Nuneaton Borough F.C.

Nuneaton Borough Football Club is an English football club that is based in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. The men's 1st team competes in the Southern League Premier Division Central,[1] the seventh tier of English football.

Nuneaton Borough
Full nameNuneaton Borough Football Club
Nickname(s)The Boro
Founded1889 (as Nuneaton St. Nicholas)
1937 (as Nuneaton Borough F.C.)
1991 (reformed as Nuneaton Borough 1991 F.C.)
2008 (reformed as Nuneaton Town F.C.)
GroundLiberty Way
Capacity4,614 (514 seated)
ChairmanJason Dean
ManagerJimmy Ginnelly
LeagueSouthern League Premier Division Central
2019–20Southern League Premier Division Central (season abandoned)
WebsiteClub website

In 1889, Nuneaton St. Nicholas FC was the first team in Nuneaton to play senior football. In 1894, the 'Nicks' changed their name to Nuneaton Town Association Football Club,[2] which they played under until 1937 when the club was disbanded. Two days later, the club was reformed as Nuneaton Borough F.C. and played under this name until 1991 when the club liquidated for the first time. After the club reformed they changed their name to Nuneaton Borough 1991 F.C. During this time the club had some historic cup victories including a 1-0 win over Division 2 side Stoke City in 2000 and in 2006 they scored a late equaliser at home to Premier league and UEFA Cup side Middlesbrough. Then in 2008 the club was liquidated due to poor financial performance. It was renamed Nuneaton Town and suffered a two-division demotion. During the 2018–19 season the club reverted to its former name Nuneaton Borough F.C. after overwhelming support for the change from supporters.[3]

The club currently plays its home fixtures at Liberty Way, Nuneaton. The club's home colours are blue and white, which are usually represented as vertical stripes. The club is known to some supporters as 'The Boro'.

Local rivals include Tamworth, Leamington and Bedworth United.

Club history

Nuneaton St. Nicolas / Nuneaton Town/ The Rough F.C.

The club began in 1889 when young men from Nuneaton St. Nicolas Parish Church formed a football team to represent the town. Originally playing only friendly games, in September 1894 the 'Nicks’ changed their name to Nuneaton Town Association F.C.[4]

League record
  • 1894–95: Warwickshire Junior League;
  • 1896–97: Coventry & District League;
  • 1897–99: Coventry and North Warwickshire League;
  • 1899–1900: Leicestershire League;
  • 1901–03: Nuneaton & District League;
  • 1903–04: Trent Valley League;
  • 1904–06: Coventry and North Warwickshire League;
  • 1906–15: Birmingham Junior League / Birmingham Combination (renamed 1908);
  • 1915–19: competition suspended due to World War One;
  • 1919–24: Birmingham League;
  • 1924–26: Southern League (Eastern Section);
  • 1926–33: Birmingham Combination;
  • 1933–37: Birmingham League.

Major honours

League:

  • Coventry & District League: Champions 1902–03; Runners Up 1901–02;
  • Coventry & North Warwickshire League: Champions 1904–05; Runners Up 1897–98;
  • Birmingham Junior League: Champions 1906–07;
  • Birmingham Combination: Champions 1914–15, 1928–29, 1930–31; Runners Up 1910–11, 1931–32

Cup:

  • Birmingham Senior (County) Cup: First entered 1911–12; Winners 1930–31; Runners Up 1934–35

End of Nuneaton Borough F.C.

In 1936 the club sold its Manor Park ground to Nuneaton Corporation. On 13 May 1937, at an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders, it was decided to shut down the football club despite it being financially sound.[5]

Second incarnation: 1937–2008
Old Main Stand at Manor Park

Nuneaton Borough

Following the disbanding of the club a new group of young Gentlemen decided to reform it two days later. The club played at a new ground, Manor Park (1937-2007) and Liberty Way (2007-2008). The club nickname became established as 'The Boro'.[6]

