Falmouth Town A.F.C.

Falmouth Town

Full name	Falmouth Town Association Football Club
Nickname(s)	Town, The Ambers
Founded	1949
Ground	Bickland Park, Falmouth
Ground Capacity	4,019 (919 seated)
Manager	Andrew Westgarth
League	South West Peninsula League Premier Division
2015–16	South West Peninsula League Premier Division, 11th
Home colours Away colours

Falmouth Town A.F.C. is a football club based in Falmouth, Cornwall, United Kingdom. They were established in 1949 and were founding members of the South Western League in 1951. They currently play in the South West Peninsula League Premier Division whilst the reserves play in the Cornwall Combination.

For much of their history Falmouth Town have maintained a healthy rivalry with Truro City. Falmouth Town are the only Cornish team to win through to the first round proper of the FA Cup, which they have done on three occasions; 1962–63, 1967–68 and 1969–70.

History

Falmouth Town joined the old Cornwall Senior League in 1950 and a season later became founder members of the South Western League in 1951–52 playing their home games at Union Corner (a converted farmers field) Also on The Recreation Ground.^[1][2] The club moved to Ashfield (where the Park & Float is now) in 1953 for two seasons. This coincided with a change of colours from Red with white sleeves to the current Black & Amber. The club were strapped for cash and couldn`t afford a new strip so Jack Maunder a staunch committee man (who supported Wolves !) bought the new strip.Then Shell Mex & B.P. paid a fortune for the ground and paid for Bickland Park into the bargain where after an interim two seasons back at Union Corner they played the opening game at Bickland Park (previously a Market Garden owned by Harcourt Williams) against Cornwall in 1957.This paved the way for a professional approach on the scale never seen in Cornwall before. In their first season at the new ground the club won its first piece of silverware by winning the South Western League Cup and without conceding a goal during the competition. The cup was retained the following year when they beat Truro City 6–3 in the final.

In the 1961–62 season the club won their first South Western League title, but also went on to complete a Cornish treble that season by winning the League Cup and the Cornwall Senior Cup beating St. Blazey (league runners up) by 7-1 a record score that still stands in front of 10,000 people at Poltair. St. Austell.^[2] The next season the club reached the First round proper of the FA cup, and still being the only Cornish team to achieve this. In front of a record home crowd of 8,000, they played Oxford United losing 1–2. The club repeated their First round appearance again n 1967, when they lost 2–5 away to Peterborough United, and in 1969 when the met Peterborough again at their home ground losing 4–1 to the visitors.^[1]

Under Manager Richard Gray the club won the Cornwall Senior Cup again in the 1964–65 season, and repeating the cup success a season later along with another South Western League title.^[1] The 1967/68 campaign saw the club achieve its second domestic treble, and in the 1970–71 season they repeated this feat again, but this time without losing a single match in all three competitions.^[2] The club then went on to dominate the league, winning the next three seasons League titles as well. After the fourth title at the end of the 1973–74 season the club then joined the Western league.

In their first season in the Western League they completed the League and Cup double without losing a match. Three more consecutive Western League titles were won, making it eight championships in a row for manager Richard Gray.^[1] After spending nine seasons in the Western League the club faced with increased travelling expenses withdrew from the League and had to join the Cornwall Combination football league, as their application to rejoin the South Western League was refused by member clubs.^[2] After the one season in the Combination League, which they won, the club rejoined the South Western League for the start of the 1984–85 season.

In their second season back in the South western league the club picked up the League Championship for the eighth time and won the league as well. Further championships were added in 1986–87, 1988–89 and 1989–90 taking their total to eleven.^[1]

They won their twelfth championship and ninth League cup under manager Trevor Mewton in the 1991–92. After two seasons without a trophy, former player Ray Nicholls was appointed as manager and won the league cup in the 1994–95 campaign. Two seasons later a new manager David Ball was in charge and in his first season at the helm he secured the Club's fourth domestic treble. Further success followed two seasons later when in the 1998–99 they won the league cup.

The 1999–00 season saw Falmouth win title for the fourteenth time. They also won the Durning Lawrence Cornwall Charity Cup with the last time being 40 years ago in the 1959–60 campaign.^[3] In 2001 Falmouth Town achieved an unusual record for the furthest distance travelled to undertake an F.A. competition tie. This occurred when they had to travel some 500 miles to meet Bedlington Terriers in the fourth round of the F.A. Vase.

