Atherstone Town F.C.
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| Full name | Atherstone Town Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Adders | ||
| Founded | 2004 (originally 1887) | ||
| Ground | Sheepy Road Atherstone Warwickshire |
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| Capacity | 3,500 | ||
| Chairman | Justin Palmer | ||
| Manager | Ivor Green | ||
| League | Midland League Division One | ||
| 2014–15 | Midland League Division One, 13th | ||
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Atherstone Town Football Club is a football club based in Atherstone, Warwickshire, England.
They were officially established in 2004 after a previous club bearing the same name folded in 1979. They currently play in the Midland League Division One.
Contents
History
The original Atherstone Town club was formed in 1887, and after drifting between various local leagues, settled in the Birmingham Combination in 1911, where they remained until 1954. Prior to this the Adders had gained national recognition by reaching the semi-final of the FA Amateur Cup in both 1907 and 1909. After several decades of varying performance, the 1947–48 season saw the Adders claim the Birmingham Combination League and Cup double. In 1954 they stepped up to the Birmingham and District League (later renamed the West Midlands (Regional) League), where they were runners-up in 1972 and moved up to the Southern League. In their first season they gained promotion to the Premier Division, where their best position was third in 1973–74, but the club was forced into liquidation in the summer of 1979.
A group of local enthusiasts managed to fulfil the team's reserve fixtures in the West Midlands League under the name Atherstone United and then decided to continue under that name as a new club.
In 1982 the new club won promotion to the West Midlands (Regional) League Premier Division, followed in 1986–87 by winning the Premier Division title and promotion to the Southern League Midland Division. Two years later they were promoted again, to the Southern League Premier Division, where they finished as high as 4th. However, the end of the 1999–00 season saw Atherstone relegated for the first time in either incarnation. The situation at the club worsened and in September 2003 Atherstone United were put into liquidation. Again a group of supporters formed a new Atherstone Town club.
In their debut season the new Atherstone Town were accepted into the Midland Combination Division One, winning the league and promotion at the first attempt along with the President's Cup. In the 2005–06 season, they were the champions of the Midland Combination Premier Division and thus stepped up to the Midland Football Alliance. Further success in 2005–06 came in the Birmingham County FA Midweek Floodlit Cup and the Midland Combination Endsleigh Challenge Cup. In the 2007–08 season, the club won promotion again as champions of the Midland Football Alliance, the club's third promotion in four seasons. The first season in the Southern League Midland Division saw the Adders in the top three for most of the season. At the end they finished third behind champions Leamington and near neighbours Nuneaton Town. They made the play-offs, only to lose to Chasetown. They did however win the GX Southern League Cup for the first time after beating Bridgwater Town in the two legged final.
Due to financial problems, the club had to resign from the Southern League mid-way during the 2010–11 season. In 2011–12 they played in the Midland Football Alliance but were relegated at the end of the season to the Midland Combination Premier Division. The team were managed by Dale Belford, his assistant manager is Steve Hinks, Reserve team manager is Richard Smith and Youth Team manager Mark Grainger and first team coach is Wayne Chapman. However Belford moved back to Tamworth, and the club are now managed by Mark Grainger, who was joined later by Martin Sockett as a joint manager.
Disorder broke out at an FA Cup game against Barrow at Sheepy Road on 12 October 2013, when Atherstone fans invaded the pitch and were involved in clashes with visiting supporters. The following February when 29 Atherstone fans were charged in court for their conduct months earlier.[1] In November 2015, those charged were sentenced to prison sentences for their violent behaviour.
Players
Current squad
- As of 21 April 2013
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Management and coaching staff
Current staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| First Team Manager | Ivor Green |
| First Team Assistant Manager | David Turner |
| Reserve Team Manager | |
| Youth team Manager |
Managerial history
Information correct as of 30 March 2010. Only competitive matches are counted. Wins, losses and draws are results at the final whistle; the results of penalty shoot-outs are not counted.
| Name | Nationality | From | To | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Win% | Honours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Gallagher |  |
1991 | 1992 | ||||||||
| Jimmy Ginnelly | |
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| Daren Fulford | |
3 June 2009 | 27 January 2010 | ||||||||
| Mark Grainger* | |
27 January 2010 | 31 January 2010 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 100.00 | |
| Dale Belford | |
2 February 2010 | 19 February 2011 | 50 | 13 | 14 | 23 | 77 | 110 | 26.00 | |
| Mark Grainger | |
20 February 2011 | 18th May 2013 | 80 | 32 | 14 | 34 | 111 | 92 | 40.00 |
- Key
- * Served as caretaker manager.
- † Served as caretaker manager before being appointed permanently.
Seasons
| Season | League | FA Cup | Top scorer[2] | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | Pos | ||||
| 1945–46 | Birmingham Combination | 32 | 18 | 4 | 10 | 91 | 64 | 40 | 4th | |||
| 1946–47 | Birmingham Combination | 36 | 18 | 6 | 12 | 85 | 73 | 42 | 5th | |||
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Club records
- Best League performance:
- original Atherstone Town: Southern League Premier Division, 3rd, 1975–76
- Atherstone United: Southern League Premier Division, 4th, 1993–94
- new Atherstone Town: Midland Alliance champions, 2007–08
- Best FA Cup performance:
- original Atherstone Town: 4th Round Qualifying, 1964–65 and 1968–69
- Atherstone United: 2nd Round, 1990–91
- new Atherstone Town: 3rd Round Qualifying, 2008–09, 2013–14
- Best FA Trophy performance:
- original Atherstone Town: 3rd Round, 1975–76 and 1977–78
- Atherstone United: 2nd Round, 1998–99 and 2000–01
- new Atherstone Town: none
- Best FA Vase performance:
- original Atherstone Town: none
- Atherstone United: 6th Round, 1982–83
- new Atherstone Town: First Round, 2006–07
References
- ↑ Warwickshire Police report on the charges
- ↑ Goals in all competitions are counted.
- Atherstone Town at the Football Club History Database
External links
- Use British English from May 2015
- Football kits with incorrect pattern
- Incomplete lists from February 2011
- Official website not in Wikidata
- Use dmy dates from February 2011
- Atherstone Town F.C.
- Midland Football Alliance
- Association football clubs established in 2004
- Atherstone
- Southern Football League clubs
- Football clubs in Warwickshire
- 2004 establishments in England
- Phoenix clubs (association football)
- Midland Football League
- West Midlands (Regional) League
