Newmarket Town Football Club History

The Star Hotel on the High Street on the corner with Sun Lane (presently Pizza Express) was the venue on Thursday 22nd November 1877 of a meeting of football interests in the town. Newmarket Town Football Club was formed thus making them one of the oldest clubs in the country.

Under the presidency of Mr.B.T. Chennell, Mr F.G. Postans informed the meeting that subscriptions of nearly £25 had already been collected. Flags, posts and all articles necessary for the game were on order. Players were to be supplied with a suitable uniform at half price.

The first committee was elected as follows:

President	Mr. B.T. Chennell
Secretary	Mr. F.G. Postans
Assistant Secretary	Mr. A. Hayhoe
Treasurer	Mr. F.R. Crick
Committee Members
Mr. C.E. Hammond	Mr A.S. Manning
Mr. E. Fyson	Mr.H. Feist
Mr. H. Palmer	Mr A. Pace
Mr. C. Kemp	Mr. T. Browne
Mr. W. Moody	Mr.C.B. Bosworth
Mr.R. Jacobs

IT ALL BEGAN HERE

It was further resolved that the headquarters would be the Star Hotel and annual subscription would be five shillings (25p). The first practice was to be on the Severals on the afternoon of the following Thursday. Following on, a practice field was lent by Mr. Norman Wiseman, and funds became available to purchase a tent in December.

The first match took place on the Severals (with the permission of the Jockey Club) on 1st February 1878 but Newmarket were beaten 3-0 by Pembroke College .

They began life in local football on a pitch on the Heath near Sefton Lodge, until moving to the present Town Ground in 1885. Few clubs have managed to stay at the same ground for 124 years. Initially the ground was shared with the Cricket Club, the Quoit Club, the Athletic Club, the Gun Club and the Hare and Hounds Club, a real sports centre! The inaugural game on the new ground was on Wednesday October 21 1885 Newmarket Town and Bury School. For obvious reasons they soon became known as ‘The Jockeys’. Little success came until 1920 when they won the Cambs Senior League and also the Cambs Senior Cup. The Cambs Challenge was won in 1926. Moving into the Bury and District League Division One they won the title in 1926/27.

Season 1920-21
Newmarket Town with the Creake Charity Shield,
Gough Cup, Goldsmith Charity Cup,
Cambs Senior & Cambs Thursday League Cup.

The New Stand
Easter Sunday 30th March 1929 versus Leiston Works Athletic.
The stand cost around £200 to build, gate just over 1000.

Another move, this time to the Ipswich and District League resulted in them winning the title in three consecutive seasons, 1931-32, 1932-33 and 1933-34 and the Suffolk Senior Cup in the season 1934-35. Around this time crowds of 2,000 were seen at major games. Wartime matches saw even International Players such as Stan Mortensen ‘guesting’ for the jockeys.

Suffolk Senior Cup 1934-35 (played at Portman Road) Newmarket Town 3 Kirkley 1

C. Ashby
G. Tweed    D. Game
R. Bright    K. Pateman    A.C. Warren
W. Mingay    S. Draper    G. Parr    T. Salmon    R. Fuller

The club had good times in these earlier days, even to the extent of forming an ‘A’ side that had its own share of success before fortunes changed for the worse. Following the war, the club finished bottom for five consecutive seasons, and by the end of the 51/52 campaign, they again found themselves rooted at the bottom of the ECL, having lost all 34 league games, scoring 19 goals whilst 171 goals against, a claim to fame that will take some beating. Forced to return to Junior football the club joined the Peterborough and District League, which they won in 1957/58, before returning to the Eastern Counties league in 1959/60 where they have remained ever since.

Newmarket Town- Peterborough League Champions 1957-58
Suffolk Senior Cup finalists, beaten 2-0 by Stowmarket Town at Portman Road. Att. 5357

Back: Les Male, Bob Sutherland, Pete Byrne, Bert Williams, Den Smith, Ron Mair, Len Crowe
Front: Danny Temple, Tony Willetts, Rex Wilderspin, Wally Wing. Mascot unknown.

Their best season was as runners up to Lowestoft 1966/67. League honours having been elusive they have in recent years won the Suffolk Premier Cup four times in the five seasons to 1999.

The present clubhouse was completed and floodlights were installed in 1985. The first league game under lights being against Ely City on 19 November. The old wooden stand was replaced by the
present 144-seater stand in 1996.

