Great Wakering Rovers Football Club, nicknamed “The Rovers,” is a non-league football club based in Great Wakering, Essex.
Established in 1919, they currently compete in the Essex Senior League, which is part of the ninth tier of English football. The team calls Burroughs Park their home ground.
Formed in 1919 by demobilized soldiers who found work in local brickfields. Initially playing in the Southend & District League, they became one of its most dominant clubs, especially during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1982, they moved to the Southend & District Alliance Football League until it folded in 1989, then joined the Essex Intermediate League. With Eddie Nash as manager, Rovers excelled, winning consecutive championships in the lower divisions before joining the Essex Senior League in Step 5 of the Non-League pyramid.
The club achieved notable success in the Essex Senior League, winning the title in the 1994-1995 season and securing promotion to the Isthmian League after finishing second in the 1998-1999 season. Their initial season in the Isthmian League Division Three saw them earn promotion to Division Two. A subsequent league reorganization placed them in Division One North, where they initially performed well, although they faced relegation challenges in 2003 and narrowly avoided it in 2004-2005. Rovers stabilized mid-table before switching back to the Isthmian League Division One North in 2006-2007.
The 2009-2010 season saw a record points tally, but managerial changes led to fluctuating performances. Danny Heath and Danny Greaves had brief, challenging stints as managers before Dan Trenkel took over in late 2011. Despite some improvements, the team faced relegation threats and eventually dropped to the Essex Senior League. They won the Essex Senior League in 2014 and experienced a turbulent 2016-2017 season with multiple managerial and player changes, leading to another relegation. However, under Iain O’Connell’s second tenure, they won the Essex Senior League again and earned promotion back to the Isthmian League’s North Division.