Polytechnic F.C.

File:Labeled group photo of Polytechnic F.C. in 1894.png

The club was originally established in 1873 or 1875, and was originally called Hanover United Football Club{{cite book |last= Collett |first= Mike |title= The Complete Record of The FA Cup |year= 2003 |isbn= 1-899807-19-5 |page=325|publisher= SportsBooks Limited }} The club entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1879, entering the first round, where they met Grey Friars but lost 2–1.{{fchd|name=HANOVER UNITED|id=HANOVERU}} In 1892, under the name Polytechnic Football Club, the club became founder members of the Southern Alliance finishing fourth in the league's only year in existence.{{cite web|url=http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1011862 |title=Tottenham Hotspur: Season 1892/93 |publisher=Everything2.com |date=8 April 2001 |accessdate=27 December 2012}} The FA Amateur Cup was also entered in 1895.{{cite web |url=http://www.polytechnicfc.co.uk/modules/page/page.aspx?pc=afacupresults |title=Poly History – AFA Cup Results |publisher=Polytechnic Football Club |accessdate=30 January 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006093217/http://www.polytechnicfc.co.uk/modules/page/page.aspx?pc=afacupresults |archivedate=6 October 2011}} The club played in the Southern Suburban League for a few seasons in the early 1900s before joining the Olympian League for the 1909–10 season.

The 1911–12 season then saw the club become members of the Spartan League.{{cite web |url=http://www.nonleaguematters.net/Regs1Df2/Asp07.htm |title=Spartan League 1907–1934 |publisher=Nonleaguematters.net |accessdate=27 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130910013541/http://www.nonleaguematters.net/Regs1Df2/Asp07.htm |archive-date=10 September 2013 |url-status=dead}} The club stayed in the top division until the end of the 1928–29 season when, finishing bottom, they were relegated to Division One. However, they were subsequently relegated the next season to Division Two East. The club returned to Division One at the end of the 1935–56 season, when they finished third in the division and remained there until the Second World War.{{cite web |url=http://www.nonleaguematters.net/Regs1Df2/Asp34.htm |title=Spartan League 1934–1955 |publisher=Nonleaguematters.net |accessdate=27 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130930161313/http://www.nonleaguematters.net/Regs1Df2/Asp34.htm |archive-date=30 September 2013 |url-status=dead}} After the war the club were placed in the Western Division. The league the following season was then returned to a top division with two division underneath and the club was placed in Division One Western after finishing sixth the year before.{{cite web |url=http://www.polytechnicfc.co.uk/modules/page/page.aspx?pc=postwar |title=Polytechnic Football Club, Chiswick, West London |publisher=Polytechnicfc.co.uk |accessdate=27 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120220055610/http://www.polytechnicfc.co.uk/modules/page/page.aspx?pc=postwar |archivedate=20 February 2012}} The 1951–52 season saw the club finish as runners-up in Division One Western and gain promotion back to the Premier Division. However again they could only last one season in the top division and, after finishing bottom, were relegated.

The 1953–54 season would be their last in the Spartan league with the club leaving at the end of the season to join Division Three of the Southern Amateur Football League, due to the cost of travelling expenses. The club achieved promotion to Division Two in the 1955–56 as champions of Division Three, and followed up three seasons later to the top division in the league the Senior Division One.{{cite web |url=http://www.salarchive.co.uk/19551956.asp |title=SAL Archive Site |publisher=Salarchive.co.uk |date= |accessdate=27 December 2012 }}{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite web |url=http://www.salarchive.co.uk/19581959.asp |title=SAL Archive Site |publisher=Salarchive.co.uk |date= |accessdate=27 December 2012 }}{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The period of time in the top division was short lived, as they only spent the single season there, before being relegated back to Division Two.{{cite web |url=http://www.salarchive.co.uk/19591960.asp |title=SAL Archive Site |publisher=Salarchive.co.uk |date= |accessdate=27 December 2012 }}{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The club regained promotion back to the top division at the end of the 1961–62 season but could only survive three seasons in the top division, with one of those seasons being called off due to severe weather disruptions.

The club would then spend the next 30 seasons in the lower two senior divisions before it achieved promotion again to the top division of the league at the end of the 1995–96 season.{{fchd|name=POLYTECHNIC|id=POLYTECH}} After nine seasons the club was relegated back to Division Two, but gained promotion again two seasons later at the end of the 2006–07 campaign.{{cite web |url=http://www.salarchive.co.uk/20062007.asp |title=SAL Archive Site |publisher=Salarchive.co.uk |date= |accessdate=27 December 2012 }}{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The club remained in the top division until the end of the 2011–12 season, when they were relegated back to Senior Division Two, however gained promotion the same season.

