Footscray Social Club, darts in Sidcup (Bexley)

Photo: Foots Cray Social Club

Footscray Social Club: Darts in Sidcup, London

FreeWalk-inLeague pubCask aleMembers club

23-27 Cray Road, Foots Cray, Sidcup · DA14 5BY · Mo-Th 12:00-23:00; Fr 12:00-23:30; Sa 12:00-00:00; Su 12:00-22:30

Foots Cray Social Club (listed by the darts league as Footscray Social Club) is a CIU-affiliated working men's club on Cray Road in Sidcup, going since the early 1900s. It is a proper community club rather than a flashy bar, with a fully stocked bar, Shepherd Neame Spitfire on cask, and a big hall with a stage that doubles for bingo nights, the Sidcup Jazz Club, and private functions. For darts players the draw is simple: this is a serious league house. It hosts four Greater London Darts Organisation Men's Super League teams, so on the right night you will find competitive county-standard arrows being thrown here. There is no booking system and nothing to pay to play. As a members' club you may be asked to sign in as a guest, but the welcome is local and the pints are cheap.

The darts scene here

This is one of Bexley's strongest darts addresses. The club fields four sides in the Greater London Darts Organisation (GLDO) Men's Super League: Footscray Eagles, Falcons, Hawks and Phoenix. That league plays on Monday evenings across Greater London, with a format of seven players a side and seven singles matches per night, so when the Footscray teams are at home you can watch county-level players going head to head. Names from these teams turn up in the GLDO Super League stat sheets for high averages and tons, which tells you the standard is real. If you want to see proper London league darts rather than a casual pub board, a Monday here is the night to come.

Good to know

Foots Cray Social Club is a private members' working men's club affiliated to the CIU, so it runs on the old-school model: cheap drinks, a friendly local crowd, and a guest sign-in rather than a guarded door. There is no charge to play darts and no oche to book; you just turn up. The bar keeps a wide range of affordable beers, spirits and soft drinks, plus Shepherd Neame Spitfire (4.2%) as a regular cask ale. Beyond darts the club runs bingo, hosts the Sidcup Jazz Club, and hires out its large hall and stage for parties, christenings, communions and wedding receptions. Phone ahead on 020 8300 0856 if you are not a member.

Getting there

The club sits at 23-27 Cray Road in Foots Cray, on the eastern edge of Sidcup in the London Borough of Bexley. It is a short distance from the green spaces of Foots Cray Meadows. The nearest rail station is Sidcup, on the Southeastern line into London Bridge, Cannon Street and Charing Cross, with Albany Park also within reach. Several local bus routes run along the A211 and through Foots Cray. If you are driving, the club is just off the A20, which makes it an easy hop for darts teams travelling in from across south-east London and the Kent border.

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Common questions

What is Footscray Social Club?
It is a CIU-affiliated working men's social club on Cray Road in Sidcup, open since the early 1900s. It has a fully stocked bar, a large hall with a stage, and it is a well-known darts venue that hosts four Greater London Darts Organisation Men's Super League teams (the Eagles, Falcons, Hawks and Phoenix).
Is it free to play darts at Foots Cray Social Club?
Yes. The darts board is a free club board with no pay-to-play charge and no booking. As a private members' club you may be asked to sign in as a guest, so it is worth calling ahead on 020 8300 0856 if you are not a member.
Do you need to book darts or can you just walk in?
There is no booking system or timed oche; you just turn up during opening hours. Because it is a members' club, non-members may need to be signed in by a member or sign in as a guest at the door.
Does Foots Cray Social Club play league darts?
Yes. It hosts four teams in the Greater London Darts Organisation (GLDO) Men's Super League: the Footscray Eagles, Falcons, Hawks and Phoenix. The league plays on Monday evenings, seven players a side, seven singles per night.
What are the opening hours of Foots Cray Social Club?
It opens at noon every day. Closing is 11:00pm Monday to Thursday, 11:30pm on Friday, midnight on Saturday and 10:30pm on Sunday.
What is the nearest station to Foots Cray Social Club?
Sidcup railway station on the Southeastern line is the closest, with services into London Bridge, Cannon Street and Charing Cross. The club is at 23-27 Cray Road, DA14 5BY, just off the A20.

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