History of Football in Ramsgate

Please note that all the information in the history section is only accurate to the best of our knowledge. The Club did not have historical records of its own and so what is contained here is the result of research and contributions from a number of stalwart supporters over the past few years. If you have any additional information that you can provide to the Club, particularly old programmes, photographs or press reports that we can borrow, please contact me. Many thanks. Martin Able.

Ramsgate has had senior football teams within the town since the late-1800s; early teams included Ramsgate Town from about 1886, team photos of whom exist from 1898. At this time matches were being played on a ‘friendly’ basis or as cup competitions at a number of grounds around the town, including Southwood.

A brief history is set out below, however links have been added that will take you to more detailed historical chapters, as well as reports on football-related incidents and events.

A Brief History of Football in Ramsgate

At the turn of the century the East Kent League was formed and Ramsgate Town joined, playing Dover Star in their first fixture. [Senior Football in Ramsgate 1886-1914] [Murder of William Henson 1903]

Football ceased between 1914 and 1918, and in 1919 Henry Weigall JP and Lady Rose Weigall generously provided the Southwood ground for Ramsgate Town, by then known simply as Ramsgate. In their first season there they finished third in the league and reached the Kent Senior Cup final, but lost 1-0 to Northfleet at Maidstone before a crowd of 10,000 people. In 1924 Ramsgate Town folded and Ramsgate Grenville moved to Southwood and, apart from the appearance and demise a few years later of Ramsgate Press Wanderers in the mid-1930s, became the senior Ramsgate side until war again brought an end to all football in east Kent. [Senior Football in Ramsgate 1919-1932] [Senior Football in Ramsgate 1932-1940]

Football resumed after the 2^nd World War and Southwood was taken over by the current club in 1945, then called Ramsgate Athletic, with the pitch being turned through 90 degrees and covers to the terraces and a stand erected from the anti-invasion steelwork from nearby Pegwell Bay. The Club played within the Kent League until it was disbanded in 1959 and, having been runners-up in the Kent Senior Shield in 1946/47 and finalists in the Kent Senior Cup in 1947/48, won the League Cup in 1948/49 followed by winning the League and runners-up in the Kent Senior Shield in 1949/50.  In a golden period from 1954 to 1957 the Club won back-to-back League Championships (1955/56 & 1956/57), with a new attendance record being set in 1955/56 when 5,200 spectators watched the local derby against Margate. They also made Club history when they reached the First Round Proper of the FA Cup for the first time in November 1955, eventually beaten away 5-3 by Watford, a record that stood for 50 years. 

In 1958/59 the Club also started playing in the Thames & Medway Combination League, winning the Eastern Division that season but finishing runners-up to Sittingbourne in the Champions’ Cup Final. With the demise of the KCFA Kent League in 1959, the Club joined the Southern League, as well as continuing in the Thames & Medway Combination League. A new main stand was erected along the southern side of the pitch, which is still in use today, and in November 1959 the Rams were visited by Everton to mark the official illumination of the newly installed floodlights – the ‘Toffees’ winning 7-1.  Having again won the Eastern Division of the Combination in the 1959/1960 season, the Club went on to beat Gravesend & Northfleet in the Combination Champions Cup Final.  Whilst in the Southern League the Club won the Kent Senior Shield and the Combination Eastern Division in 1960/61 (again finishing runners-up to Sittingbourne in the Combination Champions Cup Final), and the Kent Senior Cup in 1963/64.  In 1967/68 the Club again won the Kent Senior Shield and were runners-up in the Southern League Cup. In 1971/72 they again finished runners-up and were promoted to the Premier Division. In 1972 the Club changed its name to Ramsgate but after a decline in fortunes the Club were relegated to Division 1 and resigned from League in 1976, the 1^st team taking the Reserves’ place in the Kent League.

