- Staines Town F.C.
Football club infobox
clubname = Staines Town
fullname = Staines Town Football Club
nickname = The Swans, The Wheatsheafers
The Massive
founded =1892
ground =Wheatsheaf Park , Wheatsheaf LaneStaines ,Middlesex
capacity = 3,000 "(800 covered 300 seated)"
chairman = Alan Boon
manager = Steve Cordery
league =Isthmian League Premier Division
season = 2007–08 | position =Isthmian League Premier Division , 2nd
pattern_la1 = | pattern_b1 = | pattern_ra1 = | leftarm1 = FFFF00 | body1 = FFFF00 | rightarm1 = FFFF00 | shorts1 = 3300FF | socks1 = 3300FF | pattern_la2 = _bluewhite_cuffs | pattern_b2 = | pattern_ra2 = _bluewhite_cuffs | leftarm2 = ffffff | body2 = ffffff | rightarm2 = ffffff | shorts2 = ffffff | socks2 = ffffff |Staines Town FC are a Non-League football team located in
Staines ,Middlesex ,England . They are currently competing in theIsthmian League Premier Division . They are usually known as 'The Swans' or 'The Wheatsheafers'. However, in modern times the moniker 'The Massive' has become popular afterAli G 's famous 'Staines Massive' in his comedy show. Staines are also called 'The Linos' due to the town's main industry beinglinoleum .Staines Town's rivals include Egham Town and Hampton & Richmond Borough.
History
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 in1935 . However prior toWorld War II the club re-formed as "Staines Vale".In
1953 Staines Town were founder members of theHellenic League , where they finished runners-up in1956 . In1958 they joined theSpartan League and won the title two years later. After finishing second in1971 , Staines Town advanced to theAthenian League , where they won the Second Division title at the first attempt, amassing a record number of points.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 in1973 . 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 in1984 . The club bounced back five years later only for its Premier Division status to be lost again in1993 when the club were relegated for the first time in 63 years. Again the club were promoted in1996 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 andEgham Town before the return to Wheatsheaf Lane (now shared with the Thames Club) on22 February 2003 .From season 2002-04, Staines played in Division One South of the
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, having beatenStockport County on penalties in the replay of the first round. This was their best ever season to date.Current squad
[http://www.stainesmassive.co.uk/Swan%20Shots/theteam.html]
Cups
The club have reached the
FA Cup First Round proper on four occasions, in1879 ,1880 ,1984 and most recently in2007 , when Staines were drawn away against League Two outfitStockport County , for undoubtedly the biggest game in the club's history. A crowd of 3460 saw Staines go behind to aMatty 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 5-0There have been two appearances in the last 32 of the
FA Trophy , the first back in1976 , losing toMorecambe in a 2nd replay and then in a replay toHalifax 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) sawStaines win in Rome'sStadio Olimpico and a club record 2,500 saw the Swans complete the job at Wheatsheaf Lane.Staines have also lifted theMiddlesex Senior Cup on no fewer than seven occasions, the latest under Chris Wainwright in1997 , beatingYeading in a penalty shoot out, whilst the Middlesex Charity Cup was lifted in1994 with a 4-0 win overNorthwood .The Carlsberg Cup (an
Isthmian League tournament now abolished) was lifted in1995 againstBorehamwood 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 both1977 and1981 , the earlier final went to a replay v Wimbledon which 'The Dons' won in their last ever match as a non-League club.tadium
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 bySpelthorne Council in March2000 , and Staines Town returned to the revamped ground on 22nd February2003 .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 in2006 .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 Challenge 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 1924/25External links
* [http://www.stainesmassive.co.uk Official site]
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