Eynesbury Rovers F.C.
 | |||
| Full name | Eynesbury Rovers Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Rovers | ||
| Founded | 1897 | ||
| Ground | Alfred Hall Memorial Ground, Eynesbury, St Neots, Cambridgeshire, PE19 2SF | ||
| Chairman | Brian Abraham | ||
| Manager | Martin Field and Matt Plumb | ||
| League |
United Counties League Division One | ||
| 2012–13 |
United Counties League Division One, 3rd | ||
| |||
Eynesbury Rovers F.C. is an English football club based in the Eynesbury area of St Neots in Cambridgeshire. The club are currently members of Division One of the United Counties League, and play at the Alfred Hall Memorial Ground.
History
The club was established in 1897 and spent their initial years in local leagues. Their first major honour was the Hunts Senior Cup in 1913–14.[1] They won the Hunts Junior Cup in 1921, 1927 and 1932, and were champions of Division Two of the Bedford & District League in 1926–27, 1930–31 and 1931–32.[2] In 1934 they joined Division Two of the South Midlands League and were promoted to Division One at the end of the first season in the league.[1] After World War II the club switched to the United Counties League.[3] They won the Hunts Senior Cup four times between 1946 and 1951,[4] and the Hunts Premier Cup in 1951, before joining the Eastern Counties League in 1952, becoming the most westerly club ever to play in the league.[1]
The club won the Hunts Senior Cup again in 1954–55 and 1956–57.[4] However, financial problems forced the club to revert to amateur status.[1] In 1960–61 they failed to win a league match all season and gained only three points, finishing bottom of the league.[3] Although they won the Cambridgeshire Invitation Cup the following season, in 1962–63 they again finished bottom of the league and left to rejoin the United Counties League. They continued to struggle, finishing in the bottom two for five of the next eight seasons, although they did win the Senior Cup again in 1969–70.[4] At the end of the 1971–72 season they finished bottom again and were relegated. In 1976–77 they won the (now-renamed) Division One and were promoted back to the Premier Division.[1] The club won the Hunts Senior Cup in 1984–85 and then three times in a row between 1990/1991 and 1992/93.[1] Further wins were achieved in 1995–96 and 1999–2000.[4]
In 2000–01 they finished bottom of the Premier Division and were relegated to Division One,[3] where they have remained since. The following season they won their fifteenth Senior Cup.[4]
Stadia
The club initially played at the Priory Park Recreation Ground, before moving to a field on Cemetery Lane. For a while they shared St Neots Town's Shortsands ground, before moving to their current Barford Road ground in the early 1930s. The ground was initially known as "Mr Walton's Field", and was later renamed the Alfred Hall Memorial Ground.[1] The record attendance of 5,000 was set for a friendly match against Fulham in 1955, a game during which Stanley Matthews played for Eynesbury.[1]
Honours
- United Counties League
- Division One champions 1976–77[1]
- Bedford & District League
- Division Two champions 1926–27, 1930–31, 1931–32[2]
- Hunts Premier Cup
- Winners 1950–51, 1990–91, 1995–96
- Hunts Senior Cup
- Winners 1913–14, 1946–47, 1948–49, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1969–70, 1984–85, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1995–96, 1999–2000, 2001–02[4]
- Hunts Junior Cup
- Winners 1920–21, 1926–27, 1931–32[2]
- Cambridgeshire Invitation Cup
- Winners 1961–62
Records
- Highest league position[5]
- 3rd United Counties League Premier Division - 1990-91
- Best FA Cup performance[5]
- 4th qualifying round - 1954-55
- Best FA Vase performance[5]
- 3rd round - 1994-95
- Highest attendance[6]
- 5000 vs Fulham 1955 (Friendly)
Notable former players
A list of Former Football League or international players who have played for the club:
Fred Hall - Played for Birmingham City (1940's & 50's)
Colin Bailie - Played for Reading, Swindown and Cambridge (1980's & 90's)
Eduards Freimanis - Latvian International - (1930s & 40s)- Harvie Millier - England International (2000's & 10's)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Blakeman, M (2010) The Official History of the Eastern Counties Football League 1935–2010. Vol. II. N.p. Propagator Press, Leeds.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 History Eynesbury Rovers FC
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Eynesbury Rovers at the Football Club History Database
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 2009–2010 Cup Competitions Huntingdonshire Football Association
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 http://www.fchd.info/EYNESBUR.HTM
- ↑ http://www.clubwebsite.co.uk/eynesburyrovers/History
External links
Coordinates: 52°13′03.35″N 0°16′07.93″W / 52.2175972°N 0.2688694°W