SPENNYMOOR TOWN FC CLUB HISTORY 2009-10 SEASON
Spennymoor Town FC was born in the summer of 2005 following the demise of both UniBond Premier Division club Spennymoor United AFC and Northern League Second Division club Evenwood Town FC.
The club was formed in 1904, chiefly at the instigation of local councillor and businessman Thomas Grant, who negotiated use of the Brewery Field, used previously by Tudhoe Rugby Club. Spennymoor United were six times Northern League champions, four times winners of the old North Eastern League, on 16 occasions Durham Challenge Cup holders. They 18 times reached the FA Cup first round, twice the second and in 1937 at West Brom in front of a 23,000 crowd, the third. Spennymoor have since faced Wigan Athletic, Tranmere Rovers, Chesterfield & Rotherham United in the same competition. Spennymoor United also reached the semi-finals of the F.A.Trophy in 1978(Still the only North East side to do so), Won the Northern League Cup five times, JR Cleator Cup, Northern Counties East Premier Division and the UniBond League Cup. A portfolio of players have played for the club and moved onto the Football League over the years, most in particular Johnny Dixon who captained Aston Villa in their 1957 F.A.Cup Final victory over Manchester United, meanwhile John Collins – the father of comedian Frank Skinner – also played for the club just before the Second World War. Following the Northern League’s decision not to be part of the pyramid, Spennymoor joined the Northern Counties East League and won the Championship at their second attempt in 1993 for promotion to the UniBond First Division, before promotion was secured on the last day of the season to the UniBond Premier Division with a victory over Ashton United in front of a near 1,000 Brewery Field crowd. The same season, Spennymoor became the first club from the First division to win the UniBond League Challenge Cup, beating Hyde United 3-1 in the Final at Harrogate Town. Bad news followed at the end of the century when the club lost its main sponsor and faced two disastrous seasons without financial support which told on the field as the club were relegated into the UniBond first division. The club did, however, bounce back under the leadership of Jamie Pollock to gain promotion back into the Premier division in 2003 and the season after the Moors were in the play offs for entry into the newly formed Nationwide Conference North, but lost to Bradford Park Avenue 3-1.The Moors social club was burnt to the ground in an arson attack on Christmas Day 2003 and from then on the club had no income and despite the appointment of a new chairman things got worse for the supporters of Spennymoor United as in 2005 the club could not fulfill their fixtures and were removed from the UniBond League and the Club sadly went after 101 years of senior soccer. United folded in 2005, Evenwood Town moving to Spennymoor United’s Brewery Field and taking the name Spennymoor Town FC Ltd, playing in the United’s Colours of Black & White Stripes. Since, the FA has twice declined permission to revert to the original Spennymoor United name. The fist season saw the club finish 8th in the Northern League 2nd Division; meanwhile following the return of Jamie Pollock as Manager in 2006, Spennymoor blew apart the 2nd division clinching the title with record points and winning their last 17 games and being unbeaten for 6 months of the season. Pollock’s summer departure saw Spennymoor United legend Jason Ainsley promoted to team manager this coincided with the signing of a long term lease guaranteeing the club a home for the foreseeable future. The season brought a 12th place in the league and the heart break of a last minute defeat at Gateshead in the semi final of the Durham Challenge Cup. Season 2008-2009 was, as has come to be expected, another turbulent season following the departure of the club chairman. Spennymoor survived to defy the odds and finish the season having just lost out on the league title finishing with the third best points haul together with Whitley Bay and having had a fantastic run in the FA Vase which included a trip to Devon in the last 16 where Bideford ended the Moors Wembley dream.This current season saw the arrival of former Aston Villa player Bradley Groves as Chairman with former England, Newcastle and West Ham United Striker Paul Kitson as President. Manager Jason Ainsley has brought a number of new faces to the club which has saw the club top the table since October heading into the new year of 2010. The current home, The Brewery Field, has undergone major refurbishment by the clubs current Board, and the arrival of a new social club is due for completion at the end of the 2009-10 season. The good feeling is back at the club, who have secured numerous sponsorship deals and the average crowd for a home game is almost 300.Theres still a long way to go, but the club is not only in the right hands, but is heading in the right direction.
