" Although I have followed Grays Athletic since 1961, I drifted away due to joining the services, shift work and family commitments but I have been a solid, born again fan since 2002 and held my season ticket since 2003.

My favourite memory is a recent one but I shall recall one or two others. When we were promoted to become one of the inaugural members of the Conference South counts as one, but we went from strength to strength from there. We won the league scoring over 100 goals and over 100 points, a magical feat but to top that we won the FA Trophy for the first time with a penalties victory at Villa Park. The next season we were third in the conference setting a league record with 13 game opening run. Sadly we lost to Halifax Town in the play-off semi's. The players looked down and out, a bad sign as we had a second Trophy final to play four days later. The players lifted their spirits to win the final at Upton Park to become one of the few teams to win back to back Trophies. This was a period of my following the club which will stay with me forever but my favourite moment is more recent.

Season 2012-2013, our third year back in the Ryman North league and after the disappointment in losing out in the previous season's play-off we looked forward to going one step further but come Christmas of 2012 we were sixteen points behind the leaders Maldon and Tiptree, a task that seemed impossible. The lads dug in and won game after game to try to close the gap, Maldon faltered and so it came to our home match against them, which as it turned out if we won then we won the league. A great game with two classic goals and the title was ours, a magic moment and this is where I come to my favourite moment.

The fans sung their hearts out that day and carried on as the team did their celebrations. To be there and sing along and to see the joy on the fans and players will stick in my mind forever and made me so very proud. That moment in time is my favourite memory of all time. The club had lost its ground and were within thirty minutes of disappearing, Club officials, volunteers and fans pulled together to rebuild the club and set it in the right direction ......... all those sad memories faded due to my feeling of "WE ARE BACK".

Thank you Grays Athletic, the players, the board but especially the supporters. Friends forever"

Sim writes
"The obvious ones are the conference south and national days plus trophy wins but some of my favourite times where before then we qualified for the first round of the FA Cup and drew Reading away who where the top seeds as top of league 1 at the time we took around 700 fans lost 4v0 but had a fantastic time the place went mental when's we won our first corner of the game after about an hour it was like we had scored

Another time was at Worthing when myself Parker, Tyrone, Chris, Athers the original blue army decided to sing the same some for the whole 2nd half can't remember the result but it was a hell of a effort to keep that going for 45mins

This maybe the game that got us to reading but we won the fa cup match at home and the players where all celebrating and Alex Fiddes now kitman at Billiericay jumped up on the wall and was leading the celebration that was the picture that made all the papers alex on the wall with us lot going mad behind him

One of parkers favourite memories was away at yeading when mark Risley scored run into us lot and as we went forward he swung his fist up in a come on type fashion and nearly took my head off with a upper cut"

Anthony Auger Writes

"One of the best was Micky Woodward turning up . He and his money changed the club from being a mid table side to being a powerhouse in non league football. If it was not for his money none of it would of happened. It also helped the club gain new fans some of whom are still around. like me. Glory hunter turned full time fan.

I never would of thought Grays would be in the conference and they nearly made League 2.

Magical time on the pitch.

Andy Swallow also turning up and saving the club is also up there among the best."

Michael Parker Writes

"Phil apologies for this, but mine was a PSF away to Hemel Hempstead and the ball rolled up a grass bank, flicked up the fence and knocked Stiffy Blues baseball cap up in the air! Doubt it could happen again even if somebody tried to aim and set it up"

Glyn Balmer writes

"There was the game at the Rec where we put the ball out of play following an injury to an opponent. When they kicked the ball back to Ashley Bayes he was staring off into the distance and the ball duly bounced over his head and ended up in the net. The opposition manager (I want to say Jim Brown of Oxford United but I suspect my memory is poor - feel sure the statos will put me straight!) then instructed his team to let us walk the ball into the goal to equalise. Nice to see such sportsmanship, although I felt for their keeper as I believe it was the first goal he'd let in in an age.

I also vividly recall a freezing cold February evening with muggins here the only spectator for a reserves game. Sitting in my usual spot in Section 3 at the rec I remember thinking "what the hell am I doing here?". Then we scored, and I remembered why I was there.

The final game at the Rec will live long in the memory for the walk on the hallowed turf.

At the unveiling of the plinth on the site of the old rec, I was very amused when the director of the builders told us how much verbal abuse his guys had got when they dug up the hallowed turf ! Quite right too.

