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| Full name | Nuneaton Town Football Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nickname(s) | Boro | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Founded | 1889 (as Nuneaton St Nicholas) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | Liberty Way Nuneaton (Capacity: 5,000) |
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| Chairman |  Ian Neale |
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| Manager | Kevin Wilkin |
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| League | Southern League Division One Midlands |
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| 2007-08 | Conference North, 7th (demoted) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Nuneaton Town F.C is an English football club from the town of Nuneaton, Warwickshire. In the 2007-08 season they competed in the Conference North division, but due to a liquidation they were demoted to the Southern Football League Division One Midlands.
In 1889 Nuneaton St. Nicholas were the first team to play senior football within Nuneaton. Five years later they changed their name to Nuneaton Town, and played until 1937 when the club was disbanded. However, two days later Nuneaton Borough F.C. were founded but in 1992, the club was renamed Nuneaton Borough AFC. It was reformed as Nuneaton Town in 2008. The club is still known as Boro to those who support the team.
The club play their home fixtures at Liberty Way in their home kit of blue and white stripes.
Local rival teams include Hinckley United, Bedworth United, Atherstone Town, Tamworth, Leamington and Coventry City.
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History
1889-1937
The club was formed in 1889 as Nuneaton St. Nicholas, nicknamed The Saints, changing their name to Nuneaton Town five years later. Also known as The Nuns, Nuneaton Town were founder members of the North Warwickshire League, also playing in the Coventry and District League, Coventry and North Warwick, Leicestershire, Nuneaton and District, and Trent Valley Combination. In 1902–03 Nuneaton Town won the Nuneaton League, and were Coventry and North Warwick League champions in 1904–05. For the 1906–07 season the club joined the Birmingham Junior League, winning the league at the first attempt. A further title in the renamed Birmingham Combination followed in 1914–15. From 1919 until 1924 Nuneaton competed in the Birmingham & District League, in the Southern League from 1924 to 1926, before returning to the Birmingham Combination in 1926. The club went on to win two further Birmingham Combination titles, in 1928–29 and 1930–31. Nuneaton rejoined the Birmingham League in 1933, competing there until 1937 when the club were disbanded after the club's directors had sold the club’s Manor Park ground to the Nuneaton Corporation the previous December.
1937-1991
Two days after the original Nuneaton Town were disbanded, the newly named Nuneaton Borough F.C. took their place. Nuneaton spent the 1937–38 campaign in the Central Amateur League playing at the former Nuneaton Town ground Manor Park and were assisted by several of the 'Nuns' younger players. The following season the club turned semi-professional while also moving to the Birmingham Combination. During the clubs tenure in the league finished as runners-up three times, never finishing below sixth place between 1945 and 1956. In 1952 Nuneaton Borough moved to the Birmingham League where they won the championship back-to-back in 1954–55 and 1955–56. Then in 1958 the club switched to the Southern League, and the following year they were founder members of the league's Premier Division. They spent the next 16 years in the Premier Division, finishing second in 1966–67 and runners-up to Wimbledon in 1974–75. In 1979 they were founder members of the Alliance Premier League, which later became the Conference National. Their stay was short lived, and after 2 seasons the club was relegated. However, they won the Midland section of the Southern League at the first attempt and were duly promoted back to the Alliance Premier League. In 1983-84 and 1984-85 they finished runners-up but failed to capitalise. Then in 1987 they were relegated back into the Southern League Premier Division due to irregularities off the field and went into freefall. The club lasted just one season in the Southern League Premier Division, suffering a second successive relegation. A new board of directors took over, and in 1991 Nuneaton Borough A.F.C was formed.
Nuneaton Borough A.F.C.
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This article or section may contain an inappropriate mixture of prose and timeline. Please help convert this timeline into prose or, if necessary, a list. |
- In 1993 Nuneaton Borough A.F.C, nicknamed The Boro, won the Southern League Midland Division title and were promoted back into the Premier Division, but were relegated after only one season.
- In the 1995-96 season the club won the Midland Division and the Southern League Cup.
- Three years later in 1999 Nuneaton Borough finally won the Southern League Championship, earning themselves a place in the top flight of English non-league football. Whilst playing in the Conference the club improved and achieved a top ten finish. Nuneaton attained top position for a few weeks, technically one place from full football league status, and this remains their highest ever league position to date.
- Then on the final day of the 2002-03 season the club suffered another agonising relegation, which saw the club yet again in the Southern League.
- A year later the league structure was changed dramatically; and a fourth place finish saw the club achieve a position in Conference North.
- In the first ever season in 2004-05 Nuneaton Borough finished second and earned themselves a place in the play-offs They eventually lost to Altrincham F.C. in the play-off semi-finals. The club were also awarded the Fair Play Award for having just one player sent off all season.
- In May 2007, the curtain came down on Manor Park as they drew the last game 1-1 against Vauxhall Motors, Gez Murphy taking the honour of being the last Nuneaton Borough scorer at the ground with a penalty.
- In the 2007/2008 season, owner Ted Stocker planned to sell his shares as he was suffering from ill health and in March 2008 local business man Ian Neale planned to take ownership of the club for a trial period. Mr Neale plans to take 100% ownership if he feels he can take on the club.
- In May 2008, Ian Neale found some irregularities in the finances of the club and might have to put the club into administration.
- On 2 June 2008 Nuneaton went in to liquidation.
Nuneaton Town F.C
In June 2008, the club was reformed as Nuneaton Town F.C. Following Nuneaton Borough's liquidation The FA insisted that the new club have a different name, accompanied by a double relegation to the Southern League Division One Midlands.
