Atherstone Town F.C.

Football club infobox
clubname = Atherstone Town


fullname = Atherstone Town Football Club
nickname = The Adders
founded = 2004 (originally 1887)
ground = Sheepy Road
Atherstone
Warwickshire
capacity = 3,500
chairman = flagicon|England Dave Allen
manager = flagicon|England Jimmy Ginnelly
league = Southern League Division One Midlands
season = 2007–08
position = Midland Football Alliance, 1st (promoted)
pattern_la1=|pattern_b1=|pattern_ra1=
leftarm1=FFFFFF|body1=FF0000|rightarm1=FFFFFF|shorts1=FFFFFF|socks1=FF0000
pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=
leftarm2=F1EF00|body2=F1EF00|rightarm2=F1EF00|shorts2=0000FF|socks2=0000FF

Atherstone Town Football Club is a football club based in Atherstone, Warwickshire, England. They were officially established in 2004 after a previous club bearing the same name folded in 1979. They currently play in the Southern League Division One Midlands.

History

The original Atherstone Town club was formed in 1887, and after drifting between various local leagues, settled in the Birmingham Combination in 1911, where they remained until 1954. Prior to this the Adders had gained national recognition by reaching the semi-final of the FA Amateur Cup in both 1907 and 1909. After several decades of varying performance, the 1947-48 season saw the Adders claim the Birmingham Combination League and Cup double. In 1954 they stepped up to the Birmingham and District League (later renamed the West Midlands (Regional) League), where they were runners-up in 1972 and moved up to the Southern League. In their very first season they gained promotion to the Premier Division, where their best position was third in 1973-74, but the club was forced into liquidation in the summer of 1979.

A group of local enthusiasts rallied round and managed to fulfil the team's reserve fixtures in the West Midlands League under the name Atherstone United and then decided to continue under that name as a new club.

In 1982 the new club won promotion to the West Midlands (Regional) League Premier Division, followed in 1986-87 by winning the Premier Division title and promotion to the Southern League Midland Division. Just two years later they were promoted again, to the Southern League Premier Division, where they finished as high as 4th. However, the end of the 1999-00 season saw Atherstone relegated for the first time in either incarnation. The situation at the club worsened and in September 2003 Atherstone United were put into liquidation. Again a group of supporters banded together and formed a new Atherstone Town club.

In their debut season the new Atherstone Town were accepted into the Midland Combination Division One, winning the league and promotion at the first attempt along with the President's Cup. In the 2005-06 season, they were the champions of the Midland Combination Premier Division and thus stepped up to the Midland Football Alliance. Further success in 2005-06 came in the Birmingham County FA Midweek Floodlit Cup and the Midland Combination Endsleigh Challenge Cup. In the 2007–08 season, the club won promotion yet again as champions of the Midland Football Alliance, the club's third promotion in four seasons.

The manager is Jimmy Ginnelly, assistant manager and coach Steve Hinks, physio Jamie Capes.

Players

Current squad

Notable players

*flagicon|ENG Mark Albrighton
*flagicon|ENG Jeff Astle
*flagicon|ENG Dale Belford
*flagicon|ENG Peter Eastoe
*flagicon|ENG Andy Maddocks
*flagicon|ENG Gil Merrick
*flagicon|ENG Andy Rammell
*flagicon|ENG Johnny Schofield
*flagicon|ENG Malcolm Shotton
*flagicon|ENG Graham Smith
*flagicon|ENG Stuart Storer
*flagicon|CPV José Veiga
*flagicon|ENG Johnny Vincent

Club records

*Best League performance:
**"original Atherstone Town": Southern League Premier Division, 3rd, 1975-76
**"Atherstone United": Southern League Premier Division, 4th, 1993-94
**"new Atherstone Town": Midland Alliance champions, 2007-08
*Best FA Cup performance:
**"original Atherstone Town": 4th Round Qualifying, 1964-65 and 1968-69
**"Atherstone United": 2nd Round, 1990-91
**"new Atherstone Town": Third Round Qualifying, 2008-09
*Best FA Trophy performance:
**"original Atherstone Town": 3rd Round, 1975-76 and 1977-78
**"Atherstone United": 2nd Round, 1998-99 and 2000-01
**"new Atherstone Town": "none"
*Best FA Vase performance:
**"original Atherstone Town": "none"
**"Atherstone United": 6th Round, 1982-83
**"new Atherstone Town": First Round, 2006-07

References

*fchd|name=Atherstone Town|id=ATHERSTT

External links

* [http://www.theadders.com Official website]