Matlock Town F.C.

Matlock Town

Full name	Matlock Town Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Gladiators
Founded	1878 (as Matlock)
Ground	Causeway Lane, Matlock (Capacity: 2,214 (586 seated)*increasing to 2,757 by 01/10)
Chairman	Tom Wright
Manager	Mark Atkins
League	NPL Premier Division
2010–11	NPL Premier Division, 11th
Home colours Away colours

Matlock Town F.C. is an English football club based at Causeway Lane in Matlock, Derbyshire.

History

The club was established in the late 1870s and have competed in the Central Alliance and the Midland Counties League before reaching the Northern Premier League.

In the 1974–75 season the club won the FA Trophy which caused a major celebration in the town; their manager was Peter Swan, and the brothers Mick, Nick and Tom Fenoughty all played in the final. The coach and physiotherapist on that day was Harry Peck who had played for Chesterfield as a professional.

In the 1976–77 season, by then managed by Tom Fenoughty, Matlock reached the 3rd round of the FA Cup, their best performance in the competition. They beat Division Three leaders Mansfield Town and featured in a book "Tividale to Wembley" during this cup run.

In 1978 they won the Northern Premier League Cup for the first time and subsequently played in the Anglo-Italian Cup in the 1978–79 season.

For the 2009–10 season, they are a member of the Northern Premier League Premier Division.

During the 2010–11 season, on the 16th October, in an FA Trophy tie at home to Bedworth, Matlock scored 10 goals to progress through to the 2nd Qualifying Round. Ross Hannah scored 7 of the 10 goals in Matlock's biggest ever competitive home win.

The result equalled the club's biggest ever competitive win, 10–0 away to Lancaster City in 1975.

Stadium

The club's home ground, photographed during the summer while development work was going on

The club play at Causeway Lane, known in recent seasons as the Geoquip Stadium for sponsorship reasons and now the Reynolds Stadium, near the centre of Matlock. The ground is on the northern side of Causeway Lane, opposite Hall Leys Park. At the eastern end of the football ground is a cricket oval, where Matlock Cricket Club play their home matches.

The club's record attendance is 5,123 against Burton Albion in the 1975 FA Trophy semi-final.

Local rivals

Matlock's chief rivals are Buxton but there is a keen sense of competition with other Derbyshire clubs Alfreton Town, Belper Town and Ilkeston Town.

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player – GK Nick Buxton – GK Adam Sollitt – DF Mark Haran – DF Ben Turner – DF James Lukic – DF Kris Whitcombe – DF Lee Featherstone – DF Scott Brough – DF Adam Yates – MF Steve Warne

No. Position Player DF Oscar Radford (on loan from Doncaster Rovers) – MF Liam King – MF Lee Morris – MF Darren Cartwright – MF Danny Wood – FW Dene Cropper – FW Nathan Joynes – FW Colin Marrison

Honours

Matlock (green shirts) in action against Leek Town in 2007

• FA Trophy
  • Winners 1974–75
• Northern Premier League
  • Northern Premier League Challenge Cup winners 1977–78, 2004–05
  • Shield winners 1978–79
• Evans Halshaw Floodlit Cup
  • Winners 1988–89, 1990–91
• Derbyshire Senior Cup
  • Winners 1974–75, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1991–92, 2003–04, 2009–10
• Central Alliance
  • North Division champions 1959–60, 1960–61
• Midland Counties League
  • Champions 1961–62, 1968–69
• Derby Divisional Cup (North)
  • Winners 1961–62

Notable former players and managers

• Wayne Biggins
• Maurice Boot
• Ross Hannah
• Dan McNulty
• Darren Bradshaw
• Tom Cahill
• Ian Helliwell
• / Peter Scott
• John Sheppard
• Eddie Shimwell – former England international; first full-back to score at Wembley
• Peter Swan – former England international
• Nick Tilly
• Rob Wetton
• Stacy Reed

External links

• Club website
• Causeway Lane information from thisisfootball.co.uk

Coordinates: 53°08′13.42″N 1°33′06.37″W / 53.1370611°N 1.5517694°W / 53.1370611; -1.5517694