It gives me and the board great pleasure to announce that Herne Bay Football Club and Herne Bay Harriers will merge to form one club from the start of the 2025/26 season. Mini Harriers will remain under the Harriers umbrella.
We would like to thank Paul, Jon and the rest of the Harriers board for their help, co-ordination and shared vision and we look forward to working with them over the coming seasons as we become collectively stronger.
We will extend our offer that we give to our current teams - that managers, coaches and players receive free entry into league matches, and this will happen with immediate effect.

As we grow our youth section, it is encouraging to note that our first team squad has become notably younger this season, at times half the outfield players have been 21 and under. As a club we will be working hard to provide real opportunities and the genuine pathways that many other clubs promote but seldom deliver on. Our philosophy is that if you’re good enough and you're ready, it doesn’t matter about your age.
Our 23s is now mainly made up of 16/17 year olds and we have over 10 players on loan learning their trades in the senior game.
Jack Hillier, 17, who is not only an ex-Harriers player but now a Harriers coach, has featured on the bench on several occasions already this season. We look forward to seeing many more players progressing through the ranks in the way Jack has.
That said, we also recognise that not all the children will go on to play first team football so it’s a huge part of our club's objectives that we create a fun and enjoyable environment for their journeys. Every team must be as important as the next.
Over the coming season or two we will be submitting plans to have a small children’s play area, a caged netted football area, start sending teams on European tours and some other really exciting projects are also being drawn up.
We have recently launched a cafe which is open daily, we’ve a monthly disco after a home match which runs into the night and we now have a Post 16 Academy in partnership with Herne Bay High School which offers BTEC and A Level education.
We are only a small way down the road towards where the board and I want to take the club but we believe in creating a community club like no other and we’re delighted to have you on board with us.

Matt Barman
Chairman, Herne Bay Football Club