Banbury United F.C.

Banbury United

Full name

Banbury United Football Club

Nickname(s)

The Puritans,

Founded

1931

Ground

Spencer Stadium, Banbury

Capacity

6,500 (250 seated)^[1]

Chairman

Ronnie Johnson

Manager

Mike Ford

League

Southern League Premier Division

2015–16

Southern League Division One South & West, 2nd (promoted via play-offs)

Home colours

Away colours

Banbury United Football Club is a football club based in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England. They are currently members of the Premier Division of the Southern League and play at the Spencer Stadium.

History

The club was established in 1931 as Spencer Sports Club, a works team of the Spencer Corsets factory.^[2] They initially played friendly matches, with their first match against St John's of the Oxfordshire Junior League played on 29 August 1931 and resulting in a 8–2 win for St John's.^[3] In 1933 they joined the Banbury division of the Oxfordshire Junior League, at which point they were renamed Spencer Villa.^[2] Later in the season they were renamed Banbury Spencer,^[2] and went on to win the league title in their first season. They then joined the Oxfordshire Senior League for the 1934–35 season. After winning the league at the first attempt,^[4] they were elected to the Birmingham Combination.^[5]

After World War II the club turned professional. The 1947–48 season saw them finish as runners-up in the Comination and reach the first round of the FA Cup for the first time, where they lost 2–1 at Colchester United.^[5] In 1954 the Combination folded, with its remaining clubs joining the Birmingham & District League; Banbury were placed in the Southern Division, and after finishing fourth in 1954–55, won a place in Division One for the 1955–56 season.^[5] The league was reduced to a single division in 1960, and became the West Midlands (Regional) League in 1962. The 1961–62 season had seen the club reach the FA Cup first round again, this time losing 7–1 at Shrewsbury Town.^[5]

In 1965 the club was renamed Banbury United after a change in ownership,^[4] and at the end of the 1965–66 season they transferred to Division One of the Southern League.^[6] When Division One was split into two divisions in 1971, the club was placed in Division One North.^[6] In 1972–73 they reached the first round of the FA Cup for a third time, this time losing 2–0 at home to Barnet. The following season saw them repeat the feat, this time losing 3–2 at Northampton Town in a replay after a 0–0 draw at home.^[6]

In 1979 they were placed in the Southern League's Midland Division after league reorganisation, and remained in the division until being relegated to the Premier Division of the Hellenic League at the end of the 1989–90 season. After winning the Premier Division in 1999–2000, Banbury were promoted to Division One East of the Southern League.^[6] An eighth-place finish in 2003–04 was enough to be promoted to the Premier Division after the creation of the Conference North and South led to several clubs being moved up a division. The season also saw the club win the Oxfordshire Senior Cup.^[1]

They remained in the Premier Division until the end of the 2014–15 season, when they were relegated to Division One South and West. In August 2015, a supporter-led Community Benefit Society took formal control of the club.^[7] Their first season in Division One South and West saw them finish as runners-up and qualify for the promotion play-offs.^[6] After beating Winchester City 1–0 in the semi-finals,^[8] they defeated Taunton Town 2–0 in the final to earn promotion back to the Premier Division.^[9]

Ground

The club has played at the Spencer Stadium (currently known as the Banbury Plant Hire Community Stadium for sponsorship purposes) on Station Approach since the start of the 1934–35 season, having originally played at Middleton Road.^[4] When the club joined the Southern League in 1966, floodlights were installed and a new clubhouse was built to replace the railway carriages that the club had used for changing rooms.^[10]

Financial problems led to the ground deteriorating, and the main stand was closed in 1985 before being demolished in 1990.^[10] A new stand was built on the north-eastern touchline in the summer of 2000, but towards one end of the pitch rather than near the half-way line.^[10] Both ends of the ground had uncovered terracing installed, with the other touchline having terracing along half its length.^[10] The ground currently has a capacity of 6,500, of which 250 is seated and covered.^[1]

