Kris Newby

Kris Newby (born 21 January 1988) is a Semi-professional footballer who is a player for East Thurrock Community FC

Newby started his career with East Thurrock United in the Isthmian League North Division. He left East Thurrock after their defeat in the Isthmian League Premier Division Play-offs loss to Lowestoft Town. He then Joined Witham Town in the Isthmian League North Division and he was their top-scorer that season and winning the Isthmian North Division Play-offs.

Personal life

Kris Newby was born on 21 January 1988 in Stanford-le-Hope, Essex

Towards the end of the 2012–13 season Newby was put on National Newspaper headlines and was featured on TV after his addiction to [...] was revealed by his ex-fiancé Lacy MacLean.

Newby quoted “For the past couple of years I’ve been hooked on competitive [...],” he said. “I thought I had sorted it out when I re-joined East Thurrock. But I fell back into it four or five months ago and it started spiralling out of control, I was too proud to admit I had a problem, and that did not help but I’ve hurt a lot of people as a result, but most of all Lacey, and I'd like to publicly apologise to her and her family and anyone else I’ve hurt.”

East Thurrock United

Newby joined the team in 2008, His debut was against Northwood in the Isthmian League Division One North in a 1-0 Victory in which he scored, They finished Runners-up but lost the Play-Off Semi-Finals to Concord Rangers. In 2009-10 they finished 5th and lost the Play-off Semi-Finals to Concord again, although he was a part of the team that won the Isthmian League North Division in 2010–11. He was also a part of the team who had the historic FA Cup run making it all the way to the First Round although they lost 3–0 at home to Macclesfield Town. Newby scored in the 2QR against Kingstonian and a 121st-minute equaliser against Chelmsford City in the 4QR, East Thurrock eventually won on Penalties. In the Ryman League Premier Division they finished 5th, Qualifying for the Play-offs but they lost their Semi-Final away 1–0 to Lowestoft Town at Crown Meadow.

Witham Town

He joined Witham Town on loan at the start of the 2013/14 Season, then later he joined permanently. Newby netted 22 goals in 39 games in all competitions that season. His Witham debut was against Soham Town Rangers at Spa Road on 26 August 2013, in the game he scored his first goal he ended up scoring a Hat-trick away at Chatham Town on 7 September 2013. He Witham finished 2nd after drawing their last game of the season away to Cheshunt, meaning that they finished on 98 points and VCD Athletic won the league on the final day after they won 6–0 against Romford which meant that they won the league on 99 points. Witham Town won the Play-Off Semi-Final at home to Needham Market in which Newby scored. Then they won the Play-off Final in a 3–0 win at home to Harlow Town and got promoted to the Isthmian League Premier Division.

AFC Sudbury

Newby joined AFC Sudbury in July 2014 after a successful season at Witham Town winning them Promotion. His debut was away at Ware in the Isthmian League North Division. He scored 17 goals in 42 games for Sudbury, his first being at home in a 3–2 win to Redbridge in the FA Cup Preliminary Round (he scored a brace that day). Newby also appearaed in the Isthmian League North Division Play-off Semi-Finals in which they lost 4–1 on penalties against Brentwood Town.

East Thurrock United (Second Stint)

He Re-joined East Thurrock United for the 2015-2016 Season. He Scored 2 goals in 29 games, One at home in a 4–1 win against VCD Athletic in the Isthmian League Premier Division and the other was away at Welsh club Merthyr Town in the FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round on 28 November 2015. East Thurrock United won the Isthmian League Premier Division Play-offs, Newby featured in the Semi-Final but did not feature in the final.

VCD Athletic

Newby joined VCD Athletic after a tough season with East Thurrock United in the Isthmian Premier Division. He played 27 games for the Kent team, netting 5 goals before leaving the club in January 2017.

He then went and had very short stints with Tilbury, Aveley and Basildon United

Romford

Newby played for Romford very briefly at the end of the 2017–18 and the very start of the 2018–19 season. During his very short stint at the Boro he was involved in 6 games in which he scored 2 goals, 1 at home to Maldon & Tiptree and then another at home in a 3–0 win against Great Wakering Rovers

Tilbury

In Newbys return to Tilbury after leaving Romford in September 2018, he played 46 games, scoring 3 goals. His debut being away at Barking in the Isthmian North on 25 September 2018. In the reverse fixture he got Sent off for a reckless challenge, that game ended 0-0. In the 2018–19 season Tilbury finished 11th in the Isthmian League North Division, In the 2019-20 Tilbury finished 3rd but the team and rest of the league only playing 26-27 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic, therefore the season being announced as null and void for teams in the National League System in steps 3–7, But Newby only played at the club up until September.

Basildon United

Newby joined The Bees in 2019 playing in the Isthmian League North Division. His debut was at home against his former club Tilbury in a 3–0 loss, he played 19 games during his stint scoring 2 goals with 1 being a 4–0 away win at Great Wakering Rovers in the Alan Turvey Trophy and a 1–1 draw at home to Heybridge Swifts in the League before he left the club in December 2019.

