Full name Buxton Football Club Ground Capacity 4,000 (490 seated) Founded 1877 Arena/Stadium The Silverlands | Nickname(s) The Bucks Chairman David Hopkins Manager Martin McIntosh | |
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Ground The Silverlands, Buxton League Northern Premier League Premier Division | ||
Buxton Football Club is a football club based in Buxton, Derbyshire, England. They are currently members of the Northern Premier League Premier Division and play at the Silverlands.
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History
The club was established in autumn 1877 as an offshoot of the local cricket club, playing their first match on 27 October 1877. In 1891 they joined the Combination. They finished bottom of the league in 1895–96 and left at the end of the 1898–99 season, when they switched to the Manchester League. They were runners-up in 1904–05, but spent much of their time in the league prior to its 1912 disbandment in lower-mid table, finishing second-from-bottom on three occasions.
Buxton rejoined the Manchester League when it was re-established in 1920, and considered applying to join the new Football League Third Division North when it was formed in 1921, although they did not submit a bid. They were Manchester League runners-up in 1928–29 and 1929–30 and League Cup winners in 1925–26 and 1926–27. After winning the league in 1931–32, they joined the Cheshire County League. After World War II they were runners-up in 1946–47, and in 1951–52 they reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time. A 4–1 win at Rawmarsh Welfare, saw them face Football League side Aldershot in the second round, with Buxton winning 4–3 at the Silverlands. In the third round they lost 2–0 at Second Division Doncaster Rovers.
In 1958–59 Buxton reached the first round of the FA Cup again, and after beating Crook Town 4–1 in the first round, they lost 6–1 at Accrington Stanley in the second. Another first round appearance in 1962–63 resulted in a 3–1 defeat at Barrow in a replay. The season also saw them finish as runners-up in the Cheshire County League, and they went on to win the league title in 1972–73, earning promotion to the Northern Premier League. When the league gained a second division in 1987, Buxton were placed in the Premier Division, where they remained until finishing bottom in 1996–97, resulting in relegation to Division One. After finishing bottom of Division One the following season, they were relegated to the Premier Division of the Northern Counties East League.
In 2005–06 Buxton won the Northern Counties East League Premier Division, earning promotion back to Division One of the Northern Premier League. The following season saw them crowned champions again, resulting in promotion to the Northern Premier League's Premier Division. They finished fifth in their first season back in the division, qualifying for the promotion play-offs, in which they beat Witton Albion 6–5 on penalties after a 1–1 draw in the semi-finals, before losing the final 2–0 to Gateshead in the final.
Ground
Buxton originally played at the Park, a ground shared with the cricket club, and later played at Cote Lane, London Road and Green Lane before moving to the Silverlands in 1884. The site was originally a field owned by the club's first captain, Frank Drewry. The opening match was held on 1 November 1884, a Derbyshire Cup match against Bakewell, which Buxton won 2–0.
Cover was provided for spectators in 1890 (proposals to build a separate pavilion for working class supporters were not taken forward), at the same time as dressing rooms were built. A wooden stand was erected on one side of the pitch and replaced by the current main stand in 1965, which later had seats from Maine Road added to it. On the opposite side of the pitch is the Popular Side covered terrace. The end behind one goal has a covered terrace, with the other end empty. The ground currently has a capacity of 4,000, of which 490 is seated and 2,500 covered.
The Silverlands is the highest ground in England at 1,000 feet above sea level.