EAST Thurrock United was founded in April 1969 by enthusiasts who felt the expanding area around the towns of Corringham and Stanford-le-Hope needed a senior non-league football club.
The Corringham Social Sunday side formed the basis for the new team.
But there were hurdles to overcome for the new club including finding a suitable ground. During the first season as members of the Southern Essex Combination in 1969/70 the home matches were played at Corringham Recreation Ground.
Manager Brian Payers guided the club to third place during the initial season and was a key figure in the team's formation.
The following season the Rocks moved up to the Intermediate section of the old Greater London League.
Success followed for the club, now playing at the Billet, Stanford-le-Hope, winning division two and one in of the league.
The side then applied to the Essex FA for senior status.
After moving in with Grays Athletic, the club was admitted to the Senior
  Division Two of the Metropolitan London League.
Following a third championship in a row, the club won promotion to the Premier Division.
But there was a ten year period of struggle as the founding fathers of  the club stepped down.
There were managerial and ground changes with the team at the Billet and hen at Tilbury FC.
After joining the Essex Senior League in 1979 the Rocks changed ground again to the former Thames Board Mills ground, Purfleet.
With loans from the Football Association, Thurrock Council and Greene King the team was able to buy its site in Corringham and played its first match there in 1984.
The club won its first senior trophy, the League Cup, in the 1988/89 season and won again in 1992.
An application to the Isthmian League was successful and the following season the Rocks joined Division Three.
Lee Patterson was appointed manager at the start of the 1999-2000 season and guided them to the Ryman Division 3 Championship title and promotion to Division Two, breaking every club record on route.
Patterson left during the next season with The Rocks sitting top of the table. Along with him went many of the players after his budget was cut.
The club slid down the table but still finished in the top half.
2002/03 saw the forming of Division One North and also new owners at Rookery Hill. After a poor start to the season with the club bottom of the league, the new owners offered Patterson the job again.  Rocks climbed out of trouble and picked up an impressive 45 points after Christmas. Silverware also returned to Rookery Hill with the East Anglian Cup being won for the first time with a 1-0 victory over Long Melford.
2003/04 saw the club reach the F.A Cup 4th qualifying round for the first time eventually losing to Conference side Woking   2-0 after a 1-1 draw at Rookery Hill. The club were also featured on BBC 1 Grandstand on the 'Road to Cardiff' The club were in with a chance of promotion till April and a fixture backlog eventually took its toll.
2004/05 saw the club switch to the Southern League in the latest F.A re-structure. The club were never out of the top 5 all season and finished runner up to Fisher Athletic and promotion back to the Ryman League and the Premier Division for its highest level of football in its history.