The 1980s (Part 1).........


1980-1981.......

Once again, the previous season’s squad re-signed for the new season. There were two summer arrivals, Dalton Perkins, an experienced centre-back joined from Margate, and Mick Filmer joined as first team goalkeeper. The club announced that Mick Leach was standing down as reserve team manager but it seems that he continued in that role until the new year.

 

The club got off to a solid start, August saw three wins, a draw and a lone defeat, at Crockenhill. September saw them top the league and seven points from eight in October only strengthened their position. By now Hythe had signed centre-back Steve Harris from Folkestone. November saw a bit of a wobble with defeats at Dartford Glentworth and Slade Green Athletic, sides in the bottom half of the table, before the month ended with a home defeat to Cray Wanderers, who would go on to be champions.

 

December was an exciting month. Hythe unveiled their new kit, sponsored by Burlington Insurance, and were the first club in the Kent League to wear a sponsor’s name on their shirts. Then Paul Prior, after a six-game wait, scored his 100th Kent League goal for Hythe in the win over Sittingbourne as his side returned to the top of the table. The next game saw Hythe’s best win of their Kent League career to date, 8-3 away at Kent Police. Converted defender Alan Hughes scored four of them, all in the second half.

 

In January ‘Curly’ Russell joined the club as reserve team manager after leaving Folkestone. Three Folkestone players also joined, Mark Hatcher, Steve Long and Terry Collins. January and February saw seven league wins in a row which moved Hythe five points clear, although Cray, who were to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Vase, had five games in hand.

 

March saw three tough games against the top sides and three defeats, the last against Cray by 3-1. The start of April saw the momentous news that Bob Davis was to stand down as manager at the end of the season, after ten years in charge. “It is time for a change”, he said. Whether that news had an effect on the team or not, the season rather petered out with just one win in the final five games, for a sixth place finish some twelve points behind the champions Cray. The final game was a 3-3 draw at home to Crockenhill, where Tony Cascarino scored for the visitors. The club announced that reserve boss Russell was to be the new manager.

 

Cup runs were brief; there was defeat to Banstead Athletic in the Vase, wins over Faversham and Dartford Glentworth in the Kent Senior Trophy before a quarter-final defeat to Crockenhill, and a win over Sheppey United before defeat to Darenth Heathside in the Kent League Cup. All the defeats were at Reachfields, to add to the disappointment.

 

 

Mick Filmer was virtually ever-present in goal, Ian Daffin started the season as full-back before moving into midfield, Terry Collins taking over his role, with Paul Roberts the other full-back. Adrian Bray and Dalton Perkins were the centre-backs, Graham Best, Glenn Dempsey and John Champion in midfield and Paul Prior, Alan Hughes and Tony Hunter up front. Prior top scored with 23 goals, Hughes and Hunter both managed 16. Hythe played 39 games, winning 21, drawing 6 and losing 12, and scoring 83 goals. 

 

1980-1981 Kent League Table....

Team Pld W D L F A GD Pts
Cray Wanderers   32 24 5 3 92 27 65 53
Chatham Town 32 22 6 4 61 23 38 50
Crockenhill 32 20 5 7 63 37 26 45
Erith & Belvedere 32 19 5 8 57 30 27 43
Sittingbourne 32 18 5 9 74 29 45 41
Hythe Town 32 18 5 9 70 45 25 41
Sheppey United 32 16 9 7 45 33 12 41
Faversham Town 32 12 11 9 36 28 8 35
Tunbridge Wells 32 10 9 13 33 49 -16 29
Darenth Heathside 32 9 10 13 45 52 -7 28
Deal Town 32 10 7 15 46 49 -3 27
Dartford Glentworth 32 11 3 18 40 60 -20 25
Slade Green 32 10 5 17 39 51 -12 23
Whitstable Town 32 7 7 18 33 58 -25 21
Kent Police 32 5 9 18 43 67 -24 19
Herne Bay 32 4 6 22 23 67 -44 14
Ramsgate  32 2 3 27 26 121 -95 7
Slade Green deducted 2 points for fielding an ineligible player

1980-1981 Results.....

