In 1979, the local Broomfield scout group were looking for a permanent home for boys to play football at the weekend. Broomfield Football club, established in 1905 for senior football, stepped in to assist in their hour of need and a new, progressive club was born, Broomfield Youth Football Club. As a result of this it was decided that a social clubhouse was required and the search began for a suitable building.
The club located, purchased and transported the current building, an ex-hospital billet hut from Colchester barracks, it was then assembled on the current site and Broomfield Football & Social club was born.
Over the years the ‘Broomfield home’ has undergone some changes internally with the assistance of club members offering their time free of charge. Changing rooms were added, a new kitchen and bar area, referees changing room and finally an extension in 2007. In March 2014 it was decided that the internal aspect of the club was in need of renovation and the club spent around £8,000 on plastering, wiring, decorating and a new bar. This was opened a month later.
On the football side of the club, team numbers have grown and age groups expanded. In 1979 the club had 1 senior side and 1 junior, in 2020 the club boasts 6 adult sides and 22 junior sides allowing football to be played by over 80 adults and 250 local children from the age of 7 through 18. The club also has a thriving Saturday soccer school for boys and girls aged 5-7. The ethos of the club is to ensure sport is all inclusive with teams playing at various levels of ability offering team sport activity for everyone. In 2009 it was decided that the club would move to the next level. It embarked on a program to obtain the prestigious F.A Charter Standard, an award given to clubs for attaining the highest level of care and coaching across the club. In October 2010 this award was achieved and has been retained every year. In 2011 & 2013, Broomfield Football Club was awarded the status of Essex F.A. Charter standard club of the year, a fantastic achievement by all concerned. In 2014 we also had the honour of one of our youth players being voted Essex FA young Volunteer of the year for his work with our Saturday soccer school.
In 1980 a very special friendship was formed. The senior members of the club answered a call for help from a football club in Germany, SV Sparta Werlte. They were looking for a team to play whilst visiting England and Broomfield agreed to be the opposition. Following this initial game an exchange trip has blossomed and every year a group of young people experience life in either a German family or English family environment, coupled with playing football . This exchange celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2019 and figures indicate that in these 40 years, over 8,000 young people have made the exchange a success. The continued success of the exchange has meant that players who enjoyed the exchange experience, now playing for our senior squads have the pleasure of visiting Germany for pre-season games.
In 2015, following an arson attack on the clubhouse, the club embarked on two massive projects to fund and build a new clubhouse and also acquire an adjacent 3.8 acre plot of agricultural land and turn it into additional pitches. Thanks to the insurance proceeds from the fire, the sale of the clubhouse plot and £321k, £60k, £76k and £15k grants from the Football Foundation, Sport England, Landfill Communities Fund and Essex County Council respectively, the new clubhouse opened for business in early 2017 and the new pitches were ready for play for the 2018/19 season. We now have 4 changing rooms, two referees rooms, a bar and a kitchen. In addition to our many players and members, the new clubhouse has already been used for weddings, wakes, birthday parties, first aid courses, football in the community holiday courses run by Chelsea FC, local leagues and Essex FA. We are very proud and will always be grateful to our funders who made everything possible.
In 2020, the old members club was dissolved and the constitution changed to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation more befitting of a club our size and nature.