Full name Ramsgate Football Club Ground Capacity 2,500 Manager Lloyd Blackman | Nickname(s) The Rams Chairman Phil Fennell Founded 1945 | |
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Ground Southwood Stadium, Ramsgate League Isthmian League Division One South | ||
Ramsgate Football Club are a football team based in Ramsgate, Kent. Having played for many years in the Kent League, they gained promotion twice to spend the 2006–07 to 2008–09 seasons in the Isthmian League Premier Division before being relegated to Division One South of the same league.
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The main local rivals of the club are Margate who are situated just 4 miles away. When the two teams meet, it is known as the Thanet derby.
History
The earliest incarnation of Ramsgate FC had played since at least 1886 but folded in 1924, with local rivals Ramsgate Glenville taking over their Southwood Stadium. Glenville did not reform after World War II and a new club dubbed Ramsgate Athletic took over Southwood. The club retained the Athletic name until 1972.
Athletic played in the original incarnation of the Kent League from their formation until the collapse of the league in 1959. This was the club's best period for nearly 50 years, with two consecutive league titles, several county cups, and a run to the first round of the FA Cup. With the collapse of the Kent League the Rams migrated to the Southern League, where they initially did well but were forced to resign and drop down to the re-formed Kent League in 1976.
For nearly thirty years the club performed well without seriously challenging for promotion, but their fortunes changed in 2004 with the return of former manager Jim Ward. He led the club to two consecutive championships (Kent League Premier Division and Isthmian League First Division), taking the club into the Isthmian League Premier Division for 2006–07, which therefore offered the first derby matches for many years against Isle of Thanet rivals Margate. In the club's first season in the Premier Division the Rams finished in 9th place, and followed this with an even better season in 2007–08, finishing in 5th place to reach the play-offs, although they were beaten 2–1 in the semi-final by Staines Town. The Rams also won the Isthmian League Cup, beating AFC Sudbury on penalties at Dartford's Princes Park ground. The following season, however, Ramsgate finished bottom of the table and were relegated.
Stadium
Ramsgate play their home games at the Southwood Stadium, Price's Avenue, Ramsgate, CT11 0AN.
Southwood Stadium was the home of earlier Ramsgate clubs Ramsgate Town and Ramsgate Grenville, and became the home of Ramsgate Athletic upon their foundation after the Second World War. The largest crowd registered at the ground was 5,038 for the visit of local rivals Margate in 1955.
Supporters
In the 2007–08 season, Ramsgate's average attendance was 369, the twelfth highest figure in the Isthmian League Premier Division. For the visit of rivals Margate the crowd was 1,210, nearly double the attendance at any other match.
Current squad
As of 28th November 2016.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Honours
Records
Former players
1. Players that have played/managed in the Football League or any foreign equivalent to this level (i.e. fully professional league).
2. Players with full international caps.
3. Players that hold a club record.