Date Opponents Competition Venue Score Att Scorers
26/07/1980 Swanley Town F Home 2-4   Tony Hunter, Jimmy McMorran
02/08/1980 Hastings Town F Away 0-2    
09/08/1980 Merstham F Away 2-1   Doug Parker, Paul Prior pen
12/08/1980 Ashford Town F Away 2-0   Hunter 2
16/08/1980 Slade Green Athletic KL Home 3-1   Hunter, McMorran, Glenn Dempsey
20/08/1980 Deal Town KL Away 1-0   Dempsey
23/08/1980 Crockenhill KL Away 2-3   Prior 2, 1 pen
27/08/1980 Ramsgate KL Away 4-1   John Champion, Prior 3
30/08/1980 Faversham Town KL Home 1-1   Prior
06/09/1980 Deal Town KL Home 0-0    
13/09/1980 Darenth Heathside KL Home 4-2   Stuart Taylor, McMorran 2, Prior pen
20/09/1980 Sheppey United KLC2 Away 3-1   Champion, Hunter, Prior
27/09/1980 Banstead Athletic FAVP Home 0-2    
04/10/1980 Sheppey United KL Away 3-0   Hunter 3
11/10/1980 Whitstable Town KL Home 2-0   Dempsey, McMorran
18/10/1980 Herne Bay KL Away 1-1   Prior pen
25/10/1980 Tunbridge Wells KL Home 4-2   Dempsey, Hunter, McMorran, Prior
01/11/1980 Dartford Glentworth KL Away 0-3    
08/11/1980 Faversham Town KST1 Away 4-2aet   Alan Hughes 2, Dalton Perkins, Hunter
15/11/1980 Kent Police KL Home 3-1   Hughes 2, Steve Harris
22/11/1980 Slade Green Athletic KL Away 1-3   Hunter
25/11/1980 Sittingbourne KL Away 2-1 290 Hughes, Ian Daffin
29/11/1980 Cray Wanderers KL Home 2-3   Adrian Bray, Dempsey
06/12/1980 Sittingbourne KL Home 4-1   Prior 2, Hunter, McMorran
13/12/1980 Darenth Heathside KLCQF Home 1-2   Hughes
20/12/1980 Kent Police KL Away 8-3   Hunter 2, Prior, Hughes 4, Dick Purnell
03/01/1981 Ramsgate KL Home 6-2   Hughes 2, Prior 3, Daffin
10/01/1981 Dartford Glentworth KST2 Away 2-0   Graham Best, Prior pen
17/01/1981 Darenth Heathside KL Away 1-0   Prior
24/01/1981 Sheppey United KL Home 2-1   Hughes, Daffin
31/01/1981 Whitstable Town KL Away 2-0   Hughes, Champion
07/02/1981 Herne Bay KL Home 3-1   Hunter, Hughes, Daffin
14/02/1981 Tunbridge Wells KL Away 1-0   Prior
21/02/1981 Crockenhill KSTQF Away 2-2aet   Prior pen, Hunter
28/02/1981 Crockenhill KSTQFR Home 1-3   Hughes
07/03/1981 Chatham Town KL Away 1-2   Hunter
21/03/1981 Erith & Belvedere KL Away 0-1    
04/04/1981 Cray Wanderers KL Away 1-3   Prior pen
11/04/1981 Corinthian F Away 2-2   **
20/04/1981 Dartford Glentworth KL Home 1-2   Hunter
25/04/1981 Chatham Town KL Home 1-1   Paul Roberts
29/04/1981 Faversham Town KL Away 2-0   Dempsey, Hunter
02/05/1981 Erith & Belvedere KL Home 1-3   Dempsey
04/05/1981 Crockenhill KL Home 3-3   Best, Prior 2, 1 pen

1981-1982......

This season saw Hythe under the new management of ‘Curly’ Russell and although the stated plan was to continue the good work of the previous manager Bob Davis, the pre-season news was that six of last season’s squad had left the club. Winger John Champion had retired but Mick Filmer, Paul Roberts, Dalton Perkins, Graham Best and Paul Prior had moved to other clubs. Glenn Dempsey, Tony Hunter and Ian Daffin were said to be staying but by the end of August they too had departed.

 

This meant a number of new signings. Ivan Pickering joined from local football, Tim Hulme joined from (Folkestone) Invicta, Paul Linch and Stan Gardiner from Folkestone Reserves. Others joined at regular intervals but the turnover of players was large.

 

The season started well with just the one defeat in the first six games and good wins over Deal Town and Faversham Town. Three different goalkeepers had been used in this spell before Alan Hopgood arrived and kept his place. The good run was ended by a demoralising defeat at Kent Police, who would finish bottom of the table and only won one other game all season. The next three games were also lost.

 

A home win over Slade Green and a 4-3 win at Herne Bay steadied things, this was a game where Kevin Hambrook, making his debut, made the winner with a cross that Stuart Taylor headed in. The next new signing was Tommy Horsfall, who had played League football at Southend United, Cambridge United and Halifax Town after a transfer from Dover. He helped Hythe to a run of only one defeat in seven games in November and December which saw the club climb to eighth place in the table. In the draw at Sheppey Hythe came back from 0-2 down with an injury-time equaliser against a home side containing former players Perkins, Demspey, Hunter and Prior.

