Nantwich Town F.C.
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| Full name | Nantwich Town Football Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nickname(s) | The Dabbers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Founded | 1884 (as Nantwich F.C.) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | The Weaver Stadium, Nantwich (Capacity 3,500) |
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| Chairman |  Clive Jackson |
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| Manager | Steve Davis |
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| League | Northern Premier League Premier Division |
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| 2007–08 | Northern Premier League Division One South, 3rd |
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Nantwich Town Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Nantwich, Cheshire, England. The club was founded in 1884 and is nicknamed The Dabbers. The club is currently a member of the Northern Premier League Premier Division, with home matches played at the Weaver Stadium.
The current player/manager is former Crewe Alexandra, Burnley and Barnsley centre-half Steve Davis who previously managed Northwich Victoria in the Football Conference.
Nantwich Town won the FA Vase Final on 6 May 2006. Two goals from Andy Kinsey and one from Stuart Scheuber produced a 3-1 win over Hillingdon Borough at St Andrews.
Nantwich followed up their FA Vase winning season of 2005-06 with another successful campaign in 2006-07 (their last at Jackson Avenue). Finishing 3rd in the North West Counties League Division One they were promoted to the Northern Premier League Division One South for the 2007-08 season and then gained a second consecutive promotion to the Northern Premier League Premier Division.
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[edit] History
Founded in 1884, Nantwich has a long and proud football tradition. Early years were spent playing friendly and cup matches but in 1891 the club joined the Shropshire & District League, finishing as runners-up in the first season.
Nantwich moved into the stronger Combination the following season and on 15 October 1892 hosted Liverpool in the Merseysiders’ first ever FA Cup match (Liverpool won 4-0). Before World War 1, Nantwich also had spells in a variety of leagues including the North Staffs & District, the Crewe & District, Manchester and Lancashire Combination leagues.
In those early years, the club were honoured to have A.N.Hornby as President. Hornby captained England at rugby and cricket and, as well as being President, turned out for the club on a number of occasions.
After the war, the club became founder members of the Cheshire County League in which they were perennial strugglers, though they did finish 6th in 1921-22. The season before, a record home attendance of 5121 watched the Dabbers play Winsford United in the Cheshire Senior Cup at their temporary home at Kingsley Fields. Ironically, this is the location where the club is now looking to build a new modern stadium and move to for the 2005-06 season.
Success, though, came in the Cheshire Senior Cup in 1933 when the Dabbers lifted the trophy after beating ICI (Alkali) at the Drill Field, Northwich in front of 8,000 fans. After the Second World War, the Dabbers joined the newly-founded Mid Cheshire League and in 1952, the club entered the inaugural FA Youth Cup competition. Drawn against Manchester United in the second round, the young Dabbers crashed 23-0 on a November evening at the Cliff training ground to a United youth line up including names such as Duncan Edwards, David Pegg, Albert Scanlon and Ron Cope (who, ironically, joined Nantwich in the twilight of his career).
However, the mid-1960s saw considerable success and in the 1963-64 season the club completed a treble, winning the Mid Cheshire League, League Cup and Cheshire Amateur Cup under Manager Alan Ball (senior).
According to former player the late Mike Brookes: “Mr Ball trained us very hard and taught us techniques that were new to us - or were rusty. He made us think ‘the game’ more. “One ploy was when we were attacking – for me as centre forward to mark the centre half out of the game. The other forwards could still use me for the one-two wall pass to break through. I could still spin off the centre forward to join the attack. I did get a few bruises this way ! “At a corner – the other forwards would move away from the penalty spot, thus taking markers with them. I would be way out on the edge of the penalty box – running in at speed when the corner was taken – hoping the kick (as planned) ended up at head height on the penalty spot. “Mr Ball used the fear factor to keep us ‘on the ball’. He would bring along ‘reputation’ players to training or ‘sign them on’ and have them turn up for matches; so we thought we could be dropped and sometimes we were.”
Nantwich rejoined the Cheshire League in 1968 and in 1976 the Dabbers beat NPL champions Runcorn 5-4 in the Cheshire Senior Cup Final at Gresty Road in front of 2237. Five years later in May 1981 a crowd of 1078 saw Nantwich clinch the Cheshire League by beating eventual runners up Hyde United in the penultimate game of the season 2-1.
1982 saw Nantwich become founder members of the North West Counties Football League. Unfortunately Nantwich had the unenviable honour of finishing bottom and were relegated to Division 2 where the club remained (except for one season in Division 3 in 1986) until 1989 when the Dabbers were promoted to Division One. Since then, Town have maintained consistent mid-table form. The one exception was in 1993-94 season when they finished in their highest ever NWCFL placing of fourth. However the honours were to come on the cup front in 1994-95 when Nantwich defeated Trafford 1-0 in the League Cup Final on a memorable April evening at Gigg Lane Bury. This success atoned for the disappointment in 1993 when at the same venue Nantwich lost 2-1 to Burscough in another tight final. Ex-Stoke City player Nigel Gleghorn was appointed Manager in November 2001 and he helped steer Nantwich to a top six finish in 2003, when the club also attained the prestigious FA Charter Standard Community Club award. Gleghorn left the club in the 2004 close season and former Crewe, Burnley and Barnsley defender Steve Davis was appointed as Head Coach.
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Davis has proved to be the most successful manager in the club's history. Ably assisted by former Nantwich and Macclesfield striker Peter Hall, Davis led Nantwich to FA Vase glory in 2005/06 when the Dabbers beat Hillingdon Borough 3-1 in the Final at Birmingham City’s St Andrews stadium. En route to the final, Nantwich kept a clean sheet in 8 out of 9 ties including impressive victories over Buxton (1-0) and Cammell Laird (5-0 in the two-legged semi-final). Andy Kinsey hit two goals in the final, but dislocated his shoulder celebrating the second. Following the victory, the club paraded the Vase in an open-top bus.
