Kesgrave Athletic FC

Kesgrave Athletic Football Club (Formerly Factair F.C.) were officially formed in 1995 and entered the Alstons Sunday Morning League in Division 11, but the clubs roots were actually the Plant Hire Yard at Anglia Plant in Dobbs Lane, Kesgrave, which has since had a housing development built on it. Employees of Anglia Plant and Factair would meet in the Plant Hire Yard every lunchtime for what started out as a kick around in 1991 but by the time the club was officially formed these games became very serious. Who would forget Paul Mower saying that every tackle he made was fair or Hot Shot Charlie Turner swinging his size 10 boots at the ball only to connect with the nearest piece of plant first. Then there was 'Shaky' Stevie Wragg and Wild Man Arthur Daley. What about the teams Groundsmen Dave 'Spike' Potkins and Tony 'Sicknote' Harris. Then there was Julian Beaumont disputing it when the goalkeeper would disallow one of his goals because he was just inside the area (the rules we had then were you could not score in the area) and of course 'Wild Shot' Andy Scuffins who was guaranteed to fire a shot over Fleggy's workshop every lunchtime.
So the 1995 season kicked off with Factair starting life in Division 11 under the guidance of Kevin Ball where they finished runners up in their first season and gained promotion to Division 9, where again the 1996/97 season was very successful finishing 2nd in Division 9 and gaining promotion to Division 8.
At the start of the 1997/98 season Ivan Hiskey was asked to manage the side with Kevin Ball concentrating on the Secretaries job. After a poor start to the season Ivan was replaced as Manager by Alan Middle who successfully guided the team from the relegatin zone to the Division 8 Championship inside 6 months and promotion to Division 6. 12 months later the Division 6 Championship was in the bag and the club was gaining a very good reputation on and off the field.
Dave Claxton was appointed Manager at the start of the 1999/2000 season and he guided (the renamed) Kesgrave Athletic to a creditable 3rd place in Division 5 behind Dickerson's and Holbrook thus ensuring promotion to Division 4. Incredibly Kesgrave finished 2nd in Division 4, meaning Division 3 football would be played in the 2001/02 season. Because the club had progressed quicker than anticipated, at the 2001 AGM it was decided to form a reserve side. The reasons behind this were simple; many of the players who had helped form the club were finding it difficult to command regular places in the side.
The 1st Team finished the 2001/02 season top pf Division 3, won the Senior Cup and were losing finalists in the Suffolk County Shield. While the Reserve Team under the management of Paul Mower and with many of the 'older' club players reached the Reserve Cup Final in their 1st season, narrowly losing to Bourne Vale Reserves 2-1. The club was also awarded the Senior Club Of The Season 2001/02.
The 2002/03 season started with the Club still on a high after the previous seasons success. Dave Claxton was still in charge of 1st Team affairs whilst Terry Willis had been confirmed Reserve Team Manager. The 1st Team finished runners-up to Norbridge in Division 1 thus ensuring top flight football in the 2003/04 season for the first time at Kesgrave. Also matching last season's effort in the County Shield narrowly losing to Stowmarket Eclipse in the Final. The reserves season never really got going and Terry Willis was replaced after just 20 games in charge with the team lanquishing in the relegation zone. Paul Mower was asked to run the side until the end of the season with John Claxton also helping out. Eventually finishing in a very creditable mis-table position in Division 4.
Dave Claxton resigned from his post as 1st Team Manager at the end of the 2002/03 season after 4 successful years in charge. The 2003/04 season started with two new Mangers in place, John Claxton was appointed 1st Team Manager while the very popular Adrian Healey was in charge of the Reserve side. Adrian Southgate also joined the management set-up as assistant to Adrian Healey. At 1st Team level John Claxton had a very hard job on his hands for three very different reasons The forst being, how could he follow what his brother had achieved in the past 4 years, secondly the fact that the 1st Team would be playing Premier football for the first time and last but not least, how was he going to pick 11 players week in week out without upsetting the Reserves after almost the entire squad that Dave Claxton had assembled had either transferred or retired during the summer of 2003. Mission impossible?
John Claxton's reign as 1st Team Manager lasted only 4 games, he resigned saying that he could not get enough players to fulfil fixtures and trying to recruit players was not his forte. So fro the first time in the clubs history a fixture could not be played and the whole existance if the 1st Team was in serious doubt.
Then came what could only be described as a masiive blow to not only Kesgrave Athletic but obviously to his family and many friends involved in local sport, the sudden passing of Mr Kesgrave Athletic and of course the voice of Foxhall Stadium John Earrey. John in such a short space of time as Chairman and Secretary had turned Kesgrave from almost being thrown out of the league into one of the best run Sunday morning clubs. Vice-Chairman Alex Herd was appointed Chairman with Teresa Read taking on the Secretaries role. Julian 'Porky' Armes became 1st Team Manager assisted by Julian Beaumont and the task ahead was to not let all of John Earrey's work go to waste.
What can be only described as the great escape concluded on May 9th 2004, after going through the whole season winning only 2 games the 1st Team had to win their last 2 games to ensure top flight football in 2004/05. This they did beating firstly Taverners and on the final day of the season beating the league runners-up Capel Plough. The Reserves had an up and down season mainly due to the fact that Porky & Julian had to use many of the Reserve players in the 1st Team. Their highlight was undoubtably the Sunday Shield victory over Division 1 side Holbrook and the fact that they avoided relegation and remain in Division 4 was an achievement in itself bearing in mind the players that they lost to the 1st Team.
So for the 2004/05 season the 1st Team will play in the Premier Division with Julian 'Porky' Armes as Manager and he will be assisted by Julian Beaumont and the Reserves will be playing in Division 4 under the guidance of Adrian Healey who will again be assisted by Adrian Southgate.