| Full name | Consett Association Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Steelmen | ||
| Founded | 1899 as Consett Celtic | ||
| Ground | Belle Vue Park Consett County Durham (Capacity: 4,000 (400 seated & 1,000 covered)) |
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| Chairman | John Hurst | ||
| Manager | Kenny Lindoe | ||
| League | Northern League Division One | ||
| 2010–11 | Northern League Division One, 2nd | ||
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Consett Association Football Club is a football club based in Consett in County Durham, England. Established in 1899, the club currently plays in the Northern League Division One having been promoted as Division Two Champions in the 2005–06 season. The team's home ground is Belle Vue Park, Ashdale Road, Consett.
Founding members of the North Eastern Football League Division Two in 1926, they have reached the first round of the FA Cup twice in their history.
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Consett A.F.C. was founded in 1899 as Consett Celtic. The town was dominated by the steelworks until 1980 and the club enjoyed their patronage. The works provided the team's first ground – the Vicarage Field, known locally as "the Vic". It was taken back by the Works in 1948, and the renamed side of Consett A.F.C. played at Eden Colliery Welfare during the construction of their new ground at Belle Vue. The Steelworks had donated an area of waste ground and slag heaps for this ground and the local community volunteered in clearing and levelling the field, a feat the people of the town were very proud of when it opened in 1950.
Consett A.F.C. played friendlies for the first 20 years of their existence, but entered league football competitions after World War I. During its history, Consett have played in the following leagues:
Consett's first game at Belle Vue was against Sunderland Reserves in 1950. A club record attendance of 7,000 turned up to watch. One of the two new stands was paid for by the money Consett received for the transfer of local player Tommy Lumley to Charlton Athletic. This fee – £1,150 – was a record for the North Eastern League, where Consett were playing at the time.
The main stand at Belle Vue today is largely unchanged since 1950, but the second stand has been mostly dismantled leaving only the original iron frame.
1996's FA Cup contributed to the £30,000 needed for new floodlights, which are still in operation at Belle Vue today.
The current ground capacity is estimated to be 4,000 of which 1,000 are under cover with 400 seats. Currently, the biggest annual crowd is for the traditional friendly match versus Newcastle United or Sunderland reserves, which usually takes place before the beginning of the season and generally attracts between 500 and 1,000 people. Average gates were around 200 in the 2006–07 season.
Consett A.F.C. was known as "The Ironworkers" until 1967, when they 'updated' their nickname to "The Steelmen". The first match with new nickname was against Gosport Borough in the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup. Consett lost at home 5–1, missing two penalties and numerous chances to score. In spite of this apparent bad luck, the nickname was not changed, and remains with the club today as one of the few public memorials to the town's now defunct steelworks.
On two occasions, Consett have reached the first round proper of the FA Cup. They were defeated on both occasions.
Consett A.F.C. is currently managed by Kenny Lindoe, with David Hagan as Assistant Manager.