Dereham Town F.C.

Dereham Town

Full name	Dereham Town Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Magpies
Founded	1884
Ground	Aldiss Park, Dereham (Capacity: 3,000)
Chairman	Mike Baldry
Manager	Matt Henman
League	Eastern Counties League Premier Division
2010–11	Eastern Counties League Premier Division, 2nd
Home colours Away colours

Dereham Town F.C. is an English football club based in Dereham, Norfolk. The club are currently members of the Eastern Counties League Premier Division and play at Aldiss Park.

History

The club was founded as Dereham F.C. in in 1884, spending many of its early years in the Dereham & District League. In 1891–92 the club reached the final of the Norfolk Senior Cup, losing to CEYMS.^[1] By 1910 the club were playing in the Norwich & District League and had been renamed Easy Dereham.^[2] In 1920 they adopted their current name. and in 1935 they joined the Norfolk & Suffolk League, which had lost several clubs to the newly-established Eastern Counties League. When the N&SL merged into the Anglian Combination, the club were placed in the Senior B Division. They won at the first attempt and were promoted Premier Division. They were renamed Dereham Hobbies United in 1986 after a local Sunday league team merged into the club. They were relegated from the Premier Division at the end of the 1988–89 season, but made an immediate return to the Premier Division as Division One champions. In 1991 they returned to the name Dereham Town.^[2]

In 1997–98 they won the Anglian Combination Premier Division, earning promotion to the Eastern Counties League. They also won the Don Frost Memorial Cup. In 2001–02 the club finished second, beating Stanway Rovers 1–0 on the final day to overtake them and earn promotion to the Premier Division. The club won the Norfolk Senior Cup in 2006, beating Norwich United 1–0, and again in 2007 when Wroxham were beaten 1–0.

Grounds

Prior to World War II the club played at Bayfields Meadow, after which they moved to the Recreation Ground. However, the council owned the ground and there was no scope for upgrading it.^[2] In 1991, the club purchased a 10.2-acre (41,000 m²) site on the outskirts of the town in order to build a new £750,000 stadium.

The club moved to the new ground at Aldiss Park in December 1996. At the start of 2000–01 season Norwich City visited Aldiss Park for a pre-season friendly and although the club lost 9–0, a new record attendance of 1,800 was set. Norwich City visited for another friendly match in July 2001, with a new record of 3,000 being set.

Honours

• Anglian Combination
  • Premier Division champions 1997–98
  • Division One champions 1989–90
  • Senior Cup winners 1993–94
• Norfolk Senior Cup
  • Winners 2005-06, 2006–07

References

1. ^ Club History Dereham Town FC
2. ^ ^{a b c} Blakeman, M (2010) The Official History of the Eastern Counties Football League 1935-2010, Volume II ISBN 9781908037022

External links

• Club website
• Dereham Town at the Football Club History Database
• Dereham Town Youth FC

Coordinates: 52°40′56.68″N 0°58′20.93″E / 52.6824111°N 0.9724806°E / 52.6824111; 0.9724806