History of Folkestone Invicta F.C
Folkestone Invicta Football Club, which was formed in 1936 and played in the East Kent Amateur
League (now the Kent County League), took over use of the Cheriton Road ground in early 1991 after
the demise of the old Folkestone club who had enjoyed a long history in the Southern League.
Under manager Gary Staniforth, Invicta joined the Winstonlead Kent League and completed the
Division Two league and cup double during the 1991-92 season, also winning the Kent Intermediate
Shield that season.
Invicta achieved senior status and joined Division One of the Winstonlead Kent League, making steady
progress in its first two seasons at this level under club stalwart Staniforth. The nearest the club came to
another trophy during these two seasons was when they lost the 1994 Plaaya Kent Senior Trophy Final
3-1 against Alma Swanley at Gravesend & Northfleet’s Stonebridge Road.
Former Folkestone, Dover Athletic, Hythe Town, Crawley Town and Sittingbourne player Tim Hulme
then took over as player-manager for the 1994-95 season. Invicta at one point chased the Kent League
treble that season, but ended up empty handed. The club were runners up for a second successive
season in the Plaaya Kent Senior Trophy after losing a penalty shoot out in the final against Deal Town
at Dover’s Crabble ground following a 2-2 draw after extra time.
Invicta entered the F. A. Cup for the first time during the 1994-95 season, beating Hailsham Town and
then Southern League Premier Division side Sittingbourne before going out 2-1 at home to a Worthing
side which included former Tottenham striker Mark Falco.
Hopes were high for the 1995-96 season as Invicta strengthened their squad, but things turned sour
during the second half of the season as Hulme left the club, with his assistant Micky Dix taking over
for the remainder of the season.
Former Canterbury City boss Darren Hare was recruited for the 1996-97 season, but after a poor start
he was soon replaced by one-time Folkestone Town manager Dennis Hunt, assisted by veteran player
Bobby Wilson.
It was during this season that a club record 2,332 saw the club play hosts to West Ham United in a
benefit game following freak floods in the town. A strong West Ham side included Portuguese World
Cup star Paolo Futre, Julian Dicks, Frank Lampard and Stan Lazaridis.
It was the arrival of manager Neil Cugley from Ashford Town during the summer of 1997 which was
to provide the catalyst for the return of Southern League football to the town.
Cugley made an immediate impact as promotion was achieved by finishing runners up to Herne Bay
in 1997-98 when the club also finished runners up in the Plaaya Kent Senior Trophy for the third time
after losing 1-0 in the final to Greenwich Borough at Ashford Town’s Homelands ground.
But under manager Cugley the club were to be permanent fixtures in the top three of their respective
division for three successive seasons.
The club continued to make good progress in 1998-99 as Southern League football returned to
Folkestone. Invicta finished third in the Dr. Martens League Southern Division behind champions
Havant & Waterlooville and runners up Margate, with the promotion race going to the final day of the
season. Invicta also reached the final of the 1999 Kent Senior Cup where they lost 1-0 at home to then
Conference club Welling United. The club also made its mark in the F.A. Umbro Trophy by beating
Conference club Hayes to reach the Third Round before going out 8-4 in an incredible tie away to
three-times winners Woking.
The 1999-2000 season saw the club achieve more progress with promotion to the Dr. Martens League
Premier Division as runners up to Fisher Athletic (London) in the Eastern Division. Again there was
final day heartbreak for Invicta as the championship went right to the wire with Fisher winning away
to Newport (Isle of Wight) to make Invicta’s final day win at Wisbech in vein. Invicta went down 1-
0 at home to holders and eventual winners Kingstonian in the F.A. Umbro Trophy and again reached
the Kent Senior Cup Final, but went down again, this time 3-0 to Gravesend & Northfleet, their fifth
successive defeat in a cup final as a senior side. It was a good season all round for the club as the
reserves won the Kent Intermediate Cup and the youth team won their section of the MUSH Kent
Youth League and reached the 2nd Round of the Times Sponsored F. A. Youth Cup before bowing out
6-0 against a strong Millwall side at the New Den
The 2000-01 season saw the club compete in the Dr Martens League Premier Division for the first time
and Invicta achieved their objective of staying up. In the process they were the only side to win away to
Nigel Clough’s Burton Albion at Eton Park.
The 2001-02 season saw an improved Invicta side briefly top the Premier Division table for the
first time in the club’s history during the opening weeks of the season. The club reached the 4th
Qualifying Round of the F. A. Cup but were beaten 5-1 in a replay away to Welling United after
drawing the initial tie 1-1 with a lucrative trip to Reading as the prize. The season ended on a dramatic
note as Invicta 3-3 home draw with Tamworth on the final day of the season denied the Lambs the
championship – that game was watched by a crowd of 1,277, the highest ever home attendance for an
Invicta league match.
That record was broken in August 2002 when the visit of neighbours Dover Athletic attracted a crowd
of 1,446 to Cheriton Road. But the 2002-03 season was to prove a difficult season for Invicta as
financial constraints took their toll. The club finished bottom of the table and was relegated back down
to the Eastern Division.
