Grays Athletic Football Club is a football club based in Grays, Essex, England. It is currently a member of the . The team play at Chadfields in nearby Tilbury.
The club was established as Grays Juniors in 1890, before merging with former Southern League club Grays United to form Grays Athletic. The newly formed club joined the Grays & District League, later joining Division Two B of the South Essex League in 1908. It was runner-up in its first season in the division and won it in its second season, earning promotion to Division One for the 1909âÂÂ10 season. The club was a founder member of the Athenian League in 1912, but that league closed down in 1914 due to the First World War, and Grays transferred to the Premier Division (Amateur) of the London League. They won the division in their first season, with the reserves also winning Division One. The league was suspended at the end of the 1914âÂÂ15 season, with Grays rejoining in the Premier Division when it restarted in 1919âÂÂ20.
Grays were Premier Division runners-up in 1920âÂÂ21, before winning the division in 1921âÂÂ22. In 1924 the club joined the Kent League but after two seasons in mid-table, they returned to the London League in 1926. The return was a success as the club were Premier Division champions in 1926âÂÂ27 and runners-up in the next two seasons, before winning the title again in 1929âÂÂ30. After finishing as runners-up in 1930âÂÂ31, the club spent most of the 1930s in mid-table, although they won the league's Challenge Cup in 1936âÂÂ37.
After the Second World War, Grays was a founder member of the Corinthian League, and was that league's inaugural champion and League Cup winner in 1945âÂÂ46. They were league runners-up in 1951âÂÂ52, and the following season saw them qualify for the first round of the FA Cup for the first time, losing 5âÂÂ0 at home to Llanelli. They were league runners-up again in 1954âÂÂ55 and 1956âÂÂ57, before rejoining the Athenian League in 1958. When the league gained two more divisions in 1963, the club were placed in the Premier Division, where they remained until being relegated to Division One at the end of the 1971âÂÂ72 season, in which they had finished bottom of the table. In 1977 the league was reorganised into a single division, and the club were runners-up in 1982âÂÂ83.
In 1983 Grays transferred to Division Two of the Isthmian League. League reorganisation saw them placed in Division Two South in 1984 and they went on to win the division at the first attempt, earning promotion to Division One. In 1987âÂÂ88 they were Division One runners-up, resulting in promotion to the Premier Division. In 1988âÂÂ89 the club reached the first round of the FA Cup for a second time, losing 2âÂÂ0 at Bath City. They remained in the Premier Division until being relegated back to Division One at the end of the 1996âÂÂ97 season. In 1999âÂÂ2000 the club were Division One runners-up, earning promotion back to the Premier Division. In 2000âÂÂ01 another appearance in the FA Cup first round saw them play Football League opposition for the first time, losing 4âÂÂ0 at Reading.
A sixth-place finish in 2003âÂÂ04 resulted in Grays being placed in the new Conference South for the 2004âÂÂ05 season. They went on to win the new division in its first season, earning promotion to the Conference National. The season also saw them reach the final of the FA Trophy, in which they beat Hucknall Town 6âÂÂ5 on penalties after a 1âÂÂ1 draw at Villa Park. In their first season in the Conference National the club finished third, qualifying for the promotion play-offs. However, they lost 5âÂÂ4 on aggregate to Halifax Town. They also reached the second round of the FA Cup, beating York City 3âÂÂ0 at Bootham Crescent before losing 3âÂÂ0 at Mansfield Town, as well as retaining the FA Trophy with a 2âÂÂ0 win over Woking in the final. The club's league form subsequently faded and after narrowly avoiding relegation in 2006âÂÂ07 and 2008âÂÂ09, they finished bottom of the Conference National in 2009âÂÂ10 and resigned from the Football Conference.
Grays were initially rejected by the Isthmian League and were lined up to play in the Essex Senior League. However, an appeal to the Football Association saw them placed in Division One North of the Isthmian League. A fifth-place finish in 2011âÂÂ12 saw them qualify for the play-offs, in which Enfield Town defeated them 3âÂÂ1 on penalties after a 2âÂÂ2 draw in the semi-final. However, the club were Division One North champions the following season with a club record 102 points, earning promotion back to the Premier Division. In August 2016 the club became community-owned. They went on to finish bottom of the Premier Division in the 2016âÂÂ17 and were relegated back to the (renamed) North Division. In 2022âÂÂ23 the club finished fifth in the North Division, qualifying for the promotion play-offs, in which they lost 3âÂÂ2 to AFC Sudbury in the semi-finals.
The club initially played at the Hoppit Ground in Little Thurrock. In 1906 they moved to the New Recreation Ground, playing there until 2010. After the ground was sold to developers, the club groundshared with East Thurrock United at their Rookery Hill ground in Corringham.
During the 2012âÂÂ13 season the club played at Rush Green Stadium in Rush Green, sharing the ground with West Ham United's reserves who played in the Professional Development League. The following season, West Ham pulled out of the deal in June and Grays moved to Aveley's Mill Field ground. When Aveley moved to Parkside in 2017, Grays became tenants at the new ground. In February 2023 Grays announced the club would be groundsharing at Tilbury for the 2023âÂÂ24 season.
In 2024 the club obtained ownership of Ship Lane, the former home of Thurrock, stating they hoped to be playing at the new ground in the 2025âÂÂ26 season. However, they have since revised their target to the 2026âÂÂ27 season, and talks are currently on-going to extend their groundshare agreement with Tilbury FC.