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| Full name | Ebbsfleet United Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Fleet | ||
| Founded | 1946 (as Gravesend & Northfleet) | ||
| Ground | Stonebridge Road, Northfleet | ||
| Capacity | 4,769 (2,179 seats) | ||
| Owner | KEH Sports Ltd | ||
| Chairman | Dr Abdulla Al-Humaidi | ||
| Manager | Harry Watling | ||
| League | National League | ||
| 2023–24 | National League, 19th of 24 | ||
| Website | https://www.ebbsfleetunited.co.uk/ | ||
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Ebbsfleet United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Northfleet, Kent, England. The club compete in the National League, the fifth level of English football league system.
Founded in 1946 from the merger of Gravesend United and Northfleet United, they were known as Gravesend & Northfleet until changing to their current name in 2007. Gravesend & Northfleet started in the Southern League, which they won in the 1957–58 season. In 1974–75, they were promoted to the Southern League Premier Division before becoming founding members of the Alliance Premier League ahead of the 1979–80 season. They rejoined the Southern League in 1982. Ahead of the 1997–98 season, they joined the Isthmian League. They won the league in 2001–02 to again reach the top level of the non-League system. After having changed their name to Ebbsfleet United in 2007, they won the FA Trophy in 2007–08. They were relegated to the Conference South in 2010, but would return immediately, before being relegated again in 2012–13. After two unsuccessful play-off attempts, Ebbsfleet were successful at the third, defeating Chelmsford City in the play-off final. In their first season back in the fifth tier, Ebbsfleet reached the play-offs but were unsuccessful. They were relegated back to the National League South in 2019–20, before returning to the renamed National League as champions in 2022–23.
Home matches have been played at Stonebridge Road since the club's inception. Between 2008 and 2013, the club was owned by the web-based venture MyFootballClub, whose members voted on player transfers, budgets and ticket prices among other things instead of those decisions being made exclusively by the club's management and staff as at most other clubs.[1]
In April 2024 plans were approved for a new 8,000 seater stadium in Northfleet as part of a wider regeneration of the area. Work is scheduled to begin in September 2024 with completion aimed for August 2026. The relocation will see the demolition of Stonebridge Road.[2]
- ^ "Fans' website approves Fleet deal". BBC Sport. 23 January 2008. Archived from the original on 13 January 2009. Retrieved 23 January 2008.
- ^ "Plans for new stadium and 3,500 homes approved". BBC News. 2 May 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.