Welling United Football Club were founded in 1963. An incredible journey in the early years has seen the club rise from an under-15 Sunday youth team to the heights of the Football Conference where the Wings remained for a remarkable 14 years. History has proved this to be one of the most astonishing journeys in the modern football era.

The Wings are now in their eighth season in the Nationwide Conference South, now named the Blue Square Bet South, following that unbroken spell in the original Conference between 1986-2000. Originally formed in 1963 with just one youth team playing in local league football on a nearby park pitch, the club expanded it’s youth system before embarking on a period of Saturday football in the London Spartan League.

Membership of the Athenian League and Southern League (South) followed. For the first fifteen years Welling played on a sports ground at nearby Butterfly Lane, Eltham, before taking their present ground at Park View Road, after the demise of Bexley United who at the time were members of the Southern League.

After progressing from park football to senior football in a relatively short space of time, success was to continue with three promotions within five years. Initially winning the Spartan League and then after three more seasons in the Athenian League, progression and election to Southern League rounded off a marvellous period of success.

This continued after just one more season when promotion to the Southern League Premier Division was secured after the league was re-organised. In the Fifth season in this division the Wings romped to the title by a record 23 points after an incredibly exciting season and were promptly promoted to the Conference.

Welling found life in the Conference much more of a challenge and although they were one of the most consistent sides during their fourteen-year spell in non-league’s top flight success in the Conference was limited to four County cup wins.

Cup football produced many of the highlights during the late 80’s and early 90’s with six successive First Round FA cup appearances, and a Third Round appearance on one occasion at Park View Road, when Welling went out of the Cup by losing 0-1 to Blackburn Rovers.

The Wings dropped out of the top flight when they were relegated on the last day of the season in 1999/2000.

Life in the Conference South

Welling’s first foray in the newly formed Conference South in 2004 was a struggle under the guidance of former Man Utd defender Paul Parker. With the Wings languishing near the bottom of the league for the first three months of the season Parker left the club by mutual consent.

Current Stoke City coach Adrian Pennock took charge of the struggling Wings and guided the Wings to safety in 16th place. The next season was one where it was exciting to be following Welling again with notable success in the FA Cup where they lost in the First Round away to Huddersfield Town.

The FA Trophy also proved rewarding where Welling drew Woking away and after a thrilling match narrowly missed out on a place in the Fourth Round when they let a 2 goal lead slip and finally went down 3-2. The Wings spent most of the season in the play-off places but a succession of draws, and a few defeats at the end of the campaign saw Welling finish the season in ninth place.