Bolehall Swifts F.C.
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| Full name | Bolehall Swifts Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Swifts | ||
| Short name | Bolehall, Swifts, BSFC | ||
| Founded | 1953 | ||
| Ground | Rene Road Ground, Tamworth | ||
| Coordinates | 52°38′08″N 1°40′24″W / 52.6355°N 1.6732°W | ||
| Chairman | Craig Hayward | ||
| Manager | Matt Minton | ||
| League | Midland League Division Two | ||
| 2022–23 | Midland League Division Two, 9th of 16 | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
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Bolehall Swifts Football Club is a football club based in Bolehall, a suburb of Tamworth, Staffordshire, England. They are currently members of the Midland League Division Two and play at the Rene Road Ground.
History[edit]
The club was established in 1953.[1] They joined the Tamworth & Trent Valley League, winning the League Shield and Agnes Durham Cup in their first season.[1] The club later won the Coleshill Charity Cup in 1955–56 and the Fazeley Charity Cup in 1975–76.[1]
After transferring to the Sutton District League, they moved on to the City & Suburban League, the Mercian League and then the Staffordshire County League (South).[1] In 1980 the club moved up to Division Three of the Midland Combination.[2] Division Three was renamed Division Two in 1983, and Bolehall were Division Two champions in 1984–85, also winning the Challenge Vase and the Fazeley Charity Cup.[1] Following promotion to Division One, they finished fifth in Division One the following season and were promoted to the Premier Division.[2]
In 1994 Bolehall were founder members of the Midland Alliance. However, after finishing second-from-bottom of the league in its inaugural season, they finished last in 1995–96 and were relegated back to the Premier Division of the Midland Combination.[2] The club remained in the Premier Division until 2014, winning the Challenge Cup in 1997–98, the Walsall Senior Cup in 2001–02 and the Birmingham Midweek Floodlit Cup in 2013–14.[1] In 2014 the Midland Combination and Midland Alliance merged to form the Midland League, with Bolehall placed in Division One.[2] The club won the Fazeley Charity Cup again in 2014–15.[1]
In 2017–18 Bolehall finished second-from-bottom of Division One and were relegated to Division Two. They finished second-from-bottom of Division Two the following season and bottom in 2021–22.
Ground[edit]
The club initially played behind the Jolly Sailor pub near the Castle Grounds in Tamworth, using an old double decker bus as changing rooms.[1] They later moved to Morrows' Field, located to the rear of the Gate Inn in Amington, before purchasing some allotments on Rene Road from a local farmer in 1959 for £350.[1]
The new Rene Road ground was opened in August 1961 with a friendly against Tamworth WMC.[1] A 150-seat stand known as the "Welcome to Bolehall Swifts Stand" was built behind one goal, with the standing only "Founded 1953 Stand" on one side of the pitch.[1]
Managerial history[edit]
| Period | Manager |
|---|---|
 Mick Hill
| |
| 1993–1994 | Roger Brown
|
| 1996–2002 | Ron Tranter
|
| 2002–2003 |  John Capaldi
|
| 2003–2004 | Ron Tranter
|
| 2004–2007 | Rob Masefield
|
| 2007–2008 | Paul Barnes
|
| 2009–2010 | Gary Walker
|
| 2010 | Peter Frain
|
| 2010–2013 | Daren Fulford
|
| 2013–2015 | Dave Haywood
|
| 2015 | Mark Taylor
|
| 2015–2016 | Craig Haywood
|
| 2016–2017 | Joe Obi
|
| 2017–2018 | Steve Johnson
|
| 2018–2019 | Jon Huckfield
|
| 2019 | Brad Roberts
|
| 2019–2021 | Gareth Hathaway
|
| 2021–Present | Matt Minton
|
Honours[edit]
- Midland Combination
- Division Two champions 1984–85
- Challenge Cup winners 1997–98
- Challenge Vase winners 1984–85
- Tamworth & Trent Valley League
- League Shield winners 1953–54
- Agnes Durham Cup winners 1953–54
- Walsall Senior Cup
- Winners 2001–02
- Coleshill Charity Cup
- Winners 1955–56
- Fazeley Charity Cup
- Winners 1975–76, 1984–85, 2014–15
- Birmingham Midweek Floodlit Cup
- Winners 2013–14
Records[edit]
- Best FA Cup performance: First qualifying round, 1994–95, 1995–96[2]
- Best FA Vase performance: Third round, 2013–14, 2014–15[2]