The 1995–96 Kent Football League season (known as the Winstonlead Kent League for sponsorship reasons) was the 30th in the history of the Kent Football League, a football competition in England.
The League structure comprised two divisions: Division One and Division Two with the latter known as the Reserves Section (reserves teams were not permitted in Division One). Additionally there were two league cup competitions: the Challenge Cup for the Division One clubs and another for the teams in Division Two.
Division One
| Season | 1995–96 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Furness |
| Promoted | Dartford |
| Matches played | 380 |
| Goals scored | 1,266 (3.33 per match) |
← 1994–95 1996–97 → | |
The league featured 20 clubs, 19 of which competed in the previous season together with one additional club:
- Hythe United,[1] joined from the Kent County League
Furness won the division[2] and the league Challenge Cup too, for the only occasions during their tenure in the league.
After spending three seasons in the Kent League Dartford took promotion and returned to the Southern League.[3]
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Furness | 38 | 27 | 8 | 3 | 87 | 19 | +68 | 89 | |
| 2 | Dartford | 38 | 26 | 11 | 1 | 71 | 21 | +50 | 89 | Promoted to the Southern League Southern Division |
| 3 | Chatham Town | 38 | 24 | 5 | 9 | 79 | 48 | +31 | 77 | |
| 4 | Herne Bay | 38 | 18 | 10 | 10 | 74 | 44 | +30 | 64 | |
| 5 | Deal Town | 38 | 17 | 13 | 8 | 72 | 52 | +20 | 64 | |
| 6 | Slade Green | 38 | 17 | 12 | 9 | 66 | 46 | +20 | 63 | |
| 7 | Sheppey United | 38 | 19 | 5 | 14 | 66 | 49 | +17 | 62 | |
| 8 | Whitstable Town | 38 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 85 | 61 | +24 | 58 | |
| 9 | Thamesmead Town | 38 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 59 | 51 | +8 | 58 | |
| 10 | Folkestone Invicta | 38 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 82 | 56 | +26 | 56 | |
| 11 | Greenwich Borough | 38 | 15 | 7 | 16 | 60 | 66 | −6 | 52 | |
| 12 | Cray Wanderers | 38 | 16 | 5 | 17 | 70 | 70 | 0 | 50[a] | |
| 13 | Canterbury City | 38 | 14 | 6 | 18 | 48 | 59 | −11 | 48 | |
| 14 | Ramsgate | 38 | 13 | 6 | 19 | 62 | 81 | −19 | 45 | |
| 15 | Tunbridge Wells | 38 | 10 | 10 | 18 | 45 | 64 | −19 | 40 | |
| 16 | Beckenham Town | 38 | 9 | 9 | 20 | 45 | 60 | −15 | 36 | |
| 17 | Corinthian | 38 | 9 | 7 | 22 | 53 | 84 | −31 | 34 | |
| 18 | Crockenhill | 38 | 8 | 8 | 22 | 51 | 92 | −41 | 32 | |
| 19 | Hythe United | 38 | 8 | 6 | 24 | 58 | 101 | −43 | 30 | |
| 20 | Faversham Town | 38 | 3 | 3 | 32 | 33 | 142 | −109 | 12 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Notes:
Challenge Cup
The 1995–96 Kent Football League Challenge Cup was won by Furness,[4] who completed a League and Cup double.
The competition was contested by the 20 teams from Division One over five rounds: the first three were a single match knock-out followed by the semi-finals on an aggregate basis (home and away matches) and the final match played on a neutral ground (at Sittingbourne F.C.[5] this season).
