Spennymoor Town F.C.
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| Full name | Spennymoor Town Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Moors | ||
| Founded | 1931 (as Evenwood Town) | ||
| Ground | The Brewery Field Spennymoor County Durham | ||
| Capacity | 4,000 | ||
| Chairman | Bradley Groves | ||
| Manager | Jason Ainsley | ||
| League | Northern Football League | ||
| 2012–13 | Northern Football League Division One, 2nd | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
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Spennymoor Town F.C. is an English football club based in Spennymoor, England, and playing in the Northern League Division One in the English football league system. The club began playing in the Northern League in 1931–32 as Evenwood Town, reaching the 1st round of the FA Cup in the 1956–57 season. In 2005, the club changed their name to Spennymoor Town. The club's current expanding fan base consists entirely of supporters of Spennymoor United, who folded in 2005.
Spennymoor United
Spennymoor United had a lot of success over the years. Most notable was their success in the 1977-1978 season, where they reached the Semi-Final of the FA Trophy, where they lost to Leatherhead 2-0 away in the 1st leg and won 2-1 at home in the 2nd Leg, losing 3-2 on aggregate. That year, Spennymoor United also won the Northern League for the fifth time in the space of 10 years. The following year, Spennymoor only reached the 2nd Round of The FA Trophy.
During the 1990-1991 season, Spennymoor joined the Northern Counties East League Premier Division and in the 1992-1993 season were champions, only on goal difference. The following season, they were runners up of the Northern Premier League Division One and were promoted to the Premier Division. However, in the turn of the new millennium, with financial troubles resulting in losing 35 out of their 44 fixtures, they were relegated for the first time in their history. In the 2002-2003 season, they were promoted back to the Premier Division as runners up after losing the title on goal difference. The following season, the clubhouse was burnt down on Christmas Day 2003 and the club had lost their main source of income.
Things only went from bad to worse from then on. In the 2004-2005 season, they were deducted 24 points[1] after failing to fulfil the fixture list due to not being able to field a side. During that season, manager Graeme Clarke resigned after losing 5-1 to Gateshead[2] on the 25th March 2005 (Good Friday), followed soon by Secretary Thomas Metcalfe for supposed health reasons. The club resigned from the league after 33 games that season and later folded,[3] which caused controversy over the unfulfilled fixtures.
History
Spennymoor United was reborn under the name of Spennymoor Town, after a merger with Evenwood, who also folded in the same year. Out of the gloom, people were working hard and managed to get the club together for the start of 2005–06. Headed by Alan Murray the fans rallied round and formed an independent supporters group, initially with the aim of running the club themselves.[4][5] Both groups submitted their bids with the local council, but after a meeting held at the Penny Gill, it was agreed to stand down and let Alan Murray’s plan go ahead. The application proceeded with the name change to Spennymoor Town, the club were accepted into the Northern League Division 2.
First Games
On Saturday 13 August 2005, the first league game as Spennymoor Town was to be played at home against Darlington R.A, which was met with a major attraction from the town. The official attendance for that first game was 511 people, in which the newly formed Spennymoor Town were victorious with a 3-2 win.[6] The following Tuesday, The Moors carried on their winning ways, beating Guisborough 3-1. In the first four home games under the new name, one of those including The F.A Cup Preliminary Round, the club attracted over 1300 people[7] to The Brewery Field.
Troubles
In their first season, the club got off to a good start, finishing in a respectable 6th position. But things behind the scenes were not good, a rift between the club and the fans grew, as did the rift between the committee and the chairman. During the summer of 2006 the situation came to a head and resulted in the entire committee resigning their posts and the club being taken over by Alan Murray.[8]
The club also tried to change its name back to Spennymoor United before the 2006–07 season. However, the FA rejected the proposal. The fans hope one day to get this name back and carry on under their old name.
During the summer of 2007, yet another crisis hit the club when the council evicted the club from its home of 103 years.[9][10] However, after a lot of good work by individuals of the football club, in particular the chairman, Vice Chairman Alan Courtney and Secretary Jonathan Le Poidevin, a new 25 year lease was agreed on 25 September 2007, securing the future of the club.
