Flint Town United F.C.

Flint Town United FC is a Welsh football club representing the Flintshire town of Flint in Wales. They are nicknamed the The Silkmen, and play their home games at Cae-y-Castell, Flint. They currently play in the Cymru Alliance league.

Overview

Flint Town United currently play their games at Cae-y-Castell lit. "The Castle Field", a purpose built stadium, the previous one becoming a shopping park complex. Flint Town are currently in financial trouble, having been unable to find a proper sponsorship deal for the team. However, despite this they finished third in the previous season, despite having had points deduced for refusing to play a game in the mid-week. Their traditional rivals are Holywell Town (the local town rivalry) and GAP Connah's Quay (their other local rival). They finished third in the 2006-07 season of Cymru Alliance.

History

Founded in 1886 as Flint F.C.; playing at Strand Park which was located on the banks of the Dee Estuary. The club made an early impression by reaching the first Welsh Amateur Cup final in 1890–91, losing to Wrexham Victoria 4–1.^[1]

Arthur Bartley, who played as goalkeeper for Flint, died from injuries sustained during a match in August 1891, thus becoming the first known fatality in modern Welsh football. He was the older brother of Welsh international, Thomas Bartley,^[2] who spent six years with Flint at the start of his career.^[3]

Founder members of the North Wales Coast League the club won the inaugural championship in 1893–94 by two points over runners-up Llandudno Swifts, remaining unbeaten in their twelve games. The next two seasons the club finished in the runners-up position before resigning from the league to join the newly formed Flintshire League. By the turn of the century the town of Flint had three teams; Flint Town, Flint Athletic and Flint UAC (United Alkali Company) In 1905, Flint UAC and Flint Town amalgamated, taking the name of Flint Town. In 1909, as a Chester and District League side the club won their first major cup by defeating Pwllheli 1–0 in the final of the North Wales Amateur Cup.

In 1924 the club left Stand Park for a new ground at Holywell Road, which became their home till 1993. The new ground was then better equipped and could hold up to 3,000 spectators. These size of crowds were common in the 1920s, they were keen to see Flint’s part time professionals play. Led by Captain Emlyn Jones, Flint reached the 1925 Welsh Cup final only to lose to Wrexham’s professional team by 3 goals to 1. Regular cup successes were to follow however, as Flint won the North Wales Amateur Cup on three occasions between 1931 and 1932.

Flint Town featured in the Welsh National League (North) throughout to 1920s, becoming runners-up to Owestry Town in the 1923/24 season. In 1930 Flint Town joined the newly formed Welsh League which operated between 1930 and 1935, winning the title in 1933/34 season, scoring 99 goals in only eighteen games.

Between 1937 and 1949, apart from the war years, Flint Town played their football in the West Cheshire League, while Flint Athletic continued to play in the Dyserth League winning the title in 1938 and 1939.

Following the Second World War, the amalgamation of Flint Town and Flint Athletic football clubs resulted in the formation of the club bearing the title Flint Town United Football Club which entered the Welsh League (North) for the 1949-50 season, finishing runners-up to Holyhead Town. By this time, however, the club had already won the Welsh Amateur Cup, having defeated Troedyrhiw 2–1 in the 1947–48 final. Under the managership of Billy Russell Flint became a formidable side in the early 50s, with the pinnacle achievement coming in 1954 when they won the Welsh Senior Cup. Inspired by Welsh International Billy Hughes, whose career was disrupted by the war, overcame Holywell Town, Owestry Town, Rhyl, Llanelly and a semi-final 2–1 win over First Division Cardiff City, in front of a crowd of 10,683 at the Racecourse, Wrexham, beating third division Chester City 2–0 in the final, again at the Racecourse Ground Wrexham in front of a crowd of 15,584.Within five years of those golden seasons the club slipped into the lower reaches of the league culminating in relegation at the end of the 1961–62 seasons.

During the 60s the crowds of past years disappeared, bringing a decline in the club's fortunes. Now playing in local leagues, the club relied on local players. The only bright spots in this decade were Flint Town Utd Youth winning the Welsh Youth Cup in 1965 and the Welsh Amateur Cup in 1969. During the 1970s and 80s the club moved between various leagues, becoming league champions of the Welsh League (North) in the 1988–89 season.

1990 saw the transformation of Welsh Football with the formation of two new leagues. The Cymru Alliance was formed to amalgamated teams playing in the Welsh League (North), Welsh National League (Wrexham), Clwyd League and the Mid-Wales League. While South Wales amalgamated their own leagues, which was to become the forerunner of the League of Wales. In that same season the club appointed Tony Martin as their new manager, with Les Davies his assistant. That season saw the club become the new league's first champions, also winning the North Wales Challenge Cup for the first time in the club's history. To finalise an excellent season, they overcame South Wales Champions Abergavenny 2–1, in the first and only Welsh Non-League final. The following season, 1991–92, the club just failed to hold onto the title to become runners-up.

In 1993, the club became founder members of the League of Wales. The following season the club again moved to a new ground, back to the banks of the Dee Estuary. After five years in the League of Wales, with no main sponsorships and ground upkeep, the club lost its place in the League of Wales by becoming third from bottom, being relegated due to the League of Wales reducing the number of teams within the league under UEFA rules.

Since then the club has been in the middle regions of the league with the 2004-054 season being one of its worst, finishing fourth from bottom. In the 2005–06 season the club produced a remarkable recovery, although being knocked out of cup competitions in early rounds the league was beyond anyone's expectations. The season got off to a good start with a home win, but inconsistency became a regular occurrence. That was until 22 October 2005 when a bad defeat at the hands of Ruthin Town turned the club's fortunes around, going 25 leagues games without defeat, the only blip being beaten by Denbigh Town in the N.W Challenge Cup. The club missed out on promotion to the Welsh Premier League by one point, although having had three points deducted for a non-fulfillment of a mid-week fixture at Gresford Ath.

The 2007–08 season the club was hardly out of the top three, but a bad run of results in March, picking up only three points out of five games and then another bad run, three points out a possible twelve late on in the season put the League Championship out of reach. Consolation was winning the North Wales Challenge Cup at Colwyn Bay, beating league rivals Prestatyn Town 1–0.

The following season seen an up and down league and cup performance, but in April a six-match unbeaten run moved the club into third position in the league. In the last game of the season another one of those poor performances returned when the club was well beaten by fellow Cymru Alliance club Llandudno Town 4–1 in the final of the North Wales Challenge Cup, to end a disappointing season.

As that season ended the club looked forward to a better year, but again it turned out to be another one of those seasons. A disastrous 1-nil defeat in the third round of the Welsh Cup by South Wales 3rd division side AFC Llwydcoed, made worse when they were drawn at home to Aberystwyth Town. Only three games played between December and the beginning of February due to the weather and a home defeat by Connahs Quay Nomads in the 1st round of the N.W Challenge Cup.

With the reformation of the Welsh Premier League set for the 2010–11 season the club's sole intention for the 2009–10 season was to finish in the top eight. As the season drew to a close the club was nine points ahead, but in the last four league games managed to pick up only five points out of a total of 12, losing the league to Llangefni Town by four points. In the final game of the season the club lost to Llandudno Town 2–0 in the League Cup Final, with Lladudno's keeper Paul Whitfield picking up the "Man of the Match Award".

Notable former players

• Barry Horne
• Billy Hughes
• Stan Palk

Current squad

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

Recent history

Key: P = Played; W = Won; D = Drawn; L = Lost; F = Goals For; A = Goals Against; Pts = Points
* = 3pts deducted

References

External links

• Official Site