Stotfold F.C.

Infobox Football club
clubname = Stotfold
fullname = Stotfold Football Club
nickname = The Eagles
founded = 1904 (as Stotfold Athletic)
ground = Roker Park
The Green
Stotfold
Bedfordshire
SG5 4AN
capacity =
chairman = Phil Pateman
manager = Ian Donnelly
league = United Counties Football League Premier Division
season = 2007-08
position = United Counties Football League Premier Division
Champions
pattern_la1=|pattern_b1=|pattern_ra1=
leftarm1=FFFF00|body1=FFFF00|rightarm1=FFFF00|shorts1=000000|socks1=000000
pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=
leftarm2=0000CD|body2=0000CD|rightarm2=0000CD|shorts2=0000CD|socks2=0000CD

Stotfold F.C. is a football club based at Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England (postal district Hitchin, Hertfordshire).

History

Though the club was officially formed in 1904, it is believed that there was a football club in the town earlier than this. In 1911, the Eagles’ current ground was a meadow called "Roker", used by Stotfold Athletic. The Eagles first played in the Biggleswade League, then for thirty years in the North Hertfordshire League. The club played for many years at the Hitchin Road Recreation Ground before returning to Roker in 1954. In 1951 the club joined the South Midlands League. In 1953 they were promoted to Division 1 and to the Premier Division in 1955, staying for thirty years, usually finishing in the top ten or thereabouts.

In 1984, the Eagles were promoted to the United Counties League. They went straight into the Premier Division, where they have stayed ever since. Through the 1990s, the club generally finished high in the top ten, but the current millennium has been less consistent. After several changes of manager, the club re-appointed former Arsenal man Ian Allinson as manager for 2007/08, and he rewarded them by leading the club to their most successful season, including the UCL championship for the first time. He subsequently left to join Boreham Wood. The championship was clinched in dramatic fashion; starting the second half 0 – 4 down to closest challengers Long Buckby, Stotfold managed to equalise in the 90th minute for the point needed to clinch the title.

Stotfold attempted to join the Spartan South Midlands League for 2008/09, in order to cut down on the time and expense of travelling, but they were unsuccessful.

In the 2008/09 season, Stotfold F.C. are playing in the Eagle Bitter United Counties Football League Premier Division, led by manager Ian Donnelly, keen to stay at the top of the UCL pile.

Club statistics

{| class="wikitable"{| border="1" cellpadding="1" style="border-collapse: collapse;"
- style="background:black; color:white; color:white;" color=white align="center"
width="80px" | Season
width="250px" | Division
width="50px" | Points
width="50px" | Position
width="50px" | League Cup
width="50px" | F.A. Cup
width="50px" | F.A. Vase
width="300px" | Notes
-
bgcolor="#FFFF00"| 1990 – 1991
UCL Premier
59
10/22


R 1

-
bgcolor="#FFFF00"| 1991 – 1992
UCL Premier
86
5/24


R 1

-
bgcolor="#FFFF00"| 1992 – 1993
UCL Premier
48
17/22


Ex Pre

-
bgcolor="#FFFF00"| 1993 – 1994
UCL Premier
98
2/22


R 1

-
bgcolor="#FFFF00"| 1994 – 1995
UCL Premier
49
9/19

1 QR
R 4

-
bgcolor="#FFFF00"| 1995 – 1996
UCL Premier
87
2/20

2 QR
R 1

-
bgcolor="#FFFF00"| 1996 – 1997
UCL Premier
73
3/20

1 QR
R 1

-
bgcolor="#FFFF00"| 1997 – 1998
UCL Premier
72
8/21

Pre
R 4

-
bgcolor="#FFFF00"| 1998 – 1999
UCL Premier
62
7/20

Pre
R 2
Ex Pre = Extra Preliminary round
-
bgcolor="#FFFF00"| 1999 – 2000
UCL Premier
79
4/20

Pre
R 3
Pre = Preliminary round
-
bgcolor="#FFFF00"| 2000 – 2001
UCL Premier
46
15/21

2 QR
R 4
1 QR = First Qualifying round
-
bgcolor="#FFFF00"| 2001 – 2002
UCL Premier
68
9/21

Pre
R 3
2 QR = Second Qualifying round
-
bgcolor="#FFFF00"| 2002 – 2003
UCL Premier
46
17/21

1 QR
R 2
3 QR = Third Qualifying round
-
bgcolor="#FFFF00"| 2003 – 2004
UCL Premier
65
10/22
R 1
Ex Pre
R 1
R 1 = First Round
-
bgcolor="#FFFF00"| 2004 – 2005
UCL Premier
60
9/22
Q-F
2 QR
R 2
R 2 = Second round
-
bgcolor="#FFFF00"| 2005 – 2006
UCL Premier
55
11/22
R 2
Pre
2 QR
R 3 = Third Round
-
bgcolor="#FFFF00"| 2006 – 2007
UCL Premier
36
19/21
R 1
Pre
1 QR
R 4 = Fourth Round
-
bgcolor="#FFFF00"| 2007 – 2008
UCL Premier
91
bgcolor="#FFD700"| 1/21
R 1
3 QR
R 1
Q-F = Quarter-final
-
-}

Source: Football Club History Database (www.fchd.info)

External links

* [http://www.stotfoldfc.co.uk/index.htm Stotfold official website]
* [http://www.fchd.info/STOTFOLD.HTM Stotfold at Football Club History Database]
* [http://www.ebucl.com The Eagle Bitter United Counties League official website]
* [http://full-time.thefa.com/Index.do?leagueid=1625657 United Counties League at FA Full Time online]
* [http://www.football.mitoo.co.uk/News.cfm?LeagueCode=UCL2008 United Counties League at football.mitoo]