Quarter-finals, Semi-finals and Final
| Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||||||||||||
| Crockenhill | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Furness | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Furness | 1 | 3 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Whitstable Town | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| Chatham Town | 1[a] | 1[b] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Whitstable Town | 1[a] | 3[b] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Furness | 2[d] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Sheppey United | 1[d] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Sheppey United | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Tunbridge Wells | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Sheppey United | 1 | 2[c] | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Slade Green | 1 | 1[c] | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| Slade Green | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Corinthian | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||
Sources:
- Quarter-finals: "Senior soccer details: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 1 Cup, quarter-finals". Kentish Gazette. 25 January 1996. p. 46. Retrieved 14 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "Results, fixtures: Results: Tuesday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 1 Cup, quarter-final replay". Kentish Gazette. 1 February 1996. p. 47. Retrieved 14 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- Semi-finals: "Weekend Results: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 1 Cup, semi-inal first leg". Kent Today. 18 March 1996. p. 29. Retrieved 14 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "Weekend Results: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 1 Cup, semi-finals, second leg". Kent Today. 25 March 1996. p. 29. Retrieved 14 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- Final: "Weekend Results: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 1 Cup final". Kent Today. 7 May 1996. p. 33. Retrieved 14 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
Second Round
- Crockenhill 1 – 1 (aet) Greenwich Borough (match abandoned after 106 minutes)
- REPLAY: Greenwich Borough 1 – 1 (aet) Crockenhill (score after 90 minutes 1-1),Crockenhill won 3–2 on penalties
- Cray Wanderers 1 – 2 Furness
- Beckenham Town 0 – 2 Chatham Town
- Whitstable Town 2 – 1 Folkestone Invicta
- Sheppey United 3 – 2 Deal Town
- Hythe United 1 – 2 (aet) Tunbridge Wells (Score at 90 minutes: 1–1)
- Slade Green 4 – 2 Thamesmead Town
- Corinthian 5 – 5 (aet) Ramsgate (Score at 90 minutes: 4–4)
- REPLAY: Ramsgate 1 – 4 Corinthian
First Round
- Dartford 0 – 2 Cray Wanderers
- Canterbury City 4 – 5 Folkestone Invicta
- Beckenham Town 2 – 1 Faversham Town
- Whitstable Town 2 – 1 Herne Bay
- Byes for the other 12 teams
Sources:
- Second Round: "Weekend Results: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 1 Cup, second round". Kent Today. 27 November 1995. p. 33. Retrieved 14 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "Last night's results: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 1 Cup, second round replay". Kent Today. 29 November 1995. p. 31. Retrieved 14 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "Senior soccer details: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 1 Cup, second round replay". Kentish Gazette. 20 December 1995. p. 38. Retrieved 14 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- First Round: "Weekend Results: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 1 Cup". Kent Today. 23 October 1995. p. 29. Retrieved 14 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "Results: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 1 Cup, first round". Kent Today. 30 October 1995. p. 29. Retrieved 14 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
Reserves Section
The letter "R" following team names indicates a club’s reserves team.
The 1995–96 Division Two featured teams from Kent and the adjacent area, it included the Kent Police team and 18 others that were reserves teams (which were not permitted in Division One) from clubs whose first team played in Division One and other higher ranked leagues. There was a League Cup competition for the teams in the section.
Division Two
| Season | 1995–96 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Hastings Town R |
| Matches played | 342 |
| Goals scored | 1,456 (4.26 per match) |
← 1994–95 1996–97 → | |
The division featured 19 clubs, 15 who had competed in the previous season together with four addidtional clubs:[6]
- Kent Police, dropped from Division One
- Margate R
- Sittingbourne R
- Crockenhill R
Hastings Town R (based in East Sussex) were the division winners.[7]
At the end of the season Canterbury City R and Kent Police left the league,[8] the latter had been members of the Kent League for 27 seasons since 1969–70.
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Season End Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hastings Town R | 36 | 26 | 6 | 4 | 127 | 49 | +78 | 84 | |
| 2 | Furness R | 36 | 24 | 5 | 7 | 121 | 36 | +85 | 77 | |
| 3 | Dover Athletic R | 36 | 23 | 5 | 8 | 104 | 52 | +52 | 74 | |
| 4 | Tonbridge AFC R | 36 | 22 | 7 | 7 | 108 | 48 | +60 | 73 | |
| 5 | Whitstable Town R | 36 | 22 | 5 | 9 | 107 | 46 | +61 | 71 | |
| 6 | Sittingbourne R | 36 | 22 | 4 | 10 | 127 | 57 | +70 | 70 | |
| 7 | Thamesmead Town R | 36 | 18 | 6 | 12 | 63 | 48 | +15 | 60 | |
| 8 | Folkestone Invicta R | 36 | 18 | 6 | 12 | 84 | 73 | +11 | 60 | |
| 9 | Chatham Town R | 36 | 15 | 10 | 11 | 56 | 59 | −3 | 55 | |
| 10 | Corinthian R | 36 | 16 | 4 | 16 | 63 | 58 | +5 | 52 | |
| 11 | Beckenham Town R | 36 | 15 | 7 | 14 | 62 | 67 | −5 | 52 | |
| 12 | Ramsgate R | 36 | 14 | 4 | 18 | 79 | 84 | −5 | 46 | |
| 13 | Margate R | 36 | 10 | 9 | 17 | 57 | 76 | −19 | 39 | |
| 14 | Herne Bay R | 36 | 12 | 3 | 21 | 49 | 86 | −37 | 39 | |
| 15 | Deal Town R | 36 | 12 | 3 | 21 | 73 | 114 | −41 | 39 | |
| 16 | Canterbury City R | 36 | 11 | 5 | 20 | 58 | 86 | −28 | 38 | Resigned from League |
| 17 | Crockenhill R | 36 | 6 | 4 | 26 | 49 | 104 | −55 | 22 | |
| 18 | Faversham Town R | 36 | 5 | 3 | 28 | 41 | 138 | −97 | 18 | |
| 19 | Kent Police | 36 | 2 | 2 | 32 | 28 | 175 | −147 | 8 | Resigned from League |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Division Two Cup
The 1995–96 Kent Football League Division Two Cup was won by Folkestone Invicta R[9]
The competition for the 19 teams from Division Two comprised five rounds: the first three were a single match knock-out followed by the semi-finals on an aggregate basis (home and away matches) and a single match final on a neutral ground (at Hythe United F.C.[10] this season).
