Long Melford F.C.
Long Melford Football Club is a football club based in Long Melford, Suffolk, England. Affiliated to the Suffolk County FA, they are currently members of the Eastern Counties League Premier Division and play at Stoneylands.
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| Full name | Long Melford Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Villagers | ||
| Founded | 1868 | ||
| Ground | Stoneylands, Long Melford | ||
| Chairman | Colin Woodhouse | ||
| Manager | Jamie Bradbury | ||
| League | Eastern Counties League Premier Division | ||
| 2019–20 | Eastern Counties League Premier Division (season abandoned) | ||
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History
The existence of the club was first recorded in 1868, when they won a match against Ipswich Rangers 5–1 on the Church Green.[1] William Cobbold played for the club in their early years, and was later capped by England.[1] During the 1887–88 season Long Melford played fifteen games, winning all but two. Following their success, they challenged Ipswich Town to a match. Although Ipswich declined, claiming that it would be injurious to their prestige if they played "little village teams", the two clubs met in the Suffolk Senior Cup semi-final, with Long Melford winning 2–1 before going on to beat Woodbridge 1–0 in a replay in the final. The club won the Senior Cup again in 1894–95, beating Saxmundham 2–1, and for a third time in 1909, beating Bury Town 1–0 in a replay.[2] This scoreline was repeated in the 1921 final between the two clubs.[2] In 1934 the club joined Division One of the Ipswich & District League, but left after a single season.
The 1950s were one of Long Melford's most successful periods; they won the Senior Cup in 1952–53 and retained it the following season, also finishing as runners-up in the Essex and Suffolk Border League Premier Division.[3] In 1954–55 they won the Senior Cup for a third successive season and were Premier Division champions. The following season saw them retain the Premier Division title, and they were champions for a third time in a row in 1956–57, also winning the league's Knock-Out Cup with a 9–3 aggregate win over Bury Town Reserves.[3] After finishing as runners-up in 1957–58, the club won their fourth title in five seasons in 1958–59. A fifth Premier Division title was won in 1960–61 and they were runners-up in 1962–63,[3] but the club subsequently went into decline and were relegated to Division One by the end of the decade.
The 1970–71 season saw Long Melford finish as runners-up in Division One. They won the division in 1984–85 and were Knock-Out Cup winners the following season.[3] The club won the Knock-Out Cup again in 1989–90, and after finishing as runners-up in the Premier Division in 2001–02,[3] they were promoted to Division One of the Eastern Counties League.[4] The club's first season in the Eastern Counties League ended with them winning the Suffolk Senior Cup for the eighth time, beating Stanton 5–0.[2] In 2014–15 they won the Division One title and were promoted to the Premier Division.[4] The club won the League Cup in 2018–19, defeating Fakenham Town 1–0 in the final.
Honours
- Eastern Counties League
- Division One champions 2014–15
- League Cup winners 2018–19
- Essex & Suffolk Border League
- Premier Division champions 1954–55, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1958–59, 1960–61
- Division One champions 1984–85
- Knock-Out Cup winners 1956–57, 1985–86, 1989–90
- Suffolk Senior Cup
- Winners 1887–88, 1894–95, 1908–09, 1920–21, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1954–55, 2002–03
Records
- Best FA Cup performance: Second qualifying round, 2004–05[4]
- Best FA Vase performance: Third round, 2004–05[4]
See also
- Long Melford F.C. players
- Long Melford F.C. managers
References
- History Long Melford F.C.
- Suffolk Senior Cup: All results Suffolk FA
- 2016-2017 Official Handbook Archived 5 March 2017 at the Wayback Machine Essex & Suffolk Border League
- Long Melford at the Football Club History Database