Northallerton Town F.C.

History

Nobody knows the exact formation date of Northallerton Town Football Club, but The Elliott Bowl, a trophy donated by local M.P. Sir George Elliott, was contested for the first time in 1895 carries the clubs name as its first winner.

Joining the Northern League was a big step for the club as something like £150,000 had to be raised to upgrade the Ainderby Road Ground to Northern League standards. The Club’s first game in the Northern League was on August 28th 1982 when they were defeated 4-1 at Ryhope. A week later, Town gained revenge with a 2-0 home victory when Ryhope became the first Northern League visitors to Ainderby Road.

Early years in the Northern League were difficult but they reached the final of the North Riding County Cup in the 1983-84 season, unfortunately losing 2-1 to York Railway Institute. The appointment of former Burnley, Leeds United and Middlesbrough star Ray Hankin as manager in March 1989 saw an upturn in the club’s fortunes. Hankin guided them to promotion to the First Division in 1989-90 having finished runners-up in the Second Division behind champions Murton. Season 1990-91 saw the club consolidate itself in Division One, but at the end of that season Hankin resigned and his number two Geoff Cane was appointed manager.

Under Cane, the Club enjoyed great success in both the F.A Trophy and the F.A Cup - reaching the last sixteen in the F.A Trophy in 1992-93 before going out to Farnborough of the Vauxhall Conference - and in the same season they reached the fourth qualifying round of the F.A Cup before narrowly losing at Accrington Stanley.

Major ground redevelopment was carried out while Cane was in charge - a new grandstand with seating for 150 spectators was erected together with covered terracing for a further 400 spectators. The open ends behind both goals were also terraced, making the Ainderby Road ground the envy of many. Off-field disagreements resulted in Cane leaving the club at the end of the 1992-93 season. He died in 1995, aged 46.

Town were now a force to be reckoned with in the Northern League and they won the League Challenge Cup in 1993-94, when they beat Blyth Spartans 2-0 in the final at Brandon. But this was to be the last game that Northallerton Town Football Club was to play.

Disaster struck during the summer of 1994 when they were declared financially insolvent in the High Court and were ordered to close down. Had this happened during the playing season then there is not much doubt that the club would have folded. Fortunately there was still time before the new season started for a local businessman to come forward and rescue the club, this despite vandals breaking into the ground and daubing slogans on the stand walls and breaking all the windows in the clubhouse.

A new committee was formed and the club was able to kick off the 1994-95 season under the new name of Northallerton F.C. 1994. Still in the First Division of the Northern League, the opening game was Northallerton, League Cup winners, against Durham City, League Champions, in the annual Cleator Cup. After playing a 1-1 draw after extra time, Durham won the cup on penalties. With no money available to reimburse players there was a mass exodus, and many players from local football leagues were brought in. Although these players gave their all it was no surprise when they were relegated at the end of season 1994-95.

During season 1995-96, the Club gradually got back on its feet, but after a poor opening the Committee decided that players could once again be reimbursed and many of the club’s former players returned resulting in the Club finishing in a respectable 5th place in the league.

During the summer of 1996 the Club was allowed to reinstate the name “Town” to once again become Northallerton Town Football Club (1994), and under the joint guidance of the management duo of Mickey Sell and John Woods, they won promotion back to the First Division when they won the Second Division Championship. For personal reasons both Sell and Woods resigned as joint managers at the end of 1996-97, although both remained at the club, Woods as assistant manager and Sell as an occasional player.

After making a disastrous start to life back in the First Division (winning just three points from the first twelve games) the Club appointed former Bristol Rovers, Middlesbrough, Carlisle United and Darlington star Archie Stephens as their manager. But they fared no better, and, after finishing second bottom, they were relegated back to the Second Division. Stephens, and his assistant Woods, left the club by mutual consent at the end of the season.

Peter Mulcaster was appointed manager at the start of the 1998-99 season, and he guided the club to a commendable fourth place in the league. But in the February of his second season (1999-00), with the club lying in third place and one of the favourites for promotion, he surprised the club with his shock resignation in order to take the vacant manager’s job at Spennymoor United.

He was replaced as manager by the experienced ex-Guisborough Town boss Micky Hodgson, but after failing to win promotion at the first attempt, Hodgson and his assistant Peter Bell left the club at the end of season 2000-01.

Peter Mulcaster returned to take over for his second spell as team manager at the start of the 2001-02 season, but after two seasons in charge and failing to get the team promoted, it was mutually agreed that he should leave the club at the end of season 2002-03.

The very experienced former Whitby Town captain Paul Burton was appointed manager at the start of the 2003-04 season. Under Burton, Town regained First Division status when they finished runners-up in Division Two at the end of the 2005-06 season, where they also reached the final of the North Riding Senior Cup for the first time in their history - losing 3-1 to York City at Bootham Crescent.

The following season (2006-07) they again reached the Senior Cup final - losing 5-0 to a strong Middlesbrough side at Billingham Synthonia. Burton surprised the club at the end of the season by handing in his resignation for what he claims were personal reasons.

He was replaced by the vastly experienced Andy Toman, who lives in the Town, but he resigned after just the one season. Toman was replaced by Alan Robinson, but on the eve of the season Robinson shocked the club with his resignation as he was going to start a new life in Thailand.

Ex-Doncaster Rovers player Martin Speight and former Norton & Stockton Ancients manager Stuart Dawson - who were to have been Robinson’s assistants - were appointed as joint managers, but following a run of poor results, Dawson left the club in early January.

Speight was then appointed sole manager but results failed to improve and, following the heavy 5-1 home defeat by Ashington at the end of March, he also resigned.

Mark Fanning, who had been part of the coaching staff at Darlington FC, took over and was at the Club for 4 season as manager. In 2012-13 Fanning guided the club to their first silverware in 18 years when they came from behind to beat Second Division champions Team Northumbria 3-2 in the final of the Ernest Armstrong Cup.

Fanning and his assistant Martin Collins resigned in March 2013 so Peter Mulcaster returned to take over for a third time, initially until the end of the season. But following a good run of results which saw the club reach the final of the Ernest Armstrong Cup again, Mulcaster was offered the job on a permanent basis. Unfortunately Northallerton were beaten 3-1 in the final by West Allotment Celtic.

2014-15 Season saw 3 managers for Town. Peter Mulcaster started the season and saw a good start including an opening day 10 nil win away at Esh Winning. In October Peter resigned and assistant Danny Mellanby took over on a temporary basis. In November Stephen Skinner was appointed and kept Danny as his assistant, but it was only a matter of time before he was lured away to 1st division West Auckland, after he turned down their first approach for him. This time we were happy that Danny Mellanby accepted the role of manager and appointed his good friend Dion Raitt as his assistant. October 2015 saw Danny Mellanby resign as manager. Darren Trotter took over and brought in Richie Farrell as his assistant. May 2016 saw Town beat Ryhope CW 2 nil to win the EA Cup for the 2nd time in 4 years.

The ground improvements continue to take place and in 2013, the clubhouse was completely revamped and extra parking has recently been completed. Northallerton Town are known for their loud and passionate home and away support – a section of the crowd are known as the 'Northallerton Town Casuals' and have a friendly rivalry with the North Shields 'Ultras'.

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Honours

Ernest Armstrong Cup

Records