Nuneaton Town F.C.

Nuneaton Town
Nickname(s)	Boro
Founded	1889 (as Nuneaton St Nicholas)
Ground	Liberty Way; Nuneaton; (Capacity: 4,350 (250 seated))
Chairman	Ian Neale
Manager	Kevin Wilkin
League	Southern League; Premier Division
2008–09	Southern League; Division One Midlands, 2nd (promoted via play-offs)
Home colours	Away colours

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Nuneaton Town F.C is an English football club from the town of Nuneaton, Warwickshire. The team compete in the Southern Premier Division. This is the 3rd level of Non League Football. In the 2007–08 season they competed in the Conference North division, but due to a liquidation they were demoted to the Southern Football League Division One Midlands.

In 1889 Nuneaton St. Nicholas were the first team to play senior football within Nuneaton. Five years later they changed their name to Nuneaton Town, and played until 1937 when the club was disbanded. However, two days later Nuneaton Borough F.C. were founded but in 1992, the club was renamed Nuneaton Borough AFC. It was reformed as Nuneaton Town in 2008. The club is still known as Boro to those who support the team.^{[citation needed]}

The club play their home fixtures at Liberty Way in their home kit of blue and white stripes.

Local rival teams include Hinckley United, Bedworth United, Atherstone Town, Tamworth and Leamington.

[edit] History

[edit] 1889-1937

The club was formed in 1889 as Nuneaton St. Nicholas, nicknamed The Saints, changing their name to Nuneaton Town five years later. Also known as The Nuns and The Townies, Nuneaton Town were founder members of the North Warwickshire League, also playing in the Coventry and District League, Coventry and North Warwick, Leicestershire, Nuneaton and District, and Trent Valley Combination. In 1902–03 Nuneaton Town won the Nuneaton League, and were Coventry and North Warwick League champions in 1904–05. For the 1906–07 season the club joined the Birmingham Junior League, winning the league at the first attempt. A further title in the renamed Birmingham Combination followed in 1914–15. From 1919 until 1924 Nuneaton competed in the Birmingham & District League, in the Southern League from 1924 to 1926, before returning to the Birmingham Combination in 1926. The club went on to win two further Birmingham Combination titles, in 1928–29 and 1930–31. Nuneaton rejoined the Birmingham League in 1933, competing there until 1937 when the club were disbanded after the club's directors had sold the club’s Manor Park ground to the Nuneaton Corporation the previous December.

[edit] 1937–1991

Two days after the original Nuneaton Town were disbanded, the newly named Nuneaton Borough F.C. took their place. Nuneaton spent the 1937–38 campaign in the Central Amateur League playing at the former Nuneaton Town ground Manor Park and were assisted by several of the 'Nuns' younger players. The following season the club turned semi-professional while also moving to the Birmingham Combination. During the clubs tenure in the league finished as runners-up three times, never finishing below sixth place between 1945 and 1956. In 1952 Nuneaton Borough moved to the Birmingham League where they won the championship back-to-back in 1954–55 and 1955–56. Then in 1958 the club switched to the Southern League, and the following year they were founder members of the league's Premier Division. They spent the next 16 years in the Premier Division, finishing second in 1966–67 and runners-up to Wimbledon in 1974–75. In 1979 they were founder members of the Alliance Premier League, which later became the Conference National. Their stay was short lived, and after 2 seasons the club was relegated. However, they won the Midland section of the Southern League at the first attempt and were duly promoted back to the Alliance Premier League. In 1983–84 and 1984–85 they finished runners-up but failed to capitalise. Then in 1987 they were relegated back into the Southern League Premier Division due to irregularities off the field and went into freefall. The club lasted just one season in the Southern League Premier Division, suffering a second successive relegation. A new board of directors took over, and in 1991 Nuneaton Borough A.F.C was formed.

[edit] Nuneaton Borough A.F.C.

