During the 1998/1999 off season two old rivals the Essex Chiefs and Redbridge Fire sat down to discuss the future of both teams. Meetings led to the creation of an organisation intended to become one of the leading lights of British American football, the Essex Spartans.

On a cold January afternoon in 1999 the first pre-season training session took place in Wanstead, London and the Spartans became a reality. The team's numbers were boosted by the demise of the (subsequently resurrected) Cambridge Cats, and with a couple of other players joining the squad from other teams the final roster was in excess of fifty. Everything was in place for an assault on the Division One title.

With a win in the first game all looked good. The final 7-3 record was sufficient to make the playoffs, where the Southern Sundevils were vanquished by 19-7. This set up an away game semi-final with the Gateshead Senators, where the run finally came to an end with a 33-19 loss. But the Spartans had made their mark.

Arranging a team of over fifty players and various game day preparations is a costly business. The squad relied heavily on St. Lawrence Bay Holiday Home Park of Essex who have been sponsoring Football since 1991, plus additional help from Steve Pikett, who purchased a set of shirts via his team in Minnesota, the Minnesota Maulers.

During the off-season NFL Europe got in touch with a view to starting a youth setup. Gary Duce relinquished the helm of the senior squad to concentrate on the emerging Juniors.

The Spartans' second season (2000) got off to an enthusiastic start with virtually all the previous year's players returning. But after defeating the Southend Sabres 32-0 in a friendly, the season opened with two bad defeats to the London Blitz. A win over the Southern Sundevils was followed by two crushing defeats by the London O's, burying any playoff aspirations. With 13 players being put out through season ending injuries and all three Americans either injured or out of the country the team limped to a 2-6 record, but sustained its pride. Particular credit went to Steve Berlingo, the league leader in interceptions, and Shulba Hunt, the sixth highest rusher in the league. Manager Tony Palmer, the then Division One Director, attended the Britbowl 2000 to present the Division One Trophy.

The 2001 campaign began in January with the second annual coaching visit of the Minnesota Maulers Coaches. But with a number of injuries sustained, a few players transferring to other teams and some US armed forces players from a nearby base unable to play, the seniors were forced to cancel their senior season several games in, and were realigned into division two for the next season.

The 2002 preseason saw the departure of Steve Pikett, succeeded as head coach by Dean Gibson, who announced his aim to build the Spartans back into a division one side.

Yet initially this was a time of upheaval and change. The team moved back to the Chiefs' old home ground in Basildon, and at first training attendances were small. Long-time star offensive player Shulba Hunt was kept out of the side with injuries for much of the season, and it turned out that the league had seen the last of his bullish running.

The 3-6-1 2002 record was a disappointment, but the club had laid the basis for a more solid future. The squad was once again growing. Americans Drew Bader (LB) and the diminutive Kenny Wanlass (WR) led the way, and with newly-signed former Redbridge QB Aaron Griffiths settling into the starting role, the basis of an exciting passing offense was laid for future seasons.

In the 2003 preseason Gibson used his US connections to help new Offensive Coordinator Dave Thomas develop an exciting new offensive playbook featuring many different looks and an emphasis on short passing. This suited the squad's increasingly formidable receiving corps, which welcomed back WR John Stott to replace the departed Wanlass, along with ever-present twin speedsters Paul and Chris Simpson. Even more importantly, the previously creaking offensive line was almost entirely rebuilt.

Results improved but fell short of expectations as the Spartans finished 5-4-1 and just missed out on the playoffs once again. However, the Spartans were moving in the right direction. WR Stott was voted team MVP for his 7 TD receptions and 2 TD returns, while Bader and LBs Chris Shawyer and Ben Calvert-Painter led an aggressive blitz-happy defense.

The Spartans entered the 2004 season having lost several veterans to retirement. With youthful replacements learning the game, the Spartans could only manage a 3-6-1 record for the second time in three seasons. On the positive side, RB coach Karlos Baah's hard work paid off as elusive new RB Colin Dash won the offensive MVP award for the season. Deep-threat WR Paul Simpson was by far and away the team's leading scorer, while Team Captain and LB Chris Shawyer won recognition as team's defensive MVP.

Going into 2005, the emphasis is on developing the young squad into one full of multi-skilled positional players. Held together through difficult times by Manager Tony Palmer, and with Duce's youth team thriving, the future of Essex football looks bright.

In 2005 the team was bolstered by the arrival of a number of former Sabres, including LB Kirk "Widget" Beacham, who won the defensive MVP award for the season. On offense, former junior Tony Ellis emerged as a dual running and receiving threat, leading the team with 11 TDs, while WR Phil Groombridge caught 6 TD passes in his rookie season. With a 5-3-2 record, the team progressed to the playoffs for the first time in several years, where they lost to the Oxford Saints.