In the shadows of other Benin City teams such as Bendel Insurance and New Nigeria Bank, Rubber Board football club was founded in the early 1980s.
The team was subsequently sold and bought over by Chief Patrick Osakwe, currently a Senator for Delta State and at the time the owner of Flash pools who renamed the team Flash Flamingoes.
[1] After placing 2nd in the 1988 Nigerian FA Cup, the team was bought by Bendel State governor Tunde Ogbeha and renamed Bendel United and the next season placed 4th in the Nigerian League.
In 2006, the team was bought by controversial owner Igbinowahia Ekhosuehi from Solomon Edebiri and renamed Esan FC.
After being on hiatus, Edebiri announced plans in 2013 to resurrect the team under the name Bendel United.