Albion Sports A.F.C.
Full name | Albion Sports Association Football Club | ||
---|---|---|---|
Nickname(s) | The Lions | ||
Founded | 1974 | ||
Ground | Horsfall Stadium, Bradford | ||
Chairman | Charanjit Singh Basi | ||
Manager | Neil Sibson | ||
League | Northern Counties East League Premier Division | ||
2023–24 | Northern Counties East League Premier Division, 5th of 20 | ||
|
Albion Sports Association Football Club is a football club located in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The club are currently members of the Premier Division of the Northern Counties East League and play at the Horsfall Stadium of Bradford (Park Avenue). The club's kit consists of yellow and royal blue shirts with royal blue shorts and socks.[1]
History
[edit]The club was founded in 1974 by Harjit Singh Panesar and Baljit Singh, and joined Division Four of the Bradford Amateur Sunday League, which they won in their first season.[2] They won the Premier Division in 1995–96 and in 1999–2000, a season in which they also won the Bradford Sunday Senior Cup and the British Asian Championship, as well as reaching the final of the FA Sunday Cup, where they lost 1–0 to Hull-based Prestige Brighams.[2] They won the Premier Division again in 2000–01, 2002–03, 2004–05 and 2005–06,[3] as well as reaching the final of the FA Sunday Cup again in 2005, losing 3–2 to Gossoms End of London.[2]
In 2007 the club switched to Saturday football, joining the Bradford League, before switching to the West Riding County Amateur League the following year.[2] They finished second in Division One in 2008–09, earning promotion to the Premier Division.[4] After finishing as runners-up in the Premier Division in 2009–10 and 2010–11, the club were promoted to Division One of the Northern Counties East League.[2]
After missing out on promotion by one point in their first season in the division, in 2012–13 the club won Division One and were promoted to the Premier Division.[5] They finished fifth in the Premier Division in 2023–24, qualifying for the promotion play-offs. After beating Campion 2–0 in the semi-finals, the club lost the final to Garforth Town on penalties.
Season-by-season record
[edit]Season | Division | Level | Position | FA Cup | FA Vase | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2008–09 | West Riding County Amateur League Division One | 12 | 2/14 | – | – | ||
2009–10 | West Riding County Amateur League Premier Division | 11 | 2/16 | – | – | ||
2010–11 | West Riding County Amateur League Premier Division | 11 | 2/16 | – | – | ||
2011–12 | Northern Counties East League Premier Division | 10 | 11/20 | – | – | ||
2012–13 | Northern Counties East League Division One | 10 | 1/22 | – | 2QR | ||
2013–14 | Northern Counties East League Premier Division | 9 | 6/23 | 1QR | 2QR | ||
2014–15 | Northern Counties East League Premier Division | 9 | 10/21 | PR | 2QR | ||
2015–16 | Northern Counties East League Premier Division | 9 | 11/22 | EPR | 1QR | ||
2016–17 | Northern Counties East League Premier Division | 9 | 8/22 | EPR | 1QR | ||
2017–18 | Northern Counties East League Premier Division | 9 | 14/22 | 2QR | 1QR | ||
Season | Division | Level | Position | FA Cup | FA Vase | ||
Source: Non-League Matters, Football Club History Database |
Ground
[edit]After joining the Northern Counties East League in 2011 the club started groundsharing at the Horsfall Stadium of Bradford (Park Avenue).[6] In 2013 they relocated to the Throstle Nest ground of Farsley Celtic, where they played until returning to the Horsfall Stadium in 2023.[6]
Honours
[edit]- Northern Counties East League
- Division One champions 2012–13
- Bradford Amateur Sunday League:
- British Asian Championship
- Bradford Sunday Senior Cup
- Winners: 1986–87, 1990–91, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1999–2000, 2002–03, 2004–05[3]
- Bradford District Sunday Cup
- Winners 1994–95, 1998–99
Records
[edit]- Best FA Cup performance: Second qualifying round, 2023–24[7]
- Best FA Vase performance: Fourth round, 2024–25[7]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Albion Sports Northern Counties East League
- ^ a b c d e f g About Albion Sports Archived 18 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine Albion Sports A.F.C.
- ^ a b c d Honours Archived 18 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine Albion Sports A.F.C.
- ^ West Riding County Amateur League 2000–2012 Non-League Matters
- ^ Albion Sports clinch title in style Telegraph & Argus, 28 April 2013
- ^ a b Bradford return thrills Albion Sports but they want own home Bradford Argus, 12 May 2023
- ^ a b Albion Sports at the Football Club History Database
External links
[edit]
- Football clubs in England
- Sport in Bradford
- Football clubs in West Yorkshire
- 1974 establishments in England
- Association football clubs established in 1974
- Bradford League
- West Riding County Amateur Football League
- Northern Counties East Football League
- Diaspora association football clubs in England
- Diaspora sports clubs in the United Kingdom