A.F.C. Telford United
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| AFC Telford United | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Association Football Club Telford United | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | The Bucks or Lillywhites | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Founded | 2004 (1872 as Parish Church Institute) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | New Bucks Head Telford |
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| Capacity | 6300 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chairman | Lee Carter | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manager | Rob Smith & Larry Chambers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | Northern Premier League Premier Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005-06 | NPL Premier Division, 10th | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A.F.C. Telford United are an English football club based in Telford, Shropshire, playing in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.
They were formed on 28 May 2004 by supporters of Telford United after it became clear that the club would cease to exist. Bernard McNally was installed as the manager as the team embarked on their first ever season. The club's colours are black and white.
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[edit] Background
AFC Telford United are a phoenix club formed from the ashes of Telford United in 2004. Late into the 2003-04 season, the Telford United chairman and 100% shareholder Andrew John Shaw's business empire collapsed and all funding for United disappeared, forcing the club he had attempted to bankroll into the Football League into administration.
The club's supporters rallied and raised around £50,000 in two months, however with crippling debts owed to various creditors amounting to over £4million there was little hope for the club and the old Telford United were forced into liquidation on 27th May 2004.
On the same day that the proposed liquidation was announced, the supporters trust (Telford United Supporters Ltd) created and became the sole owners of a new football club - AFC Telford United. In the close season, manager Bernard McNally was appointed and a new squad assembled, the ground lease and assets were secured and the new club was placed in the Northern Premier League Division One by the FA.
[edit] Performance
In their first season, the club began with indifferent form, with a lack of consistency leaving them in mid-table and out of both the FA Cup and FA Trophy. However, following a 1-0 away defeat at Willenhall Town on December 30, 2004, the side never lost another league game all season, challenging for the title before eventually finishing third place, three points behind the champions North Ferriby United. In the subsequent playoffs, they defeated Eastwood Town 1-0 before defeating Kendal Town 2-1 in the final to clinch promotion. The final was attended by 4,215 people, a record in that league.
Midway through their second season, Telford found themselves wallowing in second from bottom position of the table. Under much supporter unrest, McNally was removed as manager, with Sean Parrish taking over the duties as caretaker. Results improved immediately, and the side were unbeaten under Parrish's guidance.
On Thursday 16 February, the new management team was announced: Rob Smith assisted by Larry Chambers. The pair had been managing Willenhall Town. The team's results have since improved dramatically and after an unbeaten run after the installation of the new management duo, they finished the season in 10th place.
After a frenzied summer of transfer activity during which virtually the entire squad was renovated, the club entered it's third season in much better shape to take the Unibond Premier division and mount a serious challenge for the title. After enjoying the club's most successful start to a season, and the most successful start of any Telford side in history, AFC Telford United topped the Unibond Premier League table after 15 games whilst racking up the best goal difference of any senior team in the British Isles. After an impressive start and 4 points against 2nd placed local rivals Hednesford Town form began to slip.
[edit] The New Bucks Head
AFC Telford United's New Bucks Head stadium is arguably the best non-league ground in the country, also putting many football league grounds to shame.
Construction of the new stadium commenced in 2000, replacing the Bucks Head ground which had been home to Wellington Town and later Telford United for over a century. Although the Bucks Head held a special place in the hearts of many supporters, it was in desperate need of renovation. The terraces were a mixture of concrete steps and cinder banking, one of the stands was built from wood and the toilet facilities left a lot to be desired.
In the 1999-2000 season, demolition work began on the Railway End terraces, albeit slowly at first. The following season, the new stadium slowly began to take shape. Telford United played with only two terraces in operation, with a small temporary stand situated on what is now the East Terrace and portacabins in the car park were used for changing rooms.
The stadium was finally completed in 2003 and can now hold up to 6,300 supporters.
[edit] Current First Team Squad
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[edit] Club Records
- Record Home Win: 4-0 vs Belper Town, 12/04/2005
- 5-1 vs Market Drayton Town, 18/04/2006 (Shropshire Senior Cup Semi-Final 2006)
- 5-1 vs Leek Town, 30/09/2006
- 4-0 vs Gateshead, 11/11/2006
- Record Away Win: 7-0 vs Runcorn FC Halton, 17/04/2006.
- Record Home Defeat: 6-3 vs Bradford (Park Avenue), 03/09/2005
- Record Away Defeat: 5-1 vs Shrewsbury Town, 27/07/2004 (Shropshire Senior Cup Final 2004)
- 4-0 vs Witton Albion, 26/12/2005.
- Record Home Crowd: 4260 vs Hednesford Town, 26/12/2006
- Record Away Crowd: 3005 vs Hednesford Town, 01/01/2007
- Unbeaten Run 37 games, 21/1/2006 to 9/12/2006
- Best League Finish: 10/22, Northern League Premier Division 2005-06.
- Best FA Cup Performance: 2nd Qualifying Round vs Nuneaton Borough 24/09/2005 (1-3)
- Best FA Trophy Performance: 3rd Qualifying Round (Replay) vs Worksop Town 29/11/2005 (1-2)
- Best Shropshire Senior Cup Performance: Final - 3 Times,
- Best result vs Shrewsbury Town, 25/07/2006, (1-1 - Shrewsbury Win 3-1 on penalties)
- Best Unibond Challenge Cup Performance: 3rd Round vs Witton Albion, 07/01/2006 (0-1)
- Best Unibond Chairman's Cup Performance: Semi-Final vs Kidsgrove Athletic, 05/03/2005 (1-3 AET)
- Record Goal Scorer: Kyle Perry, 32 goals. (September 2004-July 2006)
- Most Goals In One Season: Kyle Perry, 23 goals (2004-05)
- Most Appearances: Stuart Brock, 124 Appearances. (July 2004-Present)
- Record Signing (Inward): Lee Moore from Tamworth on 08/12/06 for a fee of £5000.
- Steve Foster from Radcliffe Borough 12/5/2006 for a fee of up to £5000.
- Record Signing (Outward): Duane Courtney to Burnley on 31/08/05 for a fee of about £33,000 along with a sell-on clause.
[edit] External links
[edit] Official websites
[edit] Unofficial websites
| Northern Premier League Premier Division 2006/07 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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AFC Telford United | Ashton United | Burscough | Fleetwood Town | Frickley Athletic | Gateshead | Grantham Town | Guiseley | Hednesford Town | Ilkeston Town | Kendal Town | Leek Town | Lincoln United | Marine | Matlock Town | Mossley | North Ferriby United | Ossett Town | Prescot Cables | Radcliffe Borough | Whitby Town | Witton Albion edit |
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