New Mills A.F.C.

New Mills
Full name New Mills Association Football Club
Nickname(s) The Millers
Founded 1919
Ground Church Lane, New Mills
Ground Capacity 1,400 (200 seated)
Chairman Raymond Coverley
Manager Calum Sykes
League North West Counties League Division One
2016–17 North West Counties League Premier Division, 20th of 22 (relegated)

New Mills Association Football Club ('The Millers') are an English football club based in New Mills, Derbyshire. They currently play in the North West Counties League Division One.

History

Formed almost 120 years ago, New Mills quickly progressed through the local leagues in its early days and even had a spell in the Manchester League. However, the club disbanded and a new team was formed, New Mills St Georges, which in a period up to World War I, won a number of titles, including the Derbyshire Minor Cup.

In 1919 the club began playing again and dropped the St Georges from its name. It joined the Manchester League once again and finished top in 1924 and, after finishing as runner-up the following season, lifted the championship once again in 1926.

As well as winning the league, New Mills also won the Derbyshire Cup three seasons out of four. The club was extremely well supported and had regular gates of around 3000. This was a very successful few seasons for the club, and at least half a dozen players moved on to clubs in the Football League.

The club was once again disbanded due to World War II but reformed again afterwards, this time entering the Manchester Amateur League before progressing once again to the Manchester League, taking the title in 1956.

In 1959, Joe Martin took charge as manager, which started a great run of success for the club, winning the league seven times together with plenty of trophies before he retired in 1972.

New Mills AFC v Ramsbottom Utd at Church Lane

The club eventually moved up to the Cheshire League and later the North West Counties League. Unfortunately, the club began to suffer financially and in the summer of 1983 ceased playing in that competition.

Birch Vale and Thornsett F.C. were looking for a new ground and became tenants at Church Lane. Eventually, they took over running of the club and became New Mills Football Club.

The club rejoined the Manchester League and in 1977, thanks to a fund-raising appeal along with a grant from the Lottery Association, redeveloped its Church Lane ground to what it is today. In 2002/3 they became semi professional when their application to the North West Counties League was approved.

New Mills won the North West Counties League Division Two title in the 2007–08 season under the leadership of Ex Stockport County player Tony Hancock who had joined as manager in 2005.

New Mills then followed up its Division Two title with a record-breaking 2008–09 season during which it set a new league and club record by winning 21 consecutive games, missing out on the Division One title only on goal difference to A.F.C. Fylde, which beat the Millers 5–0 on the last day of the league season in front of a crowd of over 1,400. Two days after the disappointment on the Fylde coast, the Millers lifted the League Cup for the first time by beating Runcorn Linnets 2–0 at the Tameside Stadium, the home of Curzon Ashton. Goals from Garry Kharas and Scott McGowan ensured the Millers didn't end the season empty handed. The star player during this era was Carlos Meakin who scored 150 goals in only 200 games, predominantly whilst playing in midfield.

During the close season of 2009–10, in which New Mills finished as runner-up for the second year in a row, manager Tony Hancock resigned but then had a change of heart and returned to lead the Millers until he again resigned in March 2010 when the player budget was cut. For the remainder of the season Ally Pickering was named caretaker manager and he took the role full time in 2010/11.[1]

Pickering had great success in his first full season as manager and led the Millers to the league title and promotion to the Evo Stik league. A league and cup double was denied though when Winsford beat the Millers 1–0 a few weeks later. In 2011–12 Pickering led the Millers to a respectable 9th place after a poor winter saw the team slip out of the play-off places. Unfortunately New Mills, based 8 miles south of Stockport, were placed in the Southern league but after one season common sense prevailed and the team were switched to the Northern League. Pickering remained in charge until October 2012, when he and the club parted company by mutual consent. Coach Roy Soule became caretaker manager on Pickering's departure and almost led the team to another promotion – they lost 2–0 to Trafford in the play offs.[2] Soule resigned at the end of the 2014–15 season after a disappointing season and further budget cuts and was replaced by former Stalybridge Celtic manager Keith Briggs. Briggs resigned just 23 days later and was succeeded by Andy Fearn, who appointed former Manchester City striker Shaun Goater as his assistant. Fearn and Goater resigned after nine matches and former Wythenshawe Town staffer Garry Brown took over, supported by ex-Stockport County winger Paul Williams. The club attracted national attention with their season record of 26 defeats from the opening 26 league and cup games;[3] they were relegated in April 2016 with only 3 points, from 3 draws, an EvoStik record low.[4] [5]

The Millers kicked off the 2016–17 league season with a 4–3 win over Cammell Laird under manager Garry Brown. However, Brown resigned in September 2016 after a poor run of results, with assistant Paul Williams taking over. In December 2016, with the team lying in the relegation zone of the NWCFL Premier Division, Williams was replaced by Calum Sykes, who had been in charge at nearby Stockport Town since its formation.[6]

Attendances

Records

Past averages:

Source: English football site

Honours

References

  1. ↑ "First team". New Mills A.F.C.
  2. ↑ Watters, David (2012). "Pickering leaves New Mills". The Evo-Stik League Northern Premier. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
  3. ↑ Davis, Matt (28 January 2016). "New Mills: Non-league team end 26-game losing streak with a draw". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  4. ↑ "New Mills: 'Worst team in England' relegated". BBC Sport. 4 April 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  5. ↑ "Tables: First Division North". The Evo-Stik League. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  6. ↑ Paul Lawler, NWCFL (18 December 2016). "Statement from New Mills". Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  7. ↑ "Club info". New Mills AFC.
  8. ↑ Due mainly to the visit of FC United of Manchester which attracted a crowd of 1,952. The club's next highest attendance in the 2005–06 season was 185.
  9. ↑ "Attendances – North West Counties Premier Division". Tony's English football site. Retrieved 14 July 2010.

Coordinates: 53°21′59.03″N 1°59′35.19″W / 53.3663972°N 1.9931083°W / 53.3663972; -1.9931083

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