Billingham Town F.C.

Billingham Town

Full name

Billingham Town Football Club

Nickname(s)

Billy Town

Founded

1967 (as Billingham Social)

Ground

Bedford Terrace TS23 4AE

Capacity

1,500

Chairman

Peter Martin

Coach

Graham Popple

League

Northern Football League
Division Two

2014–15

Northern Football League
Division Two, 18th

Home colours

Away colours

Billingham Town F.C. is a football club based in Billingham, England. They play in the Northern Football League Division Two.

History

Billingham Town was formed in 1967 as Billingham Social and changed their name to Billingham Town in 1982. As Social the club played its football in local leagues, initially in the Stockton & District League before joining the Teesside League in 1974. In 1982 the club took the golden opportunity of joining the newly formed Second Division of the Dryboroughs Northern League and changed its name to Billingham Town. After three years in the Second Division Town gained promotion into the First Division but were immediately relegated back to the Second Division in 1986. However, they bounced straight back in 1987 and lost to neighbours Synthonia in the final of the Durham Challenge Cup a year later. Another relegation followed in 1991-92, but they regained their place in the top flight in 1997–98 and have remained there since.

After being runners-up in the Durham Challenge Cup in 1988–89 and 2001–02 Town eventually won the cup in season 2003-04 when manager Alan Robinson led them to a 3-1 victory over then UniBond side Bishop Auckland.

Since 1981, ground improvements at the Bedford Terrace ground have resulted in new dressing rooms, a cantilever stand, hard terracing behind one goal, hard terracing and covered accommodation opposite the main stand. A refreshment room and a re-turfed pitch surrounded by an 8 ft boundary fence around 5.5. acres of land.

After long delays over planning permission and hitting methane gas, Town finally built their clubhouse. The clubhouse provides changing accommodation for the junior football section plus a social club for after match hospitality and for local community to use. The work will not stop there as Town hope to provide better facilities for the community, both on the playing field and in the social and sporting facilities.

Bedford Terrace is now recognised as having one of the more attractive grounds in the North-East. Floodlights were installed in the 1992-93 season with the official switch-on match against Middlesbrough F.C. After severe gales blew down one of the pylons, Town installed new floodlights in 2003.

The club has been a regular participant in the national Cup competitions throughout most of its history and reached the 5th round of the FA Vase in the 1997–98 season. Their best effort in the FA Cup was in 2000–01 when they got to the final qualifying round. In the summer of 2007 Hartlepool United invested in Bedford Terrace and completely re-laid the football pitch to a depth of several feet and installed new drainage. The new pitch measurements and now exactly the same measurements of Pool’s Victoria Park. Also behind the scenes there has been a total facelift with new showers and central heating being put in the dressing rooms. Hartlepool now play the majority of their home Reserve games at Bedford Terrace. In the 2006-07 Town had their most successful league season under the management of Michael Watson, Lee Tucker and Mark Scott and just missed out on the league title after Whitley Bay won their last game of the season to beat Town on goal difference.

Town could not keep the momentum going in season 2007–08 and finished 10th top in the League but beat Shildon 2-1 in the League Cup in an exciting game at Seaham’s ground, but after the game the management team and the majority of the players walked away from Bedford Terrace leaving Town with a mammoth task for the following season.

Town appointed Peter Mulcaster late May 2008 and he had the task of keeping Town in the First Division with a budget of zero and with only four players signed on. Peter managed to cobble together a team for the start of the 2008-09 season and managed to keep them in the league finishing sixth bottom.

Season 2009-10 was a lot harder for Peter, but he kept the team in the league, finishing fourth bottom. At the end of the season Peter resigned and Carl Jarrett took over as manager. Carl brought in an influx of new players and Town hoped to make progress in the league once again. At the end of the 2012/13 season, with Town once again retaining their first division status, the club announced that manager Carl Jarrett would not be in charge for the next campaign.

