Originally founded as Bowers United in 1946

After the war years, once stability had come to the nation, many new sporting clubs sprang up. One such club was our own, BOWERS UNITED, started in 1946 by Bert Salmon, playing at Gun Meadow, Pitsea, in the Southend District League as a junior club before moving across to Thurrock & Thameside Combination, he was to be joined a few years later by his brother Len Salmon, who passed away in 2002 and is still sorely missed by everyone within the club. The biggest tribute Bowers Sport & Social Club could give him was to name his beloved football stadium after him.

In 1965 Bowers United entered the Essex Olympian League
and this was to be where they stayed until 1974 when the club was successful in their application to join the recently newly formed Essex Senior League. As well as moving to a new League the Club also moved from Gun Meadow (Behind the Gun Pub) into their current ground at 20 Crown avenue in 1975 a Tottenham Hotspur x1 helped open the ground on the day, Senior status was granted by the Essex FA in 1978.

Success was just around the corner as in 1980-1981 the club won their ﬁrst Essex Senior League title under the guidance of ex Southend United winger Malcolm Slater. They also added the League Challenge Cup the following year. Before Slater departed the club.

In 1998-99 a clean sweep of all three cups was achieved as they won the The Essex Senior League title, League Challenge Cup and the Harry Fisher Trophy under Tony Cross’s all conquering team. They also won the Don Douglas Trophy for top goal scorer with David Hope as he scored 52 League and Cup goals that season.
With the club unable to apply for promotion the team was soon broken up and it was not until 2004/05 when we saw a new name on the footballing map when Bowers United took Pitsea Football clubs name to produce BOWERS & PITSEA FOOTBALL CLUB, and with a new start and a new team at the helm success was just around the corner because a strong link was established with the local community. and the clubs facilities that offered the residence a large Clubhouse, Bar and Function room Together with a ground capacity for 3000+ spectators, which includes seating for 400 in a well-appointed stand, excellent ﬂoodlighting is also an advantage at a higher level in which to play our football on. This showed that after years of being in the wilderness, Bowers & Pitsea Football Club (formerly Bowers United) now intended to take the football side of the club forward. Michael Barnard and Barry Hubbard joined forces to try to bring success to the club both on and off the ﬁeld of play.

In season 2015/16 Rob Small topped his haul from the previous season by winning the Essex Senior League Championship, getting to the quarter ﬁnals of the Essex Senior Cup but more impressive was reaching the semi-ﬁnals of the FA Vase were Bowers were narrowly beaten by eventual winners Morpeth Town 2-1 away after drawing the home leg 2-2.
We ﬁnally achieved one of our goals to reach and play in the Isthmian League and we ﬁnished our ﬁrst season in 6th place just three points outside the play-off positions. This followed with a third-place ﬁnish in season 2017/18 which saw us narrowly miss out on promotion, losing in the play-offs to Canvey Island.
The 2018/19 season saw us reach the Premier League as we ﬁnished the campaign with 92 points, 29 wins, 5 draws and 4 losses with a very healthy 71 goal difference.
Season 2019/20 saw our ﬁrst ever season in the topﬂight and although sitting 14th the season was abruptly ended due to the Covid19 outbreak. and with the upgrade to a 3g pitch and new stands, changing rooms, bar and turnstiles things are heading in the right direction.

Season 2021/22 saw us hit another milestone as we reached the FA Cup 1st round, Gallantly losing to Lincoln City 1-0. This was also to be Rob Smalls last season at the managers helm as his departure was to herald a new era for the club.

The summer of 2022 saw the departure of not only Rob Small, but every member of the previous year’s playing squad. New Manager James Collins, brought in from Faversham Town, was left with the nigh impossible task of assembling a full squad in time for the new campaign that could compete against relegation.

Despite a valiant effort in the 2022/23 season, including an upturn in form after Christmas, Bowers succumbed to relegation. The 2022/23 season did see some success for James Collins' men, as they overcame Grays Athletic 3-2 to win the Thameside Trophy for the first time in the clubs’ history. This despite playing over 80 minutes with midfielder Oscar Shelvey in goal!

A successful 2023/24 season culminated in Bowers achieving promotion back to the Isthmian Premier Division, at the first time of asking, with Play Off Final Penalty Shoot Out win over Brentwood Town. Bowers had struggled in the early part of the since, but a run of 9 straight victories saw them cement their play off place.
A dramatic penalty shoot out win in the semi final against Felixstowe & Walton United, after a 2-2 draw, got Bowers into the final, where David Hughes was the shootout hero once more, saving 2 penalties in both the Semi Final and Final despite having a torn rotator cuff.


8	Little Oakley	17	9
9	Concord	16	9
10	Stow	16	12
11	Bowers & Pitsea	16	11
12	Sudbury	14	12
13	Tilbury	14	11
14	Takeley	13	10

Bowers & Pitsea

Match Outlook

North Division