History - Nuneaton Town History
Nuneaton Town Football Club
The Family Tree
Club Origins
These date from 1889 when young men from Nuneaton St. Nicholas Parish Church formed a football team. Playing only friendly games, from 1892 they entered Charity Cup competitions. In September 1894 the ‘Saints’ changed their name to Nuneaton Town Association F.C.
Nuneaton Town (One)
Club Nickname: The Nuns
League Record: 1894-95 Warwickshire Junior League; 1896-97 Coventry & District League; 1897-99, 1904-06 Coventry and North Warwickshire League; 1899-1900 Leicestershire League; 1901-03 Nuneaton & District League; 1903-04 Trent Valley League; 1906-08 Birmingham Junior League; 1908-15, 1926-33 renamed Birmingham Combination; 1915-1919 competition suspended due to World War One; 1919-24, 1933-37 Birmingham League; 1924-26 Southern League (Easter Section)
Major Honours
League: Coventry & District League: Champions1902-03, 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
Birmingham Senior (County) Cup: First entered 1911-12; Winners 1930-31; Runners Up 1934-35
F.A. (English) Cup: First entered: 1899-90 – never progressed to competition proper
Grounds
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. Enclosed grounds at Queens Road 1903-08, Newdigate Arms 1908-15, Manor Park 1919-37
On May 13, 1937 at an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders it was decided to wind up the football club despite Nuneaton Town being financially sound having sold their Manor Park ground to Nuneaton Corporation the previous December.
Nuneaton Borough
Formed two days after the demise of Nuneaton Town by a group of local gentlemen.
Club Nickname: The Boro’
League Record: 1937-38 Central Amateur League; 1938-40 Birmingham Combination; 1941-45 World War Two – 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, 1963-1979, 1987-88, 1993-94, 1996-99, 2003-04 Southern League – Premier Division; 1960-63 Southern League – First Division; 1981-82, 1988-93, 1994-96 Southern League – Midland Division; 1979-81, 1982-87, 1999-2003 Conference (former Alliance Premier); 2004-08 Conference North
Major Honours
Birmingham Combination: Runners Up 1945-46, 1948-49, 1950-51; Birmingham League: Champions 1954-55 (North), 1955-56 (Division One); Southern League Premier Division: Champions1998-99, Runners Up 1966-67, 1974-75; Southern League Midland Division: Champions 1981-82, 1992-93, 1995-96; Southern League Cup: Winners 1995-96; Runners Up 1962-63; Southern League Championship Match (League Champions v Cup Winners): Winners 199, Runners Up 1996; Conference Premier: Runners Up 1983-84, 1984-85; Conference North: Runners Up 2004-05
Birmingham Senior (County) Cup: Winners 1949, 1955, 1960, 1978, 1980, 1993, 2002; Runners Up 1953, 1967, 1991
F.A. Cup: Boro’’ made 22 appearances in the competition proper, progressing to the Third Round (last 64) in 1949-50 (v Exeter City), 1966-67 (Rotherham United (Replay)), 2005-06 (Middlesbrough (Replay))
F.A. Trophy: Three appearances in Quarter Finals: 1977 (Replay), 1980, 1987
Play Offs: Lost 3-2 on penalties to Wealdstone in Southern League Championship Play Off 1982 after 2-2 aggregate score; Lost 4-2 on penalties to Altrincham in Conference North Semi-Final 2005 following 1-1 after extra-time; Lost 1-0 to Droylsden in Conference North Semi-Final 2006
Grounds
Manor Park 1937-2007; Liberty Way 2007-08
Record Attendance at Manor Park 22,114 (January 28, 1967 v Rotherham United, F.A. Cup Third Round); Record Attendance for away fixture 26,255 (January 17, 2006 v Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium, F.A. Cup Third Round Replay)
Nuneaton Town (Two)
March 2008 saw a take over from the board that had run the club from 1991. The new directors soon found they had inherited excessive debts despite the sale of Manor Park to property developers. The new club reverted to its former name of Nuneaton Town and were demoted two divisions from Conference North to Southern League Division One. A new board was formed by three directors from the takeover.
The club underwent complete restructuring with facilities being upgraded and revamped for the supporters. At the same time, it merged with a local Community Football Club that had over the years provided several junior players who had gone on to play for the seniors, thus establishing a strong community football club providing football to over 1500 children a week in the local area. The community club is a registered CASC charity and a Charter Standard Community Club, the only one in the county at the time. At the same time, the Community Club established an education programme aimed at taking players through to University whilst at the same time at the same developing their football careers.
Following the demotion to the Southern League Midlands Division the club gained promotion following a 1-0 playoff final victory over Chasetown at Liberty Way.