In 1993 Nuneaton Borough A.F.C, nicknamed The Boro, won the Southern League Midland Division title and were promoted back into the Premier Division, but were relegated after only one season.
In 1994/1995 season, Nuneaton Borough took on Bedworth United away for the first time in 16 years on the 2nd December. A crowd of 5,204 turned up for a league game at The Oval. 4,000 of that figure were believed to be from Nuneaton.
In the 1995–96 season the club won the Midland Division and the Southern League Cup.
Three years later in 1999 Nuneaton Borough finally won the Southern League Championship, earning themselves a place in the top flight of English non-league football. Whilst playing in the Conference the club improved and achieved a top ten finish. Nuneaton attained top position for a few weeks, technically one place from full football league status, and this remains their highest ever league position to date.
Then on the final day of the 2002–03 season the club suffered another agonising relegation, which saw the club yet again in the Southern League.
A year later the league structure was changed dramatically; and a fourth place finish saw the club achieve a position in Conference North.
In the first ever season in 2004–05 Nuneaton Borough finished second and earned themselves a place in the play-offs They eventually lost to Altrincham in the play-off semi-finals. The club were also awarded the Fair Play Award for having just one player sent off all season.
In January 2006 boro made a big FA cup run to reach the third round, they draw premiership side Middlesbrough. to Manor Park. After beating AFC Telford United, Chelmsford City, Tiverton Town, Ramsgate and Histon. Borough got a 1–1 draw against Middlesbrough in front of a ground of 6,000 with 800 fans from Middlesbrough. Borough went to the Riverside Stadium for a replay to see there team lose 2–5.
In May 2007, the curtain came down on Manor Park as they drew the last game 1–1 against Vauxhall Motors, Gez Murphy taking the honour of being the last Nuneaton Borough scorer at the ground with a penalty.
In the 2007–08 season, owner Ted Stocker planned to sell his shares as he was suffering from ill health and in March 2008 local business man Ian Neale planned to take ownership of the club for a trial period but he then took 100% ownership of the club in April.
In May 2008, Ian Neale found some irregularities in the finances of the club and fears raised that the club would have to be forced into administration.
On 2 June 2008 Nuneaton Borough A.F.C went in to liquidation.

[edit] Nuneaton Town F.C

In June 2008, the club was reformed as Nuneaton Town F.C. Following Nuneaton Borough's liquidation The FA insisted that the new club have a different name, accompanied by a double relegation to the Southern League Division One Midlands. A campaign has since been launched by fans aimed at bringing back the club's Borough suffix.

On Saturday 2 May 2009, Town clinched promotion via the play-offs of the Southern League Division One Midlands, beating Chasetown 1–0 through Top Scorer, Rob Foster, this was in front of a Liberty Way record crowd of 3,111.

In August 2009 Nuneaton returned to the Southern League Premier Division. In November 2009 reached the first round of the FA Cup and took on Exeter City. On their way they beat Brigg Town, Carlton Town, Gainsborough Trinity and Kendal Town.

[edit] Cup Competitions

[edit] F.A. Cup

Nuneaton Town first entered the FA Cup in 1899 but never progressed to the competition proper. This is something which Nuneaton Borough have achieved twenty-one times, including victories over Football League sides Watford, Swansea, Oxford and most recently Stoke.

Nuneaton Borough have progressed to the FA Cup Third Round Proper three times, in 1949–50, 1966–67 and 2005–06. Their 1966–67 run carried them further than any other non-league club that season. A crowd of 22,114 were in attendance at their Manor Park ground on January 28, 1967 when Rotherham were held to a draw in a Third Round tie. Rotherham beat Boro 1–0 at Millmoor in the closely fought replay.

Middlesbrough visited Manor Park On 7 January 2006, and could only achieve a 1–1 daw with Nuneaton, Gez Murphy scoring an equalizing penalty in the 90th minute, earning Nuneaton a replay against a Premier League side approximately 100 places above them. Middlesbrough won the replay at the Riverside Stadium 5–2.

Other giant killings of note came against Stoke City in 2001, Marc McGregor with a 90th minute winner, and in 1993 a win over Swansea City, with Tony Simpson netting both goals.

The club will make its first appearance in the FA Cup First Round in its current guise of Nuneaton Town, on 7 November 2009 when they entertain Exeter City. This will also be the first time that Liberty Way will host a game in the FA Cup competition proper. The game ended with Exeter wining 4–0.

