Boston United F.C.

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Boston United
Image:Boston_Utd_Badge.gif
Full name Boston United Football Club
Nickname(s) The Pilgrims
Founded 1933
Ground Staffsmart Stadium
Boston
Capacity 6,645
Chairman England James Rodwell
Manager Scotland Steve Evans
League League Two
2005-06 League Two, 11th
Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
　
Home colours
Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
　
Away colours

Boston United Football Club are an English football team based in Boston, Lincolnshire, currently playing in Football League Two.

The club was made in 1933 as a successor to Boston F.C., and had a moderate amount of success in various leagues, including the Midland League and Southern League. They were founder members of the Northern Premier League in 1968, of which they were champions four times, and of the Alliance Premier League (now the Football Conference) in 1979.

Boston finished third in the Conference in 1988-89, but were unable to build on this and were relegated to the NPL in 1993. They transferred again to the Southern League, winning the title in 2000, and went fully professional in 2001. In their first season as a professional club, Boston won the Conference and were promoted to the Football League.

However, in the wake of their promotion, Boston's manager, Steve Evans, and former chairman, Pat Malkinson, were charged with breaking the Football Association's rules over the registration of players. Both men received bans from the FA, and the club were fined and docked four points from their first season in the League. This angered some, especially at Conference runners-up Dagenham & Redbridge, who believed that any points deduction should have applied to the previous season, which would have meant Dagenham being promoted instead. Despite the penalty, Boston survived their first season in the Third Division, finishing in 15th place.

Their main rivals are Lincoln City.

The club's board is attempting to move to a new stadium and fans are in the process of setting up "BUFCST" a supporters trust. Boston United are one of the last clubs in the league to form a supporters trust.

Since their promotion to the Football League, Boston have never really looked like challenging for promotion to the third tier of the league and most of their time since 2002 has been spent in mid-table.

Contents

[edit] Honours

[edit] The Ground

Boston United play at The Staffsmart Stadium the name recently changed from the York Street Stadium. Despite being close to many a heart due to the traditional look and central town location, former chairman Jon Sotnick has claimed it not to be up to league standard and called for a new ground, of which the planning applications are to be discussed in June 2006.

The ground has a total capacity of 6,645, (all covered). The stands are as follows:

[edit] The Staffsmart Stand

This is the only all seater stand in the ground. It holds 1323 people. The Directors seating is situated here.

[edit] The York Street Stand

This is possibly a unique stand in football. At the lower level, there are rows of terrracing. At the higher level, which can be accessed by a case of stairs, due to Football League rules, seats had to be placed in the upper teir of the stand. This used to be wooden benching. It is situated behind a goal. This stand holds 1435 people. The Announcer and P.A are situated in this stand. For the current season a temporary block of seats has been installed in the lower part of the stand.

[edit] The Spayne Road Terrace

This is a remarkably low terrace, so much so that the roofs of houses can be seen over it from the Staffsmart Stand. It holds 2064 people.

[edit] The Town End

This is a reasonably large terrace behind the goal, with good acoustics. It is allocated to away fans, and its acoustics allow just a few hundred fans to create a signifcant amount of noise. It holds 1821 people.

[edit] Trivia

  • Boston United frequently feature in the Sky Sports programme Soccer AM, where the team are jokingly portrayed to be the only United States team in the English football league system. Highlights of the game are shown in the feature called "Boston Goals" with typical American sports commentary by Mike Schweinburger and Randy Wakeman III.
  • The highest ever attendance was a friendly against Corby Town in 1955.
  • They were the first club to start on minus points in the league.
  • John Motson is apparently a big fan.
  • Howard Wilkinson played for Boston United, as did former Derby manager Jim Smith. Both of them also had spells managing the club.
  • United were Paul Gascoigne's last playing club before he went on to management.
  • Chris Cook scored the only goal in the 1985 FA Trohpy Final at Wembley, against Wealdstone. They lost 2-1. Cook played with the club since he was 16 and left only to become manager of the Reserve Team and then Assistant Manager to the First Team with Greg Fee. He is now a summariser on BBC Radio Lincolnshire with Scott Dalton, for Boston's away games.
  • At the Staffsmart Stadium there is an advertising board for Radio Lincolnshire. The "Lincoln" part of this has been crossed out and replaced by "Boston" in yellow writing to read Radio Bostonshire.

[edit] Financial Situation

On the 4th of December 2006 Bostons plans to relocate to a new stadium on The Broadsides was unanimously rejected by Boston Borough Council. This has plunged the clubs future into serious doubt. Chairman Jim Rodwell said the clubs future was "Hanging in the balance" Rodwell confirmed that he would be meeting with shareholders over the next couple of days to determine the best course of action, but did admit that the club’s future was ultimately now in the hands of the Inland Revenue, who are owed a sizeable six-figure sum by the club.

In a statement he released to the clubs official website on the 5th of December he said: "The club’s financial situation at the present moment is dire. I would urge all supporters and anybody interested in the future of the football club, be that investors or potential purchasers, to come forward immediately.


[edit] Current Squad

Below is the squad in order of squad numbers.

No. Position Player
1 Wales GK Andy Marriott
2 England DF Lee Canoville
3 England DF Tim Ryan
4 England DF Paul Ellender
5 England DF Mark Greaves
6 England DF Mark Albrighton
7 England MF Brad Maylett
8 England FW Anthony Elding
10 England FW Francis Green
11 England MF Chris Holland
12 Scotland MF Simon Rusk
No. Position Player
14 England MF David Galbraith
15 England MF David Farrell
16 England MF Jamie Clarke
17 England MF Stewart Talbot
19 Republic of Ireland MF Richie Ryan
20 England FW Jamie Stevens
21 England FW Nathan Forbes
22 France FW Dany N'Guessan (on loan from Rangers)
23 England MF Daniel Cotton
24 England DF Ian Miller (on loan from Ipswich Town)
25 England MF Jason Kennedy (on loan from Middlesbrough)

[edit] History

Source: Ken Fox's independent site

[edit] External links

Football League Two, 2006-2007

Accrington Stanley | Barnet | Boston United | Bristol Rovers | Bury | Chester City | Darlington | Grimsby Town | Hartlepool United | Hereford United | Lincoln City | Macclesfield Town | Mansfield Town | Milton Keynes Dons | Notts County | Peterborough United | Rochdale | Shrewsbury Town | Stockport County | Swindon Town | Torquay United | Walsall | Wrexham | Wycombe Wanderers     edit
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