History

Formed in 2009, Chingford Harriers FC began as a crazy idea amongst a close group of friends in late 2008. By the time the 2009/10 season rolled around that dream had become a reality. Following some low key friendlies, the club was officially born on September 19th 2009 as the club made it's competitive debut in the Ilford and District Football League Division 2. An over-cast Saturday afternoon saw the Harriers travel to Bethnal Green Celtics on the opening day of the season; with a bare bones squad and the manager in foreign climbs, the Blues recorded a 4-0 victory and the club has not looked back since.

The Harriers debut season saw the club immediately claim promotion to Division 1, finishing as League 2 Runners-Up to Castle United Reserves despite ending a strong campaign with a final day slip up as they drew 2-2 with Melbourne Reserves. The Blues also made an impact in the divisional cup in their first season, making it to the St Mary's Cup Final where they endured a heartbreaking extra time defeat, going down 2-1 to RYPSA. The club built a strong reputation amongst it's fellow clubs and through out the league in it's first season, this was enhanced as Manager Trevor Diner scooped the Secretary of the Year award for 2009/10.

Following a less than ideal pre-season leading into 2010/11, the Harriers started life in Division 1 in the best possible way as they romped to the top of the league with 5 back to back wins. The Blues also made their debut in the IDFL Fenton Cup where they met Premier League high flyers Supreme Athletic. With the score 3-3 in extra time and the game just seconds from penalties a late strike dumped the Harriers out of the competition despite one of their best performances to date. After the club's fantastic start to the season, in-different form and a number of key injuries eventually saw the Blues end the season in 5th place in the league. There was also the distraction of yet another divisional cup run, this time the Harriers met league rivals FC Golazo in the Spartak Cup Final at Cricklefield Stadium in Ilford. After finding chances hard to come by in the first half, the Harriers dominated the second period with only the post (twice!) and the Golazo goal keeper keeping the score at 0-0. However with the game 87 minutes old the Harriers again suffered cup heartache, a late break away goal was enough to end the Blues dreams of silverware for another season with the game ending 1-0.

The 2011/12 season proved to be another frustrating campaign for the Blues. The season started in much the same fashion as the previous, with a six game league unbeaten streak (4 wins, 2 draws) placing the Harriers nicely for a promotion run. However, another mid-season slump, including a 9-0 humbling at the hands of Ryan Reserves, saw the Blues' promotion aspirations fade, eventually settling for mid table finish. Having exited from the Fenton Cup early season to an impressive Trelawny side (4-2), the Blues' season high points again came in the League Cup. The Harriers first saw off Premier League opposition in the shape of Phobians, emerging from their second round clash after an epic penalty shoot out. The Blues then came up against Supreme Athletic for a second successive season in the Quarter Finals. This proved to be the finest hour in the clubs history to date, recording a 3-1 victory over the Premier League heavyweights with a outstanding team performance. Unfortunately for the Harriers, there was no Final to look forward to this time. League 1 counterparts Ryan Reserves ended the Blues' dreams of silverware for another season in the Semi-Final, four second half goals leading to a 4-0 defeat for the Blues.

After a league restructure, the Blues found themselves in the IDFL top tier for the 2012/13 season with a challenging season ahead. The Harriers endured a tough start to the season, exiting the Fenton and East Ham Memorial Cups in the early rounds whilst they found points hard to come by in the league. However after an indifferent first half to the season, the Blues finally hit their stride. Ultimately, an eight game unbeaten run at the tail end of the season secured the Harriers future in the Premier League, with double header victories over relegation rivals Glendale and Eastfield of particular importance. Having secured survival, the Harriers were able to concentrate on yet another cup run. A penalty shoot out victory over Euro Dagenham Reserves in the semi final saw the Blues line up for another League Cup Final, this time at Wadham Lodge. The Harriers finally put to rest memories of previous cup final defeats, as second half strikes from Paul Shawyer and Mitchell Goodwin secured the club's first piece of silverware! The Blues also picked up the IDFL Sportsmanship Trophy for the second time in it's history.

The 2013/14 season was one where the Blues endured a season where survival was the main priority. This was achieved with new addition Kyle Daley having a significant impact with an impressive assist and goal haul, whilst Dan Pereira topped the clubs scorers with 9 goals. The Blues failed to maintain their strong showing in cup competitions with an early exit from the Fenton Cup, losing 5-3 to Lord Nelson FC. Despite the scoreline, the cup exit saw both Edwin Jabbari and Scott Prestedge reach the landmark of 100 competitive appearances for the club, with both players marking the occasion with a goal.

The Harriers have since been competing strongly in the Essex Alliance Football League are now going through the process of preparing for the 2020/21 season. Everyone at the club is looking forward to what will undoubtedly be another tough and exciting season!

We would also like to say a massive thank you to Chris Zetter who put his time and skills into setting up the website (launch date 27/09/2009) for the Harriers. We would also like to thank anyone who has done anything to support the team over the course of it's short history.