Barton Town Old Boys F.C.

Barton Town Old Boys

Full name	Barton Town Old Boys Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Swans
Founded	1995
Ground	The Euronics Ground Barton-upon-Humber, Lincolnshire
Ground Capacity	3,000
Manager	Dave Anderson Mally Parker
League	Northern Counties East League Premier Division
2014–15	Northern Counties East League Premier Division, 5th
Website	Club home page
Home colours Away colours

Barton Town Old Boys Football Club is a football club based in Barton-upon-Humber, Lincolnshire, England. For the 2013–14 season, they were members of the Northern Counties East League Premier Division. The club was formed in 1995 after a merger of two of the most established clubs in Barton upon Humber; Barton Town F.C. and Barton Old Boys FC.

History

Barton Town Old Boys Football Club was formed at the start of the 1995/96 season as a result of the amalgamation of the two longest established and most successful clubs in the North Lincolnshire town of Barton upon Humber, Barton Town F.C. and Barton Old Boys FC.

Barton Town had been in existence for well over 100 years, being formed in 1880, and playing out of their Marsh Lane ground, still the home of the new club, since 1927. “ Town “ was one of the founder members of the Lincolnshire League, winning it in 1960/61, before embarking on its “ golden era “ over the following two decades, initially in the Midland League and then, particularly, in the Yorkshire League. The club returned to the Lincolnshire League in the early 1980s, winning the first division title in 1981/82. The “ Swans “ remained in the league for the next 10 years before dropping out for the usual off-field reasons, lack of help and finance. Barton Old Boys had been a member of the Scunthorpe and District League since 1959, eventually boasting two sides, in the first and second divisions. Over the ten-year period from the mid-1980s,

Barton Old Boys were arguably the most consistently successful team in the league, culminating in 1994/95 with the winning of all four major Scunthorpe League competitions, a first at the time.

To progress the two clubs merged and started the 1995/96 season in the Lincolnshire League. After a disastrous start, the new Barton Town Old Boys finished fourth and won the Lincs. County Senior "B" Cup for good measure. 1996/97 saw the team's fortunes peak, winning the League and Challenge Cup “ double “, since when another County Cup triumph and two more Challenge Cup titles have been added to the list of honours. After five seasons in the Lincolnshire League, things were starting to turn stale, on and off the pitch, so the decision was made to move on, into the newly formed Humber Premier League for the start of the 2000/01 season. Despite being the only side from south of the River Humber, the team finished third.

However, to gain a foothold on the football pyramid, the decision was made to move on again. Consequently, Barton Town Old Boys joined the Central Midlands League for the start of the 2001/02 season, bringing in Leigh Palin as first team coach to work alongside manager Peter Mitchell. The move paid off as the team finished runners up in the Premier Division, gaining automatic promotion to the Supreme Division for the start of the 2002/03 season. After a difficult start to the following season, Palin left the club in October 2002 and was succeeded in January 2003 by Alex Irvine who joined the club as joint manager, working alongside ex Hull City and Brigg Town player Neil Buckley. After flirting with relegation, the team put together a run of nine wins from the last 12 games to finish the season in 13th position. Alex Irvine left the club that summer, leaving Neil Buckley in sole charge. 2003/04 saw the team finish in 7th place, separated from the top six by goal difference only.

There was further improvement in 2004/05 as Buckley, alongside long-serving Old Boys player Ian Durnian as assistant manager, saw the progress continue as the team claimed fourth spot, being denied a top three place only because of a draw in the final game of the season. Summer 2005 marked the installation of state of the art floodlights at the Marsh Lane ground and that, along with the securing of a long term sponsorship deal with the local Euronics Centre, signalled the club's intent both on and off the pitch prior to season 2005/06. On the pitch, that intent was certainly realised as the title of Supreme Division Champions 2005/06 was added to the club's list of honours. Off the field, ground grading requirements prohibited promotion to the Northern Counties East League, the club's immediate ambition. As a result, the club embarked on an extensive redevelopment programme, bringing in Paul Friskney as chief executive officer to oversee the project which involved, amongst other things, turning the playing area and floodlights through 90°, new access, car-parking, changing rooms, clubhouse and stands.

Supreme Division runners-up at the end of the 2006/07 season, the club was in the position of being considered once more for promotion to the Northern Counties East League and this time the facilities were deemed acceptable. Ninth place in Division One was the outcome of the club's first foray in the NCEL, although the team had been promotion contenders until around about the turn of the year, before loss of form, injuries and suspensions took their toll. A great run in the League Cup, which saw a number of Premier Division sides beaten at Marsh Lane en route to the semi-final provided some consolation for missing out. After five seasons at the helm, late July 2008 saw the resignation of Neil Buckley, due to increased work commitments. The club responded promptly, promoting coach Carl Stead to the hot-seat to work alongside existing assistant manager, Ian Durnian and newly appointed player/coach, Craig Burdick. In the 2008/09 season the team finished in fifth place after another dip in form in the new year, which saw the team slump from promotion contenders to also-rans, some eleven points adrift of a guaranteed promotion slot. The disappointment of missing out was compounded by the loss of a number of key senior players who had been instrumental, with others, in the club's success over the previous four seasons.

The 2009/10 season proved to be another season of two halves. In contrast to the previous two seasons, it began poorly, one or two bright spots notwithstanding, and, plagued by a number of injuries, showed little sign of improvement as the season wore on. With the team marooned in mid-table in late November 2009 and finding it increasingly difficult to balance family and work commitments with football, Carl Stead resigned. Ian Durnian assumed the mantle of caretaker until a new management team of Dave Anderson and Mally Parker was appointed in early January 2010 and led the team to a sixth place finish, largely on the back of an unbeaten away run stretching back to January.

In their first full season at the helm Anderson and Parker guided the side to promotion to the Premier Division, the highest level in the history of the club. Promotion was finally secured on the last day of the season. After a fraught start, the first season in the top flight saw the club finish 11th, helped in no small way by a seven match winning streak, part of a longer unbeaten run in all competitions during November and December. The team also made it through to two cup finals, the County Senior Trophy and the President's Cup.

Honours

• Northern Counties East Football League Division One
  • Runners-up 2010–11

• Northern Counties East Football League President's Cup
  • Runners-up 2011–12

• Central Midlands League Supreme Division
  • Champions 2005–06

• Central Midlands League Premier Division
  • Runners-up 2001–02

• Lincolnshire Football League
  • Champions 1996–97
  • Runners-up 1997–98, 1998–99

External links

• Official website