League record
  • 1937–38: Central Amateur League;
  • 1938–40: Birmingham Combination;
  • 1941–45: Second World War (Boro’ enter the Nuneaton Combination);
  • 1945–52: Birmingham Combination;
  • 1952–54: Birmingham League;
  • 1954–55: Birmingham League North;
  • 1955–58: Birmingham League First Division;
  • 1958–59: Southern League – North Western Section;
  • 1959–60: Southern League – Premier Division;
  • 1960–63: Southern League – First Division;
  • 1963–79: Southern League – Premier Division;
  • 1979–81: Alliance Premier;
  • 1981–82: Southern League – First Division;
  • 1982–87: Alliance Premier / Football Conference (renamed 1986);
  • 1987–88: Southern League – Premier Division;
  • 1988–93: Southern League Midland Division;
  • 1993–94: Southern League – Premier Division;
  • 1994–96: Southern League – Midland Division;
  • 1996–99: Southern League – Premier Division;
  • 1999–2003: Football Conference;
  • 2004–08: Conference North.

Major honours

League

  • Birmingham Combination: Runners Up 1945–46, 1948–49, 1950–51;
  • Birmingham League: Champions 1954–55 (North), 1955–56 (Division One);
  • Southern League Premier Division: Champions 1998–99, Runners Up 1966–67, 1974–75;
  • Southern League Midland Division: Champions 1981–82, 1992–93, 1995–96;
  • Conference Premier: Runners Up 1983–84, 1984–85;
  • Conference North: Runners Up 2004–05

Cup

  • Birmingham Senior (County) Cup: Winners 1949, 1955, 1960, 1978, 1980, 1993, 2002; Runners Up 1953, 1967, 1991.
  • Southern League Cup: Winners 1995–96; Runners Up 1962–63;
  • Southern League Championship Match (League Champions v Cup Winners): Winners 199?, Runners Up 1996;

Record attendance
  • Home: At Manor Park 22,114 (28 January 1967 v Rotherham United at Manor Park in the F.A. Cup Third Round).[7]
  • Away: 26,255 (17 January 2006 v Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium in the F.A. Cup Third Round (Replay)).

Key events

In March 1983, George Best played for Nuneaton Borough in a friendly match against Coventry City and scored from a penalty.[8]

In May 2007, the club left its Manor Park ground after drawing its last game 1–1 against Vauxhall Motors.[9]

In the 2007–08 season, ill-health meant the club's owner Ted Stocker decided to sell his shares. In March 2008, local businessman Ian Neale took ownership of the club for a trial period. He eventually took 100% ownership of the club in April of that year, but in May Neale found irregularities in the club finances, raising fears that the club would be forced into administration. On 2 June 2008, Nuneaton Borough went into liquidation.

Nuneaton Town F.C.

The club was once again reformed, but the FA insisted that it revert to its former name of Nuneaton Town. Falling foul of financial regulations the club was demoted two divisions, from Conference North to Southern League Division One, although the club was promoted back to its former division over the following two seasons. The club continued to be known by its former nickname, "The Boro"[10]

Nuneaton Borough

On 30 April 2018, it was announced the club would be renamed Nuneaton Borough F.C.[11] and it was officially renamed on 16 June 2018.[12]

League record
  • 2008–09: Southern League Division One;
  • 2009–10: Southern League Premier Division;
  • 2010–12: Conference North;
  • 2012–15: Conference Premier;
  • 2015–19: National League North

Major honours

League

  • Southern League Division One (Midlands): Runners Up 2008–09 (promoted via play-offs).
  • Southern League Premier Division: Runners Up 2009–10 (promoted via play-offs).
  • Conference North 2011–12 (promoted via play-offs).

Cup

  • Birmingham Senior Cup: Winners 2010.

Record attendance
  • Home: 4,054 v Stockport County (27 April 2019, Vanarama National League North).

Key events

The club was relegated to the Southern League Midlands Division in the 2008–2009 season but made an immediate return to the Southern League Premier Division the following season with a 1–0 play-off final victory over Chasetown at Liberty Way.

