An Introduction To 'The Eastenders'...

Easington United AFC is a friendly club, run by a committee of dedicated personnel, each of whom wishes to see it progress as far as possible in the non-League game.

The Club commands good support in the Holderness area and across the East Riding of Yorkshire, with a solid core of Hull-based members willing to make the regular fifty-mile round trip to train and play.

The strong spirit present within the Club stems from three tragedies sustained in fairly recent times - twice during the Nineties and the most recent in 2015. The camaraderie engendered then has helped to forge strong bonds between its members.

Up until very recently, the Club continued to buck current trends by managing to field three open-age teams in Saturday football. Of these the most senior continued to progress by securing membership of the Central Midlands Football League in 2009/10. Unfortunately, the club's location - outside the League's traditional heartlands - led to its eventual resignation from the competition in 2016.

In addition to open-age football, the Club’s commitment to local youngsters saw an official FA-approved Club Link forged with local side Sporting Withernsea Wolves JFC. Currently, the club has a more informal tie-up with another junior team at Patrington.

Throughout the past twenty years, the aim has been for the Club to progress as far as it can in the Grassroots game. Immediate aims on the field are First Team success at Humber Premier League level and a tilt at the East Riding County FA Senior Country Cup, a sustained challenge by the Reserves for a return to the ER County League Premier Division and a bit of success for the Awd Ezzies in the Hull & District Veterans League. However, the overriding aim is the continued development of younger players in order to ensure a long and enjoyable career playing the beautiful game.

Off-the-field the Club has made significant developments to the Easington Recreation & Sports Ground (familiarly known as 'Low Farm') and it continues to do so in tandem with the local Sports Association. As an FA Charter Standard Adult Club, Easington United is constantly looking to further itself and build on its reputation as a ‘flagship’ club for the area. The future is bright; the future is - hopefully - green and gold.

A Potted History

Formed as ‘Easington Football & Cricket Club’ in 1947, they were referred to as ‘United’ from the start with a nickname of 'The Eastenders' being adopted due to their location in 'the East End of Holderness'.

The Club spent its formative years in the now-defunct South Holderness League, winning the Junior Shield twice. In 1954 they joined the East Riding County League and four years later Easington United AFC came into its own following a split with the cricket section.

Having flitted around the lower divisions of the ER County League for nearly forty years, success finally came in 1990/91 under the stewardship of Mike Wilson. Despite the tragic loss of record goal scorer Melvin Douglas midway through the campaign, United clinched the Division 3 title and reached the final of both the league’s Harold Robinson Cup and the South Holderness Cup.

Steady progress up the County League followed, culminating in promotion to the Premier Division in 1998/99. That same year the Eastenders romped to their first ever ERCFA Cup victory, beating AFC Darleys 5-0 in the Intermediate Cup Final. They also ensured they were now ‘the team to beat’ locally with the second of ten South Holderness Cup wins.

Becoming founder members of the Humber Premier League (HPL) in 2000/01, United were rewarded for their progress by being asked to play in the inaugural match. Despite a difficult first two seasons in the HPL, three successive ERCFA Senior Cup semi-final appearances encouraged optimism for the future and a top five league placing followed in 2002/03.

In 2003/04, under Sean McLaughlin the Club enjoyed its most successful campaign to date with a runners-up place in the HPL and victory in the Grays HPL Cup, South Holderness Cup and the Dave Iley Trophy (Withernsea Carnival). Recognition of their efforts came with a share of the ‘Team of the Season’ award and the ‘Golden Boot’ for top scorer Paul Wilkinson. Success also came at Reserve team level, with promotion to ER County League Division One.

A top three HPL finish followed in 2004/05 and although various factors dented hopes of building on their success, their final season in the HPL yielded a fifth top five finish in nine years.

Under Dave Mackay-Dundas, the team was elected to the Central Midlands League for 2009/10. Therein a run of seven straight wins earned them Premier Division Team of the Month for April as they narrowly missed out on promotion to the Supreme Division.

Other recent successes have come with the Reserves’ promotion to the Premier Division, victory in the 2009/10 H. E. Dean Cup and a magnificent 2011/12 South Holderness Cup final victory. They followed this by becoming the first Reserves side to also win the Holderness Cup Winners Cup, a trophy previously won twice by the senior squad, including in its inaugural year.

Meanwhile, the Casuals also tasted success, securing a brilliant ER County League Division 5 championship in 2011/12. The title was clinched in January with Iain McNaught's side remaining unbeaten throughout and winning 17 of their 18 matches.

In 2015/16 the club suffered their most recent heartbreak when player/coach Andy Martin was taken ill shortly after a game at Askern in late September and died a few weeks later having not come out of hospital.

At the end of that season the club was effectively 'invited' to resign from the CMFL after reported complaints from existing and potential new member clubs about the travelling involved. Thankfully, the Eastenders were accepted back into the Humber Premier League for 2016/17 but the knock-on effect of 'relegation' back to local football resulted in an awful season on the field, with the team finishing 10pts adrift at the foot of the Premier Division table.

Manager Andy Graham's final season saw what was effectively a brand new team compete in Division 1, made up mainly of players from the defunct Patrington FC. After a slow start the Eastenders achieved a creditable 6th place finish and also reached the semi-finals of the East Riding Senior Country Cup. Therein they were beaten on penalties by eventual winners Pocklington Town Reserves.

Under new player/manager Adam Jamieson, the team bettered its points tally in HPL Division 1 but finished two places lower (8th). For the second successive season progress in the East Riding Senior Country Cup ended on penalties in the semi-finals, this time to Blackburn Athletic.

In 2019/20, Danny Blount became the Eastenders' third manager in as many seasons, after Jamieson decided he'd like to continue solely in a playing role. The club's record goalscorer, Craig Foster was appointed as his assistant.

Away from the action, the Club’s profile has been further raised by the FA Charter Standard Adult Club of the Year Award at both County and Regional level in 2008 and 2009. The club also won awards for its match programme as well as CML Secretary of the Year for Rich Lusmore. Meanwhile, both chairman Doug Clubley and club secretary Judy Sugden have received awards for their dedication to the football club.

* The pictures below hopefully give some idea of the rich heritage of football to be found in this corner of the 'back of beyond'.

Easington United AFC

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