Ellesmere Rangers F.C.

Ellesmere Rangers
Full name Ellesmere Rangers Football Club
Nickname(s) The Meresiders, The Rangers
Founded 1969
Ground Beech Grove
Ellesmere
Shropshire
Ground Capacity 1,250
Chairman Neil Williams
Manager Dan Stevens
League West Midlands (Regional) League Premier Division
2014–15 West Midlands (Regional) League Premier Division, 4th

Ellesmere Rangers F.C. are an English football club based in the town of Ellesmere, Shropshire. For the 2014–15 season they are members of the West Midlands (Regional) League Premier Division.

History

The club in its present form was founded in 1969, although there had been football teams in the town since the early 1900s. These early teams played their games on the Wharf Meadow, which at that time was within the grounds of the local dairy. The Railway pub in the town was the venue for the first meeting of the club, which was dubbed Railway Rangers. A rummage sale was held and the sum of £125 was raised to purchase a kit and all the other equipment necessary to get started. A field just outside the town at Newton was donated by president Mike Edwards. The players set to and did the necessary work to turn it into a pitch which enabled them to enter the Oswestry and District League for their first season. That year the team was managed by a committee, and the season also marked the debut for the club and what has turned out to be unbroken service of future chairman Neil Williams. His father Bert Williams was also heavily involved and was the first club chairman.

The club moved its headquarters to the Market Hotel in 1974 and the club name was changed to Ellesmere Rangers. They remained in the Oswestry & District League until the following season when they gained promotion into the Shrewsbury and West Shropshire League. During the 1979 season a goalscoring record was established by Alan Millard who scored 52 goals in the season, but this record was surpassed by Danny Barton during the promotion year of 2009–10. The Rangers' first major honour was in 1981 when, managed by John Edge, the club lifted the Shropshire Junior Cup at Gay Meadow, home of Shrewsbury Town after beating Weston United 2–1.

Rangers continued to progress and by 1988–89 were in the Shropshire County League. In July 2000 former League of Wales manager Geoff Graham came to the club. In the 2004–05 the club was promoted from the Shropshire County League to the West Midlands (Regional) League Second Division where back to back promotions were achieved, with 2005–06 being celebrated as Rangers secured the First Division championship at the first attempt. Rangers quickly adapted to life in the Premier Division and recorded a mid-table finish in their first season at level six of the National League System.

In 2007 the club introduced a Youth team to compete in the Midland Floodlit Youth League in the 2007-08 season. Dan Stevens was appointed manager with Dave Timms as assistant manager. In their inaugural season the team played in the MFYL Western Division finishing in 9th place in a 12-team league. In their only cup venture they exited the Midland Floodlit Youth Cup in the 1st Round at Loughborough Dynamo on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

In the 2008–09 season manager Matt Burton arrived at the club and a strong challenge for promotion was mounted. This was narrowly missed by a couple of points with Rangers having to settle for fourth position, putting the team in a strong position for the following season. This season also saw Rangers compete in the FA Cup for the first time in their history. The Youth team had been moved across to the MFYL Northern Division and cams close to winning the league title. However, a spate of late season injuries and fixture congestion saw them finish 3rd. This season also saw the club's first ever entry in the FA Youth Cup. The Swans' youngsters produced one of the shocks of the qualifying rounds by winning 2-1 at Stafford Rangers, but lost at Coventry Sphinx in the 2nd qualifying round. In the Midland Floodlit Youth Cup Rangers lost away to Kidderminster Harriers in the quarter-finals. A first appearance in the Staffordshire FA Midweek Floodlit Youth Cup saw an exit at Bustleholme. There was however, a first piece of silverware for the youth team as they overcame Bridgnorth Town to win the Shropshire FA Youth Cup.