The 2003-04 season was more successful for Invicta as the club finished fifth in the Eastern Division
to win promotion via the re-structuring of the non-league game. Highlights of the season were a club
record unbeaten 24-match league run and reaching the Third Round of the F. A. Trophy before bowing
out at home to Nationwide Conference club Stevenage Borough.
The club switched from the Southern League to the Ryman (Isthmian) Premier League for the 2004-05
season and finished in a mid table position. Striker James Dryden broke both the club’s record senior
appearance and goalscoring records during the season and a new home league record attendance of
2,278 saw Invicta win 1-0 at home to local rivals Dover Athletic over Christmas. A 2,390 crowd saw
Invicta win the return 1-0 over the Easter weekend.
But the club was to suffer real tragedy on Tuesday April 12th, 2005 when striker Paul Sykes collapsed
on the pitch and died during a Kent Senior Cup semi final against one of his former clubs Margate.
Invicta subsequently pulled out of the competition to allow Margate to play another of Paul’s former
clubs Dover Athletic in the final at Folkestone when the Kent footballing community came together to
remember one of its most popular characters.
Folkestone Invicta went into the 2005-06 season in good spirits with a new sponsorship deal with local
coach company Buzzlines. The club subsequently enjoyed its best ever run in the F. A. Cup, going
down 2-1 away to Chester City in the First Round after leading 1-0 at half time thanks to an early
Adam Flanagan goal which was shown on Match of the Day. The reserves also finished as champions
of the Kentish Observer Football League Division Two and the club also enjoyed great success at
youth level.
The 2006-07 season saw the club maintain its Ryman Premier League status on the final day of the
season with a 1-1 draw away to Carshalton. Bu the next season was to see the club relegated on
the final day of the season with a 1-0 home defeat against Maidstone United in a winner-takes-all
encounter.
2008-09 saw the club in the Ryman League Division One South but a financial crisis put paid to early
season hopes of promotion and the club put its faith in a predominantly young, local, up-and-coming
side.
That faith came to fruition during a truly remarkable 2009-10 season that saw the club win promotion
from the Ryman League Division One South and reach the final of the Kent Senior Cup (losing 3-1 to
Sittingbourne). Operating with a small squad, Invicta were denied the championship after being docked
ten points for entering into a CVA agreement but were promoted via the pay-offs.
Croydon Athletic clinched the championship with a 0-0 draw on a memorable night at Invicta after
both towns had paid tribute to Rifleman Peter Aldridge of A Company 4 Rifles, who had died in an
explosion in Afghanistan, aged just 19, becoming the 250th UK serviceman to die in the campaign.
New Invicta chairman Lynn Woods’ efforts in staging the commemoration were rewarded with a 2,134
crowd.
Invicta – who conceded just 23 goals in 42 league games – recovered from the disappointment of
missing out on the championship by winning the play-offs. A thrilling semi final saw the club come
back from 2-0 down at half time against Leatherhead to force a 2-2 draw after extra time and win 5-3
on penalties. Godalming Town were then beaten in the final as Invicta returned to the Ryman Premier
League. The club also won the Ryman League Division One South Fair Play Award during 2009-10.
But continuing financial constraints meant that the club found life back in the Ryman Premier League
difficult last season and it was relegated back down to Division One South, where last season the club
were beaten in the play-off semi finals away to Duilwich Hamlet.
SENIOR HONOURS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Joined Kent League: 1991-92.
Achieved senior status: 1992.
Kent League Division One runners up: 1997-98.
Plaaya Kent Senior Trophy runners up: 1993-94, 1994-95, 1997-98.
Kent League Division Two champions: 1991-92.
Kentish Observer Football League Division Two champions: 2005-06
Kent League Division Two Cup winners: 1991-92, 1995-96.
Kent League Division One Cup runners up: 2000-01.
Kent Intermediate Shield Winners: 1991-92.
Kent Intermediate Cup Winners: 1999-2000.
Joined Southern League: 1998.
Dr. Martens League Eastern Division runners up: 1999-2000.
Kent Senior Cup runners up: 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2003-04, 2009-10.
Joined Ryman League in 2004
Ryman League Division One South Play Off winners: 2009-10.
Ryman League Division One South runners up: 2009-10.
Best run in F.A. Trophy: Third Round (1998-99, 2000-01, 2003-04).
Best run in F.A. Cup: First Round Proper (2005-06).
Best run in F.A. Vase: 4th Round (1997-98).
Biggest senior win: 13-0 v Faversham (May 1995).
Biggest senior defeat: 1-7 v Crockenhill (February 1993) and v Welling United (Kent Senior Cup,
February 2009).
Highest home attendance: 2,332 v West Ham United, Mayor’s Flood Fund Benefit (November 1996).
Record attendance at ground: 7,881 Folkestone v Margate in Kent Senior Cup (1958).
Most senior appearances: Micheal Eveirtt (509).
Most senior goals: James Dryden (141).
Most goals in one game: Dave Arter (6 v Lordswood in February 1998).