CLUB INFO The flags and bunting from the VE day celebrations had joined the blackout curtains in the cupboard, and it was time to reflect on six years that had changed the world forever. For local people there had been a heavy human toll among both servicemen and civilians and one local institution could be added to the casualty list - the famous name of Northfleet United Football Club.
The first post-war football season of 1945/46 saw their local rivals Gravesend United line up in the Kent League but the death of long time driving force and Chairman Joe Lingham in 1943 had left the Fleet almost rudderless, and no entry to any league was forthcoming for the new season. This left the local stage clear for the "Shrimpers" (Gravesend Utd) at their less-than-perfect Central Avenue ground where they had an excellent season finishing third behind Gillingham and Folkestone in the Kent League.
By this time negotiations were reaching completion between the respective clubs regarding the birth of a new club - Gravesend & Northfleet - which would take over the Stonebridge Road ground with a five-year lease from owners Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers, the rent was £100 for the first season and £150 for the next four years of the agreement. The Directors would come mainly from the Gravesend United club with several other local people also coming in to accept the challenge of launching the new club. A share issue of 2,500 £1 units was soon almost taken up and the large main grandstand seating over 1,200 people was purchased for £1,000 from the landlords along with the rather ramshackle one on the Stonebridge Road side of the ground.
Northfleet United officially died on 5th April 1946 when a meeting with the Directors of the proposed new club at Factory Hall, Northfleet, agreed that all Northfleet United assets be disposed of to them and matters were now set to move ahead with a bid to seek election to the Southern League - an ambitious aim that showed the determination of the new club's board of Directors to bring the best football to the local community. Local timber merchant Mr. C. S. Barton was elected chairman, with Directors Messrs. B. Adams, H. Davis, A. Ings, F. Lester, H. Merrison, R. Mist and C. Morris with Mr. G. Carter as Secretary. The last piece of the jigsaw was a new Manager and the appointment of 50 year old Andy Wilson, a former centre forward with Rangers, Middlesborough and Chelsea and a Scottish International was met with much local acclaim. The Southern League elected the new club at its AGM on 14th June 1946 and it was confirmed that the red shirts of Northfleet United would be kept as it's colours and almost certainly the cries of "Up the Fleet" would now continue as it had in the past.
31st August 1946 was the red letter day when the new era for local football began. Andy Wilson had compiled a useful combination of experienced players like former Irish International wing-half Clancey McDermott, George Milton (Fulham), Cyril Griggs (Arsenal) and Sid Bidewell (Chelsea) blended with the best of local youngsters like Len "Truxy" Wakeham, Sam Chambers and Roy Butler. A daunting task awaited them in the first game at home with the previous seasons runners up Hereford United. The crowd for the game was in excess of 5,000 and would have been more but for the unsatisfactory transport arrangements leaving hundreds of bus and rail travellers stranded. Admission prices were 1/3d (6p in current money) plus 1/- (5p) for the main stand and 3d (1p) for the favoured few who required car parking with a further 1d for a very basic programme.
The team rose magnificently to the occasion beating Hereford by a decisive 3-0 margin and throughout the autumn matters went well with a new record crowd watching the Fleet edge out crack amateur side Walthamstow Avenue in the FA Cup. This victory saw the club through to the First Round proper, the draw was not kind and the hoped for plum home draw with Football League opposition did not materialise - instead a visit to fellow Southern Leaguers Gillingham ended with a 4-1 defeat as the Fleet produced their worst performance of the season.
The form of the side gradually deteriorated and the hoped for challenge for the title was never realistic after the euphoria of early season subsided once the team was eliminated from the Kent Senior Cup at the first round stage by Ramsgate in January, gates dropped alarmingly, but despite this, the Fleet finished a reasonable 6th of 17
During the close season relations between the Manager and the Board deteriorated and Wilson resigned. For a new manager the Board looked no further than their fellow Director, former Gillingham and Sheffield Wednesday full-back George Lester. It proved to be a disappointing season despite the fact the final of both the Kent Senior Cup and Shield were reached. Unfortunately defeats by Gillingham 1-0 and Margate 1-4 dented hopes of a first trophy for the club. League form was poor and 13th of 18 was not the hoped for return
The 1948/49 season proved the adage of third time lucky, it was the club's third season and in a third game with Gillingham after two drawn ties the Kent Senior Cup provided the Fleet with the first trophy. It was a season of huge crowds and the Kent Senior Cup really aroused public interest. At Maidstone on Easter Monday 8,250 saw a 2-2 draw. The replay at Priestfield saw a record cup final crowd of 16,733 and another draw, this time -1. The third game was not played until the start of the following season, and the 1949/50 season got off to a fine start as 12,633 saw Bert Hawkins clinch the cup after an own goal had put the Fleet in command
Having finished the previous season in 7th place it was hoped that this cup victory would be the springboard for further success. A good run in the FA Cup culminated in a first ever tie with Football League opposition in Torquay United. A crowd of 7,119 saw Eddie Viles give the Fleet the lead but the Devonians came back to win with late goals by 3-1. Form slumped from February onwards and a sub 1,000 league gate for the first time ever set the alarm bells ringing and it was announced that the club was losing £100 per week and had lost money in three of the four seasons of the clubs existence. 15th position had made it a desperately disappointing season and it was time for Manager George Lester to go...
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