In the Southern League Premier Division, Nuneaton found themselves facing several teams that were chasing promotion. After a slow start, the team went on a run that saw them beaten once at home and included a run of 14 straight victories. A 24-point gap between the leaders Farnborough was narrowed to two points at the end of the season. Nuneaton had some success in the FA Cup and FA Trophy but ended the second week in March with a backlog of eight games in hand over their top-six rivals. Nuneaton pursued Farnborough and had a schedule of ten games in twenty-four days, including two games in twenty-four hours.

A 6–0 defeat of Brackley Town in the semi-final saw home advantage given to Nuneaton who faced Chippenham. The final went into extra time and local player Eddie Nisevic scored the winning goal, returning Nuneaton to the Conference North. Three days after the play-off final, Nuneaton beat Alvechurch to win the Birmingham Senior Cup. Only Premier League club Aston Villa has won the cup more times than Nuneaton, which has won the trophy in every decade since the Second World War.

Nuneaton returned to the Blue Square Bet North and the opening game and crowd average was around 1,000. Nuneaton started well and remained in the top six up until Christmas, where they gained top spot until the last week in March. After other clubs played their games in hand, Nuneaton finished just outside the play-offs but the club above them, Eastwood Town, were prevented from taking part in the playoffs due to a technical problem. Nuneaton faced Telford United in the first leg and led until the 93rd minute when the away side drew level. In the second tie, Telford took the lead but defended for the second half. Nuneaton lost to Telford, which was eventually promoted into the Football Conference.

The 2011–12 season saw Nuneaton gain promotion back to the Conference Premier for the first time in 10 years. After maintaining a high league position throughout the season, in its last few weeks an administrative error led to a six-point deduction but a final day 3–2 victory at Blyth Spartans ensured their play-off place. A semi-final 2nd-leg victory over Guiseley with a goal from Andy Brown in the last minute of extra time meant that Boro had to travel to Gainsborough Trinity for the Play-Off Final. Again Brown scored the goal that saw Boro claim a 1–0 victory. The club's promotion was its third in four seasons since the reformation.

The 2012–13 season saw Nuneaton play against the country's non-league elite. Despite spending much of the season in and around the relegation zone a run towards the end of the season saw the club finish in 15th place.

The 2013–14 season, Nuneaton led the table early on and in and around the play-offs for most of the season. Following manager Kevin Wilkin's departure for Wrexham, results tailed off in the last month but they finished in 13th position. A new manager, Brian Reid, was appointed and oversaw the last three games of the season.

The 2014–15 season saw Lee Thorn invest in the club, becoming chairman. His investment allowed the club to regain ownership of the stadium. On 8 September, following a poor start to the 2014–15 season, Reid was let go following a number of poor results and performances. Liam Daish was appointed manager but the club was relegated to the newly renamed National League North.

The 2015–16 pre-season saw Lee Thorn taking full control of the club and Kevin Wilson named as manager.

Cup competitions

FA Cup

Nuneaton Town first entered the FA Cup in 1899 but never progressed to the competition proper. Nuneaton Borough has achieved this twenty-one times, including victories over Football League sides Watford, Swansea City (twice), Oxford United and most recently Stoke City.

Nuneaton Borough have progressed to the FA Cup Third Round Proper in 1949–50, 1966–67 and 2005–06. For their 1966–67 run, crowd of 22,114 was in attendance at the Manor Park ground on 28 January 1967 when Rotherham United were held to a draw in a Third Round tie. Rotherham beat Boro 1–0 at Millmoor in the rematch.

Middlesbrough visited Manor Park on 7 January 2006, and could only achieve a 1–1 draw with Nuneaton, Gez Murphy scoring an equalising penalty in the 90th minute to the delight of the home crowd, earning Nuneaton a replay against a Premier League side approximately 100 places above them. Middlesbrough won the replay at the Riverside Stadium 5–2. Gez Murphy scored twice in this fixture, therefore scoring 3 goals against Middlesbrough over the two games.

Other giant killings of note came against Stoke City in 2000, Marc McGregor with a 90th-minute winner, and in 1993 a win over Swansea City, with Tony Simpson netting both goals.

