Retford United F.C.

Football club infobox
clubname = Retford United


fullname = Retford United Football Club
nickname = The Badgers
founded = 1987
ground = Cannon Park, Retford
capacity = 2,000 (300 covered)
chairman = Bill Wyles (Acting)
manager = Peter Duffield
league = Northern Premier League
Division One South
season = 2007-08
position = Northern Premier League
Division One South, 1st
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leftarm1=ffffff|body1=000000|rightarm1=ffffff|shorts1=000000|socks1=000000
pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=
leftarm2=fd8b04|body2=fd8b04|rightarm2=fd8b04|shorts2=000000|socks2=000000

Retford United Football Club (also known as the Badgers) are an English football club based at Cannon Park in Retford, Nottinghamshire. The team was founded in 1987, originally playing in the Gainsborough League.

After a spell in the Nottinghamshire Alliance, the club was accepted as members of the Central Midlands League in 2001, and three years later stepped up again to the Northern Counties East League.

The success continued, finishing as runners-up in the Northern Counties East League Division One in 2005-06, gaining promotion to the Premier Division, which they won at their first attempt.

Retford reached the fifth round (last 16) of the FA Vase in the 2006-07 season, while their best run in the FA Cup has consisted of one appearance in the third qualifying round, in 2008-09 season. Their first season in the FA Trophy in 2007-08 took them to the First Round where they were defeated 5-2 by Histon.

Retford currently plays in the Northern Premier League Division One South.

Origins and youth structure

Retford United FC was founded in 1987 and at the time consisted of one Senior team that competed in the Gainsborough League and one Youth Under 10s team in the Retford & Worksop Leagues. In 1989, the Club’s Director of Coaching Dave Hickin introduced a 2nd Youth team as U10s and, along with the U12s, began United’s association with the Mid Lincs Youth League.

The Club place a massive importance on Youth football and ever since 1989 the Club have introduced a new Under 10s team each season. With the FA’s introduction of small-sided football in 1999, the club now consists of 27 youth teams ranging from Under 8s to Under 16s, an Under 18s, 19s and three senior teams (first team, reserve team and ladies team) all of which wear the club’s black and white stripes. This includes 2 girls teams.

Ground

Current squad

Honours

*Northern Premier League
**Division One South Champions 2007-08 (Could not be promoted to Unibond Premier Division after failing a ground inspection).
**Chairmans Cup Winners 2007-08

*Northern Counties East League
**Premier Division Champions 2006-07
**Division One Runners-up 2005-06
**Wilkinson Sword Trophy Winners 2005-06
**Presidents Cup Winners 2006-07

*Central Midlands Football League
**Supreme Division Champions 2003-04
**League Cup Winners 2003-04
**Trophy Winners 2005-06
**Floodlit Cup Runners-up 2003-04

External links

* [http://www.retfordunited.co.uk/home.html Retford United website]