The club then spent the next few years remaining in the Premier Division of the South Western League and became founder members of South West Peninsula League Premier Division in 2007, by finishing in 10th place in the final season of the South Western League football, when it combined with the Devon County Football League.^[1][4] The club have since remained in the South West Peninsula League Premier Division.

In March 2010, Bruce Rioch started to take some training sessions at Falmouth Town.^[5]

In June 2012 before the 2012–2013 season, the club faced some bad news when the FA refused to allow them to enter any national FA competitions because they do not have toilet facilities in the home and away dressing room, and the referee's room.^[6]

In October 2012 Alan Carey resigned as manager and Les Gilbert and Robbie Stephens became joint managers.^[7] Gary Pascoe became Assistant manager in July 2013 after Les Gilbert left the club.^[8] In September 2014 John Dent was appointed first team manager. Gary Pascoe remained as first team coach.^[9]

On 24 July 2015 Andrew Westgarth was appointed as player manager.^[10] Gary Pascoe will remain as first team coach.

Stadium

The club plays at Bickland Park, Bickland Water Road, Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11 4PB. Built in 1957, its current capacity is 3,572, with 500 seats.^[1]

Previously they had played at Union Corner (twice), Ashfield and the Recreation Ground.

Honours

• Western League^{[1][11][12][13]}
  • Champions 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78
  • League Cup winners 1974–75
  • League Cup runners-up 1981–82
• Alan Young Cup
  • 'Winners 1974–75, 1975–76 (shared with Taunton Town), 1977–78
• SW Counties Pratten Cup
  • Winners 1973–74
  • Runners-up 1972–73
• South Western League^{[1][14][15][16]}
  • Champions 1961–62, 1965–66, 1967–68, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1996–97, 1999–00
  • Runners-up 1958–59, 1964–65, 1969–70, 1987–88, 1997–98
  • League Cup winners 1957–58, 1958–59, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1967–68, 1970–71, 1985–86, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1994–95, 1996–97, 1998–99
  • League Cup runners-up 1959–60, 1971–72, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1992–93
• Cornwall Senior Cup^[2][3]
  • Winners 1961–62, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1967–68, 1970–71, 1973–74, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1996–97
  • Runners-up 1966–67, 1972–73, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92
• Cornwall Charity Cup^[3]
  • Winners 1959–60,1999–00, 2003/2004
  • Runners-up 1954–55
• Cornwall Combination^[1]
  • Champions 1983–84, 2011–2012
  • Runners-up 1999–00
  • League Cup winners 1996–97, 2011–2012
  • League Cup runners-up 1960–61
  • Supplementary Cup winners 1993–94, 1999–00, 2008-09, 2010–2011
  • Supplementary Cup runners-up 1990–91, 2007-08
• Evely Cup
  • Winners 1996–97
• St. Austell Brewery Cup
  • Winners 1989–90, 1991–92, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97
  • Runners-up 1992–93
• Aubrey Wilkes Trophy
  • Winners 1988–89, 1991–92, 1993–94, 1995–96, 2011–2012

Records

• Best league position: 1st in Western League four times in 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77 and 1977–78.
• Best FA Cup performance: 1st round three times in 1962–63, 1967–68 and 1969–70.
• Best FA Trophy performance: 2nd round, 1977–78
• Best FA Vase performance: quarter-final replay, 1986–87
• Highest Attendance:^[2] 8,000 vs Oxford United 1962–63
• Highest transfer fee received:^[2] £25,000 for Tony Kellow to Exeter City in 1976
• Record Appearances:^[2] 580 – Keith Manley
• Record Goal Scorer:^[2] 204 Goals – Joe Scott

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. Has achieved recognition in another sport or the media.

• Derek Bellotti
• Stuart Brace
• Roy Carter
• Maurice Cox
• Richard Davis
• Vince Dillon
• Matthew Etherington
• Sean Flynn
• Roger Frude
• Gunnar Garfors
• John Hodge
• Tony Kellow
• Neil Langman
• Sam Malcolmson
• David McGhee
• Kevin Miller
• George Petherbridge
• Derek Rickard
• George Robertson
• Alan Rogers
• Anthony Tonkin
• Steven Thompson
• Mike Tiddy
• George Torrance
• George Willis
• Johnny Penny
• John Wingate

References

External links

• Official website
• Fansite with results database

Coordinates: 50°09′21.76″N 5°05′54.95″W / 50.1560444°N 5.0985972°W / 50.1560444; -5.0985972