Barking F.C.

Barking Football Club is a football club based in Barking, Greater London, England. They are currently members of the Isthmian League North Division and play at Mayesbrook Park in Dagenham.

The origins of the modern club are unclear, with several potential claims; Barking Institute was either formed around 1896 as Barking Working Lads’ Institute (or possibly earlier as Barking Working Men’s Institute) or was a renamed Barking Rovers, who had been established in 1880 and later renamed by the Church Institute when they took over running it.[2] They won the Essex Senior Cup in 1893–94 and 1895–96, before becoming champions of Division One of the South Essex League in 1898–99, the Leyton & District League in 1899–1900, Division Two of the South Essex League in 1900–02 and Division Two A in 1901–01, before changing its name to Barking in 1902. They also played in the London League, winning Division One A in 1909–10, before winning the South Essex League again in 1911–12, a season in which they also won the London Senior Cup for the first time. In 1912 Barking became founder members of the Athenian League, but withdrew after only two matches and their record was expunged.[3]

In 1919 the club changed its name to Barking Town, going on to win the Essex Senior Cup in the 1919–20 season. The following season they won the Premier Division of the London League and the London Senior Cup, before rejoining the Athenian League in 1923.[4] The 1926–27 season saw them reach the first round of the FA Cup, eventually losing to Gillingham in a replay. They also reached the final of the FA Amateur Cup, where they lost 3–1 to Leyton, but did win the London Senior Cup for a third time. They reached the first round of the FA Cup again in 1928–29, but lost 6–0 at Exeter City. In 1932 they reverted to the name Barking, and in 1934–35 won the Athenian League title.