History

Earls Colne Football Club is one of the oldest Football Clubs in Essex being formed in the 1870's and registered with the Essex County Football Association in 1896. We have been playing at our current ground at Green Farm Meadow since 1921. Earls Colne played for many years in the Colchester and East Essex Football League and won the North Essex Cup three years in succession 1967/69, 1968/69 and 1969/70 and also the Acorn Charity Shield. We joined the Essex and Suffolk Border League with our 1st Team in 1978, and won the Essex Junior Cup under Manager Donald Castle.

In 1979 Mr Alan Smith joined us as Manager and steadily the team was promoted through the divisions to become Premier Division Champions of the Essex and Suffolk Border Football league in the 1991/92 season. In the same season the First Team also won the Braintree Cup Division I together with the Coggeshall Brotherhood Cup, while the Reserves won the Braintree Cup Division Two.

The club had a brief spell with both teams in the Essex Intermediate Football League but now the teams have returned to the Kent Blaxill Essex and Suffolk Border Football League and the Colchester and East Essex Football League.

Until recently the First Team, managed by Roger Bragg has been very successful, being promoted from Division 2 in 1994 and after several close promotion attempts finally gaining promotion again to the Premier Division in the 1998-9 season. In 2000 Colne enjoyed a good cup run to the semi-finals in the Essex Intermediate Cup.

In 2002 Roger Bragg stepped down as manager due to family commitments, and was replaced by Robin Bragg. The Reserves were voted into the Border League and are now managed by Kevin Chapman. During the 2003 season Robin has consolidated the team and produced a firm foundation for 2004, the team finished about 10th mid table. Meanwhile Kevin's team after a quiet start has grown and is currently 4th challenging for 3rd spot in a badly organised season where the ressies were forced to play 3 times a week in order to complete the season before June!