Buxton F.C.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Buxton F.C. are a football club based in Buxton, Derbyshire, England. They were established in 1877 and joined the Combination League in 1891. They then joined the Manchester League in 1899 and won the championship in 1932. In 1998, they joined the Northern Counties East Football League Premier Division. They reached the 3rd round of the FA Cup in the 1951-52 season.
They are currently members of the Northern Premier League First Division.
Formed as an offshoot of the town's cricket club, Buxton F.C. began life in the autumn of 1877. Its first game took place on Saturday, October 27th, at The Park (still the home of the cricket club) when 14 members picked sides for a 7-a-side match. In the next few years, the club played its home matches in fields at Cote Heath, off London Road and at Green Lane before moving to its current ground at the Silverlands in 1884, then a field owned by Frank Drewry, the club's first captain. The first game there was a Derbyshire Cup tie on Saturday, November 1st, when "the Bucks" defeated Bakewell 2-0.
Situated 1000 feet above sea level, the Silverlands is the highest ground within the Pyramid of soccer - and substantially higher than the highest Football League ground (The Hawthorns). A grade "A" ground, the Main Stand has seats for 500 and the 2 covered terraces provide accommodation for a total of 2,000.
The club entered The Combination in 1891 and joined the Manchester League in 1899, winning the championship in 1931/32, which prompted a move to the Cheshire League for the following season (though the reserve side remained in the Manchester League and won the title in 1959/60). It took 40 years to bring the Cheshire League title to Buxton, though the club had been runners-up in 1962/63. Promotion to the NPL for the 1973/74 season was an opportunity eagerly seized and honours in this league comprise the winning of the President's Cup in 1980/81 and a League Cup final appearance at Maine Road in 1990/91. The club's highest NPL final placing was 4th position achieved in 1980/81, though it was not until September 10th, 1991 "the Bucks" actually topped the NPL (eventually finishing 5th).
Buxton's best years in the F.A. Cup came in the two decades after World War Two. In 1951/52 the club, having defeated then Football League Club, Aldershot, 4-3, reached the third round proper only to lose 2-0 at Division 2 side Doncaster Rovers, while first round appearances followed in 1958 and 1962. However last season Buxton reached the fourth qualifying round only to meet their match at Nigel Clough's Burton Albion. The early days of the F.A. Trophy however saw the club develop a considerable reputation, reaching the quarter-finals in 1970/71 and 1971/72. A full member of the F.A. and the Derbyshire F.A., Buxton F.C. has won the Derbyshire Senior Cup 8 times, including 3 times in the 1980's.
A members' club run by an elected committee for most of its life, Buxton F.C. became a Limited Company in June 1993. The club was beset by financial problems after the establishment of the National Lottery and successive relegations in 1997 and 1998 took it to the NCEL. Following several seasons of struggle a substantial revival began with the arrival in May 2002 of managers Kenny Johnson and Ronnie Wright. They brought several quality players to the club but departed in December 2004 following a poor start to the 2004/05 campaign to be replaced by ex Chesterfield, Bradford City and Grimsby boss Nicky Law and his assistant Chris Marples.
The end of the 2005/06 season saw Buxton crowned as League and Presidents Cup Champions and thus earn promotion to the Northern Premier League First Division.
| Northern Premier League First Division 2006/07 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Alsager Town | Bamber Bridge | Belper Town | Bradford Park Avenue | Bridlington Town | Brigg Town | Buxton | Cammell Laird | Chorley | Clitheroe | Colwyn Bay | Eastwood Town | Goole | Gresley Rovers | Harrogate Railway | Kidsgrove Athletic | Ossett Albion | Rossendale United | Shepshed Dynamo | Skelmersdale United | Stocksbridge Park Steels | Wakefield | Warrington Town | Woodley Sports edit |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