After rejoining the Kent League the Club had many ups and downs. The current Chairman, Richard Lawson, took charge in 1988/89 and the Club had its best year for some time when they won the Kent Senior Trophy for the 2^nd consecutive year and were runners up in the Kent League Cup, whilst the youth teams were League and Kent Youth Cup winners. A short barren period followed, ending in 1992/93 when the Club began a record three-year League Cup winning run, although the league performance was not as good. League form did improve however with the appointment of Jim Ward as manager in 1996/97 and the Club finished runners-up in the league.  The following season saw the Club win the Kent League Charity Shield, and then in 1998/99 the Club won the Kent Premier League championship and the Kent Senior Trophy, and reaching the semi finals of the Kent League Cup.  In 1999/2000 the Club only finished 5^th in the League, but despatched both Dartford and Folkestone Invicta from higher leagues in the FA Cup (to win the ‘Match of the Round’ award) and reached the last 8 of the FA Vase (going out to a late extra time goal against eventual finalists Newcastle Town).  In 2000/01 the Club again finished 5^th in the League, but won the Kent Premier League Cup. In 2001/2002 Mark Weatherly took over from Jim Ward and the Club embarked on a new policy of using local players only and developing the Club’s youth football. The Club finished a credible 6^th in the League, bearing in mind the relative inexperience of the young squad, and despatched AFC Newbury in the FA Cup before falling to Andover.  The policy of using local players continued in 2002/2003, with the 1^st Team finishing 5^th in the Kent League Premier Division, and appearing live on BBCTV in the opening game of the FA Cup at Southwood.

The 2004/2005 season saw the Club capitalise on the promise of its successful youth policy being coupled with the return of experienced manager Jim Ward, and a tough pre-season programme had the Rams playing (and defeating) 4 sides from higher leagues, including old adversaries Margate. In competitive football the Rams made reasonable progress in the FA Cup, despatching Kingstonian from 2 leagues above before falling in the 2^nd half to Dulwich Hamlet (1 league higher), whilst in the FA Vase they again reached the 3^rd Round Proper. The best form was saved for the domestic season however, where the Rams again did the double, this time winning the Kent League Premier Division Cup as well as the Kent League Championship by a clear margin, thereby gaining promotion to Ryman Division 1 South. Summer 2005 saw the Rams start the season with two pieces of silverware, beating Herne Bay in the Kent League Challenge Shield and Margate in the Kent Messenger Challenge Cup. The season continued with the Club reaching the 1^st Round Proper of the FA Cup, the only Step 4 club in the country to do so that year and equalling the Club record set 50 years earlier. The Club also won the League at the first attempt, thereby securing back-to-back promotion to the Ryman Premier Division for 2006/2007. For most of their 1^st season in the Premier Division the Rams were settled near the top of the table in the ‘play-off positions’ and spent several weeks in 2^nd place. However the toll on the squad was noticeable and injuries saw their form dip in the last weeks of the campaign, although they finished a creditable 9^th. This also meant a new record, as the Club had only managed to stay in the Southern League Premier for a single season back in 1972/1973. 2007/08 saw the Rams set more club records, winning the Isthmian League Cup and also reaching the Premier Division play-offs. For 2008/09 the Club erected new covers to the terraces behind each goal, to replace those that had been erected after the Second World War but removed in the 1970s, however having lost key players to Dover an average performance on the pitch dipped in the last months, with relegation to Division 1 South. This saw a number of players move to remain playing at the higher level, however a much younger Ramsgate team in 2009/10 avoided a further drop as some had predicted, and whilst they spent a lot of the season in the lower third of the table, they finished safely in mid-table. Away from the 1^st Team the Club continued to grow however, being awarded Charter Development Club status by the FA and with a new full-time Academy opening in September 2009. Ramsgate remained in the 1^st Division for 2010/11, but were still making great strides off the field with the introduction of a Modern Apprentice Scheme and a Junior Skills Academy. A fine run of form in 2011 almost made up for the poor performances in the first half of 2010/11, with the Club challenging for a play-off place until the last week of the season.

1st Team Post-WWII Honours

Isthmian League Cup Winners – 2007/08
Ryman League Division 1 Champions – 2005/06
Southern League – Southern Division Runners Up – 1971/72
Southern League Cup Finalists – 1967/68
FA Cup 1^st Round Proper – 1955/56, 2005/06
Kent League Champions – 1949/50, 1955/56, 1956/57, 1998/99, 2004/05
Kent League Runners Up – 1996/97
Kent League Cup Winners – 1948/49, 1992/93, 1993/94, 1994/95, 2000/01, 2004/05
Kent League Cup Finalists – 1988/89
Thames & Medway Combination Champions’ Cup Winners – 1959/60
Thames & Medway Combination Eastern Division Champions – 1958/59, 1959/60, 1960/61
Kent Senior Cup Winners – 1963/64
Kent Senior Cup Finalists – 1947/48, 1957/58, 1966/67
Kent Senior Shield Winners – 1960/61, 1967/68, 1968/69
Kent Senior Shield Finalists – 1946/47, 1949/50
Kent Senior Trophy Winners – 1987/88, 1988/89, 1998/99
Kent League Charity Shield Winners – 1994, 1995, 1997, 2005
Kent League Charity Shield Runners Up – 1993, 2001