| Full name | Brackley Town Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Saints | ||
| Founded | 1890 | ||
| Ground | St. James Park Brackley (Capacity: 3,500 (600 seated)) |
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| Chairman | Sara Crannage | ||
| Manager | Jon Brady | ||
| League | Southern League Premier Division | ||
| 2010-11 | Southern League Premier Division, 9th |
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Brackley Town Football Club are a football club based in Brackley, England, who play their home games at St. James Park. They were established in 1890. They have won the Hellenic League twice in their history. They are currently playing in the Southern League Premier Division, and in the 2008-09 season they reached the FA Cup First Round Proper for the first time in their history.
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Brackley Town FC was formed in 1890 and were initially a prominent side in the area, but fell away, with most of the period before World War II being spent in the Oxfordshire Senior Football League, before a switch to the North Bucks and District League in the post war years. In 1968 they took a step down the ladder by joining the Banbury & District League.
In 1974 they moved back to the North Bucks League and also moved to their current St James Park ground in Churchill Way. A small clubhouse and changing rooms were built and by 1977 the club had stepped up to the Hellenic League. They stayed in Division One until 1983 when they switched to the United Counties League, where they won the Division One title at the first attempt. Although they were Premier Division runners-up in 1988-89 their time in the division was generally spent near the foot of the table, with three consecutive last-place finishes between 1992 and 1994.
In 1994 the club moved back to the Hellenic League. After a mediocre first season, Phil Lines took over as manager and led them to the Premier Division title in 1997 and with it promotion to the Southern League. However, they only managed two seasons at that level during which, with finances at full stretch, the club was forced into liquidation in February 1999 with debts of over £100,000. The club was saved from extinction but demoted back into the Hellenic League.
Despite a speedy turnover of managers they consistently finished in the Hellenic League's top 10 and were promoted back to the Southern League after winning the title in 2004. Phil Lines returned in February 2006 and guided the club to a third place finish, culminating in defeat in the last few minutes of the play-off final for promotion to the Southern League Premier Division.
In 2006-07, Brackley finished top of the Southern League Division One Midlands. In the 2007-08 season, they competed in the Southern League Premier Division. Manager Phil Lines, however, became director of football, and Roger Ashby became the new manager for the new season. Ashby was soon sacked by the club replaced by former player David Oldfield in a player/manager role. Oldfield departed Brackley Town at the end of the season to join Peterborough United, after which Phil Lines came back as manager.
During the 2006-07 season, Brackley reached the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup (the round immediately prior to the first round proper), up until then their best achievement in that competition, but were knocked out at that stage by Havant & Waterlooville. Two seasons later Brackley surpassed this by beating Hampton & Richmond in the fourth qualifying round to reach the first round proper for the first time. They went on to lose 2-1 to Eastwood Town at Coronation Park.
Phil Lines handed in his resignation in April 2009 after a run of bad results ended Town's chances of a play-off place. Midfielder Jon Brady was given the caretaker's job while the job was advertised. Eventually, Brady was appointed as permanent manager for the 2009–10 season. The club finished in 5th place, their highest ever finish in the non league pyramid, but lost in the play-off semi-final to Nuneaton Town.
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Brackley Town F.C. play at St James Park. It has in excess of 500 seats. There are two main stands, one alongside the touchline next to the club house, and a main stand behind the goal at the Evenley end of the ground known to the fans as the South Bank. There is also a small stand to house 80 people standing up at the cricket ground end of the ground. Groundsman Paul Kuhn won the groundsman of the year award for 2008/09. He added the same award again in 2009/10 season.