Sunday 5 June 2022

LIONS PASSANT GUARDANT

Faversham Town Football Club is based in Faversham, Kent. Nicknamed the 'Lilywhites' due to their white strip, they are currently members of the Isthmian South East Division and play at Salters Lane. Due to the fact that Faversham's civic coat of arms is based on the Royal Arms of England. Faversham Town is the only English club side to have a badge depicting three lions, passant guardant, similar to the England national team.

The club's origins go back to 1884, and they entered the Kent League for the first time a decade later. The club name however was not really consistent, with the team turning out as Faversham Town, Faversham Invicta, Faversham Services, Faversham Railway and Faversham Rangers among others before being disbanded shortly before the Second World War.

Faversham Town reformed after the war and entered the Kent League in 1947. The club moved to its 
current home - Salters Lane the following year. There were some years of success and others withn little to write home aboput!! Matters reached crisis point in 2003, when the Kent County FA suspended the club for non payment of fines, with the club's operators blaming just about everyone for the mess except themselves. In the following months, the once proud Salters Lane ground was systematically wrecked by vandals. Meanwhile, club trustees led by businessman Ray Leader fought a desperate battle to heal a widening rift with the previous regime over the ownership of the club and ground.Kent County FA allowed the club to retain their coveted senior status subject to several conditions. Local authority grants were applied for and secured, sponsorship deals obtained, and the club embarked on a range of fund raising initiatives. Slowly but surely, Salters Lane was returned to its former glory, before the future became even brighter with the erection of brand new floodlights. The revival of club and ground from the "jaws of death" was nothing short of a miracle 


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