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A History of Old Egbertians
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St Egbert's College was founded by a religious order, with strong Belgium links, who came to England as refugees at the outbreak of World War 1. The College was founded in the Ridgeway, Chingford in 1920 and run by the Brothers of Mercy. The College was very much involved with early Catholic activity in the area, with the first mass being celebrated there by Mgr O'Grady in May 1920. The grounds of the College were for many years the final scene of the Corpus Christi outdoor procession and also the venue for many a successful fair and garden party.
The Football Club, which was started by former pupils of the College, stemmed from the Old Boys' Association which started in 1928. The Club joined the London Old Boys' League in 1936 and is one of only 30 Clubs to have continuous membership. The relationship between the College and the Football Club broke down in 1968 when the Club lost the use of the pitch at the bottom of Kings Head Hill. Several years later in 1971, the College closed and was demolished the following year, making way for the development of St. Egberts Estate. Hence the meeting at Chingford Town Hall on Saturdays.
The Football Club managed to survive some lean years until the Old Boys' League went open in 1981/82. The Club membership therefore was no longer restricted to past pupils of the School. For the most part, the Club ran just two sides (three between 1967-1971) until the Third XI joined the League in 1981/82. In their debut season they managed to finish Champions in Division 5 North West. The following season the Club secured the facilities of Chingford Cricket Club as a venue for after-match 'entertainment'. Subsequently the Club has grown through friends of friends and the Fourth XI joined the League in 1986, the Fifth XI in 1991 and the Sixth XI in 1996. In 2002/03 a Vets team was introduced which played for two seasons before being disbanded in 2004/05 due to a lack of captain. In 2005/06 the club decided to restructure and reduced to four teams. In season 2006/07 the club added one more team following a successful player recruitment campaign and won their first cup competition in the club's history when the second team won the LOB Intermediate Cup. In 2007/08 the club added a sixth team and the Veteran team was reformed.
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