Success and Promotion
In 2006, a management team of Jamie Pollock and Moors favourite Jason Ainsley was put in place.[11] Together they put together a strong squad of players. After a slow start, consisting of 6 away games out of the first seven, and a high number of draws, the squad went from strength to strength. They went unbeaten in the league from November, until the 7th April 2007, where they travelled to Penrith. Backed by a travelling support of over 150 fans, if they won and Seaham lost, they would be champions. At half time, the news came through that Seaham were losing 3–1. Spennymoor's place was booked as champions when Tom Jones netted a 87th minute winner.[12]
Spennymoor’s first season back in the 1st Division of the Northern League resulted in them finishing in a mid table position. They also had a few memorable cup games, defeating higher league opposition in Garforth Town and Brigg Town. They narrowly missed out on a Durham Challenge Cup final appearance against Sunderland, losing the semi-final to a 120th minute winner 1–0 at Gateshead.
The 2009–10 season was a huge success, leading to them being crowned Northern Football League Division One Champions with 100 points, a feat that was surpassed the season after by winning the league with 103 points. Despite winning the league in three consecutive seasons (2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12), the club did not apply for promotion as they wanted to be financially stable before they took the next step up. Many ground improvements were made during the 2012-2013 season including the installation of state of the art floodlights. Although an application for promotion was subsequently made after their runners-up position in 2012-13 to Darlington 1883 (again breaking the 100 point mark), the club was not deemed by the FA worthy enough of an offer of promotion.
The FA Vase
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Route to the Final
After many failed attempts to win the FA Vase, the 2012-2013 season saw Spennymoor Town reach the final at Wembley Stadium for the first time. They started in the first round against Bridlington Town, winning 5–1, with fan favourite Gavin Cogdon scoring his first goal in the season's competition. He finished the campaign with 11 goals, including his goal at Wembley with his traditional handstand celebration. In the second round, they were drawn at home to fellow Northern League side Newcastle Benfield, winning 5–1 again, with Gavin Cogdon scoring 3 penalties. In the third round, Spennymoor played another Northern League team, Billingham Synthonia, winning 2–0. They were then drawn against Lordswood in the fourth round, winning 3–1. In the fifth round, they played Bemerton Heath Harlequins winning 4–2. In the quarter finals, Spennymoor drew Gornal Athletic, where they won 3–1. In the semi-finals, Spennymoor were drawn against the small island side Guernsey FC. The team and some fans had travelled over 450 miles by plane to Guernsey to watch the team play, in front of a crowd of 4290, 4100 of which were Guernsey fans. They won 3–1 in the first leg at Footes Lane in Guernsey and won 1–0 in the second leg for a 4–1 win on aggregate. Spennymoor were the fourth Northern League team in 5 years to reach the final at Wembley and there was much to celebrate about. Many fans had used the term 'Spirit of '78', referring to Spennymoor United's success in the FA Cup in 1978, to spur the team on with their success.
Their opponents in the final, Tunbridge Wells started in the second round after receiving a bye in the first round, due to having reached the fifth round the previous year, by defeating Hellenic League Premier Division team Wantage Town 2-0 at their Culverden Stadium. In the third round, they were drawn away to Binfield, where they won 2–1 after extra time (aet). In the fourth round, Tunbridge Wells were drawn against the 2011-2012 FA Vase holders, Dunston UTS. After the match was postponed four times due to bad weather, Tunbridge Wells won 1–0 at the Culverden Stadium. In the fifth round, they were drawn away to Larkhall Athletic, where they won 4–3 aet. In the quarter finals, they played Hadleigh United. In front of a record home crowd, Tunbridge Wells won 2–0. In the semi-finals, Tunbridge Wells defeated Northern League side Shildon 4–3 on aggregate after a 2–0 win at the Culverden Stadium in the first leg and a 3–2 aet loss in the second leg. This made Tunbridge Wells the second Kent League team to reach the FA Vase final in its history.
The Final
The Build Up
After a meeting at Wembley Stadium the week after the semi-finals, both the Spennymoor and Tunbridge Wells management and captains met with The Football Association to decide the choice of dressing rooms and the kit selections. Tickets for the final were released on sale on 2 April 2013, with Tunbridge Wells selling over 2,600 tickets within the first 24 hours, comparing with an average home crowd of 138.
Spennymoor Town saw an daily piece in Darlington based newspaper The Northern Echo throughout the month leading up to the final. Also, articles and television pieces were set up with BBC Look North, ITV Tyne Tees News and Late Kick Off after their win over Guernsey. A special thanks has to go out to Hayley from NLFPP and Martin Walker for their hard work and dedication with pieces on the team and management throughout the entire campaign.
Both teams set up shops in their respective towns. On 12 April 2013, Spennymoor Town opened a shop under Spennymoor Town Hall after the space was loaned to them by the Mayor of Spennymoor. On 16 April, Tunbridge Wells opened a temporary shop in the offices of the Kent and Sussex Courier newspaper in Royal Tunbridge Wells. On 27 April 2013, Tunbridge Wells opened a second temporary shop in the Royal Victoria Place shopping centre to deal with the demand of merchandise.
