Welcome to Through the Turnstile, the website which likes to shine the light on Non-League clubs and look over some of the amazing work that they do in their respective communities. This time we are heading to Essex to take a look at a club who are very much in a title race as we come into the final few games of the season. A spot in the National league South is at stake for this team, so the prize is a big one. Can they keep up the charge and overthrow current leaders Dartford? Only time will tell!

But before we dive in I do need to give a quick special mention, because as of Wednesday night the club are now the current holders of the Velocity Cup! Congratulations to everyone involved with the club on their victory with a last minute winner, in what was a hugely competitive 3-2 win over previous holders Chatham Town.

So! Anyway…lets take a look behind the scenes at the club in question, Billericay Town!

A brief history of the club.

The club was established as Billericay Football Club in 1880. They joined the Romford & District League in 1890, where the club played until World War I. They also started playing in the Mid-Essex League, winning Division Two in 1912–13, 1931–32 and 1932–33. The club remained in the Mid-Essex League until joining the Southern Essex Combination League in 1947. In 1946 they adopted their current name. In 1966 the club were founder members of the Essex Olympian League. The 1969–70 season saw them win the league and League Cup double, a feat they repeated the following season. Following their back-to-back titles, the club became founder members of the Essex Senior League in 1971, finishing as runners-up in its first season and winning the title in 1972–73.

Billericay’s success continued in 1980–81 as they finished as runners-up in Division One and were promoted to the Premier Division, the first time back-to-back promotions had been achieved in the league by a new club. The club remained in the Premier Division until being relegated to Division One at the end of the 1985–86 season. This began a spell as a yo-yo club, as they were relegated to Division Two North at the end of the 1988–89 season. The club were placed in Division Two in 1991 after league restructuring, before being promoted back to Division One in 1992–93 and then to the Premier Division in 1997–98 after finishing as Division One runners-up. The 1997–98 season also saw them reach the first round of the FA Cup for the first time, losing 3–2 at home to fellow non-League club Wisbech Town.

In 2004–05 Billericay reached the first round of the FA Cup again, losing 1–0 at home to Stevenage Borough. They also finished as Premier Division runners-up, qualifying for the promotion play-offs. However, the club were beaten 2–0 at home by Leyton in the semi-finals. A fourth-place finish in 2006–07 saw them qualify for the play-offs again, this time beating local rivals Chelmsford City 5–3 on penalties in the semi-finals after a 1–1 draw, before losing 4–2 on penalties to Bromley in the final following another 1–1 draw. In 2007–08 they qualified for the first round of the FA Cup again, losing 2–1 at home to Swansea City.

In December 2016 the club was taken over by Glenn Tamplin, who funded several high-profile signings including Jamie O’Hara, Jermaine Pennant and Paul Konchesky. They won the Isthmian League Cup in 2016–17, beating Tonbridge Angels 8–3 in the final. The club reached the first round of the FA Cup for a fourth time in 2017–18, drawing 1–1 at Leatherhead in the first match and losing the replay 3–1. The season also saw them retain the League Cup, beating Metropolitan Police 5–3 in the final, as well as winning the Premier Division title, earning promotion to the National League South.

Tamplin announced that he was leaving the club in September 2019. The Club were then taken over by a consortium of local businessmen, David McCartney, Nick Hutt, Rob Dowman and Greg Lake. In 2023, both Dowman and Lake relinquished their ownership, with the latter, concentrating solely on the Billericay Town Women’s side that had been promoted to step 3 of the Women’s Football Pyramid at the end of the 2021-22 season. This season the club have seen huge success on the pitch with promotion a real possibility as we come into the business end of the season, promotion which would take the club back into the National League South, the highest level the club have competed at.

(Source: https://www.billericaytownfc.co.uk/history/)

Club legend (as told by Fan Anthony Longhurst)

Doug Young – Doug scored a hat-trick at Wembley in a FA Vase win. He also still watches games at the club today. A true legend.

Kit

2024 /2025 Replica Kit – £35

https://www.totalfootballdirect.com/billericay-town-fc-supporters-home-shirt-2024?cat=184

Stadium info

AGP Arena (CM12 9SA)
Capacity – 5000 ( 2000 💺)
Number of stands – 4
Artificial Turf

Entry Price

Matchday Tickets

Adults: £13.00
Concessions: £8.00
Young Adult (12-17): £5.00
11 or under: £1.00

Matchday Programme
£3 Printed

Stadium Shop

Well check out this little offering from the club. Although we are starting to hopefully move away from the need to have large jackets, this is England so the need is always not too far around the corner!

