Ollerton Town F.C.
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| Full name | Ollerton Town Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | "The Town" | |
| Founded | 1988 | |
| Ground | Walesby Lane Sports Ground | |
| Chairman | John Thompson | |
| Manager | Dave Winter | |
| League | Northern Counties East League Division One | |
| 2016–17 | Northern Counties East League Division One, 17th of 22 | |
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Ollerton Town Football Club is a football club based in Ollerton, Nottinghamshire, England. As of the 2016–17 season, the Men's side is a member of the Northern Counties East League whilst the Ladies team play in the East Midlands Women's Regional Football League.
History
Ollerton has a long history of local football going back to the late 1800s. One of its best periods was immediately before the Second World War when Ollerton Colliery won the Notts Senior Cup in 1937/38 and its reserve team won the Notts Intermediate Cup the year previous.
In 1930, a side called Ollerton Forest defeated Welbeck Athletic 3-0 in the North Notts Senior Cup final at Mansfield Town's Field Mill stadium. This is believed to be the first competitive football game in England to be played under floodlights and more can be read about it here.
Ollerton Colliery ceased as a football club in the early 1980s but was reformed as Ollerton & Bevercotes F.C in 1988. The club won the Nottinghamshire Football Alliance Division Two championship in 1992–93, gaining promotion to Division One under the management of Adge Owen and David Kent.
Following the closure of the colliery in 1994, the club changed its name to Ollerton Town F.C. In the same year, Ollerton were champions of Division One in 1995–96 and were promoted to the top division of the Notts Alliance. After finishing runners-up in 1999–2000, the club was promoted to the Central Midlands League[1] and entered the English Football Pyramid.
In the 2007–08 season, Ollerton, under the management of Don Gethfield, David Kent and Anthony Thompson, the club won the Central Midlands Premier Division, earning promotion to the Supreme Division. That season they also reached the Nottinghamshire Senior Cup final where they were beaten 2–0 by Eastwood Town.
In 2008–09, the club took part in the FA Vase for the very first time, getting to the second round proper in 2009–10.[1]
After the resignation of Don Gethfield back in 2011, and a brief stint under Paul Rawden, the club appointed Dave Winter and Stephen Bodle as first team managers. The pair guided the club to the Central Midlands Floodlit Cup final in their first season.
For the 2011–12 season, the club was placed in the Central Midlands North Division following a league restructure.
In the 2015–16 season, with former-captain Jamie Allan now also on board as first team coach, the club secured promotion to the Northern Counties East League after finishing runners-up in the Central Midlands North Division. This is the first time the club will play at the step 6 level of the English football pyramid.
The club's debut season in the NCEL ended with a respectable seventeenth place, despite losing the first seven games of the campaign. The club are now looking to build on this finish as they aim to reach the FA Cup for the first time in the club's history.
Ground
The club plays at "The Lane" on Walesby Lane in Ollerton. The ground is shared with Ollerton Cricket Club with a small pavilion playing host to the changing rooms for both teams.
The pitch itself is floodlit and has two large stands running down two ends to provide cover for spectators. The two sides of the pitch with stands also have hard standing in keeping with the ground grading required for Step 6 football.
A small porta-cabin behind the pitch offers refreshments for visiting spectators with a variety of drinks and snacks on offer.
One side of the pitch backs on to a row of near-by houses and it is on this side where two large, brick built dug outs have been constructed with seats in to keep the players and management dry. Each dug-out could easily hold around 8 players/staff.
Honours
Ollerton Town have won three league championships:[1][2]
- Central Midlands League North Division
- Runners-up 2015-2016
- Central Midlands League Floodlit Cup
- Runners-up 2011-2012
- Central Midlands League Premier Division
- Champions 2007–08
- Nottinghamshire Senior Cup
- Runners-up 2007-2008
- Central Midlands League League Cup
- Runners-up 2006-2007
- Notts Alliance
- Runners-up 1999–2000
- Notts Alliance Division One
- Champions 1995–96
- Notts Alliance Division Two
- Champions 1992–93
Players
- As of 20 July 2017.[3]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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References
- 1 2 3 Football Club History database – Ollerton Town Accessed 24 June 2012
- ↑ Football Club History database – Ollerton & Bevercotes Accessed 24 June 2012
- ↑ "Ollerton Town Squad List 2017-2018". Retrieved 20 July 2017.
External links
Coordinates: 53°12′24.99″N 1°00′46.81″W / 53.2069417°N 1.0130028°W