2005–06 Kent Football League

The 2005–06 Kent Football League season (known as the Kentish Observer League for sponsorship reasons) was the 40th in the history of Kent Football League a football competition in England.

The League structure comprised three divisions: a Premier Division together with Divisions One and Two – the latter two were known as the Reserves Section, comprising reserves teams which were not permitted in the Premier Division. Additionally there were two league cup competitions, the Challenge Cup for the Premier Division clubs and another for the teams in the two divisions of the Reserves Section.

Premier Division
The league featured 16 clubs, 15 of which competed in the previous season together with one additional club:
 * Erith & Belvedere, relegated from the Southern League

At the end of the season Maidstone United were promoted to the Isthmian League Division One South.

Challenge Cup
The 2005–06 Kent Football League Challenge Cup was won by Maidstone United who completed the League and Cup double.

The competition was played by the 16 teams form the Premier Division One initially organised into four groups. The group winners and runners-up progressed into the quarter-finals, decided on a single match knockout basis with the group winners drawn at home. The semi-finals were decided on an aggregate basis (home and away matches), followed by a final match played on a neutral ground (at Folkestone Invicta F.C. this season).

Quarter-finals, Semi-finals and Final
Kentish Football

Group Stage

 * Group A


 * Group B


 * Group C


 * Group D

Reserves Section
The letter "R" following team names indicates a club's reserves team.

The 2005–06 Reserves Section comprised two divisions, with promotion and relegation possible between the divisions. Promotion from the Reserves Section into the Premier Division was not permitted. There was a single League Cup competition for all teams in the section.

Division One
The division featured twelve clubs, ten of which competed in the previous season together with Whitstable Town R and Bromley R who had both been promoted from Division Two.

At the end of the season Deal Town R and Herne Bay R were relegated to Division Two.

Division Two
The division featured eleven clubs, nine of which competed in the previous season together with two additional clubs:
 * Greenwich Borough R rejoining the league after an absence of three seasons.
 * Tilbury R

At the end of the season Folkestone Invicta R and Sevenoaks Town R were promoted to Division One and Slade Green R left the League.

Reserves Cup
The 2005–06 Kent Football League Reserves Cup was won by Dartford R.

The competition was contested by all 23 teams of the Reserves Section over a total of five rounds: the first three were single match knock-out rounds, followed by the semi-finals on an aggregate basis (home and away matches) and then the final match played on a neutral ground (at Folkestone Invicta F.C. this season)

Second Round

 * Dartford R 2 – 2 Erith & Belvedere R
 * Replay: Erith & Belvedere R 1 – 2 Dartford R
 * Greenwich Borough R 1 – 4 VCD Athletic R
 * Ashford Town (Kent) R 7 – 1 Sittingbourne R
 * Chatham Town R 2 – 3 Tunbridge Wells R
 * Lordswood R 1 – 1 Whitstable Town R
 * Replay: Whitstable Town R 4 – 0 Lordswood R
 * Hythe Town R 1 – 1 (aet) Ramsgate R (Hythe Town R won 5–4 on penalties)
 * Cray Wanderers R 0 – 3 Thamesmead Town R
 * Deal Town R 1 – 3 Folkestone Invicta R

First Round
Byes for the remaining nine teams
 * Maidstone United R 1 – 3 Erith & Belvedere R
 * Bromley R 2 – 2 (aet) VCD Athletic R (VCD Athletic R won 4–2 on penalties)
 * Erith Town R 3 – 3 (aet) Ashford Town (Kent) R (Ashford Town (Kent) R won 5–4 on penalties)
 * Tunbridge Wells R 6 – 1 Sevenoaks Town R
 * Slade Green R 1 – 4 Whitstable Town R
 * Tilbury R 1 – 1 (aet) Hythe Town R (Hythe Town R won 4–3 on penalties)
 * Cray Wanderers R 3 – 1 Herne Bay R

Source: Kent League (archived) & Kentish Football