In the league, Nantwich equalled their highest ever finish (4th), but bettered that following season when they finished third and secured promotion to the Northern Premier League. During the 2006-07 season Nantwich recorded their highest post-war league attendance (1,536) against FC United. To sign off the home campaign, a crowd of 1,071 saw the last game at 123 year old Jackson Avenue ground when Nantwich beat Squires Gate 5-2 on 28 April 2007. In the 2007-08 season Nantwich Town finished third in the Northern Premier League Division One South. This qualified them for the play-offs in which they came from behind to beat Grantham Town 2-1 and then beat Sheffield 4-1 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in front of a season's best crowd of 1,354. This double promotion means they will play the 2008-09 season in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.
[edit] Stadium
The club plays at the Weaver Stadium. The ground cost £3.75 million ground at Kingsley Fields, and was opened in 2007 before the start of the 2007-08 season; previously the club had played at Jackson Avenue.
Although bad weather set back the opening of the ground, with Nantwich having to play the majority of their pre-season games away from home, the first match at the Weaver Stadium took place on the 7 August 2007 with League One side Port Vale the visitors for a friendly that ended 6-3 to the League side. Port Vale's Ross Davidson scored the first goal at the ground after just 3 minutes with Glyn Blackhurst becoming the first Nantwich Town player to find the net. The ground was officially opened before Nantwich's match on October 10, 2007 by Sir Trevor Brooking[1]
[edit] Current Squad
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[edit] Transfers 2008/09
[edit] In
- Dave Whittaker from Alsager Town
- Peter Heler from Vauxhall Motors
- Michael Lennon from Kidsgrove Athletic
- Dave Tickle from Leek Town
- Rob Hawthorne from Leek Town
- Darren Tinson from Altrincham
[edit] Out
- Andy Kinsey to Newcastle Town
- Paul Taylor to Newcastle Town
- Mark Fitton to Newcastle Town
Pavol Suhaj - Released
[edit] Notable Players
- Andy Kinsey
- Paul Taylor
- Rob Hackney
- Pavol Suhaj
[edit] Non-Playing Staff
As of 21 December 2007
[edit] Officials
- Chairman:
- Clive Jackson
- Vice-Chairman:
- Jon Brydon
- Director of Football:
- Clive Jackson
- Club Secretary:
- Bernard Lycett
- Fixture Secretary:
- Paul Kelly
- Press Officer:
- Phil Johnson
- General Manager:
- Dave Cooke
- Merchandise Manager:
- Michelle Ford
- Kit Manager:
- Christine Robertson
- Trustees:
- Neville Clarke
- Clive Jackson
- Albert Pye
- Peter Temmen
- Committee:
- Jon Brydon
- Neville Clarke
- Clive Jackson
- Paul Kelly
- Bernard Lycett
- Bob Melling
- John Morris
- Albert Pye
- Peter Temmen
- Clive Thomasson
- Roy Tilley
- John Wright
[edit] Management
- Manager:
- Steve Davis
- Assistant Manager:
- Peter Hall
- Physiotherapists:
- Michelle Pennell
- Paul Kelly
- Youth Team Manager:
- Tony Ledwards
- Football Development Officer:
- Steve Davis
- Youth Development Officer:
- Martin Stubbs
- Youth Section Chairman:
- Bob Melling
[edit] Honours and Records
[edit] Honours
- FA Vase
- Winners 2005-06
- Cheshire County League
- Champions 1980-81
- Cheshire Senior Cup
- Champions 1932-33, 1975-76, 2007-08
- Finalists 1889-90, 1897-98, 1903-04, 1913-14, 1929-30
- North West Counties Football League Challenge Cup
- Champions 1994-95
- Finalists 1992-93
- Mid-Cheshire League
- Champions 1963-64
- Runners-Up 1950-51, 1961-62 & 1964-65
- Mid-Cheshire League Cup
- Winners 1961-62 & 1963-64
- Finalists 1948-49 & 1964-65
- Crewe Amateur Combination
- Champions 1946-47
- The Combination
- Runners-Up 1902-03
- Cheshire County League Division One
- Runners-Up 1900-01
- Shropshire & District League
- Runners-Up 1891-92
- Manchester League
- Runners-Up 1966-67
- Northern Premier League Division One South
- Play-Off Winners 2007-08
[edit] Records
- Fee Received:
- £20,000 (Crewe Alexandra for Kelvin Mellor, 2008)
- £5,000 (+ £5,000) (Crewe Alexandra for Matt Freeman, 2007)
- £4,000 (Stafford Rangers for Dougie Dawson, 1995)
- Record League Victory:
- 15-0 v Ashton United, 1966-67
- Record win margin: 15
- v Ashton United, 1966-67
- Record League defeat:
- 2-16 v Stalybridge Celtic, 22 October 1932
- Most Goals scored in one Season:
- 60 Bobby Jones, 1946-47
- Record League Attendance:
- Jackson Avenue, Nantwich 5,121 v Winsford United, 19 February 1921
- The Weaver Stadium, Nantwich 1,354 v Sheffield, 3 May 2008
- FA Cup Best:
- 5th Qualifying Round, 1900-01 (lost, 1-5, v Crewe Alexandra, away)
- 5th Qualifying Round, 1903-04 (lost, 1-0 v Burslem Port Vale, home)
[edit] References
- ^ Stadium Opening Nantwich Town F.C.
[edit] External links
- nantwichtownfc.com - Official Website
- nonleaguezone.com - Unofficial Forum
- unibondleague.com - Nantwich Town
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