The expected Spennymoor Town captain for the game Daniel 'Bobby' Moore, had broken his ankle 9 days before the final in a match against Ashington. Fans and players alike were devastated for him and showed well wishes for Bobby soon after.
4th May 2013
The big day had arrived. All the build up, all the media coverage, all the hype, had lead up to this. The teams had arrived in London the previous night, as well as some of the Directors and fans. It's safe to say a lot of people were nervous. But not the team and management. They all kept a clear head and focused on the task at hand, which was winning the FA Vase for the first time in Spennymoor Town's brief history. During the game it was announced that the final attendance was 16,751, an estimated 10,000 of which were Tunbridge Wells fans. But that didn't stop the Spennymoor supporters singing their hearts out on the biggest footballing stage in the country. The teams came out; the Spennymoor Town team lead by Daniel 'Bobby' Moore after he was chosen to lead them out of the tunnel and onto the pitch on the day on his crutches. He stayed on the touchline for the whole game to spur the team on.
Spennymoor Town 2-1 Tunbridge Wells
First Half
Spennymoor started the match strong, with great play in midfield and keeper Robert Dean doing next to nothing for the first few minutes until Tunbridge Wells had the first shot on goal, with a header from a corner by Perry Spackman. Towards the 15 minute mark, Spennymoor were challenging Tunbridge Wells goalkeeper Chris Oladogba with some dangerous chances on goal. It was inevitable that Spennymoor were about to score. 2 minutes later and the Spennymoor side are cheering for the first goal scorer of the game, none other than Gavin Cogdon, who celebrated with his traditional handstand in front of the Tunbridge Wells fans, which was met with a lot of boos and was then booed by them for the rest of the game whenever he was in possession of the ball or near their box. Just a few minutes after the goal, Mark Davison almost doubled the Moors' lead after curling a left footed kick just past the post. The Moors were comfortably in the driving seat for the remainder of the half with chances by Kallum Griffiths and Wayne Phillips who just couldn't get it home.
Half Time: Spennymoor Town 1-0 Tunbridge Wells
Second Half
The second half started with more of the same, with Gavin Cogdon coming close to his second of the game. 5 minutes later, Tunbridge Wells' Harris chipped free-kick caught the Moors defence napping, Spackman ghosted in behind the defence to volley towards goal, but Dean did well to tip the ball over. From the resultant corner, Spackman again rose well but directed his header wide of the post. In the 64th minute, Wayne Phillips was replaced by Anthony 'Peaks' Peacock for the Moors. Towards the last 20 minutes of the match, the game had become scrappier, but with Spennymoor creating most of the chances. Spennymoor made their second change as Andrew Stephenson replaced Joe Walton. Another chance had also been missed a few minutes later, with Davison heading Graydon's floated cross wide after beating his marker at the back post. Spennymoor made their final change with 15 minutes left as Michael Rae replaced Mark Davison in attack.
12 minutes before full time it was a totally different game as Tunbridge Wells equalised. Jason Bourne had crossed from the right, Spennymoor goalkeeper Robert Dean could only produce a weak punch towards the penalty spot, and Josh Stanford volleyed the ball into the empty net. The stadium erupted from the Tunbridge Wells side and they were back in with a chance of winning. Spennymoor players and fans alike were dreading the thought of extra time and penalties, or even worse, losing. Miraculously, 2 minutes later, Spennymoor had reclaimed their lead. Substitute Andrew Stephenson embarked on a great dribble into the box, and while his shot was blocked, the ball broke for Keith Graydon to hammer home from 12 yards out. The noise was electrifying and with 8 minutes left to play, it looked in Spennymoor's favour. They just needed to hold out for a bit longer or even better, get just one more goal to secure the win. The whistle blew for full time after 5 minutes of tense injury time with neither team producing another goal.
Spennymoor had won The FA Vase!
Full Time: Spennymoor Town 2-1 Tunbridge Wells
Stadium
Throughout Spennymoor United's history, their home venue was The Brewery Field. They started using The Brewery Field when the club was formed in 1904 and took over use of it from Tudhoe Rugby Club. The ground itself used to belong to 'Tower Brewery', which was located on King Street, hence the name 'The Brewery Field'. The ground is located near the bottom of Spennymoor, on Wood Vue off Durham Road.
