Heybridge Swifts Football Club, nicknamed “The Swifts,” is a non-league football club based in Heybridge, Essex.
Established in 1970, they currently compete in the Pitching In Isthmian League North Division, which is part of the eighth tier of English football. The team calls Scraley Road their home ground.
History
Heybridge Swifts FC, originally founded as Heybridge FC in November 1880, has a long and storied history. The club played under the name Maldon & Heybridge FC from August 1935 until 1939, before reforming as Heybridge Swifts FC in 1945. Over the years, the club has shifted locations for its home ground. Initially, they played on land to the east of Plains near Heybridge Hall in 1880, then moved to Bentalls Ground on Colchester Road around 1890. In 1962, the club relocated to Sadds FC, The Causeway, Maldon, before finally settling at Scraley Road, Heybridge, in 1965.
The club’s league participation has varied significantly over the years. In its early years, Heybridge competed in the North Essex League and the Essex & Suffolk Border League before the war. Post-war, they rejoined the North Essex League, then entered the South Essex League in 1949/50 and returned to the Essex & Suffolk Border League in 1951/52. A significant milestone was reached in 1971/72 when the club became a founding member of the Essex Senior League. Their league journey continued with entry into the Isthmian League Division Two North in 1984/85, progressing to the Isthmian League Division One in 1990/91, and then advancing to the Isthmian League Premier Division in 1996/97. In the 2009/10 season, the club competed in the Isthmian League Division One North.