This club used a ground at the Six Bells, Perry Street[3] playing challenge and friendly matches and adopted the red and white colours of the local cricket team (for whom some of the players were members).

[7] Following development, including levelling of the across-field sloping pitch and construction of a timber stand, Collins' Meadow was renamed as the Athletic Ground in the early part of the 1895–96 season.

This success encouraged 'the Cementers' to move to a higher standard of football and into Division 1 of the Southern League for the 1896–97 campaign.

The club also competed in the midweek Thames and Medway Combination at this time and in the 1897–98 season they finished fourth, one point adrift from the champions - they would have topped the table had one of the Northfleet players not struck a referee and caused a match against Dartford in which they were 3–0 to the good being abandoned[9] and then being defeated in the replayed match.

But two months into the season in November 1898 Northfleet's weak financial position and indebtedness precipitated an amalgamation with (effectively an absorption by) neighbouring club Gravesend United.

In the latter two of these seasons 'the Fleet' again reached the Fourth Qualifying round of the FA Cup - losing out in replays on both occasions to leading Southern League Division 2 club Croydon Common.

'The Cementers' did though in 1921–22 progress their furthest to date in the FA Cup competition reaching the Fifth Qualifying round where they lost 3–1 in a replay at Football League Division 3 South club Gillingham.

In 1923 in an effort to balance expenditure with reduced income owing to falling attendances cutbacks were made to the team's playing strength - the manager position was cut and some amateur players recruited.

[14] The situation was alleviated with the commencement of a formal arrangement between Northfleet United and Football League Division 1 club Tottenham Hotspur:[15] this saw the latter club's young players placed at Northfleet enabling 'the Cementers' to maintain a less costly but as it transpired, competitive and successful team in Kent football through the mid-1920s.

In 1923–24 Northfleet United were the first team to have their name engraved on the Kent League Cup, winning the inaugural competition with victory over Ashford Railway Works in the final.

In the 1926–27 campaign the team were Kent League Cup finalists, losing to the Chatham-based Royal Naval Depot.

In 1937–38 Northfleet United etched their name for the last time on two trophies: the Kent Senior Cup (for the ninth occasion), after beating Dover in the final; and jointly on the Kent League Cup (for the fifth time), following a delayed drawn final, with London Paper Mills.

The club's best performance in the Kent Senior Shield during this period was a runners-up spot in the 1934–35 final losing to Dartford.

Owing to the existence of the nursery arrangement between Northfleet United and Tottenham Hotspur from 1937 onwards 'the Fleet' were barred from entering the FA Cup competition.

The Last Hurrah for 'the Cementers' was winning a tenth Kent League Championship title in 1938–39 (becoming champions for the fourth occasion over 5 seasons).

Although the 1939–40 Kent League season commenced it was suspended and cancelled within a month owing to the outbreak of the Second World War.