 

The new year saw a steady decline in fortunes, after a break for bad weather Hythe lost five games in a row before getting a couple of wins, including their revenge over Kent Police. After this, it was a return to defeats and after the fourth one, a 4-0 reverse at home to Chatham, manager Russell was dismissed. Chairman Jim Robb appointed Glenn Dempsey as the replacement and Hythe finished the season with  a mini-flourish, winning the last three games and moving up to a final position of eleventh.

 

In the cups, Hythe had lost at Swanley Town in the FA Vase, beaten Slade Green and lost to Corinthian in the Kent Senior Trophy, and beaten Herne Bay and lost to Chatham in the League Cup.

 

Hythe had a large number of players with many just playing a handful of games. Once the season settled down, the regulars were Alan Hopgood in goal, Paul Linch and Stan Gardiner as the full-backs with Adrian Bray at centre-back partnered by Tim Hulme, Steve Long and, later on, Micky Dix. Midfield was Terry Collins, Terry Carter, Byron Caukwell and Mark Hatcher with Ivan Pickering, Micky Heynes and Tommy Horsfall as the forwards. Pickering was leading scorer with 17 goals, followed by Heynes with 6 and Bray with 5. In total Hythe played 35 games, winning 12, drawing 7 and losing 16, scoring 60 goals. Terry Collins was voted as Player of the Year with Derek Graham the reserves’ choice.

 

1981-1982 League Table....

Team Pld W D L F A GD Pts
Erith & Belvedere 30 17 10 3 45 22 23 44
Sittingbourne 30 16 11 3 63 33 30 43
Chatham Town 30 18 5 7 61 34 27 41
Sheppey United 30 16 5 9 60 40 20 37
Crockenhill 30 11 13 6 54 41 13 35
Slade Green 30 11 13 6 45 32 13 35
Whitstable Town 30 11 12 7 48 37 11 34
Cray Wanderers 30 13 6 11 51 40 11 32
Deal Town 30 11 10 9 44 36 8 32
Ramsgate 30 9 9 12 44 47 -3 27
Hythe Town 30 10 7 13 48 52 -4 27
Darenth Heathside 30 10 4 16 37 50 -13 24
Tunbridge Wells 30 8 6 16 36 58 -22 22
Herne Bay 30 7 6 17 36 63 -27 20
Faversham Town 30 4 8 18 26 50 -24 16
Kent Police 30 2 7 21 35 98 -63 11

1981-1982 Results.....

Date Opponents Comp Venue Score Att Scorers
08/08/1981 Swanley Town F Home 0-3    
11/08/1981 Ashford Town F Away 0-1    
15/08/1981 Slade Green Athletic KLD1 Away 3-3   Ivan Pickering, Dick Maxted, Tony Hunter
20/08/1981 Deal Town KLD1 Home 3-0   Pickering 2, Terry Collins
22/08/1981 Sheppey United KLD1 Home 0-0    
29/08/1981 Crockenhill KLD1 Away 2-3   Byron Caukwell 2
05/09/1981 Cray Wanderers KLD1 Home 1-1   Micky Heynes
12/09/1981 Faversham Town KLD1 Away 4-0   Pickering 3, 1 pen, OG
26/09/1981 Kent Police KLD1 Away 3-4   Pickering 2, Heynes
29/09/1981 Sittingbourne KLD1 Away 1-3   Adrian Bray
03/10/1981 Darenth Heathside KLD1 Home 1-3   Stuart Taylor
10/10/1981 Swanley Town FAVP Away 2-3 17 Mark Hatcher, Taylor
17/10/1981 Slade Green Athletic KLD1 Home 2-1   Bray, Taylor pen
24/10/1981 Herne Bay KLC2 Away 4-3   Alan Hughes 2, Terry Carter, Taylor
31/10/1981 Chatham Town KLD1 Away 2-5   Carter, Collins
07/11/1981 Slade Green Athletic KST1 Home 3-0   Hughes, Hatcher, Tim Hulme
14/11/1981 Herne Bay KLD1 Away 1-1   Collins
21/11/1981 Tunbridge Wells KLD1 Home 2-0   Pickering, David Bible
28/11/1981 Darenth Heathside KLD1 Away 2-2   Pickering, Tommy Horsfall
05/12/1981 Sittingbourne KLD1 Home 0-2    
19/12/1981 Sheppey United KLD1 Away 2-2   Pickering, Heynes
28/12/1981 Herne Bay KLD1 Home 4-1   Pickering 4, 1 pen
16/01/1982 Corinthian KST2 Home 2-3   Pickering, Heynes pen
30/01/1982 Erith & Belvedere KLD1 Away 0-2    
06/02/1982 Chatham Town KLC3 Away 1-2   Horsfall
13/02/1982 Cray Wanderers KLD1 Away 1-3   Hatcher pen
20/02/1982 Crockenhill KLD1 Home 1-2   Bray
27/02/1982 Whitstable Town KLD1 Home 3-3   Heynes, Bray, Horsfall
06/03/1982 Kent Police KLD1 Home 2-0   Carter, Ian Johnson
13/03/1982 Ramsgate KLD1 Away 2-1   Caukwell, Johnson
27/03/1982 Ramsgate KLD1 Home 0-1    
03/04/1982 Erith & Belvedere KLD1 Home 0-2    
09/04/1982 Tunbridge Wells KLD1 Away 1-2   Hulme
10/04/1982 Chatham Town KLD1 Home 0-4    
24/04/1982 Deal Town KLD1 Away 2-0   Pickering, Horsfall
27/04/1982 Faversham Town KLD1 Home 1-0   Bray
01/05/1982 Whitstable Town KLD1 Away 2-1   Micky Dix pen, Heynes

