Gainsborough Trinity F.C.

Football club infobox
clubname = Gainsborough Trinity


fullname = Gainsborough Trinity Football Club
nickname = Trinity
The Holy Blues
The Recreationists
founded = 1873
(as Trinity Recreationists)
ground = The Northolme
Gainsborough
capacity = 4,304 (504 seated)
chairman = flagicon|England Patrick Lobley
manager = flagicon|England Steve Charles
league = Conference North
position = Conference North, 11th
season = 2007-08
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pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=
leftarm2=ffff00|body2=ffff00|rightarm2=ffff00|shorts2=ffff00|socks2=ffff00

Gainsborough Trinity Football Club are an English football club based in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire.

Between 1891 and 1912 they were members of the Football League. They are currently in the Conference North, and play their home matches at The Northolme, which has a capacity of 4,304 (504 seated, 3,800 standing). They are known as "Trinity" or the "Blues".

History

The club was formed in 1873 by the vicar of the Holy Trinity Church, and was originally known as Trinity Recreationalists. In 1889 they joined the Midland League, and finished 7th in their first season. In the 1890-91 season the club finished as Champions, and following a second place finish in the next season, the club was elected to the Second Division of The Football League.

After several years of struggle, the club was voted out of the league in 1912, being replaced by local rivals Lincoln City, and returned to the Midland League. During the 1940s, the club recorded its record attendance, when 9,760 saw a match against local rivals, the then non-league Scunthorpe United. The club won three Championships (1928, 1949 and 1967 - by which time the league had become the Midland Counties League) before becoming founder members of the newly-created Northern Premier League in 1969, where it remained until 2004.

At the end of the 2003-4 season, the club finished in a high enough position to become founder members of the newly-created Conference North.

As a non-league club, Trinity have recorded five wins against Football League opposition (a feat known in English football as giant-killing). Victories were recorded against Crewe Alexandra in 1928 and 1931, Port Vale in 1937, Gateshead in 1938 and Mansfield Town in 1946.

Trinity claim to be one of the few English clubs never to have experienced a relegation, as they were voted out of the Football League rather than being directly relegated. They were also the first and last opponents of Middlesbrough Ironopolis F.C.

Honours

;Midland League::*1890–91, 1927–28, 1948–49;Midland Counties League::*1966–67

taff

Chairman:Pat Lobley
Manager:Steve Charles
Assistant Manager:Dave Reeves
Coach:Steve Blatherwick

Squad

Notable Players/Managers

*Trevor Benjamin (Played Premiership football for Leicester City )
*Dene Cropper (Played professionally for Sheffield Wednesday and Lincoln City
*Paul Ellender (Went on to captain Boston United at three different levels)
*Lee Ellington (Former Hull City striker and brother of Nathan Ellington )
*Gareth Grant (Played professionally for Bradford City and Lincoln City
*Jason Kabia (Played professionally for Lincoln City )
*Clint Marcelle (Played Premiership football for Barnsley
*Jason Maxwell (Prolific goal scorer for the club in the mid nineties)
*Lheureux Menga (French Non League journeyman)
*flagicon|EnglandAdie Mike (Played Premiership football for Manchester City )
*flagicon|EnglandGrant Morrow (Commanding midfielder from the mid nineties)
*Jackie Morton(Went on to play for West Ham United and England )
*Wes Parker (Played professionally for Grimsby Town )
*Ally Pickering (Played Premiership football for Coventry City )
*Ben Purkiss (Right sided defender who went on to play for York City )
*Dave Reeves (Football League journeyman who featured for Chesterfield amongst others)
*Barry Richardson (Experienced Goalkeeper who featured for Sheffield Wednesday and Doncaster Rovers amongst others )
*Jonathan Rowan (Played professionally for Grimsby Town )
*Andy Saville (Played professionally for Cardiff City amongst others )
*Ronnie Sewell (Went on to play for Burnley and England )
*Steve Sherwood (Played professionally for Chelsea and Grimsby Town amongst others)
*Glynn Snodin (Played professionally for Leeds United before coaching with Charlton Athletic,West Ham United and Northern Ireland amongst others
*flagicon|EnglandFred Spiksley (Went on to play for Sheffield Wednesday and England )
*flagicon|EnglandPhil Stant (Football League journeyman notably with Lincoln City)
*John Stiles (Son of England World Cup winner Nobby Stiles )
*Craig Stones (Played professionally for Lincoln City )
*Stanley Udenkwor (Nigerian forward who played UEFA Champions League football for Polish side Polonia Warsaw )
*Tam Vo (French forward who lingered in the countries Non League system)
*flagicon|EnglandNeil Warnock (Went on to manage Sheffield United and Crystal Palace amongst others] )
*Neil Woods (Football League veteran and cult hero for Grimsby Town )

External links

* [http://www.gainsboroughtrinity.com/ Gainsborough Trinity official website]
* [http://www.hartlepool.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=87627 Profile of Gainsborough Trinity]