The Moles now move onto the 1st qualifying round of the FA Cup. Following their 9-1 win over Longlevens AFC, they now travel to Kent to face Lordswood AFC.
Who are Lordswood FC?
The club was established in 1968. They initially joined the Rochester and District League and were promoted in successive seasons to the Premier Division. In 1982 the club moved up to Division Two of the Western Section of the Kent County League. A third-place finish in their first season in the division saw them promoted to Division One. In 1984–85 the club were Division One runners-up, earning promotion to the Premier Division of the Western Section.
Lordswood were Premier Division runners-up in 1986–87 and were promoted to the Senior Division. They were subsequently Senior Division runners-up in 1989–90. Although the club finished bottom of the Senior Division in 1991–92, league reorganisation and a merger of the Eastern and Western sections saw them placed in the Premier Division of the league the following season. They were Premier Division runners-up in 1994–95, before moving up to the Kent League in 1996.
In 2004–05 Lordswood finished bottom of the Kent League. This was repeated in 2009–10, but there was no relegation in either season. In 2013 the league was renamed the Southern Counties East League, and following the addition of a second division in 2016, the club became members of the league’s Premier Division. They finished the 2021–22 season in the relegation zone, but were reprieved due to vacancies in divisions above.
How did Lordswood FC get to the 1st qualifying round?
The first qualifying round is the furthest the club has progressed in the FA Cup – a feat they previously achieved in 2001–02 and 2005–06. This season, they beat Erith & Belvedere 1-0 in the Extra Preliminary round and Shoreham 3-1 in the Preliminary round – both games were at home.
In the league, they currently sit second in the Southern Counties East Football League with three wins and one defeat.
Where do Lordswood FC play?
Lordswood is a suburb of Chatham and the football club play at Martyn Grove, North Dane Way, Chatham, Kent ME5 8YE.
