Despite their tender years, Holland F.C. have already made a considerable impression on the local game, not only in their Tendring base, but throughout the county of Essex.

The demise of St. Johns (Clacton) during 2005-06 left a significant footballing gap in the east end of Clacton, with their former clubhouse and pitch standing idle on
Saturday afternoons.

This was quickly addressed by Mark Sorrell and a group of colleagues, including some former St. Johns men, who got to- gether to form Holland F.C., with a view to bringing Border League football back to the Eastcliff Sports Ground, while also providing youth football for the area. The major task in front of them was the refurbishment of the ageing clubhouse at the end of Dulwich Road, and a substantial amount of money, and hard work, had to be spent to reju- venate the building in time for the 2006-07 season.

Officers, Mark Sorrell, Vic Webb and ex-St. Johns stalwart, Dave Aldred, got the first season off to a steady start, but the Oranges stepped up a gear following the introduction of Neil Hammond as manager, winning the Tommy Thompson Cup in their first season, while scoring over a hundred league goals. The youth teams also did well, with teams in the Under 8, 9 and 10 sections of the Colchester Youth League.

After a season of consolidation, Holland really hit their stride in 2008-09, under the managerial guidance of Tony Da-vis Baker and Charles Wray. They bagged a superb treble of trophies, with their newly formed reserve side winning the Reserve Division 1, while the first team won Division I along with the star prize of the Essex Premier Cup. The latter is the Holy Grail for Border League clubs, and Lee Nash scored the only goal against Maldon St. Mary’s, as Holland became the sixth Border League side to win it since its launch as the Essex Intermediate Cup in 1950.

Holland began playing in the Premier Division with their reserves in the Reserve Premier Division in 2009-10, a year in which the club took another step forward with the leased acquisition of the part of the former St. Osyth Training College ground in Gainsford Avenue that backs onto their clubhouse, Holland had big plans for this site and have now transformed it into a facility fit for senior and community football, which is a great testament to all those involved at the club.

While the lengthy process of the new ground development was being developed Holland agreed a 3 year ground-share arrangement at their neighbours, F.C. Clacton’s Rush Green Bowl stadium.

The club currently boasts one of the best youth set-ups in the district, running a dozen teams across eight age groups as well as the first and second elevens, a veterans team and the under 18’s.

The First Team has been managed by Rob Batten for the last Seven seasons, during which time they twice achieved their highest finish in the Essex & Suffolk Border
Premier Division and reached the Border League Cup Final.

Rob then asked former Gas Recreation FC boss Glenn Cowen, along with his Gas ally Paul Abbott to join Holland!, Pro- motion to the Eastern Counties Thurlow Nunn Division One was achieved at the first attempt in 2015-2016, Holland FC competed very well in its First season in senior football and gained a 5th place finish! This was a great achievement for such a young club. Glenn and Paul decided to step down at the end of the season and Ray Turner joined Rob Batten at the helm as joint Managers for the 2017-18 season, after a good start to the season results didn’t go as planned and Ray depart- ed. Youth Director of Football Jon Willis filled the gap for a brief spell but has returned to his youth roll for the 2018-19 season, leaving Rob Batten at the helm
assisted by Steve Davis, and a coaching team of Calvin Allen, Richard Downes and Lucan Neal.