Ripley Town F.C.
Ripley Town Football Club is a football club in Ripley, Derbyshire, England. They are currently members of the Central Midlands League Division One South and play at the Nottingham Road Playing Fields.
 | |
| Full name | Ripley Town Football Club |
|---|---|
| Ground | Nottingham Road Playing Fields, Ripley |
| Chairman | Lee Stuart |
| Manager | Jake Brown & Reece Limbert |
| League | Central Midlands League Division One South |
| 2019–20 | Central Midlands League Division One South (season abandoned) |
History
The club were founder members of the Derbyshire Senior League in 1890.[1] They left the league in 1893, but returned a year later, before leaving again at the end of the 1896–97 season.[1] They subsequently played in the Mid-Derbyshire League, which became the Derbyshire Alliance in 1907 and merged with the Notts & District League in 1908 to form the Notts & Derbyshire League, with Belper as founder members.[2]
At the end of the 1908–09 season the club merged with Ripley Athletic to form Ripley Town & Athletic.[2] They were champions in 1910–11, the final season of the league.[2] In 1912 the club joined the Central Alliance, but left after a single season to rejoin the Derbyshire Senior League.[2][1] By the mid-1920s the club had reverted to the name Ripley Town.[1] In 1933 they were founder members of the Central Combination, going on to finish as runners-up in 1935–36 and 1936–37.[3]
By the mid-1960s the club were known as Ripley Miners Welfare. They joined Division One of the East Midlands Regional League.[4] after finishing as runners-up in Division One in 1969–70, the club were promoted to the Premier Division.[4] They were Premier Division champions in 1972–73, before being renamed Ripley Town in 1975. In 1977 the club joined Division One of the Midland League. However, after finishing bottom of the table in 1978–79,[5] they resigned from the league.[6]
In 1991 a local team Ripley United managed by Dave Jogela recruited Brian Moore, Alan Moore and Andy Clarke in order to reform Ripley Town. Ripley United played on the Pit Top ground and changed some 10 minutes walk away in part of the Cock Hotel. With the landlord Keith Speed on board as Chairman the new management team secured the use of the Nottingham Road Ground and the name Ripley Town FC.
For the 1992/3 season Ripley played in the Central Alliance and subsequently the new Midlands Regional Alliance.
The team met with some success with promotions a championship and a Belper Nursing Cup win.
A new Ripley Town was formed in 1999 when Butterly Brick and Ripley Town Colts merged.[7] They joined the Premier Division of the Central Midlands League, playing in the division until a fourth-place finish in 2001–02 saw them promoted to the Supreme Division. Despite finishing in the top half of the Premier Division table in 2002–03, the club folded after losing their Brickworks ground.[7]
Another Ripley Town subsequently emerged, playing in the Midlands Regional Alliance.[8] They were Division One runners-up in 2006–07, earning promotion to the Premier Division.[8] However, the club were relegated back to Division One at the end of the 2008–09 season.
Ground
The club played at several grounds in its early history, including Nuttalls Park, Radford fields and Nottingham Road. They currently play at the Nottingham Road Playing Fields.
Honours
- Notts & Derbyshire League
- Champions 1911–12
- East Midlands Regional League
- Premier Division champions 1972–73
See also
- Ripley Town F.C. players
References
- Derbyshire Senior League 1890–1938 Non-League Matters
- The Central Alliance 1911-1925 Non-League Matters
- Central Combination 1933–1937 Non-League Matters
- East Midlands Regional League 1967–1983 Non-League Matters
- Ripley Town 1 at the Football Club History Database
- Midland Counties League 1958–1982 Non-League Matters
- Ripley Town at the Football Club History Database
- Midlands Regional Alliance 2005–2013 Non-League Matters