The 1989–90 Kent Football League season (known as the Winstonlead Kent League for sponsorship reasons) was the twenty-fourth in the history of the Kent Football League, a football competition featuring teams based in and around the county of Kent in England.
The League structure comprised two divisions: Division One and Division Two with the latter known as the Reserves Section (reserves teams were not permitted in Division One). Additionally there were two league cup competitions: the Challenge Cup for the Division One clubs and another for the teams in Division Two.
Division One
The league featured twenty clubs, nineteen of which competed in the previous season together with one additional club:
- Tonbridge, relegated from the Southern League
The league was won by Faversham Town, for the fourth time in their history (after an eleven season gap since their previous title).
At the end of the season both bottom clubs, Metropolitan Police (Hayes) and Ramsgate, were re-elected to continue their membership of the division.
League table
Challenge Cup
The 1989–90 Kent Football League Challenge Cup was won by league newcomers (who had been relegated into the division) Tonbridge AFC.
The competition, contested by all twenty clubs in Division One, comprised five single match tie rounds (with the first round featuring four ties) culminating in the final which was played on a neutral ground (at Chatham Town F.C. this season).
Quarter-finals, Semi-finals and Final
Second Round
- Herne Bay 0 – 1 Sittingbourne
- Beckenham Town 0 – 1 Tonbridge AFC
- Metropolitan Police (Hayes) 3– 3 (aet) Greenwich Borough
- Replay 1: Greenwich Borough 0 – 0 (aet) Metropolitan Police (Hayes)
- Replay 2: Greenwich Borough 1 – 0 Metropolitan Police (Hayes)
- Deal Town 4 – 1 Danson
- Tunbridge Wells 2 – 1 Darenth Heathside
- Alma Swanley 0 – 1 Whitstable Town
- Faversham Town 4 – 0 Crockenhill
- Chatham Town 2 – 4 (aet) Ramsgate (score at 90 minutes: 2–2)
First Round
- Kent Police 2 – 3 (aet) Beckenham Town
- Slade Green 1 – 2 Greenwich Borough
- Whitstable Town 4 – 1 Thames Polytechnic
- Cray Wanderers 0 – 1 Faversham Town
- Byes for the other twelve clubs
Sources:
- Final: "All The latest, fixtures and tables: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League Cup Final". Kentish Gazette. 4 May 1990. p. 79. Retrieved 18 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- Semi-finals: "All The Latest Details: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 1 Cup, semi-finals". Kentish Gazette. 30 March 1990. p. 86. Retrieved 18 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "All The Latest Details: Results: Wednesday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 1 Cup, semi-final replay". Kentish Gazette. 30 March 1990. p. 86. Retrieved 18 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- Quarter-finals: "All The Latest Details: Results: Tuesday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 1 Cup, quarter-final". Kentish Gazette. 9 February 1990. p. 87. Retrieved 18 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "All The Latest Details: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 1 Cup, quarter-finals". Kentish Gazette. 23 February 1990. p. 79. Retrieved 18 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "All The Latest Details: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 1 Cup, quarter-final". Kentish Gazette. 9 March 1990. p. 79. Retrieved 18 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "All The Latest Details: Results: Tuesday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 1 Cup, quarter-final". Kentish Gazette. 9 March 1990. p. 79. Retrieved 18 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "All The Latest Details: Results: Tuesday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 1 Cup, quarter-final replay". Kentish Gazette. 9 March 1990. p. 79. Retrieved 18 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- Second Round: "All the latest details: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 1 Cup, second round". Kentish Gazette. 1 December 1989. p. 87. Retrieved 18 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 1 Cup, second round". Kentish Gazette. 8 December 1989. p. 79. Retrieved 18 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "All the latest details: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 1 Cup, second round". Kentish Gazette. 12 January 1990. p. 79. Retrieved 18 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "All the latest details: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 1 Cup, second round". Kentish Gazette. 19 January 1990. p. 77. Retrieved 18 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "All The Latest Details: Results: Wednesday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 1 Cup, second round replay". Kentish Gazette. 26 January 1990. p. 95. Retrieved 18 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "All The Latest Details: Results: Wednesday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 1 Cup – second round, second replay". Kentish Gazette. 16 February 1990. p. 79. Retrieved 18 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- First Round: "Senior soccer details: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League Cup 1st rd". Kent Messenger. 29 September 1989. p. 78. Retrieved 18 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "Scores, fixtures and tables: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 1 Cup, first round". Kentish Gazette. 6 October 1989. p. 87. Retrieved 18 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
Reserves Section
The letter "R" following team names indicates a club's reserves team.
