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Non league club make headlines as they clinch their EIGHTH successive promotion

Non league club Heacham FC make headlines across the nation as they clinch what is now their EIGHTH successive promotion.

They’re a club who have just won the Eastern Counties League Division One North title and play at Station Road, Heacham, based in the district of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk.

The Magpies were formed in 1907, but made new history over the last eight years by climbing higher and higher up the English football pyramid and in late April 2023, have secured a place in the 9th tier (step five of non league) for next season.

Heacham finished the season with 85 points from 36 games played, won 27, drew 4, lost 5, sitting four points clear of second place Downham Town.

Assistant manager Ross McNeil spoke on promotion confirmed after a 5-0 win against Norwich (CEYNS) FC, saying as per Lynn News: “It’s a massive achievement by the football club as no other club in the area has ever won this league before.

“The promotion has been based on hard work and togetherness from everyone involved at the club and once again it shows that there is no substitution for hard work.

“Before the game we told the players to go out and make everyone proud of them and they certainly did that.

“The supporters, sponsors and everyone behind the scenes were our extra motivation. We did it for them and it was fantastic to complete the job in front of our own fans.”

LEAGUE HISTORY (via FCHD)

2016-17   Joined Anglian Combination (from North West Norfolk League)
          Anglian Combination Division Five North runner-up
          Promoted to Division Four
2017-18   One point deducted
          Promoted to Division Three
2018-19   Anglian Combination Division Three Champions
          Promoted to Division Two
2019-20   Promoted to Division One
2020-21   Promoted to Premier Division
2021-22   Anglian Combination Champions
2022-23   Joined Eastern Counties League
          Eastern Counties League Division One North Champions

SEASON    LEAGUE     P    W    D    L    F    A    P      POS

2016-17   ANG C-5N  26   19    3    4   79   30   60      2/14
2017-18   ANG C-4   28   18    2    8   74   44   55 *    3/15
2018-19   ANG C-3   26   24    2    0  112   13   74      1/14
2019-20   ANG C-2   21   18    2    1   73   20   56     ABAND
2020-21   ANG C-1   10    9    0    1   33    7   27     ABAND
2021-22   ANG C-P   30   24    3    3   97   27   75      1/16
2022-23   EAST-1N   36   27    4    5   96   34   85      1/19

Manager David Griggs said after the 9-1 win against Haverhill Borough, as per Lynn News: “I don’t know whether to fall on the floor or what, it hasn’t sunk in yet.

“It’s just crazy. To think we’d got seven and they’ve just gone and got another one is out of this world.

“The aim at the start of the season was always to get 30 points first and then take one game at a time.

“When you put yourselves in a good position with 10 games to go you are going for something then.

“It’s down to the players, they produce it on the pitch and we’ve got a fantastic squad.

“If someone wrote on book on what Heacham have achieved nobody would buy it as they wouldn’t believe it. It would be in the joke shop.

“It’s great for people like Pagey (Darren Page), Darren (Bailey), Duane (Gowen) and all the volunteers at the club, they deserve things like this for all of the hard work that goes on behind the scenes.

“Then you’ve got people like Sean (McQuaid), Ross (McNeil) and Jordan (Courtney Jenner) with me in the dugout and they always work the team so hard. I always say that we’re one of the fittest teams at the start of a season.

“To score nine goals in your last game when you know just a win is going to win you the title is just crazy. I lost count to be honest, I thought it was six or seven.”

Despite their incredible success story, the Heacham chief revealed that it hasn’t always been plain sailing from the moment he walked through the door.

“I remember when I took over, I went to a meeting at Lynnsport for the North West Norfolk League and pleaded with them not to relegate us.

“Luckily they didn’t, thank god and it has just been a climb from there really. Even from when I first walked in the door to today, the club has changed so much for the better.

“I mean, just look at the pitch. Most people would be proud to have this surface for the first game of a season, let alone the last one so credit to the groundsman.”

“Before the game I told the players that they’re the ones who have got us to where we are,” Griggs went on to say.

“I’m pretty loyal to them. I want to see them all pre-season and we’ll go from there. We’re always up for improving the team but we will see where we are at in the summer.”

After being questioned if the club can go on to get another promotion in 2023/24, Griggs said: “I think that’s highly unlikely, but you try explaining it to that lot in there.”

This is what social media users are saying while the non league club make headlines as they clinch their EIGHTH successive promotion…

Paul Warren: Fabulous performance, well deserved – enjoy the party !!!

Ed Mounteney: Fantastic result!! 😀🍾 Congratulations to everyone on and off the pitch!! 😀⚽️🍾🍾🍾🍾

Simon Ellson: Fully deserved promotion an incredible achievement from all concerned. Sometimes in life you don’t get what you deserve, but not in this case!

Neil Bert Goodbourn: Well done to all involved at the club, a fantastic achievement 👏🏻👏🏻

David Crossland: Well done to all. Deserved champions. Most goals scored, least goals conceded. Fantastic achievement. Enjoy the moments

Robin Platton: Congratulations heacham massive achievement to all concerned 🏆🏆🏆

@dedman1981: Massive congratulations to @HeachamFC on the incredible achievement of yet another promotion. A club very close to my Dads heart. @lesdedman ⚽️⚽️

Graham Cresswell: Amazing achievement. Well done Heacham 👏👏👏👏👏👏

Robert Bradbeer: All the team busted a gut to make it happen. Well done everyone. I think you knew you could do it, so you did !

@pgnr15: Congratulations guys ⚽️🏆

Shaun Button: Enjoy the next stage of the journey 👍

@alfredbarnard1: Well, that’s one more Step 5 club for Norfolk – absolutely brilliant @HeachamFC ⚽️⚽️⚽️

@COOPSthereitis4: What a club.. 8th promotion in a row

Josh Everett: Congratulations! Well deserved! X

Robin Platton: Congratulations to heacham on another great season by wining the league In style with a 9 1 win to get there 8 promotion in a row well done see u next season up the magpies

Angela Watson: Love it well done champs

Shaun Stannard: Buzzing boys and so you all should be congratulations 👏

Dean Howe: Brilliant well done boys 👌

Michelle Drew: Great to see you on Anglia TV – well deserved lads 👏

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