Carl had been in charge for three seasons and kept the club in the Northern League First Division on a very limited budget, most of the players left at the end of the season leaving Town with only 5 players from the previous season. Despite this the club announced that the highly experienced Tony Lee would be taking over first team duties. Unfortunately Tony stepped down after only 2 weeks into the role, and new manager Paul Burton took charge

Paul resigned in October 2013 following a 6–1 defeat at Crook Town, and former West Auckland manager Wilf Constantine was appointed in his place.^[1] Wilf's reign didn't last long and Town appointed their fourth manager of the season in Darren Trotter and assistant Richard Farrel. Unfortunately by the time these came on board town were almost relegated. Town started season 2014/15 in Division Two hoping to build on the enthusiasm the manager and staff had shown by starting pre season in May!

^[2]^[3]^[4]

Former players

Central defender Gary Pallister began his career at Billingham Town where he started off as a defender, later moving to Middlesbrough and Manchester United where he moved back with age to the backline of defence. He also made 22 appearances for England between 1988 and 1996.

Other former players who have progressed to the Football League include Anthony Barrett (York City and Hartlepool United), Gerry Forrest (Southampton), Mark Hines, (Grimsby and Peterborough United), Marc Long (Scunthorpe United F.C.) and Neal Bishop (York City, Barnet and Notts County).^[4]

Honours

Northern Football League Cup
- Winners 2007–08
Northern Football League
- Runners-up 2006–07
Teesside League
- Champions 1977–78, 1982–83
Durham Challenge Cup
- Winners 2003–04
North Riding Senior Cup
- Runners-up 1976–77, 1971–82

^[4]

References

↑ http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/northern-league-wilf-aiming-whiff-6263240 Wilf aiming to get whiff of success at Billingham
↑ Football Club History Database – Billingham Town
↑ Football Club History Database – Billingham Social
1 2 3 Club website history

External links

Official Site

Northern League

Division One	Ashington Bedlington Terriers Bishop Auckland Consett Dunston UTS Durham City Guisborough Town Jarrow Roofing Boldon Community Association Marske United Morpeth Town Newcastle Benfield Newton Aycliffe North Shields Norton & Stockton Ancients Penrith Seaham Red Star Shildon Sunderland Ryhope Community Association Washington West Allotment Celtic West Auckland Town Whitley Bay

Division Two	Alnwick Town Billingham Synthonia Billingham Town Birtley Town Brandon United Chester-le-Street Town Crook Town Darlington Railway Athletic Easington Colliery Esh Winning Heaton Stannington Hebburn Town Northallerton Town Ryhope Colliery Welfare Ryton & Crawcrook Albion South Shields Stokesley Sports Club Team Northumbria Thornaby Tow Law Town Whickham Willington

Seasons	1889–90 1890–91 1891–92 1892–93 1893–94 1894–95 1895–96 1896–97 1897–98 1898–99 1899–1900 1900–01 1901–02 1902–03 1903–04 1904–05 1905–06 1906–07 1907–08 1908–09 1909–10 1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015-16

The borough of Stockton-on-Tees

Major Settlements

Villages

Waterways

Rivers	Tees Leven

Crossings	Jubilee Bridge Surtees Bridge Victoria Bridge Teesquay Millennium Footbridge Princess of Wales Bridge Infinity Bridge Tees Barrage Tees Viaduct Tees Newport Bridge Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge

Transport

Air	Durham Tees Valley Airport

Rail	Allens West railway station Billingham railway station Eaglescliffe railway station Thornaby railway station Stockton railway station Tees Valley Metro (proposed) Yarm railway station

Road	A19 A66 A174

Culture, leisure
and tourism

Business: Teesdale Business Park
Education: Schools; Queen's Campus
Industry: Teesside EfW plant
Governance: Stockton North (constituency); Stockton South (constituency)
Historic: Bowesfield Works; Head Wrightson; Stockton and Darlington Railway; Stockton Racecourse; Tees Marshalling Yard; Teesside Development Corporation; Tees Valley Regeneration
Sport: Portrack Lane; Tees Barrage International White Water Course
Prisons: Holme House; Kirklevington Grange

Coordinates: 54°36′7.780″N 1°17′8.452″W / 54.60216111°N 1.28568111°W / 54.60216111; -1.28568111

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