Nickname(s) The Gladiators Ground Capacity 2,757 (500 Seated) Founded 1878 Arena/Stadium Causeway Lane | Chairman Tom Wright Manager Mark Atkins | |
League Northern Premier League Premier Division | ||
Matlock Town Football Club is an English football club based in Matlock, Derbyshire currently playing in the Northern Premier League Premier Division. The team, nicknamed "The Gladiators", play their home games at Causeway Lane.
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History
The club was established in the late 1870s and have competed in the Central Alliance and the Midland Counties League before reaching the Northern Premier League.
In the 1974–75 season the club won the FA Trophy which caused a major celebration in the town; their manager was Peter Swan, and the brothers Mick, Nick and Tom Fenoughty all played in the final. The coach and physiotherapist on that day was Harry Peck who had played for Chesterfield as a professional.
In the 1976–77 season, by then managed by Tom Fenoughty, Matlock reached the 3rd round of the FA Cup, their best performance in the competition. They beat Division Three leaders Mansfield Town and featured in a book "Tividale to Wembley" during this cup run.
In 1978 they won the Northern Premier League Cup for the first time and subsequently played in the Anglo-Italian Cup in the 1978–79 season.
For the 2009–10 season, they are a member of the Northern Premier League Premier Division.
During the 2010–11 season, on 16 October, in an FA Trophy tie at home to Bedworth, Matlock scored 10 goals to progress through to the 2nd Qualifying Round. Ross Hannah scored 7 of the 10 goals in Matlock's biggest ever competitive home win.
The result equalled the club's biggest ever competitive win, 10–0 away to Lancaster City in 1975.
Matlock Town F.C. feature in the memoir The Long Road Out of Town by Greg Watts, who supported the club in the 1970s.
After new manager Mark Hume took over in early 2015 Matlock went onto to win the Derbyshire Senior Cup for the Ninth time, but after a bad run of results at the end of the 2015/16 season he was sacked.
In the summer of 2016 Craig Hopkins and Glenn Kirkwood formerly of local Derbyshire rivals Mickleover Sports F.C. took charge, their achievements already include taking Matlock to the Fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup for the first time in 27 years, where they were defeated 3-1 away by Altrincham F.C.
Stadium
The club play at Causeway Lane, known in recent seasons as the Reynolds Stadium and Autoworld Arena for sponsorship reasons is now the DCJ Insurance Group Stadium, near the centre of Matlock. The ground is on the northern side of Causeway Lane, opposite Hall Leys Park. At the eastern end of the football ground is a cricket oval, where Matlock Cricket Club play their home matches.
The club's record attendance is 5,123 against Burton Albion in the 1975 FA Trophy semi-final.
Local rivals
Matlock's chief rivals are Buxton but there is a keen sense of competition with other Derbyshire clubs Alfreton Town, Belper Town and Ilkeston.
Current squad
As of 11 December 2016Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.