Abingdon Town F.C.

History

The club was formed in 1870, as Abingdon FC and originally started playing friendlies until they joined the Oxford & District League for the 1892–93 season. In 1899 the club amalgamated with local side St. Michaels and lost the FC in their name and were just called Abingdon. The amalgamation instantly saw success with the club going on to win the Oxford & District League in the 1899-00 and 1900–01 seasons. The club then spent their time playing in several leagues over the next few years including the Berks & Bucks for the 1901–02 season, followed by two seasons in the West Berkshire and then finally the Reading Temperance League, until the start of the First World War.

After the First World War the club joined the North Berks Football League for the 1919–20 season, winning it at their first attempt, and again for the 1922–23 season. Immediately after the North Berks league win the club then joined the Reading & District League. In 1928 the club changed its name to Abingdon Town FC.

In 1930 the club purchased their Culham Road ground for the sum of £300 from Mrs G.Herbert Morrell of the Oxford brewing family. For the 1937–38 season the club moved to the Oxfordshire Senior Football League but for only one season before moving back to the North Berks League.

After the Second World War the club rejoined the Reading & District League, and winning the title in the 1947–48 season. That season also saw the club make their debut in the FA Cup, losing 2–4 to Aylesbury United in the extra Preliminary round. The club then left the Reading league to join the Spartan League in 1950. However, after three seasons the club left the Spartan league to become founders members of the Hellenic Football League for the 1953–54 season. Abingdon Town then went on to win the Hellenic premier division in the 1956–57 season, followed by two more championships in the 1958–59 and 1959–60 campaigns. The 1958–59 campaign also saw the club make it a double winning season as they won the Berks & Bucks Senior Cup as well, beating Aylesbury United in the final.

The 1965–66 season saw the club relegated to the first division, but the club immediately bounced back up as Runners-up. The club then remained in the premier division for another eight seasons before being relegated back to Division one, but as before they returned to premier division, but this time as champions of Division one. The club went on to win the Hellenic premier Division again at the end of the 1986–87 season.

After finishing as Runners up of the Hellenic league in the 1987–88 season the club returned to the Spartan league, winning it at their first attempt. This win plus improvements made to their ground enabled the club to join the Isthmian League and started in Division two South.

In their second season in Division two they gained promotion to Division one as champions. The club then managed to spend seven seasons in Division one before being relegated back to Division two at the end of the 1997–98 season. The club then suffered consecutive relegations when they finished bottom of Division two in the 1998–99 season. The club then spent the next six season in division three, which was renamed division two in the 2002–03 season, and despite finishing seventh in the 2004–05 the club resigned from the league and rejoined the Hellenic Premier league. The decision to leave the Isthmian league for the Hellenic league was in the hope it would boost attendances. The club have since remained in the premier Division of the Hellenic league, even though in the 2007–08 season they finished in a relegation slot but were saved as Lydney Town's ground did not meet the criteria to compete in the premier division.

The club has gone through problems off the pitch in recent seasons and took the decision to voluntarily relegate themselves to the North Berks Football League.

Ground

Abingdon Town play their home games at Culham Road, Abingdon, OX14 3HP.

The ground was originally purchased for £300. The pitch was originally rotated 90 degrees from where it is today and the work involved to rotate the pitch required Abingdon to vacate the ground for a season where they played their home games elsewhere. The first stand on the ground was erected in 1928, but was burned down after an Easter Monday fixture shortly after the Second World War, with its replacement built in 1948.

The ground at Abingdon Town holds 2,000 and the highest ever attendance was in the 1950s when 4,000 turned up to watch a memorial match. It has floodlights that are fully working, and its brightly coloured dugouts, adorned with pot plants, were featured in David Bauckham's book Dugouts.

League honours

Cup honours

Records

Former players

1. Players who have played/managed in the football league or any foreign equivalent to this level (i.e. fully professional league).
2. Players with full international caps.