After the merger with Evenwood Town, Spennymoor Town were granted the lease from the town council and decided to carry on using The Brewery Field for their home games. Most notably to the fans, the sign over the Wood Vue entrance had the 'United A.F.C' removed and left with just 'Spennymoor'. In late 2012 and early 2013, a lot of upgrades were made to the ground, including brand new floodlights,[13] manufactured by local company Thorn Lighting to replace the old ones, which had been at the ground in over 40 years. Other improvements[14] were made, such as a tunnel for the players leading into the home and away dressing rooms and new dugouts on the far side of the pitch, as well as new terracing and access for disabled fans.[15] New work is planned to rebuild the old clubhouse[16][17][18] that was burnt down on Christmas Day 2003.
Directions to the ground, including a way to plan your route to the ground, are available from the Spennymoor Town Website.
Spennymoor Towns biggest attendance at Brewery Field came in February 2013 when 2,670 fans turned out for a Northern League Division One game against Championship rivals Darlington 1883.
Supporters and Rivalries
The club consists mostly of those who supported Spennymoor United and new supporters who have been attracted to the club over time. Supporters of Spennymoor Town are drawn in from all over the North East and have fans located all over the world who follow the action through the Facebook and Twitter pages. The Moors were the second biggest supported club in the league in the 2011-2012 season, just behind Whitley Bay. With the increasing average year on year, they are close to becoming the biggest with an average of 320 fans for their home games throughout the season.
Spennymoor's local rivals are considered to be Bishop Auckland, one of the oldest members of the Northern League, who currently play at Follyfoot.
Statistics
Honours
Domestic
League Titles
* As Evenwood Town F.C.
Cups
Cup Competitions
- Durham Challenge Cup
- Winners (1) - 2012
- Brooks Mileson Memorial League Cup
- Winners (1) - 2013
Current squad
- As of 16 June 2012[19]
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
Club Officials
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Bradley Groves |
| Commercials | Mike Rowcroft |
| Commercials | Billy Beasley |
| Development | Paul Callaghan |
| Marketing and Media | Martin Walker |
| Marketing and Media | Adam Brown |
| General Manager | Steve Lawson |
| Secretary | David Leitch |
Coaching Staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager | Jason Ainsley |
| Assistant Manager | Gavin Fell |
| First Team Coach | Glen McCartney |
| Goalkeeper Coach | Barry Farr |
| Sports Physiotherapist | Andrew Oates |
| Physio | Ashleigh Walker |
Academy Teams
Under 14s
The Spennymoor Town F.C Under 14s team currently plays in Russell Foster Youth League Division 4.
The team is managed by Barry Soulsby.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Under 16s
The Spennymoor Town F.C Under 16s team currently plays in Russell Foster Youth League Division 4. The 2012-2013 season is their second season as an academy side.
The team is managed by Daniel Newell and Chris Lownds.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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References
- ^ "Moors hit by eauge yet again". The Northern Echo. 25 April 2005. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ "UniBond League: Clark quits after Moors' thrashing". The Northern Echo. 26 March 2005. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ "Spennymoor club to fold". The Northern Echo. 1 April 2005. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ "Fans issue rallying call to save club". The Northern Echo. 3 February 2005. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ "Fans plan for Moors' comeback". The Northern Echo. 9 May 2005. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ "Spennymoor Backs The Moors With Record Attendances" (PDF). SpennyNews. 20 August 2005. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ "Spennymoor Town Attendances "Amazing"" (PDF). SpennyNews. 3 September 2005. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ "Boardroom Battle At The Brewery Field" (PDF). SpennyNews. 3 June 2006. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ "Football club faces eviction". The Northern Echo. 11 July 2007. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ "Football club face the boot". The Northern Echo. 12 July 2007. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ "New Spennymoor duo are raring to go". The Northern Echo. 23 June 2006. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ "Manager hails Moors' travelling supporters". The Northern Echo. 9 April 2007. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ "Moors become first club to unveil latest floodlight technology". Spennymoor Town Website. 29 January 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ "Ground Developments and beyond…". Spennymoor Town Website. 30 June 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ "Major improvements for disabled fans at Spennymoor Town Football Club". The Northern Echo. 9 August 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ "Spennymoor Town Football Club gains approval for new clubhouse". The Northern Echo. 23 October 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ "Moors launch Clubhouse Campaign". Spennymoor Town Website. 6 February 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ "Spennymoor Town offers fans a chance to invest in the club's future". The Northern Echo. 5 February 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ "Spennymoor Bring In Six". NonLeagueDaily.com. 11 June 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
External links
- Official Website
- Official Facebook Page
- Official Twitter Page
- Spennymoor Town at the Football Club History Database
- Evenwood Town at the Football Club History Database