Staines Town F.C.
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| Full name | Staines Town Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | "The Swans", "The Wheatsheafers", "The Massive" | ||
| Founded | 1892 | ||
| Ground | Wheatsheaf Park Staines England (Capacity: 3,000 (300 seated)) |
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| Chairman | Alan Boon | ||
| Manager | Steve Cordery | ||
| League | Conference South | ||
| 2008–09 | Isthmian League Premier Division, 2nd, Play-off Final Winners | ||
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Staines Town FC are an English football club based in Staines, Middlesex, England. They are currently competing in the Isthmian League Premier Division but have just won the play-off final against Carshalton Athletic at Wheatsheaf Park on 02 May 2009 so next year will be in the Conference South (Blue Square South). The team are usually known as 'The Swans'. However, in modern times the moniker 'The Massive' has become popular after Ali G's famous 'Staines Massive' in his comedy show. However, they currently have a player called Ali Chaaban so the chant "who needs Ali G when we have Ali C" has been rather loudly heard. Staines are also called 'The Linos' due to the town's main industry being linoleum. Also more recently in the 2008-2009 season the crowd at Wheatsheaf Park has begun making some noise adding greatly to the atmosphere of Staines Town Football Club.
Staines Town's rivals include Egham Town and Hampton & Richmond Borough.
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[edit] History
[edit] Early days
Staines Town FC was founded in 1892 and was known under various names including Staines FC and Staines Albany FC until it folded in 1935. However prior to World War II the club re-formed as Staines Vale.
In 1953 Staines Town were founder members of the Hellenic League, where they finished runners-up in 1956. In 1958 they joined the Spartan League and won the title two years later. After finishing second in 1971, Staines Town advanced to the Athenian League, where they won the Second Division title at the first attempt, amassing a record number of points.
[edit] Isthmian League
Staines town fans had a vote on their message board for their best ever player; unsurprisingly, the winner was wing attack Dwayne Clark. The club were elected to the new Isthmian League Division One in 1973. In their second season, the club finished top and were promoted to the Premier Division. In a nine year stay, the club's best finish was fourth. However, a ground grading ruling meant that the club were demoted in 1984. The club bounced back five years later only for its Premier Division status to be lost again in 1993 when the club were relegated for the first time in 63 years. Again the club were promoted in 1996 and again it was quickly lost, with the club returning to Division One after only a year.
Having lobbied Spelthorne Council on and off for 20 years, planning permission for a £6.5m Conference and health facility was granted in April 2000 and finalised a year later. During construction, Staines groundshared with Walton & Hersham and Egham Town before the return to Wheatsheaf Lane (now shared with the Thames Club) on 22 February 2003.
During 2002-03 and 2003-04, Staines played in Division One South of the Isthmian League and on the last day of season 2003-04, under Steve Cordery, they secured a place in the Premier Division in the newly re-structured pyramid, where they have competed to this day.
In the 2007-08 season, they finished as runners up in the Isthmian League Premier Division and therefore reached the playoffs. In the semi-final, they beat Ramsgate 2-1 to progress to meet AFC Wimbledon in the final, which they lost 1-2. The 2007-08 season was also history-making for the club, as they enjoyed a rare cup run to the second round proper of the FA Cup, having beaten Stockport County on penalties in the replay of the first round. This was their best ever season to date.
[edit] Cup history
The club have reached the FA Cup first round proper on four occasions, in 1879, 1880, 1984 and most recently in 2007, when Staines were drawn away against League Two outfit Stockport County, for undoubtedly the biggest game in the club's history. A crowd of 3,460 saw Staines go behind to a Matty McNeil header but a 76th minute equaliser from Charles-Smith earned a replay. It was announced on 12 November that the replay would be shown on Sky Sports, resulting in a £75,000 windfall for each club. Staines Town completed the improbable upset as they won the match in penalty kicks after drawing 1-1 in extra time. In the next round they faced Peterborough United at home, and were beaten 5-0
There have been two appearances in the last 32 of the FA Trophy, the first back in 1976, losing to Morecambe in a 2nd replay and then in a replay to Halifax Town in 2004 after drawing 1-1 at The Shay in the first match.
The biggest match in the club's history was in 1975 when they met Italian Amateur cup winners Banco di Roma for the Barassi Cup. A crowd of 70,000 (seventy thousand) saw Staines win in Rome's Stadio Olimpico and a club record 2,500 saw the Swans complete the job at Wheatsheaf Lane.
Staines have also lifted the Middlesex Senior Cup on no fewer than seven occasions, the latest under Chris Wainwright in 1997, beating Yeading in a penalty shoot out, whilst the Middlesex Charity Cup was lifted in 1994 with a 4-0 win over Northwood
The Carlsberg Cup (an Isthmian League tournament now abolished) was lifted in 1995 against Boreham Wood where the Swans scored a last minute equaliser from the last ever experimental 'kick in' in English football.
In the London Senior Cup, Staines were runners up in both 1977 and 1981, the earlier final went to a replay versus Wimbledon which 'The Dons' won in their last ever match as a non-League club.
[edit] Current squad
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[edit] Records
- Play-Off Winners Ryman Premier League Play-Offs, 2008-09
- FA Cup best performance: Second Round Proper, 2007-08
- FA Trophy best performance: Fourth Round, 2003-04
[edit] Stadium
Wheatsheaf Park is the home of the Staines Town Football Club Wheatsheaf Park, It is situated in Wheatsheaf Lane, Staines. It has been the home of the club since it was purchased in 1951. Like many football stadiums, it has changed greatly over time; the most recent of these changes was the development of the main stand in the Wheatsheaf Lane End. Planning permission for this was granted by Spelthorne Council in March 2000, and Staines Town returned to the revamped ground on 22 February 2003. The club now boasts a brand new sports bar with Sky Sports football each week and refurbished changing rooms. Wheatsheaf Park is one of the most developed stadiums in its league.
Wheatsheaf Park has a total capacity of 3,000, with 300 seated and 800 in covered terrace. The record league attendance for a match at Wheatsheaf Park is 2,285 vs AFC Wimbledon in 2006, However 1 year later Staines had a historic F.A Cup match against Stockport County and the attendance just creeped over the 2,860 mark therefore setting the clubs over attendance record.
[edit] Club honours
- Isthmian League
- Division One champions 1974-75, 1988-89
- Athenian League
- Division Two champions 1971-72
- Spartan League
- Champions 1959-60
- Challenge Cup winners 19669
- West London Alliance
- Division One champions 1899-1900
- West London League
- Division One champions 1900-01
- West Middlesex League
- Champions 1904-05
- Great Western Suburban League
- Division Two (Middlesex) champions 1920-21
- Middlesex CFA Senior Challenge Cup
- Winners 1975, 1976, 1977, 1988, 1990, 1994, 1997
- Middlesex CFA Senior Charity Cup
- Winners 1994
- Middlesex Junior Cup
- Winners 1902, 1904
- Barassi Cup
- Winners 1975
- Southern Combination
- Challenge Cup winners 1965, 1967, 1995
- Merthyr Middlesex Charity Shield
- Winners 1990-01
- Melksham Middlesex Charity Shield
- Winners 1997
- West Middlesex Cup
- Winners 1924
- Staines Cottage Hospital Cup
- Winners 1925
- El Canuelo Trophy
- Winners 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996
- John Livey Memorial Trophy
- Winners 1993
- Jim Lawford Memorial Cup
- Winners 1999-00
- Lord of Ashford in Middlesex Charity Bowl
- Joint winners 2001-02
[edit] External links
- Official site
- Staines Town at the Football Club History Database
