Staines Town F.C.
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| Full name | Staines Town Football Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nickname(s) | The Swans, The Wheatsheafers The Massive |
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| Founded | 1892 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | Wheatsheaf Park, Wheatsheaf Lane |
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| Chairman | Alan Boon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manager | Steve Cordery | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | Isthmian League Premier Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–08 | Isthmian League Premier Division, 2nd | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Staines Town FC are a Non-League football team located in Staines, Surrey, England. They are currently competing in the Isthmian League Premier Division. They are usually known as 'The Swans' or 'The Wheatsheafers'. However, in modern times the moniker 'The Massive' has become popular after Ali G's famous 'Staines Massive' in his comedy show. Staines are also called 'The Linos' due to the town's main industry being linoleum.
Staines Town's rivals include Egham Town and Hampton & Richmond Borough.
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[edit] History
[edit] Early Days
Staines Town FC was founded in 1892 and was known under various names including Staines FC and Staines Albany FC until it folded in 1935. However prior to World War II the club re-formed as Staines Vale.
In 1953 Staines Town were founder members of the Hellenic League, where they finished runners-up in 1956. In 1958 they joined the Spartan League and won the title two years later. After finishing second in 1971, Staines Town advanced to the Athenian League, where they won the Second Division title at the first attempt, amassing a record number of points.
[edit] Isthmian League
Staines town fans had a vote on their message board for their best ever player; unsurprisingly, the winner was wing attack Dwayne Clark. The club were elected to the new Isthmian League Division One in 1973. In their second season, the club finished top and were promoted to the Premier Division. In a nine year stay, the club's best finish was fourth. However, a ground grading ruling meant that the club were demoted in 1984. The club bounced back five years later only for its Premier Division status to be lost again in 1993 when the club were relegated for the first time in 63 years. Again the club were promoted in 1996 and again it was quickly lost, with the club returning to Division One after only a year.
Having lobbied Spelthorne Council on and off for 20 years, planning permission for a £6.5m Conference and health facility was granted in April 2000 and finalised a year later. During construction, Staines groundshared with Walton & Hersham and Egham Town before the return to Wheatsheaf Lane (now shared with the Thames Club) on 22 February 2003.
From season 2002-04, Staines played in Division One South of the Ryman Isthmian league and on the last day of season 2003/04, under Steve Cordery, they secured a place in the Premier Division in the newly re-structured pyramid, where they have competed to this day.
In 2007-08 they finished runners up in the Premier Division and are in the playoffs. In the semi final they beat Ramsgate 2-1 to progress to meet AFC Wimbledon in the final, which they lost 1-2, and got to the second round proper of the FA Cup. This was their best ever season to date.
[edit] Current squad
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[edit] Cups
The club have reached the FA Cup First Round proper on four occasions, in 1879, 1880, 1984 and most recently in 2007, when Staines were drawn away against League Two outfit Stockport County, for undoubtedly the biggest game in the club's history. A crowd of 3460 saw Staines go behind to a Matty McNeil header but a 76th minute equaliser from Charles-Smith earned a deserved replay for 'The Massive.' It was announced on the 12th November that the replay would be shown on Sky Sports, resulting in a £75,000 windfall for each club. Staines Town completed the improbable upset as they won the match in penalty kicks after drawing 1-1 in extra time. In the next round they faced Peterbourgh United at home. They were beaten 5-0
There have been two appearances in the last 32 of the FA Trophy, the first back in 1976, losing to Morecambe in a 2nd replay and then in a replay to Halifax Town in 2004 after drawing 1-1 at 'The Shay' in the first match.
The biggest match in the club's history was in 1975 when they met Italian Amateur cup winners Banco di Roma for the Barassi Cup. A crowd of 70,000 (seventy thousand) saw Staines win in Rome's Olympic Stadium and a club record 2,500 saw the Swans complete the job at Wheatsheaf Lane.
Staines have also lifted the Middlesex Senior Cup on no fewer than seven occasions, the latest under Chris Wainwright in 1997, beating Yeading in a penalty shoot out, whilst the Middlesex Charity Cup was lifted in 1994 with a 4-0 win over Northwood.
The Carlsberg Cup (an Isthmian League tournament now abolished) was lifted in 1995 against Borehamwood where the Swans scored a last minute equaliser from the last ever experimental 'kick in' in English football.
In the London Senior Cup, Staines were runners up in both 1977 and 1981, the earlier final went to a replay v Wimbledon which 'The Dons' won in their last ever match as a non-League club.
[edit] Stadium
The home of Staines Town Football Club is Wheatsheaf Park, situated in Wheatsheaf Lane, Staines. It has been the home of the club since it was purchased in 1951. Like many football stadiums, it has changed greatly over time; the most recent of these changes was the development of the main stand in the Wheatsheaf Lane End. Planning permission for this was granted by Spelthorne Council in March 2000, and Staines Town returned to the revamped ground on 22nd February 2003.
Wheatsheaf Park has a total capacity of 3,000, with 300 seated and 800 in covered terrace. The record league attendance for a match at Wheatsheaf Park is 2,285 vs AFC Wimbledon in 2006.
[edit] Club honours
Isthmian League Premier: runners up 2008
Isthmian League Division One: champions 1975,1989, promoted 1996, 2004 (6th in Ryman League Div 1 South)
Athenian League Division One: runners-up 1973
Athenian League Division Two: champions 1972
Spartan League: champions 1960, runners up 1971
Hellenic League: runners-up 1956
West London Alliance DivisionOne: champions 1900
West London League Division One: champions 1901
West Middlesex League: winners 1905, runners-up 1904
Great Western Suburban League: Division One: runners-up 1912, 1924 Division Two (Middlesex) champions 1921
Middlesex CFA Senior Challenge Cup: winners 1975, 1976, 1977, 1988, 1990, 1994, 1997 Finalists 1910, 1933, 1980, 1995.
London Senior Cup: finalists 1977, 1981
Middlesex CFA Senior Charity Cup: winners 1994
Middlesex Junior Cup: winners 1902, 1904
Spartan League Challenge Cup: winners 1969, finalists 1961, 1971
Hellenic League Challenge Cup: finalists 1954, 1956
Barassi Cup winners 1975 (ie 1975/76)
Southern Combination Challege Cup: winners 1965, 1967, 1995, finalists 1968, 1994, 1997, 2000
Merthyr Middlesex Charity Shield: winners 1990/01, runners-up 1994/95
Melksham Middlesex Charity Shield: winners 1997 (ie 1997/98)
West Middlesex Cup: winners 1924
Staines Cottage Hospital Cup: winners 1925
El Canuelo Trophy: ( Trofeo El Canuelo) winners 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996
John Livey Memorial Trophy: winners 1993
jim Lawford Memorial Cup: winners 1999/00
Lord of Ashford in Middlesex Charity Bowl: joint winners 2001/02
Saft-Nife Shield: finalists 1997 (ie 1997/98)
FA Challenge Cup: 1st Round Proper 1984/85 (as St Peter's Institute: 1879/80, 1880/01)
FA Challenge Trophy: (Last 32) 2nd Round Proper 1977/78, 1984/85, 4th Round 2003/04
FA Amateur Cup: 3rd Round proper 1923/24, 2nd round 1924/25
[edit] External links
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