Hornchurch Stadium: Hornchurch FC

From Hornchurch FC

Hornchurch Stadium is located in the London Borough of Havering, to the East of the capital. It was first opened in 1956, owned and operated by Hornchurch Urban District Council. Nowadays it is Havering London Borough Council that own it, but it remains the home of Hornchurch Football Club; albeit that is a somewhat complicated topic. As well as being a football ground, Hornchurch Stadium is also a location for athletics to take place, with a 400 metre track surrounding the pitch. The venue underwent a renovation in 2004, meaning it has more of the mod-cons and things that people would expect than when it first opened.

The reason the mention of Hornchurch Football Club is a somewhat complicated topic is that there is some debate around when the club can be considered to have been launched. There was a Hornchurch FC founded in 1881, but that was wound up in 1885 and a new side called Hornchurch Wanderers was launched. Another side, known as Upminster Wanderers, launched in 1923, becoming Hornchurch & Upminster before renaming to Hornchurch FC in 1961. Financial problems meant that the club folded in 2005, relaunching as AFC Hornchurch, so is this the same team as the one that launched in 1923?

Stats

Hornchurch Stadium Photos

Hornchurch FC, Seating

Hornchurch FC, Running Track Around the Pitch

Hornchurch Stadium Seating Plan and Where to Sit

It isn’t outrageous to suggest that Hornchurch Stadium is a little basic in its layout, with the clubhouse being behind one of the goals and having a terrace net to it. The Director’s Box is on the halfway line, with a seating area on one side and a terrace on the other. Opposite that are two stands and a terrace, which is where the away supporters are located on occasions when there is a need for segregation to be put in place.

Hornchurch FC Ticket Prices

For those of you hoping to see a Hornchurch match in person, the following ticket prices from the 2023-2024 campaign might help you understand the sort of price that you’re likely to pay for the privilege:

• Adults – £12
• Concessions – £7
• Young Person (12-16) – £3
• Under 12 – Free

Those aged under 12 are free with a paying adult. A concession is considered to be anyone aged 65 and over, students and disabled supporters.

How To Get Hornchurch FC Tickets

Lower league sides are excellent at making life as easy as possible for those looking to buy tickets to watch them play, with Hornchurch being no exception. If you want to see them live then the best thing to do is to head to the club’s website, where everything is explained in simple terms. Tickets are available there until 12pm on the day of the game, presuming it’s a 3pm kick-off, after which you’ll need to pay on the gate with either card or cash.

Where to Buy

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Getting To Hornchurch Stadium

Train – The nearest station to Hornchurch Stadium is Upminster, which is on the line that serves Southend/Shoeburyness from Fenchurch Street. The fact that it is on the outskirts of London means that getting the London Underground is also an option, with Upminster Bridge being on the District line and just a short walk from the ground.

Bus – If you’re the sort of person that likes to get the bus to places, you will be able to get any of the 248, 370, 646 or 652, which will stop on the A124, which is close to the stadium.

Car – The drivers amongst you will want to get onto the M25 and leave it at Junction 29 onto the A127 towards London. From there, you’ll come off at the signpost for Upminster, turning left onto Hall Lane and carry on along that road for about a mile and a half. When you’ve gone past Upminster Station on your left, there will be a major crossing with some traffic lights. Turn right there then carry on down taking the second left at which point the stadium will be right in front of you.

By Air – The fact that Hornchurch are effectively one of the London clubs means that you’re going to be fine if you get to any of the major airports that serve the city. Heathrow is probably best, but any of that, Gatwick, London City Airport or London Luton will be more than good enough.

Taxi – The station isn’t fair from the ground, but this is London so if you get a black cab then you can still expect to pay around £8 for the journey. Come in from further away and the costs will go up exponentially.

Parking Near Hornchurch Stadium

London is notoriously bad for parking, with the car park at the stadium taken up on a first come, first served basis. After that, street parking is available nearby but obviously be wary of any and all parking restrictions that are in place.

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Useful Resources

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Pubs and Bars Near Hornchurch Stadium

About Hornchurch FC

If you are of the opinion that the club that formed in 1923 is the same as this one then you might be interested to know that they joined the Romford League, remaining members of that until 1938. That was when they become Upminster Football Club, renaming to Hornchurch & Upminster FC when they moved to the Hornchurch Stadium in 1952. They took on the Hornchurch FC moniker in 1961, keeping that up until the point that the club found itself in financial difficulties. At that moment, they reached the first round of the FA Cup but the entire square was released, with the team folding after the 5-2 defeat to Boston United.

If you are more of the belief that the club has only existed since it reformed in 2005, that was when they became AFC Hornchurch and played in the Essex Senior League. They won it in the first season, doing the double with the League Cup and also managed to win the Gordon Brasted Memorial Trophy. They worked their way up through the lower leagues, making it back to the Conference South at the end of the 2011-2012 season. They were relegated out of it at the end of their first season, bouncing around between the various divisions in the years that followed. The 2020-2021 campaign saw them win the FA Trophy for the first time.

Hornchurch Stadium History

Hornchurch Urban District Council were responsible for opening the stadium for the first time in 1956. It was at that point that it became the home ground of the original Hornchurch Football Club, which remained the case up until the club was dissolved in 2005. As well as being a football ground, Hornchurch Stadium is also a home for athletics in the area, boasting a 400 metre running track that goes around the outside of the pitch. We say ‘pitch’ rather than ‘turf’ because the pitch used is a synthetic one, which obviously makes it easier to be maintained and allows for both football and athletics to take part on it with relative ease.

The stadium underwent renovations in 2004 in an attempt to modernise it and ensure that the football club could play in the leagues that it was looking to be promoted into. With a capacity of 3,000, there are 800 seats and covering for 1,400 people. The Riverside Stand is named after the River Ingrebourne, which is located just a few feet away from it. The stand was re-named to become the Colin McBride Stand in the November of 2016, which was done to honour the former Chairman of AFC Hornchurch; a move that was driven by the AFC Hornchurch Supporters Association. As well as Hornchurch FC and AFC Hornchurch, the ground has also been used by Havering Mayesbrook and West Ham Ladies.