Hungerford Town F.C.

Hungerford Town Football Club
Full name Hungerford Town Football Club
Nickname(s) Crusaders
Founded 1886 (1886)
Ground Bulpit Lane, Hungerford
Ground Capacity 1,500
Chairman Nigel J Warrick
Manager Bobby Wilkinson
League National League South
2015–16 Southern League Premier Division, 4th (promoted via-play-offs)
Website Club home page

Hungerford Town F.C. is a football club based in Hungerford, Berkshire, England. They are currently members of the National League South.The club is affiliated with the Berks & Bucks Football Association.

History

Hungerford Town was founded in 1886 initially playing friendlies as there was no local league or cup competitions available to join.[1] Their first record of a fully competitive game was when the club in the 1901–02 season reached the final of the Newbury Cup, losing 2–0 to Newbury Town, but they won the competition three seasons later. The club joined the Hungerford League and then became founding members of the Newbury league in 1909.[1] In their first season they won the Newbury Challenge cup, four seasons later they won the league and retained the league title in the 1913–14 season. After the First World War the club reformed in 1919 and went on to win the Newbury league again that season and in the 1921–22 season.

After the second world war the club was playing in the Newbury & District League and also the Swindon & District League. At the start of the 1958–59 season the club joined the Hellenic Football League starting in the Premier Division.[2][3] The club then spent seven seasons in the top division of the Hellenic league before being relegated to Division one at the end of the 1964–65 season. The club came back in style at the end of the 1970–71 season by winning Division one and the Hellenic league cup.[2][3] The next seven seasons saw the club remain in the Hellenic Premier Division, during this period the club made its debut in the FA vase in the 1973–74 season, and the FA cup a season later.[3]

At the end of the 1977–78, after coming 3rd in the Hellenic league and reaching the Semi-final of the FA Vase of the second time, the club got elected to the Isthmian league, under Manager Jim Kelman, who had joined the club in 1975.[2][3] In the 1979–80 season, they reached the First Round Proper of the FA Cup. In the 1981–82 season Jim Kelman saw the club clinch the Berks and Bucks Senior Cup at their fourth final appearance, beating Wycombe Wanderers 1–0. After the Berks and Bucks success the club then spent the next 21 years in the Isthmian league in Division two. At the end of the 2002–03 season the club had to leave the Isthmian league as their ground did not meet the leagues standards, so they rejoined the Hellenic league again, and were back in the Premier Division.[2][3]

In the 2008–09 season, the club started to carry out improvements off the pitch, with a refurbishment program for the clubs facilities and there was improvements on the pitch as well, under manager Alan Clark.[4] The club went on a 22 match unbeaten run which took the club to the top of the league, where the lead swapped between them and Shortwood United, a last day draw at Hook Norton enabled the club to clinch the Hellenic League championship on goal difference and promotion to the Southern League. The club also made it to the Floodlit Cup final where they lost 2–3 after extra time to Marlow United.

At the end of their first season in the Southern League Division One South & West, the club parted company with manager Alan Clark, and replaced him with Bobby Wilkinson from Kintbury Rangers.[4] The club were promoted to the Southern League Premier division via the 2012–13 play-offs, winning both games against Paulton Rovers and Merthyr Town after extra-time.[5][6] Hungerford got into the play-offs in 2014/15 but were beaten by Truro City. Hungerford bounced back in 2016 however and won promotion to the National League South by defeating Hitchin Town (3–2)in the play-off semi-final and then Leamington (2–1) in the final to progress to their highest level of football in their 130 years of history.

Club honours

League honours

Cup honours


Club records

Current staff

Players

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
England GK George Legg (loan from Reading)
England GK Paul Strudley
England DF Jon Boardman
England DF Matty Day
England DF Diak John
Wales DF Rhys Tyler
England MF Scott Rees
England MF Ian Herring
England MF Mike Jones
No. Position Player
Wales DF Garyn Preen
England MF Gary Horgan
England MF Stefan Brown
Republic of Ireland FW Mark Draycott
England FW Harry Goodger
Antigua and Barbuda FW Nat Jarvis
England FW James Clark
England FW James Rusby
Republic of Ireland FW Alan O'Brien

Management

Ground

Hungerford Town play their games at Town Ground, Bulpit Lane, Hungerford RG17 0AY.[8]

Former players

1. Players that have played/managed in the football league or any foreign equivalent to this level (i.e. fully professional league).
2. Players with full international caps.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 History-2 Hungerford Town FC
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 History 1 Hungerford Town FC
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 HUNGERFORD TOWN at the Football Club History Database
  4. 1 2 Wilkinson in for Clark at Hungerford Monday, 17 May 2010 newbury today
  5. ↑ "Paulton beaten in promotion play-off at Hungerford". This is Bristol. 2013-04-29. Retrieved 2013-06-22.
  6. ↑ "Hungerford 3 – 1 Merthyr Town (AET): Martyrs' promotion dreams ended". Wales Online. 2013-05-06. Retrieved 2013-06-22.
  7. ↑ "Basingstoke Senior Open Cup Final(Fleet Town v Hungerford Town) 072 (640×591)". NewburyToday.co.uk. 2013-05-02. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
  8. ↑ HTFC Info Hungerford Town FC

External links

Coordinates: 51°24′32.17″N 1°30′48.54″W / 51.4089361°N 1.5134833°W / 51.4089361; -1.5134833

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