Polytechnic F.C.

Polytechnic Football Club, originally Hanover United Football Club, is a football club from Chiswick, West London, England. It is believed to be the first football club to use United in its name.[1] The club is a full member of the Football Association and, the Amateur Football Alliance and currently play in the Southern Amateur League Senior Division 1; they are an FA Charter Standard Club.[2][3] It was named "Polytechnic" after the former name of the current University of Westminster (The Royal Polytechnic Institution).

Polytechnic F.C.
Full namePolytechnic Football Club
Nickname(s)Poly
Founded1873–75
GroundPolytechnic Stadium, London
Capacity3,000
ChairmanBarry Madigan
ManagerNick Brandford
LeagueSouthern Amateur League Senior Division 1
2019–20Southern Amateur League Senior Division 1 (season abandoned)

History

The club was originally established in 1873 or 1875, and was originally called Hanover United Football Club[3][4] The club entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1879, entering the First round, where they met Grey Friars but lost 2–1.[5] In 1892, under the name Polytechnic Football Club, the club became founder members of the Southern Alliance finishing fourth in the league's only year in existence.[6] The FA Amateur Cup was also entered in 1895.[7] The club played in the Southern Suburban League for a few seasons in the early 1900s before joining the Olympian League for the 1909–10 season.[1]

The 1911–12 season then saw the club become members of the Spartan League.[8] The club stayed in the top division until the end of the 1928–29 season when, finishing bottom, they were relegated to Division One.[8] However, they were subsequently relegated the next season to Division Two East.[8] The club returned to Division One at the end of the 1935–56 season, when they finished third in the division and remained there until the Second World War.[9] After the war the club were placed in the Western Division.[9] The league the following season was then returned to a top division with two division underneath and the club was placed in Division One Western after finishing sixth the year before.[10] The 1951–52 season saw the club finish as runners-up in Division One Western and gain promotion back to the Premier Division.[10] However again they could only last one season in the top division and, after finishing bottom, were relegated.[9]

The 1953–54 season would be their last in the Spartan league with the club leaving at the end of the season to join Division Three of the Southern Amateur Football League, due to the cost of travelling expenses.[10] The club achieved promotion to Division Two in the 1955–56 as champions of Division Three, and followed up three seasons later to the top division in the league the Senior Division One.[11][12] The period of time in the top division was short lived, as they only spent the single season there, before being relegated back to Division Two.[13] The club regained promotion back to the top division at the end of the 1961–62 season but could only survive three seasons in the top division, with one of those seasons being called off due to severe weather disruptions.[10]

The club would then spend the next 30 seasons in the lower two senior divisions before it achieved promotion again to the top division of the league at the end of the 1995–96 season.[14] After nine seasons the club was relegated back to Division Two, but gained promotion again two seasons later at the end of the 2006–07 campaign.[15] The club remained in the top division until the end of the 2011–12 season, when they were relegated back to Senior Division Two, however gained promotion the same season.[15]

The Civil Service, along with the Football Association, celebrated their 150th anniversary. As a result, HRH Prince William invited Civil Service to play a Southern Amateur League home game at Buckingham Palace. Polytechnic FC won the game 2–1.[16][17]

2015–16 and 2016–17 seasons saw the club reach new heights with the 1st XI winning the treble in each season and finally claim the honour of being the League Champions.

Ground

Polytechnic play their home games at University of Westminster Sports Ground, Hartington Road, Chiswick, W4 3UH.

It played its home matches at the Limes, Barnes, London,[4] moving to a ground near Chiswick railway station in 1906.[18]

Honours

League honours

Cup honours
  • AFA Senior Cup:[22]
    • Runners-up (2): 2004–05, 2008–09
  • AFA Middlesex Senior Cup:[1][23]
    • Winners (3): 1988–89, 2001–02, 2003–04
    • Runners-up (1): 1914–15
  • Southern Amateur League Senior Cup:
    • Winners (1): 2015–16, 2016–17, 2018–19
  • London Banks Challenge Cup:[23]
    • Winners (3): 1959–60, 1961–62, 1982–83

Records
  • Highest League Position:[8] 6th in Spartan League 1913–14
  • FA Cup best performance:[5] Third round 1884–85

Former coaches
  1. Managers/Coaches that have played/managed in the football league or any foreign equivalent to this level (i.e. fully professional league).
  2. Managers/Coaches with international caps.

References
  1. "Polytechnic Football Club, Chiswick, West London". Polytechnicfc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
  2. "Welcome to the Polytechnic F.C. website". Polytechnic Football Club. Archived from the original on 25 February 2009. Retrieved 30 January 2009.
  3. "Polytechnic". Southern Amateur League. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
  4. Collett, Mike (2003). The Complete Record of The FA Cup. p. 325. ISBN 1-899807-19-5.
  5. HANOVER UNITED at the Football Club History Database
  6. "Tottenham Hotspur: Season 1892/93". Everything2.com. 8 April 2001. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
  7. "Poly History – AFA Cup Results". Polytechnic Football Club. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2009.
  8. "Spartan League 1907–1934". Nonleaguematters.net. Archived from the original on 10 September 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
  9. "Spartan League 1934–1955". Nonleaguematters.net. Archived from the original on 30 September 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
  10. "Polytechnic Football Club, Chiswick, West London". Polytechnicfc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
  11. "SAL Archive Site". Salarchive.co.uk. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
  12. "SAL Archive Site". Salarchive.co.uk. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
  13. "SAL Archive Site". Salarchive.co.uk. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
  14. POLYTECHNIC at the Football Club History Database
  15. "SAL Archive Site". Salarchive.co.uk. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
  16. "Buckingham Palace hosts first ever competitive game". ESPN. 7 October 2013. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  17. "Polytechnic Football Club: who are the players?". The Daily Telegraph. London. 7 October 2013.
  18. "Poly History – FA Cup". Polytechnic Football Club. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2009.
  19. "SAL Archive Site". Salarchive.co.uk. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
  20. "SAL Archive Site". Salarchive.co.uk. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
  21. "SAL Archive Site". Salarchive.co.uk. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
  22. "Football Club History Database - Amateur Football Association Cups". Fchd.info. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  23. "Polytechnic Football Club, Chiswick, West London". Polytechnicfc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
  24. "Appointment of Premier Assistant Coach". Waitakere City Football Club. 9 January 2013. Archived from the original on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  25. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 24 October 2013. Retrieved 19 October 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  • Club website
  • Farrar, Dave; Lush, Peter (2000). From Fulham to Wembley. London: London Leagues Publications Ltd. pp. 231–232. ISBN 0-9526064-4-5.

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