Baldock Town F.C.

Baldock Town
Full name Baldock Town Football Club
Nickname(s) The Reds
Founded 1905
Ground Roker Park, Stotfold (Groundshare at Stotfold F.C.)
Ground Capacity 1,500
Chairman Graham Kingham
Manager Luke Gregson
League Spartan South Midlands League
Division One
2014–15 Spartan South Midlands League
Division One, 10th

Baldock Town F.C. is an English association football club based in Baldock, Hertfordshire. The club existed (as Baldock Town) from 1905 until 2001, when it folded but the name Baldock Town was revived in 2006 when a club previously called simply Baldock (formed in 2003) changed its name. This club currently plays in the Spartan South Midlands League Division One.

The team's most successful period was a two-year spell in the Southern League Premier Division between 1995 and 1997. They also reached the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup on two occasions. Their last ever game was the final of the Herts Senior Challenge Cup, which they won, against Ware.

Baldock Town has an extensive youth set-up and currently has 35 youth teams.

History

The club first joined the Herts County League Northern Division for the 1905–06 season and played under the name Baldock, after winning the Northern Division at the end of the 1920–21 season they changed their name to Baldock Town[1] and were promoted to the Hertfordshire Senior County League, but folded four years later, rejoining for one season in 1946 before resigning from the league again a year later.[2]

The club in the 1959–60 season joined the London league and stayed for four seasons, then making a move to the South Midlands League.[3] The team then stayed in this league for 20 seasons, winning the Championship on three occasions.[3] In the 1983–84 season they then started playing in the United Counties league, finishing Runners-Up twice.[3] They then joined the Southern division of the Southern Football League in 1987, eight seasons later in 1994–95 they were promoted to the Premier Division of the Southern League. They managed to have two seasons in the Premier Division (which was, at the time, only two divisions below the Football League) before being relegated back.[2] The club then folded in 2001 two seasons after relegation from the Southern Premier league.

In 2003, the Club was formed as a new senior side, simply named Baldock FC, which was formed from former products of the youth system and was put together by committee members of the successful youth setup. The Club joined Division One of the North Herts Football League[4] and won promotion to the Premier Division at the end of the 2004–05 season with Manager Malcolm Ward in charge.

The 2006–07 season saw the Club revert from Baldock FC back to the name of the former club Baldock Town. Under the management of duo Steve King and Barry Laurence, the team finished second in the Premier Division and also finished runners-up in the Premier Division Cup (Benevolent Shield) and Herts Junior Cup, where they went down 5–4 after extra time in front of a crowd of 576. In 2007–08 with King now in sole charge, Town moved up to the Herts Senior County League Division One and immediately won promotion to the Premier Division as champions.

The 2008–09 season saw the Club move from Knights Templar Sports Centre to the County Ground on Baldock Road in Letchworth, home of the Hertfordshire FA and as part of the move, the Club revised its name to Baldock Town Letchworth.

At the end of the 2010–11 season the club were forced to move grounds as the Hertfordshire FA terminated the rental agreement. After discussing a number of options, the Club returned to the former home of Baldock Town FC in Norton Road, Baldock – now known as The North Herts Arena.[2] This also resulted in the Club reverting its name back to Baldock Town.[1] The 2011–12 season, with the team now managed by Scott Grant, was the Club's most successful since reforming as they clinched the Premier Division title by 13 points and Louis Taylor scored the only goal as they won the Anagram Records Trophy against Risborough Rangers.

However, the Club were denied promotion to the Spartan South Midlands League as the North Herts Arena's 3G facility did not meet the requirements for Step 6 football. To enable the Club to continue its progress, a groundshare with Hitchin Town FC at their Top Field ground was agreed in July 2012.

In February 2013, Town reached the Herts Senior Centenary Trophy Final for the first time after beating Hoddesdon Town in the semi-final. Following a 1–1 draw after 120 minutes with Broxbourne Borough, Baldock won the Final 5–3 on penalties.

Town came up short in their defence of the Premier Division title. After losing three of their first seven league games, they went on a run of one defeat in 16 league outings to bring them back into contention. However, a 3–1 defeat to eventual champions Metropolitan Police Bushey in April ended their hopes. A runners-up finish was achieved though and that proved enough for promotion to the Spartan South Midlands League for 2013–14.

In May 2013, Town successfully defended the Anagram Records Trophy with a 1–0 extra-time victory over Kent Athletic in the Final at The County Ground in Letchworth. An own goal settled the tie played in front of a crowd of 273.

The 2013–14 season saw the Club compete in the Spartan South Midlands League for the first time. Lee Harman netted a Club record 46 goals as Baldock finished a creditable 7th place. The Club didn't win any silverware, but they reached the First Round Proper of the FA Vase and Quarter-Final of the League Cup.

The Club broke further new ground in the 2014–15 season by playing in the FA Cup for the first time since its reformation in 2003. After an Extra Preliminary Round victory at Hatfield Town, the Reds went down 3–0 in the next round against Ryman League Harlow Town in front of a club record home crowd of 213. A bright start to the campaign saw Town have hopes of a promotion challenge, but a dip in form after Christmas saw them slip to a 10th place finish. They did however, reach the First Round Proper of the FA Vase for a second season running, beating Sporting Bengal United and Long Melford before losing 2–1 to London Colney. At the end of the campaign manager Scott Grant stepped down after five successful seasons in charge.

In May 2015, Luke Gregson was appointed as Town's new manager with Dean Gilbert as his assistant.

Ground

The Club has played at a number of different venues since its re-formation in 2003. Between 2003 and 2008 they switched between Knights Templar Sports Centre and Bakers Close, which was once the home of the former Baldock Town FC up until the early 1980s.

After winning the Herts Senior County League Division One title in 2008, the Club moved out of Town to play at The County Ground in neighbouring Letchworth Garden City, Headquarters of the Hertfordshire FA. After three seasons, the Club returned to Baldock to the home of former Baldock Town FC in Norton Road – a facility now known as the North Herts Arena.

Town won the Herts Senior County League Premier Division title in 2012, but were denied promotion due to the 3G surface and perimeter fence at the North Herts Arena not meeting the grading requirements for Step 6. In July 2012, the Club agreed a groundshare with Hitchin Town FC at their Top Field ground.

In May 2015, the Club announced that after three seasons at Top Field, it had been decided not to renew its ground-share agreement with Hitchin Town FC and that they had agreed a ground-share with Stotfold FC to play its home matches at their Roker Park ground for the 2015–16 season onwards.

Honours

Records

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Baldock at the Football Club History Database
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Baldock Stare Down The Barrel of a Gun, Again". Twohundredpercent. 30 September 2010. Retrieved 2012-08-21.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Baldock Town at the Football Club History Database
  4. 1 2 Rusbridge, Lee. "Baldock Town FC". Baldock Town FC. Retrieved 2012-08-21.
  5. ↑ "Home". Hsc.leaguemanager.biz. Retrieved 2012-08-21.
  6. 1 2 3 Rusbridge, Lee. "Baldock Town FC". Baldock Town FC. Retrieved 2012-08-21.
  7. ↑ Tuesday, 22 May 2012 BALDOCK TOWN IN ANAGRAM TROPHY GLORY! The Cold End
  8. ↑ Rusbridge, Lee. "Baldock Town FC". Baldock Town FC. Retrieved 2012-08-21.

External links

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