A Club History

Aveley Football Club was formed in 1927 and played in several leagues with success until 1939, club activities were then suspended during the war years 1939/45. In 1946 the club was reformed and joined the Thurrock Combination. Aveley twice won the Essex Junior Cup firstly in 1947/48, then retained the trophy the following season 1948/49.

Aveley was granted Senior League status in season 1949/50 by the Essex Count F.A. and were also elected into London League Division Two. The following Season 1950/51 they were elected into London League Division One and became Champions of the Division in season 1951/52. During this latter season Aveley purchased the 'Mill Field' and were promptly nicknamed "The Millers".

The Millers were again Champions of the London League in season 1954/55, then were elected to the Delphian League in season 1955/56, where they competed with little success.

1963/64 saw Millers go into the Athenian League, then in 1964/65 they were granted full membership to the Football Association. Season 70/71 was probably the Millers most successful season, during which they reached the 1st Round proper of the F.A. Cup, were F.A. Amateur Cup quarter finalists and Champions of the Athenian League.

Aveley were elected to the Isthmian League in season 1973/74 and competed without success in Division One until relegated to Division Two North at the end of the season 1985/86. Season 1989/90 saw Aveley gain promotion back to Division One following a tremendous end of season run-in.

Recent successes have been, winners of the Essex Thameside Trophy in season 1979/80, winners of the Hornchurch Charity Cup in 1982/83 and Runners Up in the same competition in 1983/84. Season 1988/89 saw Millers win the East Anglian Cup, defeating Cambridge City in the Final. Season 1989/90 culminated in winning the leagues coveted AC Delco Cup beating St. Albans City 3-0 in the Final tie, becoming the first team from the lowest division to win this competition. After finishing two points behind the eventual winners Heybridge Swifts they won promotion back to Division One. Subsequent seasons saw Aveley relegated back to the bottom division. 2000 saw them finish 9th and 6th the following season. 2002 was much better they finished 3rd gaining promotion back to Division One North. 2000 season saw them finish 9th. This was followed by 6th place in season 2001. Season 2001/02 saw the club finish third and gain promotion to Division 1 North.

Season 2002/03 saw an appearance in the Essex Senior Cup Final where they lost to Chelmsford City by 5-0. The 2003/04 campaign saw the club again reach the final of the Essex Senior Cup. This time saw them go down 3-1 to local rivals Thurrock after a hotly disputed sending off for the Millers. The final game of the season was another cup final. This time in the East Anglian Cup, and a visit to Spalding United. This also finished in a 3-1 defeat for the Millers.

2004/05 saw the Millers in the Southern League, finishing in 15th place but winning the Essex Thames-Side Challenge Trophy beating Romford 1-0 at The Mill Field. Simon Thomas scoring the only goal of the game. Another difficult season followed, on and off the pitch. Millers ended the season with their third manager, Steve Browne, steering them just clear of the relegation places.

2006/2007 saw the Millers winning the Essex Thames-Side Challenge Trophy for the second time in three seasons.

November 2007 saw the arrival of Rod Stringer as Manager, and fortunes turned with the Millers putting a string of impressive results together to finish the season in Mid-Table. 2008/09 saw the foundations that were laid the previous season, bare its fruit as the Ryman League Division One North Championship was won on the last day of the season in dramatic fashion at East Thurrock United. In a tense finish to the season, Millers created a club record of 11 straight away league wins, and Rod Stringer was duly judged as the Manager of the Season for the Division.

2009/10 saw the first season in the Isthmian Premier Division. Finishing 3rd saw the Millers in a play-off semi-final against Borehamwood, ending in a 1 0 defeat. Sadly during the close season Rod Stringer departed for Braintree Town, taking with him his management team, and the squad he had built. Aveley struggled finishing 4th from bottom of the table. 2011/2012 was no better although when Justin Gardner took over in February 2012 their fortunes did improve but they were relegated.

2012/13 was a successful season with the team finishing in a play-off position. Unfortunately they lost in the play-offs to Maldon & Tiptree. October 2016 saw Justin Gardner leave the Millers in 3rd place to be replaced by current manager Terry Spillaine. Regretably most of the squad Gardner had put together became surplus to requirements and sought pastures new and Spillaines team finished in 8th. The Millers played their last game at Mill Field against a Rod Stringer 2009 XI. The ground being subsequently vandalised but their new stadium opened in August 2017.

Parkside, Aveley’s new home, was officially opened in 2017 against Dulwich Hamlet f.c. In the 2018-19 season Aveley finished the season in the play-offs where they lost to Heybridge Swifts. 2019-20 season saw them resume their fight for promotion as well as their best ever run in the F.A. Trophy reaching the Quarter Finals where they lost away to Notts County after beating six clubs from higher leagues in previous rounds.

The 2021/22 season started slowly for Aveley with Keith Rowland in charge. The Millers had just started putting a run together when Danny Scopes succeeded him and took the Millers to the Premier Division as Champions. Danny Scopes brought more success to The Millers in 2022/23 when they won the League Cup beating Potters Bar at Parkside 3 - 0 and then went on to finish 4th in the division, a play- off place. They beat Canvey Island at Canvey 4 -2 on penalties which saw them play The Urchins at Hornchurch in the final beating them 1 Danny Scopes brought more success to The Millers in 2022/23 when they won the League Cup beating Potters Bar at Parkside 3 - 0 and then went on to finish 4th in the division, a play- off place. They beat Canvey Island at Canvey 4 -2 on penalties which saw them play The Urchins at Hornchurch in the final beating them 1 - 0 to reach the Conference South for the first time in their history.