Ground Capacity 1,500 (230 seated) Manager Carl Abbott | Chairman Steve Jelfs Founded 2014 | |
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League Midland League Division One 2015–16 Midland League Division One, 5th Grounds Saint John's Park, Heather | ||
Hinckley Association Football Club is a football club, from Hinckley, Leicestershire, who play home games at Heather St Johns' St John's Park, from the 2014–15 season. The club was formed in January 2014 when fans of the dissolved Hinckley United formed their own Community Trust football club, owned and democratically run by its supporters. The club competes in the Midland League Division One.
Contents
History
Following the demise of Hinckley United in October 2013, people formed a working group and at a public meeting in December announced their intentions to form a co-operative community trust to launch a new football club for Hinckley. After discussions with Supporters Direct the working group decided to adopt the same model as FC United of Manchester and AFC Wimbledon with a membership scheme allowing a 'one member one vote' ethos. In January 2014 at the next public meeting it was voted that the name of the new football club would be Hinckley AFC. Further to that in February 2014 the club's badge and playing colours were voted on. The club crest chosen represented the town's history and future, and the playing colours would be a home kit of red & blue, with away colours of violet & white. At that same meeting the working group announced a bid by a local businessman to purchase the De Montfort Park ground, and that his favoured tenant for the stadium would be Hinckley AFC.
In March 2014 the working group announced that the co-operative trust had finalised its constitution. Members were informed that the club had applied to join the Midland Alliance, but would have to wait until the FA had fully scrutinised the business plan before they would make a final decision.
The club were informed in June 2014 that they had been allocated a place in the newly formed Midland Football League First Division, level 6 of the Non League Pyramid.
The club won their opening league game 3-0 away at Southam United and a week later set a club record victory beating Pelsall Villa 13-0, but a run of 7 games without winning followed, leaving the club in the bottom reaches of the league table. On 18 October Hinckley AFC beat Cadbury Athletic 2-1, and then proceeded to set a Midland League record of 26 games unbeaten in a season culminating with a final day victory over Southam United winning 5-1. This unbeaten run lifted Hinckley AFC into a final league position of 3rd, ahead of Bolehall Swifts by virtue of goals scored. In cup competitions, an early exit in the FA Vase losing 2-1 at Tipton Town was balanced by reaching the final of the Leicestershire and Rutland Senior Cup, finishing runners-up to Bardon Hill, losing 1-0.
Colours and crest
Historically the football clubs in Hinckley have either played in red, blue or a mixture of both. Hinckley Athletic played in red, Hinckley Town played in blue, and Hinckley United played in red & blue. The fans of Hinckley AFC voted to keep the tradition and the new club's home colours would be red & blue. The away kit was voted as being violet & white.
Six designs of club crest were presented to members to vote on, each representing the town of Hinckley in a different way. The crest voted for by the members was an amalgamation of all the designs incorporating elements of each. The Arms of Honour of Hinckley (white & red divided vertically with a serrated line) has long been established with Hinckley, relating to Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester famously represented in a stained glass window at Chartres Cathedral, and has been incorporated in the previous clubs football crests, schools and other establishments in the town of Hinckley. The White Lion rampant also represents Simon de Montfort, considered to be one of the progenitors of modern parliamentary democracy, and represents the one member one vote ethos of the club. The Hansom Cab represents part of the history of Hinckley, as Joseph Hansom first developed and tested his Hansom Cab design in Hinckley. Finally the Phoenix represents the rebirth of the new football club after the dissolving of Hinckley United.
Ground
In March 2014 Steve and Joy Jelfs, who run a local business in Hinckley, and founder members of Hinckley AFC, made a bid to BDO Liquidators in regards to the De Montfort Park Stadium, former home of Hinckley United. Subsequently, Hinckley AFC entered an agreement with the Jelfs family for a 50-year lease upon completion of the Stadium purchase. The bid was accepted by the creditors of Hinckley United Ltd, but legal issues regarding ownership and security of tenure, meant that any purchase could not be completed.
On 31 March 2014 Hinckley AFC announced plans to ground share at St John's Park the home of Heather St Johns, for the 2014–15 season. Hinckley AFC have since ground shared at Heather St John up to the 2016-17 season.
Manager
On 6 May 2014 Hinckley AFC announced the appointment of the club's first manager, Carl Abbott, former manager of Wolverhampton Casuals. He was joined by his assistant, Paul Tomlinson and coach Simon Mellor.
Current squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Honours
Leicestershire and Rutland Senior Cup