3 different style jackets are my personal pick and the Bench Jacket being the standout choice for those Tuesday night away day trips – keep warm and represent your teams badge, win win!

The main Club Shop is only available online but fans can also purchase items like scarves and hats from the Sweet Shop inside the stadium. (as shown below) as well as an array of snacks!

https://www.billericaytownfc.co.uk/club-shop/

Itssssss pin badge corner and I feel like I say this every time but here we have yet another lovely badge, a badge that will be number 25 in the Through the Turnstile collection.

Price – £3.50

Special Mention – Radio Commentary

Now something which I am a huge fan of is the clubs radio commentary, a true lifeline for those who arent able to make a game. The quality is high and it is clear that the passion from the channel is real and that come across over the airwaves. Something the club should be proud of and also something which I think other clubs could learn from and look to adopt themselves.

Here you can listen to a short sample from a recent win against Hastings United, the below is the commentary from the 1st goal of that match:

Now not only is this commentary option a great option for all supporters it really is for some fans the only option, catering to those with vision impairments it really can paint the picture for anyone and everyone, well done to the club and the team for producing this week in, week out.

Drinks

The Clubhouse!

A large space open and ready for you on a matchday to serve you with all of your beverage needs! Plenty of seats, plenty of tables and a large bar area is everything you really look for when heading to a game.

The hall can also be hired out for parties, meetings or pretty much whatever you want to do (within reason) if this is something that you would like to find out more about you can drop the club an email at: info@billericaytownfc.co.uk

Food

The Food hut is the place to be – head there if you are in need of filling your stomach!

Alongside your smaller snacks there are your standard burgers and chips and also the addition of a Loaded Hot Dog which I have to say looks rather enticing!

In addition to their main food destination, the club have also recently launched another food hut… “The Chip Shop”, this has been introduced to help alleviate the wait times at the current food hut and will be selling you guessed it Chips! Chips with a variety of accompaniments; chips with gravy, chips with curry sauce and cheesy chips. A very simple concept but very effective!

Unfortunately Billericay slightly miss out on 3/4 of the Fab 4 tables with their only entry being their £1.20 offering for a cup of tea.

Not massive winners in terms of pricing for the club but their forward thinking in terms of opening more food kiosks shows that they value their fans by reducing the time they need to wait to get served, meaning they can get back to watching the game with their stomachs full of food.

Top 3 current players (as told by fan Aaron Waugh)

Femi Akinwande , Alfie Cerulli and Sam Donkin

Femi Akinwande the man is big strong and always where he needs to be to score the goals he’s been a fantastic return for Billericay

Alfie Cerulli he was the first billericay player that caught my sons eye and he always brings a smile to my boys face. His pace, free kick ability and passion for the game is unbeatable.

Sam Donkin the man is a wall at the back, a solid goalkeeper who may not get the praise he deserves shows a fantastic passion for Billericay and always gives as good as he gets from the away fans.

Press Play!

Billericay have an array of video content littered on their YouTube Channel, from post-match interviews with their gaffer, introductory videos for their new signings and even a behind the scenes access all area video series.

The last video uploaded was over 2 months ago now but hopefully that is a temporary drop off as the content and quality of the interviews and behind the scenes content is excellent and deserves to be shared on the channel and not just on the social media pages.

Below is the clubs Access all areas video back from Pre-season, I personally absolutely love this kind of content, go check it out now!

Views from the Staff

Q) How did you come to volunteer your time at Billericay?

I used to give interviews, occasionally, on a Fanzone channel which, the then Media team saw. They had been looking to start a channel to provide live commentary for those supporters who couldn’t get to games. We did a trial run and it went very well. So 7 years ago we started an online channel called @btfcliveradio and I bought in a co-commentary team to assist. It has been incredibly popular with fans. 2 years ago, I was approached by the owners to see if I was interested in running the matchday media for the club on a voluntary basis. I accepted. It’s been a giant learning curve but I have a fantastic team of assistants, and believe me, I couldn’t do this without them!

Q) What is it that your role consists of?

The media work varies as to which volunteers are available, from coordinating and delegating, to overseeing our social media, and generally ensuring that the club is portrayed in a good light. I have had to occasionally film games when our cameraman hasn’t been available and likewise with photography at times, although we are now blessed with an abundance of really good photographers, all of which volunteer their services too. I’ve also jumped in to do the PA if our regular guy can’t make it, which is something I do anyway for our Women’s team when they play at New Lodge. On matchdays, my main role is to do the radio commentary.

Q) What is your favourite part of volunteering at the club?