My first supporters coach trip was "interesting", never having fancied it previously as the regulars looked such a dodgy lot. Now I've got to know them I realise they are just teddy bears - albeit dodgy ones"

David Seaman writes:

First season in the Conference away to Hereford,walking round the town centre listening to their supporters estimating how many goals they would score against us.The betting shops were offering 3/1 on for anything from two three or four goal winning margin.Blues warming up before the game playing 6 aside but using hands instead of feet ,their supporters laughing,and,then we kicked off their smiles quickly wiped from their faces as we started to spray the ball about and won the game 2-1,57 of us there for a time were known as the Hereford 57!!!!

Similar situation at York in the FA Cup overconfident home supporters expecting a feast of goals which they got we did them 3-0.their toilets were from the dark age open to the elements and full of moss and other nasty things!,

Parker getting thrown out at Mansfield,Mr Kettle the Ref making a complete arse of himself awarding a farcical penalty and sending Andy Sambrook off,2-0 at half time although we dominated play up to the pen and sending off,Stimmo asking the ref was it worth us coming out for the second half.

Attila the Hun security guy at Rushden and Diamonds ,they had just been relegated from the League it was a Tueday evening game their first home game therefore not many of us there say 40 at most but he had assembled a few too many stewards insisted we all sat down (it was behind the goal) made a complete cock of himself threw one of our youngest supporters out marching up and down like a sergeant Major, Glyn I remember led us in a chant the title of which I can't remember but it was hilarious at the time.Oh and we won 3-1 with a cracking goal from Michael Kightley.

The supporters on the balcony of the flats at the Rec,the bugler,that bloody drum, the dancing girls before kick off so embarrassing,our keeper I can't remember his name volleying the ball at one of our supporters at Histon.Oh and Histon at home winning 3-1 and cruising with 15 mins to go and losing 4-3!

Cottage pies at Kiddermister,ditchwater tea at Forest Green.

Finally Ron Ambridge goalkeeper in the fifties did a soft shoe shuffle every time he took a goal kick,and Tommy Barnes moving in for a tackle on his winger and the first three rows of the terracing moving back as the winger flew into the crowd!!(slight exaggeration )but you get my drift!,

Stewig writes
The Isthmian League cup final, when John Campbell tore a very good Enfield side to shreds single-handedly.

A league game at Marlow, when we were vying with them for an Isthmian league title in the mid 90s. We were massed behind the goal where Micky Welsh bundled the ball, the keeper and probably a couple of defenders as well all over the line and the ref gave the goal. I think we won 3-1 but eventually lost the title despite amassing over 100 points.

A mud-heap day at the old Hare & Hounds where Leyton Wingate played. A man needed stretchering off and their guy said "I'm not going out there in these shoes" pointing to his posh brown brogues. So we Grays boys went on and did the job. A few minutes later with the man still on the stretcher, another injury occurred, so we improvised and took a door off its hinges as a make-do second stretcher !

The day Nicky Crown took a corner, missed the ball and kicked the corner flag instead, which javelined into the penalty box, sending the players running for cover.

Billy Stevens (who else remembers him) scoring from the half-way line.

But my all time best game has to be the FA Trophy semi-final against Burton Albion. A 5-1 demolition of a top drawer side that you almost felt sorry for. I think that day we played some of the best football I've ever seen. We knew then we had something special.

Happy days !

Glyn Jarvis writes

THe two games against Marlow that year were special.

4-2 win at the Rec. Welchy frightened the life out of their defence, running at them. He scored a goal when he just ran at them, eventually blasting the ball past the bewildered keeper.

i was at the game at their place too. I recall it was 2-1 to us.

So we went on a 13 game unbeaten run - winning 12 and drawing at home to Uxbridge. Mr Reliable, Barrie Delf, somehow let a cross field shot sneak into the corner and it was a 1-1 draw. Marlow won ALL their last thirteen games after we had beaten them and they pipped us for the title, despite our 100 points.

They struggled after that, despite a huge payday at Spurs in the FA Cup. Great people at their Club and we developed a very good Boardroom relationship with them.

i could recount many, many other highlights and the odd low light, (normally a lost game, or disappointment over ground relocation), but it's great to hear memories from others.

Of course, I also remember Billy Stevens, David French, the late Trevor Bryson, Dicky Sullam and a few others who helped the Club get back on its feet when the Sackos became joint managers and then Directors of the 1982 Company formed to run the Club after Ron Billings bought the ground.

I was privileged to talk about my 50 years at Grays at an event at the Thameside Theatre just before we lost the Conference play off semi-final and then won the Trophy again.

i still have the copy and read it now and then to remind me of what the Club has been through over the years.

Let's hope we can re-establish ourselves as a top Club at Non League level in times to come.

Many thanks to the supporters who contributed to the article