Honours

Hellenic League
- Premier Division champions 1999–2000
Oxfordshire Senior League
- Champions 1934–35
Oxfordshire Junior League
- Banbury Division champions 1933–34
Oxfordshire Senior Cup
- Winners 1978–79, 1987–88, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2014–15
Buckingham Charity Cup
- Winners 2001–02, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16

Records

Best league position: 7th in the Southern League Premier Division, 2005–06
Best FA Cup performance: First round 1947–48, 1961–62, 1972–73, 1973–74
Best FA Trophy performance: Third round 1970–71, 1973–74
Best FA Vase performance: Second round, 1999–2000
Biggest win: 12–0 vs RNAS Culham, Oxfordshire Senior Cup, 1945–46^[11]
Heaviest defeat: 11–2 vs West Bromwich Albion 'A', Birmingham Combination, 1938–39^[11]
Record attendance: 7,160 vs Oxford City, FA Cup fourth qualifying round, 30 October 1948^[1]
Most goals: Dick Pike, 222 (1935–48); Tony Jacques, 222 (1965–76)^[11]
Most appearances: Jody McKay, 576^[11]
Most goals scored in a season: Tony Jacques, 62 in 1967–68
Record transfer fee paid: £2,000 to Oxford United for Phil Emsden^[11]
Record transfer fee received: £20,000 from Derby County for Kevin Wilson, 1979^[11]

References

1 2 3 4 Banbury United Non-League Club Directory
1 2 3 80th Anniversary Banbury United F.C.
↑ How Spencer Sports Club kicked off Banbury’s footballing tradition Banbury Guardian, 12 March 2012
1 2 3 History Banbury United F.C.
1 2 3 4 Banbury Spencer at the Football Club History Database
1 2 3 4 5 Banbury United at the Football Club History Database
↑ CBS takeover is completed at Spencer Stadium Banbury Guardian, 14 August 2015
↑ Barcelos grabs late winner as Puritans book place in final Banbury Guardian, 26 April 2016
↑ Football: Southern League confirms Taunton Town will NOT be promoted in place of Cinderford Town Somerset County Gazette, 31 May 2016
1 2 3 4 Banbury United FC Pyramid Passion
1 2 3 4 5 6 Mike Williams & Tony Williams (2012) Non-League Club Directory 2013, p446 ISBN 978-1-869833-77-0

External links

Southern League

Premier Division	Banbury United Basingstoke Town Biggleswade Town Cambridge City Chesham United Chippenham Town Cinderford Town Cirencester Town Dorchester Town Dunstable Town Frome Town Hayes and Yeading United Hitchin Town Kettering Town King's Langley King's Lynn Town Leamington Merthyr Town Redditch United Slough Town St Ives Town St Neots Town Stratford Town Weymouth

Division One Central	AFC Dunstable Arlesey Town Ashford Town Aylesbury Aylesbury United Barton Rovers Beaconsfield SYCOB Bedford Town Chalfont St Peter Egham Town Farnborough Fleet Town Hanwell Town Histon Kempston Rovers Kidlington Marlow Northwood Petersfield Town Potters Bar Town Royston Town Uxbridge

Division One South & West	AFC Totton Barnstaple Town Bideford Bishop's Cleeve Bridgwater Town Didcot Town Evesham United Hereford Larkhall Athletic Mangotsfield United North Leigh Paulton Rovers Salisbury Shortwood United Slimbridge Swindon Supermarine Taunton Town Tiverton Town Wantage Town Wimborne Town Winchester City Yate Town

Seasons	1894–95 1895–96 1896–97 1897–98 1898–99 1899–1900 1900–01 1901–02 1902–03 1903–04 1904–05 1905–06 1906–07 1907–08 1908–09 1909–10 1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17

Coordinates: 52°3′24.451″N 1°19′32.920″W / 52.05679194°N 1.32581111°W / 52.05679194; -1.32581111

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Banbury United F.C.

History

Ground

Honours

Records

See also

References

External links