The next season, Nuneaton found themselves in the Premier Division with several teams that were spending vast sums on being promoted. After a slow start the team went on a fantastic run that saw them beaten only once at home which included at run of 14 straight victories, naroowing a 24 point gap between the leaders Farnborough to just 2 points at the end of the season. Nuneaton were victims of their own success in the FA Cup and FA Trophy as they ended the second week in March with a backlog of eight games in hand over their top six rivals. Nuneaton pursued Farnborough all the way and had a hectic schedule of ten games in twenty four days, including two games in twenty four hours.
Again, the playoffs beckoned and a 6-0 thrashing of big spending Brackley Town in the semi final saw home advantage given to Nuneaton who faced Chippenham. The final went into extra time and it was befitting that a local player, Eddie Nisevic, who had come through the ranks got the winning goal returning Nuneaton to the Conference North. Nuneaton had a county cup final only three days later. The icing on the cake for the season was the win over Alvechurch winning the Birmingham Senior Cup. Only Premier League Aston Villa has now the cup more times than Nuneaton. However, Nuneaton has won the trophy in every decade since the second world war.
July 2010 saw Nuneaton Town also become a Community Interest Company (CIC) with the aim of being a charitable organisation that actively engages with the local community.
Nuneaton’s return to the Blue Sqaure Bet North was welcomed by the clubs hard core of supporters and the opening game and crowd average of around 1000 proved the appetite for football at the level. Nuneaton started well and remained in the top six up to Christmas, where they gained top sport until the last week in March.
Eventually after other clubs played their games in hand, Nuneaton finished just outside of the play-offs. Fortune smiled on The Boro and the club above them Eastwood Town were prevented from taking part in the play offs due to a technical problem. Nuneaton faced AFC Telford Utd in the first leg and were in the lead up to the 93rd minute when an error saw the away side draw level. The second tie was much closer, Telford took the lead, but defended for the whole of the second half as the visitors looked get the vital goal. Fulltime saw heartbreak for Boro, but they lost to the side that eventually got promotion into the Football Conference.
During the closed season, Nuneaton invested heavily in the squad and look to chase the promotion they lost out to last season.
Club Nickname: The Boro’
League Record: 2008-09 Southern League Division One; Southern League Premier Division 2009-10; Conference North 2010 – present
Club Honours: 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); Birmingham Senior Cup: Winners 2010; F.A. Cup: First Round Proper 2009-10 & 2010-2011
Ground: Liberty Way 2008 – present. Record Attendance: 3,111 (May 2, 2009 v Chasetown, Southern League Division One (Midlands) Play off Final)
The Family Tree
Club Origins
These date from 1889 when young men from Nuneaton St. Nicholas Parish Church formed a football team. Playing only friendly games, from 1892 they entered Charity Cup competitions. In September 1894 the ‘Saints’ changed their name to Nuneaton Town Association F.C.
Nuneaton Town (One)
Club Nickname: The Nuns
League Record: 1894-95 Warwickshire Junior League; 1896-97 Coventry & District League; 1897-99, 1904-06 Coventry and North Warwickshire League; 1899-1900 Leicestershire League; 1901-03 Nuneaton & District League; 1903-04 Trent Valley League; 1906-08 Birmingham Junior League; 1908-15, 1926-33 renamed Birmingham Combination; 1915-1919 competition suspended due to World War One; 1919-24, 1933-37 Birmingham League; 1924-26 Southern League (Easter Section)
Major Honours
League: Coventry & District League: Champions1902-03, 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
Birmingham Senior (County) Cup: First entered 1911-12; Winners 1930-31; Runners Up 1934-35
F.A. (English) Cup: First entered: 1899-90 – never progressed to competition proper
Grounds
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. Enclosed grounds at Queens Road 1903-08, Newdigate Arms 1908-15, Manor Park 1919-37
On May 13, 1937 at an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders it was decided to wind up the football club despite Nuneaton Town being financially sound having sold their Manor Park ground to Nuneaton Corporation the previous December.
Nuneaton Borough
Formed two days after the demise of Nuneaton Town by a group of local gentlemen.