I like meeting many different people, from players to fans and opposition media, and you get to meet some famous faces too but my favourite? It has to be doing the commentary because I have such a great and extremely knowledgeable team alongside me. It’s always fun, even if things don’t always go our way on the pitch. The club is one big family and we all look out for each other.

Q) What is the feedback from the fans in regards to the commentary you provide for matchdays?

The feedback is usually very positive. Fans can send in their thoughts throughout the game, and we always try to air their comments. After all. We are fans too. We win together, we lose together.. We are not over-biased towards the club. We say it how we see it. I think fans appreciate the honesty. We have people listening in from all parts of the world, which is lovely.

Q) Who is your favourite player to watch at the club at the moment?

That’s impossible to say. I don’t have favourites. This season, Billericay Town’s Manager, Gary McCann, has put together a team of very talented individuals. It’s been a privilege to get to know, and watch, all of them. We are doing well in the league and the mood in the dressing room reflects that.

Q) If you could sign one player from a rival team, who would you pick and why?

That’s a really good question. There are some fabulous players about. From those in opposition that I have seen this season, one who really caught my eye was Olly Box at Dartford. He is a very talented central midfielder that has an eye for goal too. He scored a cracker against us a Princes Park. He has come through the Dartford academy and has had league teams looking at him so I gather? He is only 19 or so, and I feel he will grow into an immense player.

Q) What is your role and what does it look like on a day to day basis?

I do the vast majority of the social media content at the Club and my main responsibilities include creating bespoke graphics and promotional video packages, writing articles for the website and updating it, conducting research for senior management for sale objectives, working closely with players to benefit their social media requests and covering new signings. That is only a rough overview!
On a day-to-day basis, this involves me publishing content to promote upcoming matches or events at the Club as well as written content for the matchday programme.

Q) How much do you enjoy what you do, whats the best thing about it?

I really enjoy my job – the best thing is the players and management team I have the pleasure of working with.

Q) Why did you choose to volunteer at Billericay?

It’s my local team and I used to watch them as a fan when I was younger.

Q) How much do you enjoy a matchday, is this when your workload the busiest?

It is busy pre-match posting various content across the Club’s social media platforms as well as during the warm-ups. After having done match updates during the game, it is even busier after a game with player and manager interviews as well as posting content on the evening of the game and looking ahead to what should be posted the following day.

Q) Why should more people come along and watch a game?

People may look at the seventh tier and think it is not the best quality of football but in fact it is the polar opposite. You are very close to the pitch, there is an excellent atmosphere behind the goal with top-tier ‘footy scran’ so it’s a must to come down to New Lodge!

Q) What is your long-term goal whilst you are with the club?

I would like to continue to increase our engagement and outperform teams higher up the football pyramid.

Q) Simply, Why did you choose Billericay as your team?

I was born in the town so naturally they are my club. My Dad played for the club in the 60’s and then volunteered after he finished playing. He would take me along with him to games and when he had to be at the club for his duties, so my love for the club naturally grew from there really.

Q) What made you want to get involved on a voluntary basis?

I’ve always helped out where I could really. My first job was being a ball boy when I was a kid, but my first proper role was as match secretary and kit man in the mid to late 90’s. I’ve done various roles since then and always try to help with something.

Q) What do you do in your role?

I’m currently the Stadium announcer on match days. Rather than just reading the teams out, I try to make the run up to the game and half time a bit more interesting with some club news and anything else I think people may be interested in. I also help our Match Secretary and long term friend/supporter and volunteer Keith Riley with the production and printing of the match day team sheets.

Q) What is the hardest part of what you do for the club?

I wouldn’t say any of it is hard work. I love what I do and just hope that it helps

Q) What is the best part for you?

I love matchdays. The buzz of getting to the ground early, catching up with friends, seeing my Dad when he arrives and then seeing the supporters come into the ground is just the best feeling. The club is a massive part of our community and having a successful team is really important for the town.

Q) Who has been your favourite player to watch since you joined the club?

That’s a tough question, as I’ve seen so many good (and bad!) players over the years. If I could pick more than one, I would single out 3 players. Dougie Young was my hero when I was a boy and I was always excited to see him play. Joe Baker played for us in the late 90’s/early 00’s and he was so exciting to watch. He could turn a game on its head with a moment of brilliance. Jake Robinson is the best goal scorer I’ve seen. He was an absolute machine and we were very lucky to have him for a few seasons.

Q) What do you hope for the club in the next 5 years?

We really need to get out of this division. Once we’ve done that if we can stabilise ourselves on the National League South I think that would be a good achievement.