The club made its first appearance in the FA Cup first round in its current guise of Nuneaton Town, on 7 November 2009 when they entertained Exeter City. This was also the first time that Liberty Way had hosted a game in the FA Cup competition proper. The game ended with Exeter City winning 4–0. In 2010 they also reached the first round of the Cup with an away tie against Lincoln City, but were once again beaten from an 89th-minute strike leaving the score at 1–0.[13] They reached the first round proper once again on 3 November 2012 facing Luton Town and forcing a replay after a 1–1 draw. However, on 13 November they lost the replay 2–0.

F.A. Trophy

Full league and cup records can be found on the club website at http://www.nuneatontownfc.com/a/historical-league-cup-records-36618.html

Nuneaton Borough's best run has seen them reach the quarter-final three times: In 1977 (a replay), in 1980 and 1987. They endured an awful run in the competition between 1995 and 2006 however. In this time they did not win a single FA Trophy game. In 2006 the run ended with a win at Bradford Park Avenue. The previous win was in 1995 at Spennymoor United.

Birmingham Senior Cup

The Boro won the Birmingham Senior Cup for the first time in 1931 and have won it a total of nine times since, most recently in 2010.

Ground

Pre-1919

The club played on various fields from 1889 to 1903 located at Higham Lane, Rose Inn (Coton Road), Arbury Road (later renamed Queens Road) and Edward Street. The turn of the century saw the Boro moved to enclosed grounds at Queens Road 1903–08, Newdigate Arms 1908–15 and then Manor Park.

Manor Park (1919–2007)
Nuneaton's former home ground, Manor Park

From the club's early years until 2007 Boro played at Manor Park; a 6,000 capacity stadium at the time of its closure. The record attendance was 22,114 spectators who had packed into the ground for an FA Cup tie against Rotherham United in 1967.

The club played their final game at Manor Park, on 28 April 2007, in a 1–1 draw with Vauxhall Motors. Gez Murphy scored Boro's last goal at the ground from the penalty spot.

The stadium has now been knocked down and has been redeveloped for housing by former shirt sponsors Bloor Homes.

Liberty Way (2007–Present)

Nuneaton Borough moved into its new ground, Liberty Way, in time for the 2007–08 season. The ground was initially owned and purpose-built by Nuneaton Rugby Club, which now shares the ground. As a consequence of the decision to move, the ground was substantially upgraded. The upgrade took place over three phases by local building firm Ian Neale Construction (owned by future owner Ian Neale) and was completed in 2007.

The move to Liberty Way was not straightforward. Originally the club planned to move from Manor Park to the new ground for the 2005–06 season but ended up having to wait 2 seasons before work was completed. Also, the club hit a snag over the covenant protecting Manor Park which was eventually cleared, allowing the club could move to Liberty Way. The ground-share plan with Nuneaton R.F.C. was planned by the then owner Ted Stocker of both clubs, after many new ground plans across Nuneaton were rejected by the local council.[14] As a consequence of the ground share, ownership of the ground passed from the rugby club to a new holding company, Stadiasafe.

Liberty Way, Nuneaton

The ground share with Nuneaton Rugby Club ('The Nuns') effectively died with the liquidation of Stadiasafe, leaving no formal agreement in place between the two clubs. Having gained sole ownership of the ground, Nuneaton Town Football Club put a deal on the table that would allow the rugby club to play inside the stadium in return for a realistic rate. Under the old agreement, the rugby club paid £35 to hire the pitch, a fee that also covered the use of the floodlights and markings. Since this was previously paid to a sister company (the aforementioned Stadiasafe; owned by the owner of both clubs), the amount paid was immaterial. However, when the football club gained sole ownership, this sparked disagreements over the amount to be paid to the football club by the rugby club to play its games in the stadium.[15][16][17]

At the start of the 2010–11 season, a deal was struck with the Nuns where the rugby club was able to play several games per season inside the stadium.

The club completed a permanent seated stand for 514 supporters on the north side of the stadium, which has improved the stadium in line with the standards required for participation in the Conference Premier. They have also outlined plans to extend this stand by adding a further 500 or so seats in the future. Facilities ancillary to football and the club's community initiatives will be housed in a two-storey building behind the new stand, adjacent to the remembrance garden for families of the people who had their ashes scattered at Manor Park.

