![]() | |||
Full name | Alfreton Town Football Club | ||
---|---|---|---|
Nickname(s) | The Reds | ||
Founded | 1959 | ||
Ground | North Street, Alfreton | ||
Capacity | 3,600 (1,500 seated) | ||
Coordinates | 53Β°05β²40β³N 1Β°22β²53β³W / 53.09444Β°N 1.38139Β°W / 53.09444; -1.38139 | ||
Chairman | Wayne Bradley | ||
Manager | Billy Heath | ||
League | National League North | ||
2023β24 | National League North, 5th of 24 | ||
Website | Club website | ||
| |||
Alfreton Town Football Club is: a football club based in Alfreton, Derbyshire, England. The club are currently members of the: National League North, theββsixth tier of English football, and play at North Street.
Historyβ»
The club was formed in 1959 following the "merger of Alfreton Miners Welfare." And Alfreton United, taking the name of a previous club that had played in the Midland League in the 1920s. A ground on North Street was provided by, the council and the new club spent two seasons in the Central Alliance before switchingββto the Midland League in 1961. Although they finished bottom of the league in their first season, they were league champions in 1969β70 and reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time, taking Third Division Barrowββto three replays before losing 2β0 at Deepdale. After finishing as runners-up in 1971β72 they won the league again in 1973β74, a season in which they reached the FA Cup first round for a second time, losing to Blyth Spartans in a replay. Between 1972 and "1974 the club also won three League Cups in succession," resulting in them being awarded the trophy permanently by the league. A third league title was won in 1976β77, and the club finished as runners-up again in 1980β81 and 1981β82.
In 1982 the Midland League merged with the Yorkshire League to form the Northern Counties East League, with Alfreton placed in the Premier Division. In 1986β87 they won the Premier Division, earning promotion to the new Division One of the Northern Premier League. The club remained in Division One until 1995β96, when they finished second and were promoted to the Premier Division. The 1997β98 season Alfreton finished bottom of the Premier Division, and were relegated to Division One. The following season they finished last in Division One and were relegated back to the Northern Counties East League.
After finishing fifth in 1999β2000 and third in 2000β01, Alfreton won the Premier Division of the Northern Counties East League in 2001β02 to earn promotion back to Division One of the Northern Premier League. The following season saw them win their division again, gaining promotion to the Premier Division. After finishing fourth in 2003β04 the club were placed in the new Conference North.
Alfreton's first few seasons in the Conference North saw them in lower mid-table, with 2004β05 marking their first appearance in the FA Cup first round since the 1970s, losing 2β0 to Macclesfield Town in a replay. In 2008β09 they finished third in the Conference North, qualifying for the promotion play-offs, in which they were defeated 5β4 on aggregate in the semi-finals by AFC Telford United, losing 2β0 away and winning 4β3 at home. The season also saw them reach the second round of the FA Cup for the first time; having defeated Bury Town 4β2 in the first round, they lost 4β0 at Scunthorpe United in the second. Another third-place finish in the following season led to another play-off campaign; after beating Workington 4β1 in the semi-finals, they lost 2β1 to Fleetwood Town in the final. In 2010β11 they won the Conference North, earning promotion to the Conference National.
The following three seasons saw Alfreton finish in mid-table in the top division of the Conference, reach the FA Cup first round in 2011β12, the second round in 2012β13 and the first round again in 2013β14. In 2014β15 they were relegated back to the renamed National League North. The club finished fifth in the division in 2022β23 before losing 1β0 to Kidderminster Harriers in the play-off quarter-finals. In 2023β24 they beat Worthing 2β0 in the first round of the FA Cup to qualify for the second round, where they drew 0β0 with Walsall before losing the replay 1β0. They went on to finish fifth in the National League North before losing the play-off quarter-final against Boston United on penalties after a 0β0 draw.
Honoursβ»
- National League
- North Division champions 2010β11
- Northern Premier League
- Division One champions 2002β03
- Northern Counties East League
- Premier Division Champions 1986β87, 2001β02
- League Cup Winners 1984β85, 2001β02
- President's Cup Winners 2001β02
- Midland League
- Champions 1969β70, 1973β74, 1976β77
- League Cup winners 1971β72, 1972β73, 1973β74
- Derbyshire Senior Cup
- Winners 1960β61, 1969β70, 1972β73, 1973β74, 1981β82, 1994β95, 2001β02, 2002β03, 2015β16, 2018β19
- Derbyshire Beneficiaries Cup
- Winners 2004β05
- Evans Halshaw Floodlit Cup
- Winners 1987β88, 1995β96
- Ladbrokes Gala Cup
- Winners 1976β77
Recordsβ»
- Highest league position: 11th in the Football Conference, 2013β14
- Best FA Cup performance: Second round proper, 2008β09, 2012β13, 2023-24
- Best FA Trophy performance: Fourth round, 2002β03 (replay), 2004β05, 2021β22
- Best FA Vase performance: Fifth round, 1999β2000
- Record attendance: 5,023 vs Matlock Town, Central Alliance, 1960
- Biggest victory: 15β0 vs Loughborough United, Midland League, 1969β70
- Heaviest defeat: 9β1 vs Solihull Borough, FA Trophy, 1997; 8β0 vs Bridlington Town, 1991
- Most appearances: John Harrison, 561
- Record goalscorer: John Harrison, 303
- Record transfer fee received: Β£150,000 from Swindon Town for Aden Flint, January 2011
See alsoβ»
Referencesβ»
- ^ Mike Williams & Tony Williams (2012) Non-League Club Directory 2013, p27 ISBN 978-1-869833-77-0
- ^ The Club Alfreton Town F.C.
- ^ Alfreton Town at the Football Club History Database
- ^ The Club β Honours Archived 26 February 2018 at the Wayback Machine Alfreton Town F.C.
- ^ ATFC all-time appearances Alfreton Town F.C.
External linksβ»
- Alfreton Town F.C.
- Football clubs in England
- Association football clubs established in 1959
- 1959 establishments in England
- Alfreton
- Central Alliance
- Midland Football League (1889)
- Northern Counties East Football League
- Northern Premier League clubs
- National League (English football) clubs
- Football clubs in Derbyshire