View from the fans

Q) How long have you been a Billericay fan for?

Fan for about 25 years

Q) Is there a standout player in the current squad you love to watch?

Midfielder – Jack Paxman

Q) How much does a home game mean to you?

Home games are priceless…mean everything

Q) Non-League football is the best because….

Non league has quality players, friendly supporters & a decent price for a drink or three!!

Q) What are your hopes for the coming seasons for the club?

Hopefully promotion, currently lying Second with only a few games to go!

Q) What made you become a Billericay fan?

Via facebook/youtube/twitter I followed local football for over a decade however with my past work I was unable to attend football matches frequently. Now my working pattern is different I was able to start attending. My 11 year old son (Jayden) starting enjoying football (Arsenal) and we looked together for a affordable local team to start watching as although going to see Arsenal play is a great experience its not affordable and the atmosphere is just different at non league football in the best way possible. We set our sights on Billericay town FC through their twitter page seeing the atmosphere and how hard the players worked made us give it a try and we haven’t looked back. My boy loves Alfie Cerulli and we was thrilled that he came back to Billericay even if it was on a loan basis.

Q) Why do you find Non-League football so special ?

Non league football/grass roots football is so important to local communities at Billericay specifically their bring a tin campaign to give towards food banks, it is fantastic. You cant hate a club who gives back to the community that supports them week in week out. Players and fans in general. The atmosphere alone is nothing you’ll get from a premier league team. Seeing rising stars and veterans play it out on the pitch is a wonder and some fantastic players have moved up the ladder in the football pyramid (George Wind now at Southend Utd) you’ll find at some higher level of football no one talks to each other whereas local football/non league football everyone mingles everyone enjoys the game it doesn’t matter who you follow your there for the love of the game.

Q) What does a matchday look like for you?

My match day starts with a strong coffee and getting myself and my boy decked out in Billericay colors/jackets. My stepdad (Terry) will pick us up and all 3 of us will head down to New lodge/away games. A quick drink (normally a guinness) is the first point of call. Then we go straight behind the goal and get involved with the home fans (where although I’m bias, Billericay has the best support in the league) halftime then comes and it’s straight to the food court. Double pie for me, double cheeseburger and chips for my son and a cheese burger for Terry, we get that down and back to the bar for another drink. From there it’s back behind the goal with the rest of the home fans and enjoy the rest of the game, when the game is finished we stay clap the players and thank them for their effort. Win lose or draw we clap them and thank them.

Q) Would you say that a matchday is good value?

Without a doubt the match day is great value, £21 for 3 tickets (adult, concession and child tickets) a max of £20 for food and maybe £22 for 6 drinks between 3 people. Total of £63 for all that is fantastic (myself and Terry half the cost obviously) it’s fantastic value for a few hours out with other people who love the game just as much as we do and an even better time to bond with the boy.

Q) Matchday food reccomendation?

Personally the steak pie with lots of vinegar. Or a double cheeseburger with onions (or both!)

Q) Essex has a number of clubs in the county with the big two being Southend and Colchester – do you think Billericay could be the number 1 club in the future?

Yes I believe Billericay could be the big club of Essex and surpass Southend and Colchester, and we’ll be there following them every step of the way, and hoping we can get that promotion this season will go hand in hand to achieve that one day

---

Future plans as told by Joint Chairmen David McCartney and Nick Hutt

Stadium – continue to look at opportunities to acquire land adjacent to New Lodge, we have just made a major investment in new flood lights, need to enhance female toilet facilities at the club.

Academy – continue to grow in both numbers and quality, opportunity to educate more students at the club, continue to work on ensuring that the pathway is a true meritocracy.

Recruitment – one of the most important roles within a football club and the biggest opportunity to outperform budget. Requires proper investment.

Community Projects – looking at an interesting collaboration with Prostate Cancer UK and Man v Fat, a constant area of focus.

———————————————————————————————–

Now as I hope you will agree, this was a club feature which was scattered with some really special people and very special ideas and work in motion.

I was most impressed with the media team and overall output in which they produce week in, week out. The radio commentary as mentioned previously is excellent and the club just seem to have a very clear strategy and everyone knows their role in helping the club grow. Very impressive!

The club as a whole just has a real focus and drive to do better and be better and I can only applaud that, good luck with the rest of the season, if you are reading this then you still have time this season to head along to the ground and check out the team in person!

Until next time guys!

———————————————————————————————–
Parks to Pitches (2nd edition) – a dedicated Non-league magazine brought to you by Through the Turnstile of Non-League Football! 

Grab your copy here: https://tttonlf.square.site/