norton Sports. The Kent County League Premier Division championship was clinched in March, in a season that saw 23 wins out of a possible 26, with just one game lost. Promotion to the Kent League Premier Division was achieved.

Season 2008/2009, Norton Sports first season in the Kent League was spent ground sharing with Herne Bay Football Club, as the facilities at Norton Park did not meet the FA criteria for the Kent League. The first season in the Kent League saw Norton finish 11th with 40 points.

October 2010 was a major landmark for Norton Sports as the club relocated to Woodstock Park. Despite Woodstock Park lacking some required facilities, the League Management Committee gave the club the opportunity to play there whilst the stadium was developed.

In June 2011 Norton Sports officially completed their name change and started the 2011/12 Kent League season as Woodstock Sports Football Club. The name change reflects the clubs permanent re-location back to Sittingbourne.

For the 2011/12 season, Woodstock Sports expanded their playing section by entering a reserve side into the Kent League Second Division. This season also saw Woodstock Park renamed to The W.E.Manin Stadium following the sponsorship given by W.E.Manin in helping to install the stadium’s floodlights. On 08 August 2011 the floodlights were commissioned for use with the first match taking place under the lights on 17 August 2011 versus Canterbury City. Woodstock Sports won the match 4 – 1.

Ground

Traditionally know as Woodstock Park, the stadium has now been re-named W.E.Manin Stadium as part of a sponsorship deal.

Woodstock Sports have played at the W.E.Manin Stadium since they moved from Herne Bay's ground Winches Field in October 2010. The ground has excellent floodlighting, a clubhouse with two licensed bars showing Sky Sports and ESPN. The ground also has a tea, coffee and food bar and ample free parking.

Improvements to the ground are currently ongoing.

Honours

Honour	Year(s)
Kent County League Premier Division Premier Division champions	1993–94 (as Teynham & Lynsted), 2007–08 (as Norton Sports)
Kent County League Division One Division One champions	1999–00, 2004–05 (Both as Norton Sports)
Champions Trophy winners	2006–07, 2008–09 (Both as Norton Sports)
Inter-Regional Challenge Cup winners	1995–96 (as Teynham & Lynsted), 2005–06 (as Norton Sports)
Les Leckie Cup winners	2004–05 (as Norton Sports)
Floodlight Cup East winners	1995–96 (as Teynham & Lynsted)

External links

• Official website
• Official Twitter account
• Official Facebook page

Coordinates: 51°18′54″N 0°43′46″E / 51.3148621°N 0.7294965°E / 51.3148621; 0.7294965