In March 2013 Liberty Way underwent ground improvements to meet new regulations, turnstiles, changing rooms and the players' tunnel were all upgraded.

In July 2013 it was announced that the stadium would be known as the "Sperrin Brewery Stadium" for the 2013–14 season after a local family-run business won the naming rights in a golden ticket draw.[18] For the 2014–15 season, following the second 'golden ticket draw', the ground was named the JDRF James Parnell Stadium.

On 12 February 2019, chairman Nick Hawkins stepped down after just three-months at the club.[19]

Players

Current squad
As of 26 December 2020 [20]
Position Player Nation
Goalkeeper Tony Breeden (vice-captain)  England
Goalkeeper Lewis Landers  England
Defender Jordan Armsden  England
Defender Perry Cotton  England
Defender William Edjenguélé  France
Defender Connor Gudger  England
Defender Jamie Hood  England
Defender Joel Kettle  England
Defender Scott McManus  England
Midfielder Carl Baker  England
Midfielder Ollie Bassett  Northern Ireland
Midfielder Claudio Dias  England
Midfielder Ryan Edmunds  England
Midfielder Jordan Goddard  England
Midfielder Greg Kaziboni  Zimbabwe
Midfielder Marcus Kelly  England
Midfielder Devon Kelly-Evans  England
Midfielder Alex Tomlinson  England
Forward Luke Benbow (captain)  England
Forward Leroy Lita (player-coach)  England
Forward Ravi Shamsi  Iran

The Southern Football League does not use a squad numbering system.

Out on loan
Position Player Nation
Forward Harry Jackson (on loan at Nuneaton Griff)  England

Backroom staff
Position Staff
Chairman Jason Dean
Chief Executive Officer Vacant
Manager Jimmy Ginnelly
Assistant Managers Steve Hinks
Richard Lavery
Coach Tom Cherry
GK Coach vacant
Physios Jamie Capes

Kevin Willden
Richie Norman

Sports Scientist Jordan Hayward
Kit Manager James Ginnelly

Top scorers

5 players have scored over 100 competitive goals for the club;

  • Ken Plant
  • Paul Culpin
  • Martyn Twigger
  • Paul Cutler
  • Rob Straw

Managers

Brendon Phillips 1997–2000
Steve Burr 2000–2003
Alan Lewer 2003–2004
Roger Ashby 2004–2006
Kevin Wilkin 2006–2014
Brian Reid 2014
Liam Daish 2014–2015
Kevin Wilson 2015–2016
Tommy Wright 2016–2017
Dino Maamria 2017–2018
Gary Charles 2018
Nicky Eaden 2018
Lee Fowler 2018
Jimmy Ginnelly 2018–

Seasons
Main article: List of Nuneaton Town F.C. seasons

Below are the ten most recent Nuneaton Town seasons.

Year League Level P W D L F A GD Pts Position Leading league scorer Goals FA Cup FA Trophy Average attendance
2007–08 Conference North 6 42 19 14 9 58 40 +18 71 7th of 22
Liquidated and reformed[21]		 Andy Brown No Data QR4 QR3 No Data
2008–09 SFL Division One Midlands 8 42 28 8 6 85 31 +54 92 2nd of 22
Promoted via play-offs		 Gez Murphy No Data QR2 PR No Data
2009–10 SFL Premier Division 7 42 26 10 6 91 37 +54 88 2nd of 22
Promoted via play-offs		 Chris Dillion No Data R1 R1 No Data
2010–11 Conference North 6 40 21 9 10 66 44 +22 72 6th of 22
Lost in play-off semi-final		 Kyle Storer No Data R1 QR3 No Data
2011–12 Conference North 6 42 22 12 8 74 41 +33 72 † 5th of 22
Promoted via play-offs †		 Danny Glover No Data QR4 R1 No Data
2012–13 Conference Premier 5 46 14 15 17 55 63 −8 57 15th of 24 Andy Brown 19 R1 R1 No Data
2013–14 Conference Premier 5 46 18 12 16 54 60 −6 66 13th of 24 Louis Moult 17 QR4 R2 No Data
2014–15 Conference Premier 5 46 10 9 27 38 76 −38 36 †† 24th of 24
Relegated ††		 Andy Brown 8 QR4 R1 No Data
2015–16 National League North 6 42 20 13 9 71 46 +25 70 ††† 6th of 22 ††† Aaron Williams 15 QR3 R1 No Data
2016–17 National League North 6 42 14 13 15 67 69 −2 55 12th of 22 Joe Ironside 20 QR2 R3 No Data

