Worksop Town F.C.
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| Full name | Worksop Town Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Tigers | ||
| Founded | 1861 | ||
| Ground | New Manor Ground[1] | ||
| Chairman | John Hepworth | ||
| Manager | Peter Rinkcavage | ||
| League | NPL Premier Division | ||
| 2008-09 | NPL Premier Division, 17th | ||
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Worksop Town Football Club are a semi-professional English football club from Worksop, Nottinghamshire who play in the Northern Premier League Premier Division. The club were based at Sandy Lane, but in May 2008 were forced to relocate to Hucknall Town's Watnall Road ground. This agreement ended in May 2009 and a new agreement was reached with Ilkeston Town.
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[edit] History
Although the first recorded items referring to its existence date from 1873, the club itself proclaims that its founding year was 1861. The team originally played on a pitch in the Netherton Road area of Worksop before moving to Central Avenue in 1891, the club's home for almost the next 100 years.
For much of their early existence Worksop Town played in the Midland League. Two notable FA Cup runs occurred during this period. In the 1907-08 season, the club reached the First Round Proper (the equivalent of the modern day competition's Third Round), and were drawn away against Chelsea. Although losing 9-1, the game drew an attendance of 70,184, a club record which still stands today. Another cup run occurred during the 1920-21 season, with Worksop becoming one of the famous FA Cup minnows by holding Tottenham Hotspur to a 0-0 draw at the Division One side’s White Hart Lane ground. The replay was controversially held at White Hart Lane for financial reasons, and saw Worksop lose 9-0. Supporters who had expected the replay to take place at Central Avenue showed their disappointment by staying away from subsequent home matches, an action that for a time saw the club’s debts mount.
In the mid 1960s Worksop won the Midland League and became founder members of the Northern Premier League. After one season the club were relegated back to the Midland League. By the late 1970s they had gained re-entry into the Northern Premier League. Around this time, Worksop had another relatively successful FA Cup run, reaching the First Round during the 1978-79 season, losing 5-1 away to Barnsley.
[edit] Recent history
The 1988-89 season saw Worksop once again relegated, this time to the newly formed Northern Premier League Division One. In the same season the club also lost their Central Avenue ground, and were forced to ground-share 20 miles away at local rivals Gainsborough Trinity. The club returned to Worksop three seasons later, moving to Sandy Lane in 1992. The 1990s proved to be a better decade for the club - after winning promotion to the Northern Premier Division at the end of the 1997-98 season, Worksop were runners-up in that division the following season. To date, this has been the club's best-ever finish within the National League System. The following few years brought continued top ten finishes, whilst the club was boosted by having former England international Chris Waddle in the team for three seasons, playing 60 games until leaving at the age of 42.
In September 2001, property developer Howard Raymond, son of adult entertainment entrepreneur Paul Raymond, became the club's financial backer, revealing plans to develop the Sandy Lane ground to Football League standard. For the start of the 2004-05 season, Worksop became founder members of the Conference North, created as part of Phase One of the restructuring of non-league English football. The latter half of that season saw the club hit financial difficulties, including a £60,000 debt to Bassetlaw Council. Raymond formed a new company, 1861 Leisure Limited, to take over the club and its assets. As a result, the club were deducted 10 points, transforming the team's season from a credible promotion challenge to a relegation battle. The club eventually finished 17th in their first season of Conference North football. The 2005-06 season saw the team further struggle, finishing 19th in the division, despite an impressive FA Trophy run which saw them beat Conference National sides Burton Albion and Accrington Stanley. 21st place in 2006-07 signalled relegation for Worksop, and with it a return back to the Northern Premier League Premier Division. Raymond disengaged from the football side of club business, but retained ownership of 1861 Leisure, and therefore the club's ground and assets. In February 2008, the club itself were severed from the holding company, becoming effectively tenants at Sandy Lane, and in April 2008, club officials were locked out of the ground. No reasons have been given for this action. The club played its home fixtures in 2008-09 at Watnall Road in Hucknall. finishing 17th in the Unibond Premier.
[edit] Stadium
The club's home ground from 1992 to 2008 was Sandy Lane, located just off Babbage Way, by which it is often known. Capacity is 3,200. It is about 400 metres from Worksop railway station. As a result of Howard Raymond's lockout in April 2008, the club no longer has use of the ground. For the 2008-2009 season, they entered into a groundsharing arrangement with Hucknall Town, thirty miles to the south, losing much support in the process. Hucknall terminated the agreement in May 2009, citing damage to the pitch and lack of additional revenue as reasons, as well as the fact that, Hucknall having been relegated from the Conference North, the two clubs would be playing in the same league in 2009-10. In June 2009, a new groundsharing arrangement was rached with Ilkeston Town, also over thirty miles south, for Worksop to play home fixtures at Ilkeston's New Manor Ground. Ilkeston's promotion to the Conference North ensured the teams will not be in the same league. In early 2009, tentative plans for a new ground were announced in the local paper, the Worksop Guardian.
[edit] Current squad
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[edit] Honours
- Midland Football League
- Champions 1921-22, 1965-66, 1972-73
- Northern Premier League2
- President's Cup winners 1986, 1996
- Chairman's Cup winners 2002
- Sheffield Senior Cup
- Winners 1924, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1970, 1973, 1982, 1985, 1995, 1997, 2003
[edit] League History
[edit] Former managers
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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Worksop Town F.C.
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Ashton United | Boston United | Bradford Park Avenue | Burscough | Buxton | Durham City | FC United of Manchester | Frickley Athletic | Guiseley | Hucknall Town | Kendal Town | King's Lynn | Marine | Matlock Town | Nantwich Town | North Ferriby United | Ossett Town | Retford United | Stocksbridge Park Steels | Whitby Town | Worksop Town |
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