1982-1983......

Manager Glenn Dempsey saw quite a few changes to the squad that had finished the previous season. Terry Collins and Micky Dix both rejoined Folkestone Town and leading scorer Ivan Pickering signed for Sheppey United. Some old faces returned after a season away, Ian Daffin, Tony Hunter and Paul Roberts. Roberts had the misfortune to break his leg in the first pre-season friendly but a rapid recovery saw him back in the side ten weeks later. There were new signings in Chris Williams from New Romney and Trevor Ellse from Rye. Dave Williams returned and became the reserve team player-manager.

 

The season got off to a steady and unspectacular start, the first six games saw three wins and three defeats. The side was strong defensively but finding it difficult to score goals. This situation was helped when both Pickering and Collins returned to the club at the end of September. Two wins and a draw in the next three games saw Hythe climb to second in the table before taking a 6-2 thumping at Reachfields by Sittingbourne, for whom ex-Hythe player Paul Prior scored one of the goals. The manager described the performance as ‘diabolical’.

 

It proved to be a turning point, the next game saw a 7-0 win at Kent Police followed by a dramatic win over Cray at home, turning a 3-0 deficit into a 4-3 victory to move top of the table. The club then went twelve games unbeaten before suffering disappointing defeats to Alma Swanley and Beckenham Town, sides in the bottom half of the table. The away game at Cray was remarkable with the Hythe coach running out of fuel on Wrotham Hill and the players having to be ferried to the ground by a couple of the players who had driven their own cars to the game. It kicked-off half-an-hour late and Hythe salvaged a point in a 1-1 draw.

 

Bad weather in January and February saw the season extended well into May, Hythe had slipped to second after drawing too many games and the championship was decided on a Tuesday evening at Crockenhill, the home side winning 1-0 to clinch the title against a Hythe side missing all their usual forwards. The club won their final game 4-0 to finish as runners-up. It had been a close run thing, with the manager suffering selection problems all season through injuries, suspensions and unavailability.

 

Hythe managed only one win in the three cups. Wick triumphed in the FA Vase after a replay, Deal won at Reachfields in the Kent Senior Trophy and after a win over Tunbridge Wells in the League Cup, Slade Green won the quarter-final tie.

 

Alan Hopgood was again the regular goalkeeper, Ian Daffin and Paul Roberts the full-backs, Adrian Bray and Tim Hulme, until his departure in March, were the centre-backs. Terry Collins, Alan Hughes and Clive Barham and David Bible were the midfielders with Tony Hunter, Chris Williams, Ivan Pickering and Micky Heynes the forwards. Hunter top-scored with 16 goals, Williams got 13 and Pickering 11. In total, Hythe won 19 games, drew 8 and lost 10, scoring 71 goals. Adrian Bray was voted Player of the Year with goalkeeper Lee Harrington winning the reserves’ award.

 

Although the reserves had a poor season in the league they did reach the final of the Division Two cup, losing to Erith & Belvedere Reserves in the final at Sheppey.

 

 

1982-1983 League Table.....