The Civil Service, along with the Football Association, celebrated their 150th anniversary. As a result, HRH Prince William invited Civil Service to play a Southern Amateur League home game at Buckingham Palace. Polytechnic FC won the game 2–1.{{cite web |title=Buckingham Palace hosts first ever competitive game |url=http://en.espn.co.uk/football/sport/story/245497.html |website=ESPN |accessdate=19 October 2020 |date=7 October 2013}}{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/10359772/Polytechnic-Football-Club-who-are-the-players.html | location=London | work=The Daily Telegraph | title=Polytechnic Football Club: who are the players? | date=7 October 2013}}

2015–16 and 2016–17 seasons saw the club reach new heights with the 1st XI winning the treble in each season and finally claim the honour of being the League Champions.

Polytechnic play their home games at University of Westminster Sports Ground, Hartington Road, Chiswick, W4 3UH.

It played its home matches at the Limes, Barnes, London, moving to a ground near Chiswick railway station in 1906.{{cite web |url=http://www.polytechnicfc.co.uk/modules/page/page.aspx?pc=facup |title=Poly History – FA Cup |publisher=Polytechnic Football Club |accessdate=30 January 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006093041/http://www.polytechnicfc.co.uk/modules/page/page.aspx?pc=facup |archivedate=6 October 2011}}

• Spartan League Division One Western:
• Runners Up (1): 1951–52
• Southern Amateur Football League Senior Division One :
• Winners (1): 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18
• Runners-up (1): 1999–00, 2018–19
• Southern Amateur Football League Senior Division Two :{{cite web |url=http://www.salarchive.co.uk/19611962.asp |title=SAL Archive Site |publisher=Salarchive.co.uk |date= |accessdate=27 December 2012 }}{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
• Winners (4): 1958–59, 1961–62, 2006–07, 2012–2013
• Runners-up (1): 1995–96
• Southern Amateur Football League Senior Division Three :{{cite web |url=http://www.salarchive.co.uk/19751976.asp |title=SAL Archive Site |publisher=Salarchive.co.uk |date= |accessdate=27 December 2012 }}{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite web |url=http://www.salarchive.co.uk/19801981.asp |title=SAL Archive Site |publisher=Salarchive.co.uk |date= |accessdate=27 December 2012 }}{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
• Winners (1): 1955–56
• Runners-up (2): 1975–76, 1980–81

• AFA Senior Cup:{{cite web|url=https://www.fchd.info/cups/afasummary.htm |title=Football Club History Database - Amateur Football Association Cups |publisher=Fchd.info |date= |access-date=10 January 2013}}
• Runners-up (2): 2004–05, 2008–09
• AFA Middlesex Senior Cup:{{cite web |url=http://www.polytechnicfc.co.uk/modules/page/page.aspx?pc=honoursfacupresults |title=Polytechnic Football Club, Chiswick, West London |publisher=Polytechnicfc.co.uk |accessdate=27 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120220055403/http://www.polytechnicfc.co.uk/modules/page/page.aspx?pc=honoursfacupresults |archivedate=20 February 2012}}
• Winners (3): 1988–89, 2001–02, 2003–04
• Runners-up (1): 1914–15
• Southern Amateur League Senior Cup:
• Winners (1): 2015–16, 2016–17, 2018–19
• London Banks Challenge Cup:
• Winners (3): 1959–60, 1961–62, 1982–83

• FA Cup best performance: Third round, 1884–85

• FA Cup best performance: Fourth qualifying round, 1892–93
• Highest League Position: 6th in Spartan League 1913–14

1. Managers/Coaches that have played/managed in the football league or any foreign equivalent to this level (i.e. fully professional league).
2. Managers/Coaches with international caps.

• {{flagicon|England}} Hugh Lindsay
• {{flagicon|New Zealand}} Jeremy Seales{{cite web |url=http://waitakerecityfc.org.nz/news/appointment-of-premier-assistant-coach |title=Appointment of Premier Assistant Coach |publisher=Waitakere City Football Club |date=9 January 2013 |accessdate=6 February 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130208025505/http://waitakerecityfc.org.nz/news/appointment-of-premier-assistant-coach |archivedate=8 February 2013}}
• {{flagicon|New Zealand}} Geoff Brown{{cite web|url=http://eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/pitchside-europe/amateur-football-teams-history-first-ever-match-buckingham-084048218.html|title=Amateur football teams make history in first ever match at Buckingham Palace | Pitchside Europe - Yahoo Eurosport UK|access-date=19 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131024162739/http://eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/pitchside-europe/amateur-football-teams-history-first-ever-match-buckingham-084048218.html|archive-date=24 October 2013|url-status=dead}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.polytechnicfc.co.uk/ Club website]
• {{Cite book | last1 = Farrar | first1 = Dave | authorlink = Dave Farrar | last2 = Lush | first2 = Peter | author2-link = Peter Lush | title = From Fulham to Wembley | publisher = London Leagues Publications Ltd | location = London | year = 2000 | pages = 231–232 | isbn = 0-9526064-4-5 }}

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Category:Football clubs in England

Category:Football clubs in London

Category:Association football clubs established in 1873

Category:Association football clubs established in 1875

Category:Sport in the London Borough of Hounslow

Category:University and college football clubs in England

Category:Greater London League

Category:Metropolitan–London League

Category:Southern Amateur Football League