Nickname(s) Town Manager Ian Guy Home ground Tipton Sports Academy | Ground Capacity 2,000 (208 seated) Founded 1948 | |
 | ||
Full name Tipton Town Football Club League West Midlands (Regional) League Division One 2015–16 West Midlands (Regional) League Premier Division, 22nd (Relegated) | ||
Tipton Town Football Club is a football club based in Tipton, West Midlands, England, currently playing in the West Midlands (Regional) League Premier Division.
Contents
History
The club was originally formed in 1948 under the name of Ocker Hill United and played in the Wolverhampton and District Amateur League. In 1965, the club joined the West Midlands (Regional) League when it added a new Division One, which commenced play in 1967. In order to become more closely linked with the town of Tipton and its residents, the club marked the occasion by changing its name to Tipton Town F.C.
The club's first major success came in 1984 when both the Division One title and Divisional League Cup were won, leading to promotion to the Premier Division.
Tipton were relegated in 1991 but returned to the league's top division seven years later. After a few years nearer to the bottom of the table than the top, they finished third in 2003 and second the following year (being beaten to promotion by Malvern Town). In the 2004–05 season they dominated the league, achieving promotion with four league games to spare and scoring over 100 goals. The same season saw Tipton achieve their best ever run in the FA Vase, reaching the fifth round. The 2005–06 season saw Tipton's debut in the Midland Alliance.
The club have been able to enter the FA Cup since the 2006–07 season, reaching the first qualifying round in each of their first two seasons in the competition. In the 2010–11 cup they have reached the first round proper for the first time after making it through six rounds of qualifying. They faced Carlisle United, a team six tiers above them in the English football league system, but went on to lose 6–0.
Steve Bull, who scored more than 300 goals for Wolverhampton Wanderers and was capped 13 times by England, played for Tipton Town during the early 1980s before signing for West Bromwich Albion. He played in Tipton's victorious 1984 side, and was born just a few streets away from the ground on the Moat Farm estate.
Tipton are now an established Midland Alliance side and have finished in 5th place on two occasions. The 2008–09 season saw Tipton record their highest ever points total, with 78 points from 42 games. Tipton were Walsall Senior Cup finalists but lost to Rushall Olympic.
2010–11 FA Cup
The club managed to reach the First Round Proper of the 2010–11 FA Cup, after progressing all the way from the Extra Preliminary Round. This marked the first time the club had ever competed at this stage of the tournament. Tipton Town saw off a number of teams before facing Sheffield in the Fourth Qualifying Round. The oldest club in the world were held 2–2, before being defeated by two goals to nil at Tipton Sports Academy. Tipton were drawn with Carlisle United in the First Round Proper, a side competing six divisions higher than them in League One. However, the FA Cup fairytale was to come to an end on 6 November 2010 as Carlisle beat Tipton 6–0.
Current first team staff
Asst Manager: Wes Cox
Ground
The team first started playing in Jubilee Park in Tipton. The changing rooms were at the Adult School in Bourne Avenue. They moved to the Lee Howl ground later. In the early 1970s, the football club, in conjunction with other local clubs including Tipton Harriers athletics club, opened the Tipton Sports Academy, a 19-acre (77,000 m2) multi-purpose sports complex constructed out of former waste and spoilage land. The ground has a total capacity of 2,000, including seating for 208.