CLUB HONOURS

Cambridgeshire Senior League Champions 1919-20
Cambridgeshire Senior Cup Champions 1919-20
Cambs Challenge Cup Winners 1925-26
Bury and District League Champions 1926-27
Suffolk and Ipswich League Champions 1931-32, 1932-33, 1933-34
Suffolk Senior Cup Winners 1934-35
Peterborough and District League Champions 1957-58
Cambs Invitation Cup Winners 1958-59
Suffolk Premier Cup Winners 1993-94, 1994-95, 1996-97, 1998-99
Ridgeons Division one Champions 2008-09

League Status
1937-38	Joined Eastern Counties League
1952	Left Eastern Counties League
1959-60	Rejoined Eastern Counties League
1966-67	Eastern Counties League runner-up
2008	Relegated to Division One
2009	Division One Champions

League record

FA Cup record

Fa Vase record

LEAGUE RECORD

Season	League	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts	Pos
1937-38	ECL	18	3	1	14	19	61	7	10/10
1938-39	ECL	24	7	2	15	44	85	16	11/13

1946-47	ECL	18	5	4	9	41	64	14	7/10
1947-48	ECL	18	2	3	13	26	48	7	10/10
1948-49	ECL	30	4	4	22	43	111	12	16/16
1949-50	ECL	32	9	2	21	42	95	20	17/17
1950-51	ECL	34	3	2	29	36	124	8	18/18
1951-52	ECL	34	0	0	34	19	171	0	18/18

1959-60	ECL	38	12	7	19	71	88	31	14/20
1960-61	ECL	32	12	4	16	63	72	28	12/17
1961-62	ECL	34	7	12	23	44	126	18	17/18
1962-63	ECL	30	11	3	16	70	69	25	11/16
1963-64	ECL	28	12	4	12	71	65	28	7/15
1964-65	ECL	26	7	4	15	42	70	18	11/14
1965-66	ECL	30	16	6	8	87	64	38	3/16
1966-67	ECL	34	23	6	5	92	56	52	2/18
1967-68	ECL	34	13	11	10	92	74	37	9/18
1968-69	ECL	32	14	6	12	73	66	34	8/17
1969-70	ECL	36	13	14	9	75	63	40	9/19
1970-71	ECL	40	15	7	18	66	73	37	12/21
1971-72	ECL	38	5	7	26	39	109	17	20/20
1972-73	ECL	40	17	8	15	59	64	42	10/21
1973-74	ECL	36	13	12	11	50	48	38	9/19
1974-75	ECL	38	13	11	14	49	49	37	13/20
1975-76	ECL	36	11	6	19	54	60	28	13/19
1976-77	ECL	40	13	9	18	43	61	35	15/21
1977-78	ECL	40	9	2	29	44	104	20	20/21
1978-79	ECL	42	5	4	33	24	107	14	22/22
1979-80	ECL	42	17	13	12	72	69	47	8/22
1980-81	ECL	42	17	8	17	64	76	42	10/22
1981-82	ECL	42	19	11	12	72	56	49	7/22
1982-83	ECL	42	16	14	12	70	60	46	10/22
1983-84	ECL	42	16	9	17	62	73	41	12/22
1984-85	ECL	42	13	5	24	46	84	31	19/22
1985-86	ECL	42	9	5	28	59	119	23	21/22
1986-87	ECL	44	12	13	19	43	62	37	16/23
1987-88	ECL	42	12	13	17	49	58	37	15/22
1988-89	ECL P	40	10	12	18	39	63	42	16/21
1989-90	ECL P	40	10	13	17	42	54	43	17/21
1990-91	ECL P	40	6	8	26	32	87	26	20/21
1991-92	ECL P	42	19	14	9	66	50	71	7/22
1992-93	ECL P	42	27	9	6	87	37	90	3/22
1993-94	ECL P	42	26	8	8	82	48	86	3/22
1994-95	ECL P	42	20	8	14	69	57	68	8/22
1995-96	ECL P	42	18	13	11	78	58	67	6/22
1996-97	ECL P	44	23	8	13	97	75	77	8/23
1997-98	ECL P	42	18	7	17	68	52	61	11/22
1998-99	ECL P	42	19	11	12	68	55	68	8/22
1999-2000	ECL P	40	14	8	18	60	69	50	14/21
2000-01	ECL P	42	9	9	24	50	83	36	20/22
2001-02	ECL P	42	10	13	19	65	89	43	19/22
2002-03	ECL P	44	11	13	20	58	76	46	18/23
2003-04	ECL P	42	18	7	17	76	78	61	10/22
2004-05	ECL P	42	14	9	19	67	76	51	13/22
2005-06	ECL P	42	13	6	23	53	91	45	17/22
2006-07	ECL P	42	14	4	24	52	82	46	12/22
2007-08	ECL P	42	8	6	28	62	107	30	21/22
2008-09	ECL 1	38	29	4	5	85	29	91	1/20

