Kidsgrove Athletic F.C.

Kidsgrove Athletic F.C. is an English football club based in Kidsgrove, Staffordshire, England currently playing in the Northern Premier League Division One West. The team, nicknamed "The Grove", play their home games at Hollinwood Road, Clough Hall.[1]

Kidsgrove Athletic
Full nameKidsgrove Athletic Football Club
Nickname(s)The Grove
Founded1952
GroundHollinwood Road, Kidsgrove
Capacity2,000
ChairmanMick Fitzjohn
ManagerRyan Austin
LeagueNorthern Premier League Division One South East
2019–20Northern Premier League Division One East (season abandoned)

History

Football was played in the town of Kidsgrove before the outbreak of World War II saw the team disband. Football was resurrected in when Kidsgrove United was formed which brought a number of players from further afield.[1] Local young men unhappy with this structure formed their own club in 1952 under the name Kidsgrove Athletic. The club joined the amateur Burslem and Tunstall League.[1] They played on the Vickers and Goodwin pitch next to the A50 before deciding not to play football in 1961 to develop a ground on Hollinwood Road, Clough Hall. The club won the Burslem and Tunstall League in 1962 and joined the Staffordshire County League in 1963.[1]

They won the Division Two title in 1963–64 before winning the Division One title in 1965–66.[1] Kidsgrove moved to the Mid-Cheshire League in 1966 a move which caused some controversy.[1] The team thrived in the new league and were crowned champions in 1970–71, 1977–78, 1986–87 and 1987–88 and also won the Mid-Cheshire League Cup in 1968, 1970 and 1986. The club joined the North West Counties Football League in 1990 and were promoted to the Premier Division in 1991–92 due to ground grading.[1] After several seasons of struggle at this level they won the title in 1997–98 and 2001–02 which earned them promotion to the Northern Premier League.[1] Kidsgrove struggled with the step up to the eighth tier narrowly avoiding relegation in 2002–03 and 2003–04. Under the management of Ant Buckle and Darren Twigg they finished in mid-table in 2004–05 and 2005–06. Peter Ward re-joined the club in the summer of 2006 which saw Kidsgrove begin to mount a promotion challenge and they reached the play-offs in 2009–10 but lost out to Glapwell. In 2010–11 Grove missed out on a play-off spot by four points finishing in 7th position.

In 2011–12 Kidsgrove reached the fourth-qualifying round of the FA Cup where they lost 2–0 to Bradford Park Avenue. In the summer of 2012 Peter Ward left the club and was replaced by Shaun Hollinshead however he was sacked in April 2013.[2] Ant Buckle and Darren Twigg took control of the side for the 2013–14 season. Grove had a poor 2013–14 season finishing bottom of the table which saw Ant Buckle replaced by Neil Gill in May 2014.[3] However after a poor start to the 2014–15 campaign Gill was sacked on 7 September 2014,[4] being replaced by Paul Moore four days later.[5] However Moore quit on 22 October 2014 blaming board interference.[6] In his place came former manager Peter Ward.[7]

Ground

Kidsgrove play home matches at Hollinwood Road, in the Clough Hall area of Kidsgrove.

Club records

Kidsgrove have yet to reach the first round of the FA Cup, but did reach the semi-finals of the FA Vase in 1997–98. Athletic have won the Staffordshire Senior Cup five times in 2004, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2012.[8]

  • Best FA Cup performance: 4th qualifying round 2011–12; 2018–19
  • Record Attendance: 1,903 v Tiverton Town, FA Vase Semi-final, 21 March 1998
  • Record Victory: 23–0 v Cross Heath WMC, Staffordshire Cup 1965
  • Record Defeat: 0–15 v Stafford Rangers, Staffordshire Senior Cup, 20 November 2001

Honours

Leagues

North West Counties Football League Premier Division

Mid-Cheshire League

  • Champions: 1970–71, 1977–78, 1986–87, 1987–88
  • Runners-up: 1968–69, 1985–86

Staffordshire County League

  • Champions: 1965–66

Staffordshire County League Division Two

  • Champions: 1963–64

Cups

Staffordshire Senior Cup

  • Winners: 2004, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012
  • Runners-up: 2008

