Boro’s pre-season programme concludes tomorrow evening with an away game against Step 6 opponents in the shape of Eastern Counties League Division One South side Basildon Town.

Tomorrow’s game will be played at Basildon Sports & Leisure Club, Gardiners Way, Basildon with a 7.15pm kick-off.

Brief History of Basildon Town FC

Formed as South Basildon & Vange in 1946, renaming themselves Basildon Town in 1948, playing in local leagues before joining the now defunct Parthenon League before moving to the London League in 1955. In 1964, the club merged with Pitsea United to form Basildon & Pitsea, becoming founder members of the Essex Olympian League in 1966, but in 1968 reverted back to Basildon Town.

In 2022, after winning the Essex Olympian League, the club was admitted into the Eastern Counties League Division One South and in 2022-23 finished runners-up, missing out on promotion to the Essex Senior League by a single point and losing to Stanway Pegasus in the Play-Off Semi-Final. In 2023-24 they finished twelfth in the table and last season ended in ninth place.

Since moving into senior football, Basildon Town have shared at Basildon United and at Rookery Hill. They have now returned to Basildon United’s Gardiners Close ground.

Basildon’s pre-season games have seen them beat Athletic Newham 2-0 and Toby 3-0, however they have been beaten 3-0 by Tilbury, 4-0 by Great Wakering Rovers, and last Saturday they lost 2-0 against Basildon United.

Home Ground and How To Get There:

Although Basildon Town play home league games at Basildon United’s Gardiner Close ground, tomorrow’s friendly will be played nearby at Basildon Sports & Leisure Club, Gardiners Way, Basildon SS14 3UJ. The game kicks off at 7pm.

By road, the ground is just over 17 miles from Romford. The closest railway station – Basildon – is 3.5 miles from the ground.