Club Nickname: The Boro’
League Record: 1937-38 Central Amateur League; 1938-40 Birmingham Combination; 1941-45 World War Two – 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, 1963-1979, 1987-88, 1993-94, 1996-99, 2003-04 Southern League – Premier Division; 1960-63 Southern League – First Division; 1981-82, 1988-93, 1994-96 Southern League – Midland Division; 1979-81, 1982-87, 1999-2003 Conference (former Alliance Premier); 2004-08 Conference North
Major Honours
Birmingham Combination: Runners Up 1945-46, 1948-49, 1950-51; Birmingham League: Champions 1954-55 (North), 1955-56 (Division One); Southern League Premier Division: Champions1998-99, Runners Up 1966-67, 1974-75; Southern League Midland Division: Champions 1981-82, 1992-93, 1995-96; Southern League Cup: Winners 1995-96; Runners Up 1962-63; Southern League Championship Match (League Champions v Cup Winners): Winners 199, Runners Up 1996; Conference Premier: Runners Up 1983-84, 1984-85; Conference North: Runners Up 2004-05
Birmingham Senior (County) Cup: Winners 1949, 1955, 1960, 1978, 1980, 1993, 2002; Runners Up 1953, 1967, 1991
F.A. Cup: Boro’’ made 22 appearances in the competition proper, progressing to the Third Round (last 64) in 1949-50 (v Exeter City), 1966-67 (Rotherham United (Replay)), 2005-06 (Middlesbrough (Replay))
F.A. Trophy: Three appearances in Quarter Finals: 1977 (Replay), 1980, 1987
Play Offs: Lost 3-2 on penalties to Wealdstone in Southern League Championship Play Off 1982 after 2-2 aggregate score; Lost 4-2 on penalties to Altrincham in Conference North Semi-Final 2005 following 1-1 after extra-time; Lost 1-0 to Droylsden in Conference North Semi-Final 2006
Grounds
Manor Park 1937-2007; Liberty Way 2007-08
Record Attendance at Manor Park 22,114 (January 28, 1967 v Rotherham United, F.A. Cup Third Round); Record Attendance for away fixture 26,255 (January 17, 2006 v Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium, F.A. Cup Third Round Replay)
Nuneaton Town (Two)
March 2008 saw a take over from the board that had run the club from 1991. The new directors soon found they had inherited excessive debts despite the sale of Manor Park to property developers. The new club reverted to its former name of Nuneaton Town and were demoted two divisions from Conference North to Southern League Division One. A new board was formed by three directors from the takeover.
The club underwent complete restructuring with facilities being upgraded and revamped for the supporters. At the same time, it merged with a local Community Football Club that had over the years provided several junior players who had gone on to play for the seniors, thus establishing a strong community football club providing football to over 1500 children a week in the local area. The community club is a registered CASC charity and a Charter Standard Community Club, the only one in the county at the time. At the same time, the Community Club established an education programme aimed at taking players through to University whilst at the same time at the same developing their football careers.
Following the demotion to the Southern League Midlands Division the club gained promotion following a 1-0 playoff final victory over Chasetown at Liberty Way.
The next season, Nuneaton found themselves in the Premier Division with several teams that were spending vast sums on being promoted. After a slow start the team went on a fantastic run that saw them beaten only once at home which included at run of 14 straight victories, naroowing a 24 point gap between the leaders Farnborough to just 2 points at the end of the season. Nuneaton were victims of their own success in the FA Cup and FA Trophy as they ended the second week in March with a backlog of eight games in hand over their top six rivals. Nuneaton pursued Farnborough all the way and had a hectic schedule of ten games in twenty four days, including two games in twenty four hours.
Again, the playoffs beckoned and a 6-0 thrashing of big spending Brackley Town in the semi final saw home advantage given to Nuneaton who faced Chippenham. The final went into extra time and it was befitting that a local player, Eddie Nisevic, who had come through the ranks got the winning goal returning Nuneaton to the Conference North. Nuneaton had a county cup final only three days later. The icing on the cake for the season was the win over Alvechurch winning the Birmingham Senior Cup. Only Premier League Aston Villa has now the cup more times than Nuneaton. However, Nuneaton has won the trophy in every decade since the second world war.
July 2010 saw Nuneaton Town also become a Community Interest Company (CIC) with the aim of being a charitable organisation that actively engages with the local community.
Nuneaton’s return to the Blue Sqaure Bet North was welcomed by the clubs hard core of supporters and the opening game and crowd average of around 1000 proved the appetite for football at the level. Nuneaton started well and remained in the top six up to Christmas, where they gained top sport until the last week in March.
Eventually after other clubs played their games in hand, Nuneaton finished just outside of the play-offs. Fortune smiled on The Boro and the club above them Eastwood Town were prevented from taking part in the play offs due to a technical problem. Nuneaton faced AFC Telford Utd in the first leg and were in the lead up to the 93rd minute when an error saw the away side draw level. The second tie was much closer, Telford took the lead, but defended for the whole of the second half as the visitors looked get the vital goal. Fulltime saw heartbreak for Boro, but they lost to the side that eventually got promotion into the Football Conference.
During the closed season, Nuneaton invested heavily in the squad and look to chase the promotion they lost out to last season.
Club Nickname: The Boro’
League Record: 2008-09 Southern League Division One; Southern League Premier Division 2009-10; Conference North 2010 – present
Club Honours: 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); Birmingham Senior Cup: Winners 2010; F.A. Cup: First Round Proper 2009-10 & 2010-2011
Ground: Liberty Way 2008 – present. Record Attendance: 3,111 (May 2, 2009 v Chasetown, Southern League Division One (Midlands) Play off Final)
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