[edit] F.A. Trophy

Nuneaton Borough’s best run has seen them reach the quarter-final three times: In 1977 (a replay), in 1980 and 1987. They endured an awful run in the competition between 1995 and 2006 however. In this time they did not win a single FA Trophy game. In 2006 the run ended with a win at Bradford Park venue. The previous win was in 1995 at Spennymoor United.

[edit] Birmingham Senior Cup

The Boro won the Birmingham Senior Cup for the first time in 1931 and have won it a total of eight times since. Recently in 2002

[edit] Stadia

[edit] Manor Park

Nuneaton's former home ground, Manor Park

From the club's early years until 2007 Boro played at Manor Park; a 6,000 capacity stadium at the time of its closure. The record attendance was 22,114 spectators who had packed into the ground for an FA Cup tie against Rotherham United in 1967.

The club played their final game at Manor Park, on 28 April 2007, in a 1–1 draw with Vauxhall Motors. Gez Murphy scored Boro's last goal at the ground from the penalty spot.

The Stadium has now been knocked down and is being redeveloped for housing by former shirt sponsors Bloor Homes.

[edit] Liberty Way

Nuneaton Borough moved into their new purpose built ground, Liberty Way, during the 2007–08 season. The ground is shared with Nuneaton Rugby Club. The ground was built in three phases by local building firm Ian Neale Construction and was completed at the end of 2007.

The move to Liberty Way was not straightforward. Originally the club planned to move from Manor Park to the new ground for the 2005–06 season but ended up having to wait 2 seasons before work was completed. Also the club hit a snag over the covenant protecting Manor Park which was eventually cleared so the club could move to Liberty Way. The ground-share plan with Nuneaton RFC was planned by former Owner Ted Stocker after many new ground plans across Nuneaton were rejected by the local council.^{[citation needed]}

The club chairman has announced plans to build a permanent new stand, in an attempt to bring the ground up to the standards required for the Conference National, and a remembrance garden for families of the people who had their Ashes scattered at Manor Park. A new smaller North Stand is being built for the 2008–09 season.

The groundshare with the Nuns is not harmonious however, as the rent the rugby club have to pay to use the pitch has been upped to £15,000, a fee the rugby club are currently refusing to pay.^{[citation needed]}.

Since then the nuns have agreed a deal of ground sharing & will return to the stadium this season.

[edit] Mascot

The official mascot now is Tribune Tiger, due to sponsorship with the local newspaper, The Nuneaton Tribune. Bruno the Bear was formerly the official mascot of Nuneaton Borough A.F.C. Several rumors have been circling that the Tribune Tiger is temporary and that the original Bruno the Bear costume was damaged (and would supposedly be restored once repaired).

[edit] Current squad

No.		Position	Player
		GK	Darren Acton
		GK	Neil Collett
		DF	Rob Oddy
		DF	Eddie Nisevic
		DF	Gareth Dean
		DF	Ed Matthews
		DF	Danny Pitham
		DF	Guy Hadland
		DF	Jamie Williams
		DF	Stuart Pierpoint
		MF	Paul Spacey

No.		Position	Player
		MF	James Armson
		MF	Kyle Storer
		MF	Matthew Collins
		MF	Mark Noon
		MF	Lee Moore
		MF	Adam Walker (on loan from Coventry City)
		MF	Kevin Thornton
		FW	Rob Foster
		FW	Justin Marsden
		FW	Chris Dillon

[edit] Top scorers

5 players have scored over 100 league goals for the club.

Paul Culpin
Martyn Twigger
Tony Cutler
Tony Jacques

Rob Straw scored 100 goals for Nuneaton, though not all in the league.

[edit] Notable former players

[edit] Honours

Conference National
- Runners Up: 1983–84, 1984–85
Conference North
- Runners Up: 2004–05
Southern League Premier Division
- Champions: 1998–99
- Runners Up: 1966–67, 1974–75
Southern League Midland Division
- Champions: 1981–82, 1992–93, 1995–96,
- Runners Up: 2008–09
Southern League Cup
- Winners: 1995–96
- Finalists: 1962–63
Birmingham Senior Cup
- Winners: 1931, 1949, 1956, 1960, 1978, 1980, 1993, 2002

[edit] References

[edit] External links