Cup Competitions
F.A. Cup
Nuneaton Town first entered the FA Cup in 1899 but never progressed to the competition proper. This is something which Nuneaton Borough have achieved twenty-one times, including victories over Football League sides Watford, Swansea, Oxford and most recently Stoke.
Nuneaton Borough have progressed to the FA Cup Third Round Proper three times, in 1949-50, 1966-67 and 2005-06. Their 1966-67 run carried them further than any other non-league club that season. A crowd of 22,114 were in attendance at their Manor Park ground on January 28, 1967 when Rotherham were held to a draw in a Third Round tie. Rotherham beat Boro 1-0 at Millmoor in the closely fought replay.
Middlesbrough visited Manor Park On 7 January 2006 and could only achieve a 1–1 daw with Nuneaton, Gez Murphy scoring an equalizing penalty in the 90th minute, earning Nuneaton a replay against a Premier League side approximately 100 places above them. Middlesbrough won the replay at the Riverside Stadium 5–2.
Other giant killings of note came against Stoke City in 2001, Marc McGregor with a 90th minute winner, and in 1993 a win over Swansea City, with Tony Simpson netting both goals.
F.A. Trophy
Nuneaton Borough’s best run has seen them reach the quarter-final three times: In 1977 (a replay), in 1980 and 1987. They endured an awful run in the competition between 1995 and 2006 however. In this time they did not win a single FA Trophy game. In 2006 the run ended with a win at Bradford Park venue. The previous win was in 1995 at Spennymoor United.
Birmingham Senior Cup
The Boro won the Birmingham Senior Cup for the first time in 1931 and have won it a total of eight times since.
Stadia
Manor Park
From the club's early years until 2007 Boro played at Manor Park; a 6,000 capacity stadium at the time of its closure. The record attendance was 22,114 spectators who had packed into the ground for an FA Cup tie against Rotherham United in 1967.
The club played their final game at Manor Park, on 28 April 2007, in a 1-1 draw with Vauxhall Motors. Gez Murphy scored Boro's last goal at the ground from the penalty spot.
The Stadium has now been knocked down and is being redeveloped for housing by former shirt sponsors Bloor Homes.
Liberty Way
Nuneaton Borough moved into their new purpose built ground, Liberty Way, during the 2007-08 season. The ground is shared with Nuneaton Rugby Club. The ground was built in three phases by local building firm Ian Neale Construction and was completed at the end of 2007.
The move to Liberty Way was not straightforward. Originally the club planned to move from Manor Park to the new ground for the 2005–06 season but ended up having to wait 2 seasons before work was completed. Also the club hit a snag over the covenant protecting Manor Park which was eventually cleared so the club could move to Liberty Way. The ground-share plan with Nuneaton RFC was planned by former Owner Ted Stocker after many new ground plans across Nuneaton were rejected by the local council.citation needed
The club chairman has announced plans to build a permanent new stand, in an attempt to bring the ground up to the standards required for the Conference National, and a remembrance garden for families of the people who had their Ashes scattered at Manor Park. A new smaller North Stand is being built for the 2008–09 season.
The groundshare with the Nuns is not harmonious however, as the rent the rugby club have to pay to use the pitch has been upped to £15,000, a fee the rugby club are currently refusing to pay.citation needed
Mascot
The official mascot now is Tribune Tiger, due to sponsorship with the local newspaper, The Nuneaton Tribune. Brewno the Bear was formerly the official mascot of Nuneaton Borough A.F.C. consisting of a man dressed like a Bear who often entertained the Boro crowd and looked after the young mascots on match-day.
Supporters
The Supporters' Steering Committee is a group in place at the club which consists of fans and the board/chairman meeting regularly to discuss new ideas and ventures that fans can suggest to the SSC. The SSC were given the role of having to choose the new name for the club after liquidation. Boro Independent Supporters Club is a group who run coach travel to all away games as well as arranging race nights and the end of season presentation evenings. A Supporters' Trust, linked to Supporters Direct, is a group who have purchased shares in the club and initially were set up to have more say in regards the running of the club. The club's fans run a fanzine, Taking Liberties, which started life in 2007 and is sold every 2-3 months. It also exists in an online form.
Current squad
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Top scorers
4 players have scored over 100 league goals for the club.
- Paul Culpin
- Martyn Twigger
- Tony Cutler
- Tony Jacques.
Rob Straw scored 100 goals for Nuneaton, though not all in the league.
Notable Former Players
Malcolm Christie- Terry Angus
- Trevor Morley
- Trevor Peake
Eddie McGoldrick- Darren Bullock
- Mark Quayle
- Paul Culpin
- Duane Darby
- Tommy Robson
Jim Blyth- Neil Moore
Honours
- Conference National (Alliance Premier)
- Runners Up: 1983-84, 1984-85
- Conference North
- Runners Up: 2004-05
- Southern League Premier Division
- Champions: 1998-99
- Runners Up: 1966-67, 1974-75
- Southern League Midland Division
- Champions: 1981-82, 1992-93, 1995-96
- Southern League Cup
- Winners: 1995-96
- Finalists: 1962-63
- Birmingham Senior Cup
- Winners: 1931, 1949, 1956, 1960, 1978, 1980, 1993, 2002
References
External links
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A.F.C. Sudbury | Arlesey Town | Atherstone Town | Aylesbury United | Barton Rovers | Bedworth United | Bromsgrove Rovers | Bury Town | Chasetown | Chesham United | Dunstable Town | Leamington | Leighton Town | Malvern Town | Marlow | Nuneaton Town | Romulus | Rothwell Town | Soham Town Rangers | Stourport Swifts | Sutton Coldfield Town | Woodford United |
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