FA CUP

Season	Round	Versus	H/A	Score
1945-46	1Q	Chatteris Engineers	A	1-0
	2Q	Wisbech Town	A	0-5
1946-47	1Q	Bye
	2Q	Chatteris Town	H	0-2
1947-48	1Q	March Town	H	2-3
1948-49	Pre	Chatteris Town	H	9-2
	1Q	Parson Drove	A	2-3
1949-50	Pre	Chatteris Town	H	4-4
	Replay	Chatteris Town	A	4-1
	1Q	Abbey Utd	H	1-0
	2Q	Cambridge Town	A	0-1
1950-51	1Q	Chatteris Town	A	2-0
	2Q	Histon Institute	H	1-3
1954-55	Pre	Somersham Town	A	0-3
1955-56	Pre	Holbeach Utd	A	0-6
1956-57	Pre	March Town Utd	H	1-6
1957-58	Pre	Wisbech Town	A	0-6
1958-59	1Q	Stowmarket	A	1-3
1959-60	1Q	Clacton Town	H	1-4
1960-61	1Q	Cambridge Utd	A	1-5
1961-62	1Q	March Town Utd	A	2-0
	2Q	Bury Town	H	2-6
1965-66	1Q	Wisbech Town	A	1-5
1966-67	1Q	Bury Town	H	1-1
	Replay	Bury Town	A	1-2
1967-68	1Q	Kettering Town	H	0-1
1968-69	1Q	Ely City	A	1-4
1969-70	Pre	March Town Utd	A	1-1
	Replay	March Town Utd	H	3-0
	1Q	Eynesbury Rovers	A	3-2
	2Q	Irthlingborough Diamonds	H	3-1
	3Q	Cambridge Utd	A	0-6
1970-71	1Q	Lowestoft Town	H	3-3
	Replay	Lowestoft Town	A	0-3
1971-72	1Q	Thetford Town	H	1-4
1976-77	1Q	Harwich & Parkeston	H	1-1
	Replay	Harwich & Parkeston	A	1-8
1977-78	1Q	Lowestoft Town	A	1-4
1978-79	Pre	Olney Town	H	1-2
1979-80	Pre	Sudbury Town	H	1-3
1980-81	Pre	Wellingborough Town	H	1-0
	1Q	Hayes	H	1-1
	Replay	Hayes	A	0-5
1981-82	1Q	Letchworth Garden City	H	1-0
	2Q	March Town Utd	A	5-5
	Replay	March Town Utd	H	0-2
1982-83	1Q	Boreham Wood	H	0-3
1983-84	Pre	Rothwell Town	A	0-2
1984-85	1Q	Wellingborough Town	H	1-2
1985-86	Pre	Chatteris Town	A	3-0
	1Q	Stamford	H(A)	1-6
1986-87	1Q	Great Yarmouth Town	H	2-0
	2Q	Cambridge City	H	1-2
1987-88	Pre	Dunstable	H	0-3
1988-89	Pre	Staines Town	A	0-3
1989-90	Pre	Braintree Town	A	1-1
	Replay	Braintree Town	H	1-0
	1Q	Leighton Town	H	1-0
	2Q	Barnet	A	2-4
1990-91	Pre	Cheshunt	H	2-1
	1Q	Cambridge City	H	1-2
1991-92	Pre	Biggleswade Town	H	1-1
	Replay	Biggleswade Town	A	2-2
	Replay	Biggleswade Town	A	0-1
1992-93	Pre	Langford	H	4-0
	1Q	Tilbury	A	1-1
	Replay	Tilbury	H	1-0
	2Q	Baldock Town	H	2-2
	Replay	Baldock Town	A	6-2
	3Q	Grays Athletic	H	1-0
	4Q	Hayes	H	0-2
1993-94	1Q	Chelmsford City	A	0-0
	2Q	Chelmsford City	H	1-1
	Replay	Chelmsford City	A	0-3
1994-95	Pre	Soham Town Rangers	H	4-2
	1Q	Hitchin Town	H	1-2
1995-96	Pre	Boston Town	H	0-1
1996-97	Pre	Saffron Walden Town	A	2-2
	Replay	Saffron Walden Town	H	3-0
	1Q	Wisbech Town	A	1-2
1997-98	Pre	Stamford	H	4-4
	Replay	Stamford	A	4-1
	1Q	Histon	A	3-1
	2Q	V S Rugby	H	1-2
1998-99	1Q	Great Yarmouth Town	H	0-0
	Replay	Great Yarmouth Town	A	2-2 (4-2 pens)
	2Q	Hastings Town	H	1-1
	Replay	Hastings Town	A	1-2
1999-2000	Pre	Ware	A	0-3
2000-01	E Pre	Royston Town	A	5-0
	Pre	Bugbrooke St. Michaels	A	3-0
	1Q	Wingate & Finchley	H	3-3
	Replay	Wingate & Finchley	A	1-4
2001-02	Pre	Bedford Utd	A	1-0
	1Q	Hemel Hempstead Town	H	3-0
	2Q	Enfield	H	1-3
2002-03	E Pre	Ely City (disq)	H	2-3
	Pre	Ilford	H	1-3
2003-04	Pre	Wembley	H	5-0
	1Q	Brackley Town	H	6-1
	2Q	Fleet Town	H	3-0
	3Q	Histon	A	0-0
	Replay	Histon	H	0-1
2004-05	E Pre	Ford Sports Daventry	H	1-1
	Replay	Ford Sports Daventry	A	1-2
2005-06	Pre	Berkhamstead Town	A	0-2
2006-07	E Pre	Southend Manor	H	4-1
	Pre	Great Wakering Rovers	A	1-4
2007-08	Pre	Holbeach Utd	A	0-2
2008-09	E Pre	Woodbridge Town	A	0-1
2009-10	E Pre	Desborough Town	A	1-4