Team Pld W D L F A GD Pts
Crockenhill  32 19 6 7 55 26 29 44
Hythe Town   32 18 7 7 66 37 29 43
Deal Town  32 15 11 6 51 34 17 41
Sittingbourne  32 15 10 7 70 33 37 40
Tunbridge Wells   32 14 9 9 52 46 6 37
Herne Bay   32 13 10 9 33 32 1 36
Chatham Town   32 12 11 9 42 36 6 35
Cray Wanderers  32 12 10 10 65 33 32 34
Beckenham Town   32 12 9 11 46 46 0 33
Sheppey United   32 13 6 13 51 49 2 32
Alma Swanley  32 12 8 12 50 49 1 32
Slade Green   32 12 7 13 41 35 6 31
Faversham Town   32 11 5 16 40 53 -13 27
Darenth Heathside   32 5 12 15 27 51 -24 22
Whitstable Town   32 6 9 17 36 59 -23 21
Kent Police  32 6 7 19 34 80 -46 19
Ramsgate  32 4 9 19 22 82 -60 17

1982-1983 Results.........

Date Opponents Comp Venue Score Att Scorers
07/08/1982 Swanley Town F Home 2-1   Chris Williams, Tony Hunter
11/08/1982 Dover F Away 2-2   Terry Carter, Tim Hulme
16/08/1982 Ashford Town Reserves F Away 4-0   Trevor Ellse, Hulme, Hunter, OG
18/08/1982 Folkestone Town F Away 0-2    
21/08/1982 Faversham Town KLD1 Home 0-1    
28/08/1982 Slade Green Athletic KLD1 Away 1-0   Hulme
30/08/1982 Ramsgate KLD1 Away 2-0   Ellse, Hunter
04/09/1982 Crockenhill KLD1 Home 3-2   Williams 2, Hulme
11/09/1982 Deal Town KLD1 Away 0-1    
18/09/1982 Beckenham Town KLD1 Home 0-1    
25/09/1982 Tunbridge Wells KLC2 Home 3-2aet   Williams, Hulme, Micky Heynes
28/09/1982 Sittingbourne KLD1 Away 1-0   Hunter
02/10/1982 Tunbridge Wells KLD1 Away 2-2   Hunter, Williams
09/10/1982 Wick FAVP Home 1-1aet 50 Ivan Pickering
16/10/1982 Wick FAVPR Away 0-3 61  
23/10/1982 Whitstable Town KLD1 Away 3-2   Hulme, Terry Collins, Williams
30/10/1982 Deal Town KST1 Home 1-2   OG
06/11/1982 Sittingbourne KLD1 Home 2-6   Williams, Pickering
13/11/1982 Kent Police KLD1 Away 7-0   Pickering 3, Hunter 2, Williams, Collins
20/11/1982 Cray Wanderers KLD1 Home 4-3   Hulme, Williams, Pickering 2
04/12/1982 Ramsgate KLD1 Home 4-0   Williams, Adrian Bray, Heynes, Hunter
18/12/1982 Herne Bay KLD1 Away 1-1   Heynes
27/12/1982 Tunbridge Wells KLD1 Home 2-2   Bray, Heynes
15/01/1983 Whitstable Town KLD1 Home 3-1   Pickering, Collins, Williams pen
22/01/1983 Faversham Town KLD1 Away 1-0   Hulme
29/01/1983 Deal Town KLD1 Home 1-0   Alan Hughes
05/02/1983 Sheppey United KLD1 Away 3-1   Heynes, Williams, Hughes
26/02/1983 Slade Green Athletic KLCQF Away 0-1    
05/03/1983 Chatham Town KLD1 Home 3-1   Hunter, Williams, Hughes
12/03/1983 Cray Wanderers KLD1 Away 1-1   Pickering
19/03/1983 Sheppey United KLD1 Home 4-1   Williams, Heynes 2, Hunter pen
26/03/1983 Alma Swanley KLD1 Home 2-3   Pickering, Clive Barham
01/04/1983 Alma Swanley KLD1 Away 3-1   Hunter 2, Bray
02/04/1983 Beckenham Town KLD1 Away 0-1    
16/04/1983 Slade Green Athletic KLD1 Home 0-0    
23/04/1983 Kent Police KLD1 Home 4-1   Hughes, Hunter 2, 1 pen, Collins
26/04/1983 Herne Bay KLD1 Home 1-1   Pickering
30/04/1983 Chatham Town KLD1 Away 2-2   Hunter 2
01/05/1983 Darenth Heathside KLD1 Away 2-1   Hunter, David Bible
10/05/1983 Crockenhill KLD1 Away 0-1    
14/05/1983 Darenth Heathside KLD1 Home 4-0   Doug Parker, Bible, Hughes, Hunter
03/06/1983 A Belgian side ?? F Away 7-0   Heynes 2, Pickering, Hughes, Barham, Dave Williams, OG