CLUB INFO By 1970/71, the club's Silver Jubilee season, a solid and experienced team had been assembled and after a slow start momentum built up and promotion was secured with a 4-0 thumping of Tonbridge leaving the Fleet in the third of the four promotion spots
Sadly the success was not built on, a combination of misfortune, with key players leaving to pursue careers outside of football and others tempted by the ambitions of newcomers Maidstone United and their lucrative contracts left a threadbare squad for the formidable challenge of the Premier Division after nine years in the wilderness. The writing was on the wall from the first kick of the new season and the rock bottom position was only lightened by the emerging talents of defender Kenny Burrett and winger Brian Woolfe who would between them help to make the 1970s a successful decade
The 1972/73 season started the revival plan in earnest with newcomer Dave Bostock a key ingredient with 43 league and cup goals as the Fleet finished 6th of 22. Alf Ackerman stepped aside during the following season and his assistant Tony Sitford a member of the Fleet's 1962/63 cup giantkilling side took over and soon sized up what was required and with the support of his Board made several vital signings in Ken Pearce and Phil Debnam as the defensive linchpins, reliable goalkeeper John Cowan and goal ace Mickey Angel
A solid series of all round performances ensured that the 1974/75 season was a memorable one with only two league defeats. The Southern Division title was won by eight points with 24 wins from 38 games and with 70 goals scored and the Premier Division again beckoned. Sitford ensured that this time there would be no repeat of the 1971/72 season as the Fleet finished 6th and for a second successive season remained unbeaten at fortress Stonebridge.
The 1976/77 season failed to see the progress of the recent seasons. The unbeaten home run was finally ended after 40 games with a 2-1 defeat by Weymouth, and with goals hard to find, the total of 38 was the lowest in the division meant that the final league position was 11th, a little disappointing when a title challenge had been envisaged. Instead Wimbledon completed a hat-trick of titles on their way to admission into the Football League. The one highlight of the season was in reaching the Kent Senior Cup final for the first time in 24 years. Sadly a lack lustre display against Bromley in the Maidstone final resulted in a win for the Isthmian League side by a single Junior Crooks goal, a player later to spend a season at Stonebridge Road
The following season was one of the club's best for many years, and it was not hard to see why. The team were solid throughout from exciting teenage goalkeeping discovery Lee Smelt through the strong defence of Kenny Burrett and Co, the tireless midfield work of George Jacks to the enterprising frontmen Brian Woolfe, Steve Brown and Andy Woon. A three way tussle for the title with Bath and Weymouth went on through the Autumn and Winter months before the Fleet faded in the spring as the path towards the League Cup final opened with victories over Ashford, Maidstone, Dartford, Nuneaton and an aggregate 3-1 semi-final triumph over Grantham. After a goal-less first leg at Weymouth, the cup was won for the first time thanks to a 2-0 victory at Stonebridge Road, extra time goals by Brian Woolfe and Steve Brown winning a tense final in front of a crowd of 2,607
A new national non-league competition was all set to start for 1979/80 called the Alliance Premier League taking the best 13 from the Southern League and the best 7 from the Northern Premier. League positions over the previous two seasons would play a major role in deciding the participants and the Fleet's 5th in 1977/78 and 12th in 1978/79 provided a comfortable entry. An excellent cup run in 1978/79 had been the highlight of the season, losing narrowly to Wimbledon in a first round replay at Plough Lane in the last minute of extra time, after Lee Smelt had saved a twice taken penalty at Stonebridge Road. The only goal of the whole tie was scored by Alan Cork, destined to be a hero of the Dons Cup Final winning team ten years later...
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