Atherton Laburnum Rovers F.C.

Atherton Laburnum Rovers
Full name Atherton Laburnum Rovers
Nickname(s) The Laburnums, The Panthers
Founded 1956
Ground Crilly Park, Atherton
Ground Capacity 3,000 (250 seated)
Chairman Jane Wlicock
Manager Craig Jones & Adam Jones
League North West Counties League
Division One
2014–15 North West Counties League
Division One, 12th

Atherton Laburnum Rovers F.C. are an English football club based in Atherton in Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Crilly Park, Spa Road. They play in the North West Counties Football League Division One and are full members of the Lancashire County Football Association.

Club history

The club were established as a junior club in 1956 as Laburnum Rovers, named after Laburnum Playing Fields where they first played. They joined the Briarcroft Junior League the same year. The club then moved to the Leigh & District League and in 1960 they moved home to Hagfold Playing Fields. In 1961 they joined the Bolton Combination. Lack of facilities at Hagfold prevented promotion and in 1965 they applied to the local council for permission to move to their present home which was at the time a farmers field. They won the Bolton Combination Division Two and the Division Two Trophy in the 1965–66 season. Then in June 1966 they moved to their new home, meaning they could be promoted to Division One for the 1966–67 season. New changing rooms were erected as well as a social club.[1][2]

The club joined the Cheshire County League in 1980, and with the league stipulation that the town had to be in the club's name, they became Atherton Laburnum Rovers. They played in Division Two in the 1980–81 season, finishing in fifth place. They became founder members of the North West Counties Football League in 1982 and were placed in Division Two for the 1982–83 season. In the 1984–85 season they won the Bolton Hospital Cup, beating Scotts Park United 3–1 in the final of 11 May 1985. In 1987, with improved facilities at Crilly Park, which included a covered enclosure behind one goal built in 1983 and two further covered areas built in 1985, they were placed in Division One. With the erection of floodlights the club entered the FA Cup for the first time in the 1989–90 season. In 1992–93 they were crowned North West Counties Football League champions, losing just two games all season. The following season they were champions again and also reached the semi-finals of the FA Vase where they lost in a replay to Diss Town. The quarter-final match against Aldershot Town saw a record crowd of 1,856 at Crilly Park.[1][2][3]

They were promoted to the Northern Premier League First Division for the 1994–95 season. However, their stay in the league lasted just three seasons, although they were losing finalists in the Northern Premier League Division One Cup in 1995–96. In 1996–97 they finished bottom and were relegated back to the North West Counties Football League Division One. However, they did reach the third qualifying round of the FA Cup, their best performance to date in the competition. In 1998–99 they won the Goldline Trophy, beating Atherton Town 3–0 in the final on 23 March 1999 at Hilton Park, Leigh. A period of instability followed with the club in financial trouble and in 1999–2000 they suffered a second relegation to Division Two. However, after one season they were promoted again to Division One, winning promotion in the final game of the season. They also won the Bolton Hospital Cup for a second time, beating Ramsbottom United 2–1 in the final on 14 May 2002.[1][2][3]

The following season they finished in 20th place, just above the relegation places. In 2003–04 the club won two trophies. They won the Goldline Trophy at the Reebok Stadium home of Bolton Wanderers, beating Blackrod Town 4–1 in front of a crowd of 2,400 on 1 April 2003. They also won the Bolton Hospital Cup at the same venue, beating Eagley 3–1 in the final on 17 May 2004. The 2004–05 season saw a mid-table position in the league while they became the first club to win the Goldline Trophy two years in succession when they beat Eagley 5–3 in the final at the Reebok stadium on 31 March 2005. In 2005–06 they again struggled in the league, finishing once more in 20th place. In 2006–07 they finished in 16th place which included a record league attendance of 1,325 for the visit of FC United of Manchester. In the 2007–08 season they finished in 19th place in Division One, which was rebranded as the Premier Division for the 2008–09 season.[1][2][3]

One week before the start of the 2013–14 season the club appointed Michael Clegg as manager, replacing Phil Priestley, who had resigned.[4] Michael Clegg resigned as manager at the end of the same season,[5] with Ross McNair appointed in his place.[6]

Stadium

The club play their home matches at Crilly Park which has a capacity of 3,000 with 250 seated and with cover on three sides.[7] It is named after former club chairman Jack Crilly, who died in 1980, and the following year the ground was renamed Crilly Park.[2]

There is a 250-seater stand on one side of the pitch, a covered enclosure behind one goal, set back from the pitch and a further small covered enclosure on the other side of the pitch. [1]

Honours

League

Cup

Attendances

Records

Averages

The average league-game attendance at Crilly Park for the 2014–15 season was 68, placing Atherton Laburnum Rovers 4th for the division, and was an increase of 3.5% from the previous season.

Past averages:

Source: English football site Non League Matters NW Counties Football League site

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Atherton Laburnum Rovers FC". Pyramid Passion. Retrieved 2008-11-19.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Club History". Atherton Laburnum Rovers F.C. Archived from the original on 9 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-04.
  3. 1 2 3 "Atherton Laburnum Rovers". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 2008-12-04.
  4. ↑ "New manager". Atherton Laburnum Rovers F.C. Retrieved 2013-07-28.
  5. ↑ "Manager Resigns". NWCFL. Retrieved 2014-05-06.
  6. ↑ "New Manager At Atherton LR". NWCFL. Retrieved 2014-05-12.
  7. 1 2 "Club details". Atherton Laburnum Rovers F.C. Archived from the original on 9 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-04.
  8. ↑ Due mostly to a crowd of 1,325 for the visit of FC United of Manchester

External links

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