FOOTBALL fans in the east of the borough have been rocked by news that their team is to be shut down and will pull out of its league.

News that East Thurrock United is to fold ends a story more than 50 years in the making of a club that rose from mates playing games on a public park to a club that climbed to the second rank of the non-League game in England – with many glorious days and memorable matches along the way.

The decision to fold the club, which operates as East Thurrock United 2009 Ltd, has been made by its sole director Gary Brownlie after consultation with its owner Alfie Best, who found national fame on Channel 4 show 'My Big Fat Gypsy Fortune'.

The multi-millionaire swept into the club by helicopter following the death of long-time owner Bennie Bennett and made promises of a new start and the regeneration of a club for the whole community with a new stadium.

However, it all proved to be a false hope and the plug has been pulled on senior football.

It is not yet known what will happen to the junior sides at the club, known as the Rocks.

Mr Brownlie has confirmed to Thurrock Nub News that he is closing down the club's operating company because of 'historic debt'.

Club chairman, Steve Wiseman, one of a handful of volunteers who have tried to keep Rocks going, made the following short statement today (Friday, 1 September): "On behalf of the East Thurrock United Football Club committee I would like to express my deepest regrets with the news that has been shared today in relation to the future of East Thurrock United Football Club.

"Following the death of Ben Bennett a few of us stepped up to ensure the football club continued to function however with the benefit of hindsight, we were not aware of the magnitude of the task in hand.

"The club director has made this decision due to historical debts accrued by the club prior to the new management team taking control. Whilst I am incredibly disappointed by this I understand why he has made this decision.

"I would like to express my thanks to Steve Butterworth and his management team who has been outstanding this season in the most difficult of circumstances. I think all would agree the football we have played this season has been extremely enjoyable to watch.

"Whilst this is the end of senior football at East Thurrock United for this season, we are delighted and relieved that the director has agreed the youth teams and Basildon Town can continue playing at the club as they have been for the foreseeable future. I hope that these children become the future of this great club.

"My final thank you is to the fans. You have been the heartbeat of this club for many years and I am sorry we were unable to do more to keep this great club going."

The history of the club has been encapsulated in a book by the late Terry Keating, from which we have encapsulated the story of the Rocks:-

During the early sixties a group of regulars from the Corringham Social Club decided to form their own football team, playing friendly games on Sunday mornings against local pub and club sides, and it was from that humble beginning that the idea of East Thurrock United gradually developed.

Eventually, in 1963 a team was entered into the Thurrock Sunday League though it weas still known as Corringham social Club, and they were successful - moving into and being competitive in the more established Basildon Sunday league.

East Thurrock United was official born on Sunday, 27 April 1969 when a general meeting of the football section took place upstairs in the Corringham Social Club.

The first motion was: "It is proposed to form a Football Club, to be called East Thurrock United."

And the rest is history.

In the late summer of 1969 East Thurrock United made its Saturday debut in the Southern Essex Combination Football League.

In that first season East Thurrock finished third in the league and won the Basildon Invitational Cup.

For the 1970-71 season Rocks, as the club had become nicknamed, entered the Greater London League - as well as running a Saturday reserve team in the Basildon League and two teams in the Basildon Sunday league. Together they won nine trophies between them, with the first team winning the Greater London Reserve League Division Two.

A reorganisation then saw Rocks compete in the newly named Metropolitan-London League Reserve Division One - which again they won!

Rocks were then awarded 'senior status' by Essex FA and a third successive league title followed in the Metropolitan Senior Division Two.

The 1973-74 season saw Rocks, now groundsharing at Grays Recreation Ground, in the top division of the Metropolitan-London League, playing against long established senior clubs like Canvey Island, Cray Wanderers, Ford United and Eton Manor. In addition they were also granted entry into the FA Amateur Cup and the Essex Senior Cup for the first time.

A financial crisis saw the club close to folding but they continued with one team in the London Spartan League Division, switching to the Essex Senior League in 1979-80.

Rocks, initially playing at Tilbury's Chadfields ground, stayed in the Essex Senior for 13 seasons.

On Saturday 25th August 1984 after buying the ground, laying a pitch and building a clubhouse through a huge community effort, East Thurrock played their first match at their own ground - Rookery Hill.

They celebrated in style with a 7-0 win against Coggeshall Town.

An Essex Senior League Cup win in 1989 was repeated in 1992, the same season the club clinched promotion to the Isthmian League Division Three.

After several seasons they won another promotion as divisional champions in 2000 under the management of Lee Patterson.

The club entered its second major financial crisis in the 2001-02 season and eventually was saved when it was bought by local businessman Ben Bennet, who settled many of the debts that had been run up to take control.

Having survived, the club won another promotion in 2004-5, playing a season in the Southern league Division One East following a non-league reshuffle and finishing second to go up to the Isthmian Premier.

They stayed until the end of the 2007-08 season when they were relegated. They started the season under the managership of Patterson, but he left to take over at Braintree Town and his assistant, John Coventry took over.

While relegation was a blow, it was the prelude to even greater success under the leadership of 'Covo'.

They almost bounced back in 2008-09 but lost out on the title in their last home match to Aveley - in one of the most remarkable matches ever seen at Rookery Hill. a 3-2 defeat when a draw would have won the title ended with a last minute penalty, taken by Max Cornhill that was saved by outfield player Glen Golby, between the post after keeper James Marrable hauled down Kurt Smith as he was about to score.

Despairing Rocks lost out in the play-offs to Concord Rangers - a feat that was replicated the following season!

The title finally went Rocks way a year later as they won the league by eight points.

And the next season brought a first ever appearance in the FA Cup first round proper - though they went down at home to League Two Macclesfield. The season also saw Rock make the Isthmian Premier play-offs but they lost narrowly at Lowestoft.

In contrast the next season saw Rocks fighting a relegation battle and they only survived with a win on the last day, coming back from two goals down to beat Bognor Regis in another Rookery Hill thriller.

A new look Rocks side made it to the FA Cup First Round again in 2014, drawn away at Hartlepool where they went down 2-0.

Building on a mid-table season, Rocks improved next time out and made more - the season ending a never-to-be-forgotten play off final win over Dulwich Hamlet at Rookery Hill in front of a record gate of 1,661.

That put Rocks in The National League South - where they competed for three seasons before being relegated.

With more financial troubles on the horizon and the death of benefactor Ben Bennett, things went went downhill.

John Coventry left the club, they suffered another relegation and are now back in the Isthmian North.

The club was bought by multi-millionaire gypsy Alfie Best who pledged to help it bounce back, build a new community stadium and a new dawn was anticipated.

It has not materialised. A cash injection has not happened and now the club, as a senior club, is no more.

Fifty years of blood, sweat tears and emotion have ended in the ignominy of having to quit the league, close the books and bow out.

Senior football will remain at Rookery Hill for a while, as the ground is shared by Basildon Town.

But for how long, and what happens next to the club's youth teams is anyone's guess.