Northern Premier League Chairman's Cup

  • Winners: 2005

North West Counties League Challenge Cup

  • Winners: 1998

North West Counties League Floodlit Trophy

  • Runners-up: 1999

Mid Cheshire League Cup

  • Winners: 1968, 1970, 1986
  • Runner-up: 1985, 1987

League history
SeasonLeaguePlayedWinsDrawsLossesGoals FGoals APointsPositionFA CupFA TrophyFA Vase
1966–67Mid-Cheshire League301231571742111/16
1967–68Mid-Cheshire League34166127662388/18
1968–69Mid-Cheshire League38275611449592/20
1969–70Mid-Cheshire League34244610441523/18
1970–71Mid-Cheshire League34264411527561/18
1971–72Mid-Cheshire League342110311048523/18
1972–73Mid-Cheshire League341431759633111/18
1973–74Mid-Cheshire League36141575844437/18
1974–75Mid-Cheshire League3822797851514/20
1975–76Mid-Cheshire League32118135050309/17
1976–77Mid-Cheshire League3019476933423/16R1
1977–78Mid-Cheshire League30145114951337/16R1
1978–79Mid-Cheshire League3022627024501/16R2
1979–80Mid-Cheshire League308101246392612/16PR
1980–81Mid-Cheshire League30126123030309/16PR
1981–82Mid-Cheshire League30127113535318/16PR
1982–83Mid-Cheshire League281151249432710/15
1983–84Mid-Cheshire League3411101351413212/18
1984–85Mid-Cheshire League3216975340415/17
1985–86Mid-Cheshire League34246410738542/18
1986–87Mid-Cheshire League3223639125521/17
1987–88Mid-Cheshire League3024518724531/16
1988–89Mid-Cheshire League2812795651515/15
1989–90Mid-Cheshire League30142145466448/16
Joined North West Counties League Division Two
1990–91NWCFL Division Two347101737653114/18
1991–92NWCFL Division Two341471344454910/18R1
Promoted to Division One ahead of higher-placed teams due to ground grading
1992–93NWCFL Division One42982553943520/22
1993–94NWCFL Division One4216101670615810/22
1994–95NWCFL Division One421482066785015/22PR
1995–96NWCFL Division One421591861645413/22QR1R1
1996–97NWCFL Division One4210141853734416/22PRQR2
1997–98NWCFL Division One42323712750991/22PRSF
1998–99NWCFL Division One4024799047795/21QR1R4
1999–00NWCFL Division One421491947665113/22PRR2
2000–01NWCFL Division One42241088146826/22EPRR1
2001–02NWCFL Division One423194125471021/22PRR4
Promoted to Northern Premier League First Division
2002–03NPL First Division429112249713819/22QR2R1
2003–04NPL First Division421092345673922/22PRPR
2004–05NPL First Division4215151260556010/22PRR2
2005–06NPL First Division421491966695117/22QR1QR2
2006–07NPL First Division42217189180708/24QR3QR2
Inaugural members of the Northern Premier League Division One South
2007–08NPL Division One South427102561903117/18QR2PR
2008–09NPL Division One South381252149624115/20QR1QR1
2009–10NPL Division One South42221289350784/22QR1PR
2010–11NPL Division One South42236138859757/22QR2PR
2011–12NPL Division One South4213161362595513/22QR4QR1
2012–13NPL Division One South421272375864318/22PRQR1
2013–14NPL Division One South40792441803021/21QR1QR2
2014–15NPL Division One South42992448963620/22PRPR
2015–16NPL Division One South4212141681785015/22PRQR2
2016–17NPL Division One South421671972665512/22QR2QR2
2017–18NPL Division One South421122269904218/22QR2QR2
2018–19NPL Division One West3815131058405810/20QR4PR

References
  1. "Kidsgrove Athletic FC – a brief history". Kidsgrove Athletic.co.uk. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  2. "Kidsgrove fire boss Hollinshead after run of five defeats". The Sentinel. 19 April 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  3. "Kidsgrove's new manager Neil Gill looking forward to a fresh challenge". Stoke Sentinel. Archived from the original on 29 May 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  4. "Gill departs Kidsgrove". KAFC. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
  5. "Paul Moore appointed manager". KAFC. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  6. "Paul Moore quits as Kidsgrove Athletic manager". Stoke Sentinel. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  7. "Peter Ward is back in town as manager of Kidsgrove Athletic". Stoke Sentinel. Archived from the original on 19 December 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  8. Grove Pick Up Staffordshire Senior Cup Archived 26 April 2011 at the Wayback Machine

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