Hoffman Athletic Football Club was a football club based in Chelmsford, Essex, England. They were one of the works football teams of the Hoffman's Bearings Company, the other based at Stonehouse, Gloucestershire and also named Hoffman Athletic. The Essex club participated in the FA Cup on four occasions before and after World War II.
The Hoffman Manufacturing Company formed an Athletic Club in 1907, participating in many sports. Football was initially played at Coval Lane before moving to a ground at Rainsford Road. They became members of the Mid-Essex League and were Division Two champions in 1907âÂÂ08, 1908âÂÂ09 and 1910âÂÂ11. After being promoted to Division One, the club were league champions in 1912âÂÂ13 and 1921âÂÂ22. They were Division Two Cup winners in 1929âÂÂ30 and Division Two champions again the following season, before winning Division One for a third time in 1934âÂÂ35. They also joined the Essex & Suffolk Border League and a successful spell in the mid-late 1930s saw them finish as runners-up in the Senior Division in 1935âÂÂ36 and 1936âÂÂ37, and entered the FA Cup for the first time the following season, losing 3âÂÂ0 at home to Ipswich Town in the fourth qualifying round. They went on to win the league in 1938âÂÂ39. During this time the team was attracting crowds of over 3,000 for their higher-profile matches.
After the war, the club entered the FA Cup on three further occasions, losing 4âÂÂ2 at Ford Sports (Dagenham) in the first qualifying round in 1945âÂÂ46, losing 3âÂÂ0 at Leyton in the preliminary round in 1946âÂÂ47, and losing 8âÂÂ0 at Brentwood & Warley in the extra preliminary round in 1948âÂÂ49. In 1952, football switched to a pitch at St Fabians Drive, but returned to Rainsford Road in 1980. The name of the company changed during the 1970s and the club's name was switched to RHP (Chelmsford) Sports & Social Club. In 1984, the company withdrew permission for the ground to be used for football and cricket, and football activity ceased.