Division Two featured reserves teams (which were not permitted in Division One) from clubs from Kent and the adjacent area whose first team played in Division One and other higher ranked leagues. There was a League Cup competition for the teams in the section.
Division Two
The league featured seventeen reserves teams, fifteen of which had competed in the division the previous season together with two additional clubs:
- Canterbury City R, returning after a three season absence
- Fisher Athletic R, returning after a one season absence
Thanet United R changed their name back to Margate R and they won the division, their first Kent League divisional title win since winning the inaugural re-formed Kent League in the 1967–68 season.
After the end of the season Folkestone R went into liquidation and left the league, Greenwich Borough R withdrew and both bottom clubs, Ramsgate R and Herne Bay R, were re-elected to continue their membership of the division.
League table
Division Two Cup
The 1989–90 Kent Football League Division Two Cup was won by Canterbury City R, their first Kent League trophy.
The competition, contested by all seventeen clubs in the division, comprised five single match tie rounds (with the first round featuring one tie) culminating in the final played on a neutral ground (at Ramsgate F.C. this season).
Quarter-finals, Semi-finals and Final
Second Round
- Herne Bay R 0 – 4 Canterbury City R
- Margate R 3 – 0 (aet) Fisher Athletic R (score at 90 minutes: 0–0)
- Sheppey United R 2 – 2 (aet) Thames Polytechnic R
- Replay: Thames Polytechnic R v Sheppey United R
- Ashford Town R 3 – 0 Sittingbourne R
- Whitstable Town R 0 – 3 Dover Athletic R
- Greenwich Borough R 1 – 3 Hastings Town R
- Ramsgate R 2 – 5 Folkestone R
- Cray Wanderers R 2 – 3 Beckenham Town R
First Round
- Folkestone R 2 – 0 Faversham Town R
- Byes for the other fifteen clubs
Sources:
- Final: "All The latest, fixtures and tables: Results: Bank Holiday Monday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 2 Cup final". Kentish Gazette. 11 May 1990. p. 87. Retrieved 18 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- Semi-finals: "All The Latest Details: Results: Wednesday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 2 Cup, semi-final". Kentish Gazette. 6 April 1990. p. 85. Retrieved 18 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "All The latest, fixtures and tables: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 2 Cup, semi-final". Kentish Gazette. 27 April 1990. p. 79. Retrieved 18 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- Quarter-finals: "All The Latest Details: Results: Wednesday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 2 Cup, quarter-final". Kentish Gazette. 9 March 1990. p. 79. Retrieved 18 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "All The Latest Details: Results: Thursday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 2 Cup, quarter-final". Kentish Gazette. 6 April 1990. p. 85. Retrieved 18 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- Second Round: "Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 2 Cup, second round". Kentish Gazette. 8 December 1989. p. 79. Retrieved 18 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "All Your Results, Fixtures and Tables: Results: Thursday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 2 Cup, second round". Kentish Gazette. 15 December 1989. p. 70. Retrieved 18 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "All Your Results, Fixtures and Tables: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 2 Cup, second round". Kentish Gazette. 15 December 1989. p. 70. Retrieved 18 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "All the latest details: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 2 Cup, second round". Kentish Gazette. 5 January 1990. p. 61. Retrieved 18 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "All The Latest Details: Results: Tuesday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 2 Cup, second round". Kentish Gazette. 23 February 1990. p. 79. Retrieved 18 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "Reserves swoop in extra time". Isle of Thanet Gazette. 2 March 1990. p. 32. Retrieved 18 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- First Round: "All the latest details: Results: Tuesday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 2 Cup, first round". Kentish Gazette. 24 November 1989. p. 87. Retrieved 18 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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