FA VASE

Season	Round	Versus	H/A	Score
1980-81	Pre	Baldock Town	H	0-1
1983-84	Pre	Hadleigh Utd	A	2-0
	1	Wivenhoe Town	A	1-2
1984-85	Pre	Ampthill Town	H	3-1
	1	Wolverton Town	H	2-0
	2	Braintree Town	H	2-2
	Replay	Braintree Town	A	2-3
1985-86	Pre	Eynesbury Rovers	H(A)	2-4
1986-87	Pre	Brightlingsea Utd	A	2-3
1987-88	E Pre	Downham Town	H	5-2
	Pre	Pirton	H	1-3
1988-89	Pre	Gorleston	H	1-2
1989-90	Pre	Great Shelford	A	3-1
	1	Norwich Utd	A	1-3
1990-91	Pre	Mirrlees Blackstone	A	1-1
	Replay	Mirrlees Blackstone	H	0-2
1991-92	Pre	Eynesbury Rovers	A	0-0
	Replay	Eynesbury Rovers	H	0-0
	Replay	Eynesbury Rovers	A	2-0
	1	Stamford	H	5-0
	2	Arlesey Town	A	2-0
	3	Solihull Borough	H	2-1
	4	Sudbury Town	A	2-3
1992-93	Pre	Sawbridgeworth Town	H	1-2
1993-94	Pre	Somersham Town	H	4-0
	1	Harwich & Parkeston	A	3-2
	2	Collier Row	A	2-3
1994-95	Pre	Norwich Utd	A	3-0
	1	Brimsdown Rovers	H	2-0
	2	Tring Town	H	2-1
	3	Canvey Island	H	0-5
1995-96	2Q	Southend Manor	A	2-0
	1	Brightlingsea Utd	A	1-0
	2	Slade Green	A	0-2
1996-97	2Q	Great Wakering Rovers	A	0-3
1997-98	2Q	Basildon Utd	A	0-0
	Replay	Basildon Utd	H	0-1
1998-99	2Q	Cornard Utd	H	3-0
	1	Barking	H	2-2
	Replay	Barking	A	2-2 (4-2 pens)
	2	Aveley	H	5-0
	3	Ford Utd	A	3-4
1999-2000	2Q	Harefield Utd	H	1-2
2000-01	2Q	Bedford Utd	A	2-3
2001-02	1Q	Wroxham	H	0-3
2002-03	2Q	Ilford	H	2-1
	1	Gorleston	A	2-3
2003-04	2Q	Holmer Green	A	7-1
	1	Brook House	A	1-0
	2	Hertford Town	H	2-4
2004-05	2Q	Barkingside	H	1-0
	1	Clacton Town	A	1-3
2005-06	2Q	Walsham-Le-Willows	H	2-1
	1	Long Melford	A	2-1
	2	Tilbury	H	2-1
	3	Willand Rovers	H	1-0
	4	Welwyn Garden City	H	2-2
	Replay	Welwyn Garden City (disq)	A	1-2
	5	Winchester City	A	4-3
	QF	Cammell Laird	H	1-2
2006-07	2	Fakenham Town	A	0-1
2007-08	2Q	Thetford Town	A	5-2
	1	Yaxley	H	3-2
	2	Biggleswade Utd	H	1-0
	3	Concord Rangers	A	1-7
2008-09	2Q	March Town Utd	H	3-1
	1	Dereham Town	A	2-4
2009-10	2Q	St. Neots Town	H	2-1
	1	Kirkley & Pakefield	A	1-3

Information courtesy of FCHD