Coalville Town F.C.
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| Full name | Coalville Town Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Ravens | ||
| Founded | 1926 (as Ravenstone Miners Athletic) | ||
| Ground | Mander Cruickshank Solicitors Stadium, Coalville | ||
| Capacity | 2,000 | ||
| Chairman | Glyn Rennocks | ||
| Manager | Tom Brookbanks | ||
| League | Northern Premier League Premier Division | ||
| 2015–16 | Northern Premier League Division One South, 3rd (promoted via play-offs) | ||
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Coalville Town Football Club is a football club based in Coalville, Leicestershire, currently playing in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.
History
Coalville Town Football Club were formed in 1926 as Ravenstone Miners Athletic, the latest in a long line of association football clubs from the village of Ravenstone. Nicknamed the Ravens, they played for many years in the Coalville & District Amateur League, and later the North Leicestershire League, where they won numerous honours. In 1991 this led to election to the Leicestershire Senior League Division One, following the construction of a new club house at their Ravenslea home. Following the local council's refusal to grant permission for floodlights, the club took the decision to relocate to Coalville. A change of name followed to Coalville F.C., with the club becoming the first senior side in the town of Coalville since the demise of Coalville Town Amateurs in 1954.
In their second season in the Senior League the club clinched the runner-up spot and with it promotion to the Premier Division. In 2001 new manager Lee Harriman arrived and immediately led the club to the league title, a feat they repeated the following year which saw them promoted into the Midland Alliance for the 2003–04 season. In the 2004–05 season, the club entered the FA Cup for the first time ever and reached the first round proper where they narrowly lost to league side Wycombe Wanderers.[1] This feat was even more impressive given that the team had started their campaign in the extra preliminary round, making them only the second club in the entire history of the Cup to reach the first round proper from the very first stage.
It was announced on 30 October 2006 that the club's most successful manager, Lee Harriman, had stepped down as manager and been replaced on a temporary basis by coach Bob Stockley. On 20 November 2006, it was announced that Brendan Phillips (formerly of Nuneaton Borough, Bedworth United, Stafford Rangers and Halesowen Town) was to take over first team affairs. Phillips kept Coalville in the Alliance, but was sacked and replaced by former Coalville player Adam Stevens.
In 2010–11 Coalville reached the FA Vase final becoming the first Leicestershire team to ever achieve a place in the final. Having played in front of a capacity crowd of 1,800 in the first leg and securing a 3–0 advantage over King's Lynn, the Ravens then went on to become the first team this season to win at King's Lynn taking the second leg 3–2 at the Walks stadium in front of 2,354 fans. However, the final, 8 May 2011, ended in a 3–2 defeat to Whitley Bay in front of 8,778 at Wembley. The victory secured a record third successive FA Vase title for Whitley Bay.
The week before the trip to Wembley the Ravens sealed the Midland Alliance title for the first time on goal difference from Tipton Town, both teams having finished the season on 100 points. Coalville had a goal difference of +100, superior to Tipton's GD of +69.
The 2012–13 season saw Coalville win the Westerby Cup for the first, and to date, only time in the club's history. The run to the cup involved 18 goals and ended with a 2–1 win against Loughborough Dynamo F.C. in the final, played at Leicester City's King Power Stadium.
At the start of the 2014–15 season, Adam Stevens took the decision to stand down as manager after eight years in the job.[2] After a successful interim period, Jimmy Gray was confirmed as the clubs new manager.[3]
In October 2014 Jimmy was replaced by Lougborough Dynamo F.C. manager Tommy Brookbanks. Brookbanks brought with him his assistant Mark Harvey and coaches Lee Morris and Jason McGuire.
The following season Brookbanks brought in new coaches Steve Walker and Steve Guest along with new faces on the pitch as they pushed for promotion to the Northern Premier League Premier Division.
After finishing the season in third spot, they beat Basford United 5-0 to set up a play-off final against Shaw Lane Aquaforce, which they won 3-1 in front of over 400 people to secure promotion to the Northern Premier League Premier Division.
Rivalries
Coalville Town's main rivals consist of Barwell and Gresley. Other local club rivalries include Loughborough Dynamo and Shepshed Dynamo.
Stadium
Coalville Town play home matches at the 2,000 spectator capacity Owen Street Sports Ground in Coalville. The club announced on 7 November 2016 that it had signed a sponsorship deal with a local firm of solicitors, and that the ground would, from 1 December 2016, be known as the Mander Cruickshank Solicitors Stadium.[4]
Current squad
- As of 1 September 2016
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Club officials
Boardroom
- Chairman – Glyn Rennocks
- Vice-Chairman – Mick Jordan
- Club Secretary – Steve Cartwright
Coaching staff
- Manager – Tom Brookbanks
- Assistant Manager – Mark Harvey
- First Team Coach – Steve Walker
- First Team Coach – Steve Guest
- Goalkeeper Coach – Matt Hire
- Development Squad Manager – Gareth Hussey
- Development Squad Assistant Manager – Ash Brown
- Kit Manager – Steve Harris
- Assistant Kit Manager – Simon Betteridge
- Head Physio – Andy Toal
- Physio – Derek Robinson
- Physio – Stuart Scott
- Physio – Alfonso Jimenez
References
- ↑ Wycombe 1–0 Coalville – BBC Sport
- ↑ "Adam Stevens departs". Coalville Town F.C. 24 August 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
- ↑ "Jimmy Gray announced as new manager". Coalville Town F.C. 10 September 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
- ↑ "Major Sponsorship Deal Announced - News - Coalville Town Football Club". www.pitchero.com. Retrieved 2016-11-09.
Sources
- Coalville Town at the Football Club History Database
External links
Coordinates: 52°43′22.861″N 1°22′54.458″W / 52.72301694°N 1.38179389°W