New Brighton A.F.C.

See also: New Brighton F.C.
New Brighton
Full name New Brighton Athletic Football Club
Founded 1921
Dissolved 1983
Ground Rake Lane, The Tower Grounds, Carr Lane
Chairman Len Ainscow
Manager Brian Oxton
1982–83 South Wirral First Division

New Brighton A.F.C. were an English football club from the seaside resort of New Brighton, in Wallasey, Merseyside. They were a Football League team from 1923 until 1951. The club disbanded in 1983. However, in 1993, a club with the same name was formed, and they are currently in Division Two of the West Cheshire League, and play their home matches at Harrison Drive.

Contents

History

The original New Brighton A.F.C. was formed in 1921 out of the ashes of the bankrupt South Liverpool, and played at Rake Lane. The club started life in the Lancashire Combination in 1921, assuming South Liverpool's membership. After two seasons, the club was elected to the Third Division North of the Football League when the division was expanded to 22 clubs. They also played Football League games at Tower Athletic Grounds (formerly home to New Brighton Tower) especially after Rake Lane was destroyed during the War.

The club reached the 4th round of the FA Cup on three occasions; in the 1927–28 season when they lost to Port Vale, in the 1937–38 season when they lost to Tottenham Hotspur in a replay, and most impressively in the 1956–57 season, when as a non-League club, they beat three League clubs before losing to Burnley.

The club remained in the Third Division North until 1951, when they were voted out of the Football League after finishing bottom and replaced by Workington.

The club dropped into the Lancashire Combination, before switching to the Cheshire County League in 1965. In 1981 the club finished bottom of the Cheshire County League second division, and were not re-elected. By then they had left The Tower Grounds and were playing in Hoylake at Carr Lane, the club owed money to the Inland Revenue and were forced to leave their ground in Hoylake which had seen much vandalism to its clubhouse.

Despite a ground share with Newton FC from the West Cheshire League they failed to keep their Cheshire County League place, and it was too late to gain admission back into the West Cheshire League in which the Reserve side had played.

However the club were accepted rather late into the South Wirral Premier Division for 1981-1982. This would prove a difficult season for them, losing players and ending up being relegated to the South Wirral First Division for season 1982-1983. The club was refused permission to build a ground in Leasowe Road not far from their former grounds.

The 1982-1983 season would prove to be the last season for the club. The club was run by Len Ainscow (Chairman), Gary Burns (Secretary and Press-Secretary) and Brian Oxton (Manager and Treasurer). Oxton resigned the club from the league, but this was quickly reversed by Gary Burns and a side was hastily put together. Oxton returned as Manager, but shortly afterwards New Brighton was heavily beaten by Rake Social and by the end of the season it was clear that the club could no longer function. Despite calls for more Committee/Directors, there was little response and the club was disbanded.

New Brighton
Full name New Brighton Athletic Football Club
Founded 1993
Ground Harrison Drive
Chairman Russell Holmes
Manager Carl Williamson
League West Cheshire League Division Two
2010–11 West Cheshire League Division Two, 4th

Revived club

New Brighton A.F.C. were reborn in 1993, and joined the Birkenhead and Wirral League, which they won in their first season. In 1995 the club switched to the South Wirral League. After upgrading their new ground, the club were admitted to the Second Division of the West Cheshire League in 1996. The club won the Second Division in the 2004/5 season, and were promoted to the First Division.

They play in red shirts, white shorts and red socks. They are nicknamed The Rakers, though are sometimes called The Towers by some of the older fans as a reminder of the town's first professional club, New Brighton Tower.

Selected former players

see also Category:New Brighton A.F.C. players

External links

Further reading

Former Football League clubs
Aberdare Athletic (1921–27) · Accrington (1888–93) · Accrington Stanley (1921–62) · Aldershot (1932–92) · Ashington (1921–29) · Barrow (1921–72) · Bootle (1892–93) · Boston United (2002–07) · Bradford Park Avenue (1908–70) · Burton Swifts (1892–1901) · Burton United (1901–07) · Burton Wanderers (1894–97) · Cambridge United (1970–2005) · Chester City (1931–2000, 2004–2009) · Darlington (1921–89, 1990–2010) · Darwen (1891–99) · Durham City (1921–28) · Gainsborough Trinity (1896–1912) · Gateshead (1930–60) · Glossop North End (1898–1915) · Grimsby Town (1892–1910, 1911–2010) · Halifax Town (1921–1993, 1998–2002) · Kidderminster Harriers (2000–05) · Leeds City (1905–19) · Lincoln City (1892–1908, 1909–1911, 1912–1920, 1921–1987, 1988–2011) · Loughborough (1895–1900) · Luton Town (1897–1900, 1920–2009) · Maidstone United (1989–92) · Mansfield Town (1931–2008) · Merthyr Town (1920–30) · Middlesbrough Ironopolis (1893–94) · Nelson (1921–31) · New Brighton (1923–51) · New Brighton Tower (1898–1901) · Newport County (1920–31, 1932–88) · Northwich Victoria (1892–94) · Rotherham County (1919–25) · Rotherham Town (1893–96) · Rushden & Diamonds (2001–06) · Scarborough (1987–99) · South Shields (1919–30) · Southport (1921–78) · Stalybridge Celtic (1921–23) · Stockport County (1900–2011) · Thames (1930–32) · Wigan Borough (1921–31) · Wimbledon (1977–2004) · Workington (1951–77) · Wrexham (1921–2008) · York City (1929–2004)