Hashtag United

Newby joined the tags towards the end of the 2019–20 season playing most of the games left but all games were voided. For the 2020–21 season, he played 15 games scoring 1 goal at home to Sawbridgeworth Town for a 1–0 in their last game on 12 December 2020 before the rest of the league season was cancelled so Hashtag United won the Essex Senior Football League. In the 2021–22 Hashtag United played their first season in The Isthmian League North Division (Step 4) with Newby playing 12 games and scoring 4 goals.

After he left Hashtag he had short stints with Sheppey United and White Ensign

Romford (second stint)

Newby Re-Joined the Boro in July 2022, his first game back being a 5–2 win at home against Saffron Walden Town in the FA Cup Extra-Preliminary Round, his first goal after joining back was a 2–1 home win against Takeley in the Essex Senior League. In the Cups Romford lost at home 3–2 against FC Clacton in the Peter Butcher Memorial Trophy, In the FA Vase 4th Round Romford lost 6–0 away at Jersey Bulls with many disappointed supporters making the flight over to the Channel Islands. Romford finished 14th in the Essex Senior League that season. In Total Newby played 39 games and scored 9 goals.

For the 2023–24 season Newby played 46 games scoring 8 goals including 1 goal in a 2–0 win at home to Crawley Green in a part of the FA Vase run. Before Romford played at Wembley they had 2 other cup finals, at 3–1 loss at home to Sporting Bengal United in the Essex Senior League Play-offs and a 4–0 loss to Stanway Rovers in the Errington Challenge Cup on 8 May 2024. Romford also finished 3rd in the league. Romford historically won the FA Vase at Wembley Stadium on 11 May 2024 beating Great Wakering Rovers 3–0, with Newby starting the game as Captain.

For the 2024–25 season Newby became player-manager but he only appeared four times. Once against Barkingside in the Essex Senior Cup in the First Round, And subbed himself on in the last few minutes in a 3–0 loss at home to Woodford Town, he started himself in a 2–0 away loss to Great Wakering Rovers and a 3–3 away draw to Benfleet in which he got himself sent-off.

For the 2025–26 season Newby has only appeared three so far in a 3–1 win away to Clapton CFC in the Essex Senior Cup First Round, a 5–0 loss away at Benfleet in the league and a loss on penalties to Hullbridge Sports in the Peter Butcher Memorial Trophy. That was his last game for the Boro.

East Thurrock Community FC.

East Thurrock Community FC was formed in 2023 after the folding of East Thurrock United in which Newby previously played for. Newby made his debut in a one-off game at the start of the 2024-25 season in which he also scored, his first game back after signing properly was against Stanway Pegasus in the league, the rocks won 6–1 after a great second half display.

Basildon United

Newby was a player-interim manager in the 2019/20 season before he left in December 2019. Newbys first game in charge was a 4-2 thumping against Grays Athletic. Newby put on X (formerly known as Twitter) that

"Well it was nice while it lasted and gave me an insight into what it takes and what needs to be done by a manager behind the scenes. The lads have been amazing and I can't thank them enough for backing me. But it is all change at the club. I wish Basildon United all the best.”

It was said that he left due to mutual consent

Romford

Newby became manager after a successful 2 years at the club after winning the FA Vase in 2024. The 2024–25 season Romford had a great start, only losing 1 game by the start of November. Romford lost 5 games from November until New Year, then won on the first game back in 2025 in a 3–1 home win to Takeley, and less romfords last 2 wins of the season came along in a 3–0 home win against Stansted and 2–1 win vs Saffron Walden Town. Then it went downhill after a 4–1 loss away to Athletic Newham, after that the Boro had lost 10 of the last 12 games, they other 2 being draws away at Stanway Rovers and Benfleet. During them games Kris was joined by one of Romford's former management team Mark Holloway.

For the 2025–26 season Romford had signed some good looking playing like Ezra Agyiri, Guy Norton, Teddy Desmond, Ellis Devereux and re-signed one of our club legends making around 300 appearances and top-ever goal scorer Nick Reynolds from Frenford. So it was looking very promising after a decent start to pre-season winning against East Thurrock Community FC and Witham Town, but then losing to Hornchurch, Phoenix Sports and Basildon Town. The first game of the season was looking really good with a 4–2 win away at West Essex, but things started to slip losing 4–2 to Saffron Walden Town, 2–1 to Hullbridge Sports and 1–0 to Harwich & Parkeston in the league. Also a loss away to Stanway Rovers in the Extra-Preliminary Round of the FA Cup and a 2–0 loss away to Ilford in the FA Vase First Qualifying Round. But then on 26 August The Boro won 3–1 away to Clapton CFC in the Essex Senior Cup in which he subbed himself on in the 75th minute. His last game as manager was a 3-1 win away to Barking in the Essex Senior League.

It was announced on the 2nd of November 2025 that Kris Newby and Romford Football Club had parted company

Career statistics

*Most stats from https://www.footballwebpages.co.uk/, http://romfordfcarchive.co.uk/, https://eastthurrockcfc.com/

Individual Awards

Club Trophies

List of Goals