Ilford F.C.

The original Ilford Football Club was established in 1881 by a group of teenagers. They were founder members of the Southern League in 1894, joining Division One. They finished bottom of Division One in 1895–96, losing all 18 matches and subsequently faced a promotion-relegation test match against Wolverton LNWR; after losing 2–0, Ilford resigned from the league. However, they also left the London League after two season, After a further two seasons in abeyance, the club joined the Essex Senior League in 1996. However, they were readmitted to the league in July following an appeal. ==Ground==

The original Ilford were playing at the Ilford Sports Ground by the time they joined the Southern League in 1894. However, after being given notice to leave the site in 1904 as it was to be used for housing, the club leased four acres of land to the north of Ilford, where the ground that became known as Lynn Road was built. Lynn Road was used for FA Amateur Cup semi-finals, and during the 1948 Summer Olympics to host two matches in the football tournament. In 1977 the club moved to Leytonstone's Granleigh Road ground whilst a new ground was planned to be built in Fairlop. After reforming, the modern Ilford struggled to secure a permanent ground, groundsharing at Barking East Ham United and Southgate Olympic, as well as playing at the Douglas Eyre leisure complex in Walthamstow and two matches at the council-owned Cricklefield Stadium in 1989. However, in 1994 the club made a permanent move to the Cricklefield Stadium in 1993. Cricklefield had been opened in 1925 as an athletics ground. During World War II it was used as a balloon landing site and following the war the ground was rebuilt and reopened on 27 May 1950. ==Honours==

• FA Amateur Cup • Winners 1928–29, 1929–30 • Isthmian League • Champions 1906–07, 1920–21, 1921–22 • Division Two champions 2004–05 • Essex Senior League • League Cup winners 2002–03 • London Senior Cup • Winners 1900–01, 1904–05, 1913–14, 1921–22, 1928–29, 1929–30, 1953–54 ==Records==

• Best FA Cup performance: Second round, 1925–26, 1927–28, 1974–75 • Best FA Trophy performance: Third round, 1974–75 • Best FA Vase performance: Second round, 1999–2000, 2004–05, 2020–21 ==See also==