The 2009–10 year saw the club debut of Andy Mulliner as goalkeeper and assistant manager for the 1st team. His record of 20 clean sheets and only 16 league goals conceded in a season helped the club towards promotion to the Midland Football Alliance, and the Rangers beat Northern Premier League side Market Drayton Town (two leagues higher) to win the Shropshire Challenge Cup. The following season saw the club reach the final of the Walsall Senior Cup at Bescot Stadium. The season also saw Rangers introduce a youth development team. The team competed in the Shropshire Minor League with a view of supplementing the youth team in the Midland Floodlit Youth League. The Midland Floodlit Youth League Northern Division season ended in a 4th-place finish. The Youth team retained the Shropshire FA Youth Cup, defeating Albrighton 8-2 and won the Staffordshire FA Midweek Floodlit Youth Cup in their second year in the competition. Rangers turned round an interval deficit in the final to force extra-time against Pelsall Villa. A deflected goal in the first period of extra-time gave Ellesmere the title and a cup double for the season. Zakh Ward notched 38 goals for the youth team which is a youth team club record. The development side finished as league runners-up and won the Shropshire Minor League Cup.

In the 2010-11 season the first team achieved their highest ever position in the non-league pyramid system finishing a 13th in their debut season in the Midland Alliance. The Youth team achieved a second consecutive 4th placed finish in the Northern Division. The Youth team again reached the Shropshire Youth Cup Final but lost.

The end of the 2011–12 season saw the resignation of Matt Burton as 1st team manager due to work commitments. The club narrowly clinched survival late in the season at Stratford Town. The Youth team regained the Shropshire FA Youth Cup with a 3-0 win against Bridgnorth Town at the New Buck's Head. Burton was replaced by a management team in Richard Brown and Richard Gardner for the 2012-2013 season, but following early exits in the FA Cup and FA Vase, combining with a run of eleven league games without a win, Brown and Gardner were dismissed. Former Kidderminster Harriers and England C player Delwyn Humphreys was appointed first team manager with Brown remaining as his assistant manager. Despite an up-turn in fortunes as the season progressed, Ellesmere's third campaign at Step 5 ended in relegation back to the West Midlands (Regional) League Premier Division. The Youth team again retained the Shropshire FA Youth Cup, winning 6-0 against Shifnal Town. The other cup competitions saw early exits allowing the youth team to focus on their attempts for the Northern Division title. Requiring a win at Tipton Town on the final day of the season to clinch the championship, Ellesmere's youngsters lost 1-0 to hand the title to rivals Greenhill, however the Youth team later found that they were to be promoted in 2nd place and would compete in the top flight of Midland Youth football in the MFYL Premier North for the first time in 2013-14.

Humphreys remained in charge of the 1st team with Brown for the 2013-14 campaign but was hampered in the early part of the season by a mass exodus of players leaving a handful of senior players and many untried youngsters from the club's successful youth team. This culminated in the side struggling in the bottom three for much of the first half of the campaign, but an upsurge in form after a glut of winter postponements saw Ellesmere finish the season by winning 14 of their last 18 league matches. To top off the campaign the first team won the Shropshire Premier Cup, defeating AFC Bridgnorth after extra time after trailing 2-0 at the interval. The aftermath of the game saw Delwyn Humphreys publicly declare his resignation leaving Richard Brown to lead the team for the remaining West Midland Premier Division Cup campaign. Rangers reached the final but, despite leading twice, lost to Wednesfield. The Youth team, competing in the Midland Floodlit Youth League Premier North for the first time, had their best season since the formation of the team in 2007, finishing runners-up in the league and winning the Shropshire FA Youth Cup for the 5th time in 6 entries. Rangers' hopes of a second Staffordshire FA Midweek Floodlit Youth Cup were ended after they were removed from the competition for fielding ineligible players, but won the Midland Floodlit Youth Cup for the first time defeating Hednesford Town. There was further success as the Youth development team secured the Shropshire Minor League Cup.

Long serving youth team manager Dan Stevens was appointed as first team manager for the 2014-15 campaign with Richard Brown again remaining as assistant manager. Lee Davis was appointed as club coach.

Ground

The Beech Grove ground, and in particular its unusual large metal dugouts with lockable doors, was featured in David Bauckham's book Dugouts.[1] There is hard standing on all four sides of the ground which offers cover for 100 supporters and a seated area for 125 spectators. The total capacity is 1250.

Club records

See also

References

  1. ↑ Bauckham, David (2006). Dugouts. New Holland. ISBN 1-84537-478-9.

External links

Coordinates: 52°54′23.58″N 2°54′22.25″W / 52.9065500°N 2.9061806°W / 52.9065500; -2.9061806

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