Widnes F.C.
- For the rugby league football club originally called Widnes F.C., see Widnes Vikings
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| Full name | Widnes Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Whites | ||
| Founded | 2003 (as The Dragons A.F.C) | ||
| Ground | Select Security Stadium, Widnes, Cheshire | ||
| Capacity | 13,350 | ||
| Chairman | Ian Ross [1] | ||
| Manager | Joey Dunn[2] | ||
| League | Northern Premier League Division One West [3] | ||
| 2023–24 | Northern Premier League Division One West, 9th of 20 | ||
| Website | http://www.widnesfootballclub.co.uk/ | ||
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Widnes Football Club are an English association football club, based in Widnes, Cheshire. They are currently members of the Northern Premier League Division One West, playing their home matches at Halton Stadium, Widnes. They are affiliated to the Liverpool County FA.
History
Early years: 2003 to 2012
The club was founded in February 2003 as The Dragons A.F.C. by former secretary Bill Morley as a local junior football club with the aim of making football fun, teach new skills and self-confidence. The aim of the club was to make football so much fun that the children will want to be involved and they will keep coming back for more.
The Dragons AFC, later to be known as Widnes Dragons, had a fantastic reputation locally for their contribution towards the development of grassroots football in Halton and provide opportunities to play football for over 200 junior players from the age of 6 to 18. The club put in a great amount of effort to run the club according to the best practices laid down by the F.A.. This led to the club achieving the FA Charter Standard award in December 2003, being recognised as the first club to achieve this award from the borough of Halton. In 2008, the club was awarded the FA Charter Standard Development award for its continuous development of grassroots football.
Recent years: 2012 to present
In March 2012, Widnes Dragons began a consultation process with Widnes Vikings RLFC to become part of the Vikings Sports Brand, a partnership that was agreed to enhance the club's community status.
On 10 July 2012, at the club's AGM, the club's members unanimously agreed to become a part of the Widnes Sports Group and agreed on a 12-month transitional period up to the end of that current season (2012–13). The next step in the club's progression was made in season 2013–14 when Widnes Vikings FC was admitted into the football pyramid and placed within North West Counties Football League Division One.
In March 2014, the club's committee called an EGM for its members to decide on the future of the club. A unanimous vote was made that the club was to move away from the Vikings brand and to restructure the club to secure its own identity and long-term future. Subsequently, the club parted ways with the Vikings brand and became known as Widnes Football Club, which was symbolic in representing where the team and its fans came from whilst recognising that a new club needed to be built to establish confidence in the local community and support young local talent in Widnes.
In 2016, a change in board structure lead to the appointment of Ian Ross as Chairman with a Board of Directors being established.[4] Danny Meadowcroft and Brian Pritchard were appointed joint managers, replacing previous manager Steve Hill who left the Club following the end of the 2015-16 season. [5] However, following an indifferent start to the season, Meadowcroft and Pritchard left the Club and were replaced by Joey Dunn, who was subsequently appointed manager. [6]
Crest and colours
Throughout its history, the club has always adopted a white home strip. They currently play in a white home shirt, with black shorts and white socks. The club's away kit is all yellow.
Shirt sponsors and manufacturers
| Year | Kit Manufacturer | Main Shirt Sponsor | Back of Shirt Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | O'Neills | Stobart | Polyblend |
| 2014–2016 | Investec | Tax Architects | |
| 2016- | Macron | PolyParts.co.uk | None |
Stadium
Widnes moved into the Halton Stadium in 2012, ahead of their debut and so far only season in the West Cheshire League. They played their first home game at the stadium against Chester Nomads Reserves on 1 September 2012. The club's highest attendance at the stadium is 345 set on 28 December 2013, against 1874 Northwich F.C.
Current squad
- As of 24th November 2016
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Club officials
Boardroom
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Ian Ross |
| Director | David Day |
| Director | Mark Freeman |
| Director | Gareth Hartley |
| Director | Glen Littler |
| Director | John McKeown |
| Secretary | Russell Stevenson |
Coaching staff
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager | Joey Dunn |
| Assistant Manager | Stuart Humphreys |
| Coach | Nick Matthews |
| Coach | Paul Jones |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Gareth Hartley |
| Physio | Ron Cook |
Managerial history
- As of 20 November 2016
| Manager | Nationality | Period | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Paul Pennington |  England |
2012 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 28.57 |
| Steve Hill | England |
2012–2016 | 143 | 46 | 21 | 76 | 32.17 |
| Danny Meadowcroft and Brian Pritchard | England |
2016 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 55.55 |
| Danny Salt (interim) | England |
2016 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 33.33 |
| Joey Dunn | England |
2016- | 13 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 76.92 |
Records
Team records
- Record league victory 6 goals:
- 6-0 v Eccleshall, 15 November 2014
- Record home victory 5 goals:
- 6-1 v Stockport Town, 10 October 2015
- 5-0 v Eccleshall, 20 December 2014
- Record league defeat 9 goals:
- 10-1 v Northwich Manchester Villa, 13 December 2014
- Record home attendance:
- 345 vs. 1874 Northwich, North West Counties Football League Division One, 28 December 2013 (club record)
- Lowest home attendance:
- 24 vs. Wigan Robin Park, North West Counties Football League Division One, 18 April 2015
- Longest unbeaten league run:
- 5 games, 13 September 2014 to 18 October 2014
- Most league games won in a row:
- 3 games, 10 August 2013 to 20 August 2013
- Most league games lost in a row:
- 6 games, 14 March 2015 to 18 April 2015
- Most league games without a win:
- 11 games, 8 February 2014 to 19 April 2014
- Best league performance:
- Best FA Vase performance:
- Second Round Qualifying 2014-15
- Best Liverpool Senior Cup performance:
- Quarter-final (2 times)[7]
Seasons
| Season | Division | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | Pos | FA Vase[A] | Liverpool Senior Cup[B] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–13 | WC3 | 28 | 15 | 3 | 10 | 76 | 45 | 48 | 4th | — | — |
| 2013–14 | NWC1 | 36 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 58 | 84 | 36 | 14th | — | R1 |
| 2014–15 | NWC1 | 36 | 10 | 5 | 21 | 62 | 101 | 35 | 16th | 2QR | QF |
| 2015–16 | NWC1 | 34 | 10 | 5 | 19 | 67 | 77 | 35 | 13th | — | QF |
Notable former players
References
- ^ All change at Widnes FC "All change at Widnes FC". Widnes Football Club. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
- ^ Announcement "Announcement: Dunn Deal!". Widnes Football Club. 22 September 2016. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
- ^ 2013/14 NWCFL Allocations "Allocation Of Clubs At Step 4/5". North West Counties Football League. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
- ^ All change at Widnes FC "All change at Widnes FC". Widnes Football Club. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
- ^ New Management Team at Widnes FC "New Management Team at Widnes FC". Hallmark Security League. 18 May 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- ^ Announcement "Announcement: Dunn Deal!". Widnes Football Club. 22 September 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- ^ "LCFA Mens Senior Cup". www.liverpoolfa.com. Liverpool County FA. 28 October 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2015.