Bury Town F.C.

Bury Town
Full name Bury Town Football Club
Nickname(s) Blues
Founded 1872
Ground Ram Meadow, Bury St Edmunds
(Capacity: 3,500 (300 seated))
Chairman Russell Ward
Manager Richard Wilkins
League Isthmian League Premier Division
2010–11 Isthmian League Premier Division, 3rd
Home colours
Away colours

Bury Town Football Club is an English semi-professional football club, based in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. The club are currently members of the Isthmian League Premier Division and play at Ram Meadow.

Contents

History

Early history

Bury Town Football Club was founded in 1872, and were one of eleven founder members of the Suffolk FA in 1885. Prior to changing its name to Bury Town, the club was known as Bury United, initially in the Norfolk & Suffolk League and then the Essex & Suffolk Border League. The club was also known as Bury St Edmunds FC and Bury North End FC for a short time.

The Blues moved to senior football by becoming founder members of the Eastern Counties League in 1935 and gained their first honour when they won the Suffolk Senior Cup in 1936–37, a trophy they retained for the next two seasons. 1937–38 saw the club achieve its best pre-war league position of runners-up, before the competition was suspended due to the outbreak of World War II. Bury Town won the Suffolk Senior Cup for the fourth time in 1945 before resuming league action in 1946.

Post-war

In 1958–59 Bury Town became the first ever winners of the Suffolk Premier Cup and went on to retain the trophy for the next three seasons. In 1961–62 the Eastern Counties League Cup was won for the first time and then in 1963–64 the club won the Eastern Counties League Championship for the only time in its history, recording a "treble" by winning the League Cup and the Suffolk Premier Cup for the fifth time. This success prompted the club to join the Metropolitan League in 1964 when once again, they won the Suffolk Premier Cup. During the 1965–66 campaign, Bury Town recorded yet another “treble” winning the Metropolitan League Championship, the Metropolitan League Professional Cup and for the seventh time, the Suffolk Premier Cup. In 1967–68 the Blues won the Metropolitan League Cup for the only time and finished runners-up in the league.

The Metropolitan League title was won for the second and last time in 1968–69 when the club reached the first round proper of the FA Cup for the first time in their history. 3,000 spectators saw the Blues hold Third Division leaders Bournemouth to a goalless home draw at Kings Road, but the replay at Dean Court was lost 3–0.

1970–71 was the club's last in the Metropolitan League when they finished as runners-up and also lifted the Suffolk Premier Cup for the eighth occasion. In 1971–72 Bury Town moved into the Southern League but poor results prompted a return to the Eastern Counties League in 1976–77. A year later, the Blues moved to Ram Meadow and again won the Suffolk Premier Cup.

1980s to present

In 1986–87, which proved to be Bury Town's last season in the Eastern Counties League, the club enjoyed another good run in the FA Cup reaching the fourth qualifying round. The Blues were drawn away to Football Conference leaders Enfield and forced a 0-0 draw before 842 spectators. A record crowd of over 2,500 saw the visitors win the replay at Ram Meadow.

In the 1986–87 season, Bury Town rejoined the Southern League and experienced mixed fortunes in the Southern Division. After a difficult period in the early 1990s, the club restructured in the spring of 1995. The 1995–96 season saw the club accepting a transfer across to the Midland Division. After completion of only one season in the Midland Division, Bury Town were unable to maintain a strong enough fight and were relegated. Despite relegation Bury won the Suffolk Premier Cup, beating Woodbridge Town in the final.

Bury saw little success until the 2004–05 season with the club finishing second in the league and winning the Westwood Shield, as well as reaching the quarter-finals of the FA Vase for the second time. The following season saw the club finish second in the league again, allowing them promotion to Division One North of the Isthmian League, as well as reaching the semi-final of the FA Vase. Two seasons later the club were moved transferred into the Southern League Division One Midlands as part of a geographical reorganisation. In the same season they reached the first round proper of the FA Cup for the first time in forty years, losing 4–2 away to Conference North club Alfreton Town.[1] The 2009–10 season ended with the club winning 3–0 on the final day of the season to claim the title,[2] earning promotion to the sixth level of English football, where they were placed in the Isthmian League Premier Division. The following season they won the Premier Cup for a tenth time, defeating Needham Market 2–0 in the final, and also finished third in the league, qualifying for the play-offs, where they lost 2–1 at home to Lowestoft Town.

Honours

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
DF Tom Bullard
DF Jack Cawley
MF Darryl Coakley
MF Ryan Clark
DF Mark Coulson
MF Daniel Cunningham
MF Josh Curry
FW Roy Essandoh
GK Stephen Fenner
GK Marcus Garnham
DF Connor Hall
DF Roscoe Hipperson
MF Daniel Hitching
FW Will Hitter
No. Position Player
DF Elliot Hunter
MF Luke Ingram
MF Callum Kearns
MF John Kennedy
FW Kieran Leabon
DF Sam Nunn
FW Craig Nurse
MF Lee Reed
FW Sam Reed
GK Richard Robbins
FW James Scowcroft
DF Russell Short
DF Lee Smith
MF Stephen Smith

References

  1. ^ Alfreton Town 4-2 Bury Town - BBC Sport
  2. ^ "LEABON HAT TRICK HELPS BLUES TO TITLE SUCCESS". Non-League Daily. 2010-04-24. http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?&newsmode=FULL&nid=66374. Retrieved 2010-04-26. 

External links

Premier Division
Division One North
Division One South
Seasons
  • 1905–06
  • 1906–07
  • 1907–08
  • 1908–09
  • 1909–10
  • 1910–11
  • 1911–12
  • 1912–13
  • 1913–14
  • 1914–15
  • 1915–16
  • 1916–17
  • 1917–18
  • 1919
  • 1919–20
  • 1920–21
  • 1921–22
  • 1922–23
  • 1923–24
  • 1924–25
  • 1925–26
  • 1926–27
  • 1927–28
  • 1928–29
  • 1929–30
  • 1930–31
  • 1931–32
  • 1932–33
  • 1933–34
  • 1934–35
  • 1935–36
  • 1936–37
  • 1937–38
  • 1938–39
  • 1939–40
  • 1940–41
  • 1941–42
  • 1942–43
  • 1943–44
  • 1944–45
  • 1945–46
  • 1946–47
  • 1947–48
  • 1948–49
  • 1949–50
  • 1950–51
  • 1951–52
  • 1952–53
  • 1953–54
  • 1954–55
  • 1955–56
  • 1956–57
  • 1957–58
  • 1958–59
  • 1959–60
  • 1960–61
  • 1961–62
  • 1962–63
  • 1963–64
  • 1964–65
  • 1965–66
  • 1966–67
  • 1967–68
  • 1968–69
  • 1969–70
  • 1970–71
  • 1971–72
  • 1972–73
  • 1973–74
  • 1974–75
  • 1975–76
  • 1976–77
  • 1977–78
  • 1978–79
  • 1979–80
  • 1980–81
  • 1981–82
  • 1982–83
  • 1983–84
  • 1984–85
  • 1985–86
  • 1986–87
  • 1987–88
  • 1988–89
  • 1989–90
  • 1990–91
  • 1991–92
  • 1992–93
  • 1993–94
  • 1994–95
  • 1995–96
  • 1996–97
  • 1997–98
  • 1998–99
  • 1999–2000
  • 2000–01
  • 2001–02
  • 2002–03
  • 2003–04
  • 2004–05
  • 2005–06
  • 2006–07
  • 2007–08
  • 2008–09
  • 2009–10
  • 2010–11
  • 2011–12