† Nuneaton Town deducted 6 points for fielding an ineligible player.[22]
†† Nuneaton Town deducted 3 points for fielding an ineligible player.[23]
††† Nuneaton Town deducted 3 points for fielding an ineligible player in their win over Corby Town on 27 February 2016.[24] They would have finished in 4th place and a play-off position without this points deduction.

Honours
  • Southern League Cup
    • Winners: 1996
    • Finalists: 1963
  • Birmingham Senior Cup
    • Winners: 1931, 1949, 1956, 1960, 1978, 1980, 1993, 2002, 2010
    • Finalists: 1935, 1953, 1967, 1991, 2011, 2015, 2019
  • Birmingham League (Maserfield Cup)
    • Finalists: 1953, 1955
  • Midland Floodlit Cup
    • Winners: 1969, 1974, 1980, 1984 (joint)
    • Finalists: 1983, 1985, 1991

Records

Former players

1. Players that have played/managed in the Football League or any foreign equivalent to this level (i.e. fully professional league).
2. Players with full international caps.
3. Players that hold a club record. David Pleat (player/manager) 1974–1976

References
  1. "Nuneaton Borough FC Nuneaton Borough 1st Team". www.pitchero.com. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  2. "From Town To Town • Home". www.fromtowntotown.org.uk. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  3. "CLUB HISTORY". www.pitchero.com. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  4. "From Town To Town • Home". www.fromtowntotown.org.uk. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  5. "CLUB HISTORY". www.pitchero.com. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  6. "CLUB HISTORY". www.pitchero.com. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  7. "CLUB HISTORY". www.pitchero.com. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  8. "Nuneaton Town: George Best joining the Boro – and other great shock".
  9. Live, Coventry (29 April 2007). "End of an era at Manor Park". coventrytelegraph. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  10. "CLUB HISTORY". www.pitchero.com. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  11. "A world of opportunities' as Nuneaton Borough FC is reborn". Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  12. "Nuneaton Borough's name change becomes official". Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  13. "Nuneaton Town beat Workington in FA Cup replay". BBC Sport. BBC. 27 October 2010. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  14. CWN, Antony Hopker for. "Nuneaton Borough news – Borough Despair As Stadium Plan Thrown Out – 13 February 2001". Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  15. Administrator, coventrytelegraph (15 September 2008). "Liberty Way pitch row: Nuns v Nuneaton Town". Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  16. Administrator, coventrytelegraph (10 September 2008). "Nuneaton Town and Nuns at war over state of Liberty Way". Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  17. Simpson, Cara (5 September 2008). "Liberty Way pitch battle in Nuneaton". Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  18. "Nuneaton Town stadium named revealed". 12 July 2013. Archived from the original on 12 September 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  19. "Nuneaton Borough: Nick Hawkins quits as owner of National League North club". BBC Sport. BBC. 12 February 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  20. "Nuneaton Borough". Pitchero. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  21. Administrator, coventrytelegraph (2 June 2008). "Nuneaton Borough liquidation announced". Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  22. "Nuneaton Town deducted six points for fielding unregistered player". Coventry Telegraph. 30 March 2012.
  23. Poole, Alan (7 April 2015). "Nuneaton Town facing relegation after points deduction". Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  24. "Nuneaton Found Guilty of Fielding Ineligible Player". Football Conference. 24 March 2016. Archived from the original on 2 June 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  25. "Honours & Records". fromtowntotown.org.uk. Retrieved 12 July 2020.

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