Previously the ground had been home to Southern League club Grays United, but they had merged into Athletic.

The record attendance of 9,500 was set in 1959 during an FA Cup tie with Chelmsford City.

In 1981 the Club Patron, Mr. Ron Billings, ensured the future of Grays Athletic at the Rec by purchasing the ground.

The ground was redeveloped at the beginning of the 2004–05 season in order to meet the standards set by the Football Conference, and was renamed the New Recreation Ground, often nicknamed The New Rec.

Grays Athletic had planned to move to a new stadium, but at the end of the 2009–10 season announced they would groundshare at East Thurrock United's Rookery Hill.