Guisborough Town F.C.

Football club infobox
clubname = Guisborough Town


fullname = Guisborough Town Football Club
nickname = The Priorymen
founded = 1973
ground = King George V Ground,
Guisborough, Redcar and Cleveland
capacity = 3500
chairman =
manager = flagicon|England Christopher Hardy
league = Northern League Division Two
season = 2007-08 | position = Northern League Division Two, 12th
pattern_la1=_red_stripes|pattern_b1=_whitestripes|pattern_ra1=_red_stripes
leftarm1=FFFFFF|body1=FF0000|rightarm1=FFFFFF|shorts1=000000|socks1=FF0000
pattern_la2=_bluelower|pattern_b2=_thinbluesides|pattern_ra2=_bluelower
leftarm2=FFFF00|body2=FFFF00|rightarm2=FFFF00|shorts2=FFFF00|socks2=FFFF00

Guisborough Town F.C. are an English football club based in Guisborough, Redcar and Cleveland. They were founded in 1973 and currently play in the Northern League Division Two. Their home ground is the King George V Ground in Guisborough.

History

Guisborough Town Football Club formed in 1973 and were soon entered into the Northern Alliance. There is however evidence to show that there were football teams in the town as Guisborough pre-dating them. Such as, Guisborough Belmont Athletic [ [http://www.fchd.btinternet.co.uk/GUISBOBA.HTM FCHD.co.uk] ] as far back as the 1920s and a team named simply Guisborough [ [http://www.fchd.btinternet.co.uk/GUISBORO.HTM FCHD.co.uk] ] from the 1940s.

Town finished top of the Northern Alliance and won promotion to the Midland League in 1979-80, they reached the final of the FA Vase tournament the same season, unfortunately for Guisborough they lost at Wembley 2-0 to Stamford. They played in the Midland League for two seasons, ending in 5th position in both occasions. Then they became a founding member of the Northern Counties East League where they played for three seasons before joining the Northern League Division Two. After spending two seasons in the league they were promoted in second place during 1986-87, to the Northern League Division One.

Guisborough stayed here for eighteen years, until very recently. During 1988-89 they made their sole appearance in the FA Cup First Round in a match against Bury which they lost 1-0 at Middlesbrough's Ayresome Park.

Recent events

At the end of the 2004-05 season Guisborough were relegated to the Northern League Division Two after being docked 6 points for twice fielding ineligible players, and this is where they remain to date.

Guisborough traditionally played in red and white stripes, however, this season they have changed to an all white strip with red trimming.

During the summer of 2007 many new players joined the squad including first division players from Northallerton Town including Carl 'Chilli' Chillingsworth who also played for Whitby Town and professionally at Coleraine (Irish premier League). Chilli scored 4 along with Craig Skelton (3) and Steven Cochrane (1) in the first game of season which Guisborough Town beat Brandon 1-8 on 11 August 2007.

The team currently finds itself on the crest of a slump but still manages to maintain a top 10 place in the league following high profile departures of the 3 players mentioned above and, manager, Dean Coates. Despite such losses the team has managed to put some unlikely points on the board with Martin O'Riordan, Luke Bythway and Paul Roddam instrumental in everything good that they have produced. With just 2 league games remaining, derbies away to Stokesley and at home to Thornaby, they will look to finish off a nightmare season with a top 8 finish.

A massive rebuilding process has already began and should pick up steam over the summer with Christopher and John looking to charge towards promotion to The Arngrove Northern League First Division.

Honours

*FA Vase
**Runners-up: 1979-80
*Northern Alliance
**Winners: 1979-80

Records

*FA Cup
**First Round, defeated by Bury 1-0, 1988-89.

*Record Attendance: 3,112 v Hungerford in FA Vase semi-final 2nd leg, 29 March 1980

Notes