Quarter-finals, Semi-finals and Final
| Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||||||||||||
| Chatham Town R | 1[a] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Whitstable Town R | 2[a] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Whitstable Town R | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| Dover Athletic R | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| Kent Police | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Dover Athletic R | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Dover Athletic R | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Folkestone Invicta R | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Corinthian R | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Hastings Town R | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Hastings Town R | 2 | 0 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| Folkestone Invicta R | 3 | 1 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Folkestone Invicta R | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Tonbridge AFC R | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||
Sources:
- Quarter-finals: "Senior soccer details: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 2 Cup, third round". Kentish Gazette. 8 February 1996. p. 46. Retrieved 14 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "Senior soccer details: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 2 Cup, third round". Kentish Gazette. 15 February 1996. p. 46. Retrieved 14 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "Senior soccer: Results:Tuesday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 2 Cup, third round". Kentish Gazette. 29 February 1996. p. 46. Retrieved 14 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- Semi-finals: "Senior soccer details: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 2 Cup, semi-final, first leg". Kentish Gazette. 21 March 1996. p. 54. Retrieved 14 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "Senior soccer details: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 2 Cup, semi-final, second leg". Kentish Gazette. 28 March 1996. p. 54. Retrieved 14 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "Last night's results: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 2 Cup, semi-final, first leg". Kent Today. 28 March 1996. p. 35. Retrieved 14 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "Last night's results:Winstonlead Kent League: Division 2 Cup, semi-final, second leg". Kent Today. 3 April 1996. p. 27. Retrieved 14 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- Final: "Senior soccer details: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 2 Cup final". Kentish Gazette. 2 May 1996. p. 54. Retrieved 14 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
Second Round
- Chatham Town R 2 – 0 Thamesmead Town R
- Whitstable Town R 2 – 0 Sittingbourne R
- Margate R 1 – 2 Kent Police
- Furness R 0 – 2 Dover Athletic R
- Corinthian R 2 – 0 Deal Town R
- Beckenham Town R 1 – 4 Hastings Town R
- Herne Bay R 2 – 4 Folkestone Invicta R
- Faversham Town R 0 – 4 Tonbridge AFC R
First Round
- Chatham Town R 4 – 0 Ramsgate R
- Whitstable Town R 6 – 1 Crockenhill R
- Canterbury City R 0 – 4 Furness R
- Byes for other 13 clubs
Sources:
- Second Round: "Weekend Results: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 2 Cup, second round". Kent Today. 27 November 1995. p. 33. Retrieved 14 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "Last night's results:Winstonlead Kent League: Division 2 Cup, second round". Kent Today. 29 November 1995. p. 31. Retrieved 14 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "Senior soccer details: Results: Saturday: Division 2 Cup, second round". Kentish Gazette. 7 December 1995. p. 34. Retrieved 14 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "Results, fixtures & Tables: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 2 Cup, second round". Kentish Gazette. 11 January 1996. p. 46. Retrieved 14 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "Senior soccer details: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 2 Cup, third round: Second Round". Kentish Gazette. 8 February 1996. p. 46. Retrieved 14 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- First Round: "(Column 5) Winstonlead Kent League: Division 2 Cup, first round". Kent Today. 16 October 1995. p. 29. Retrieved 14 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "Results: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 2 Cup, first round". Kent Today. 30 October 1995. p. 33. Retrieved 14 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.