Shaftesbury Football Club are a football club based in Shaftesbury, Dorset, England. The club is affiliated to the Dorset County Football Association and is a FA chartered Standard club.[1] They are currently members of the Southern League Division One South.
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| Full name | Shaftesbury Town Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Shaftesbury Rockies | ||
| Founded | 1888 | ||
| Ground | Cockrams | ||
| Capacity | 2500 | ||
| Vice Chairman | Nick Crane | ||
| Chairman | Steve Coffen | ||
| Manager | Patrick McManus | ||
| League | Southern League Division One South | ||
| 2023–24 | Wessex League Premier Division, 3rd of 20 (promoted via play-offs) | ||
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History
editThe club was established in 1888 and by the 1905–06 season were winners of the Dorset Junior League.[2][3] The club became members of the Dorset Senior League for the start of the 1931–32 campaign and a season later were winners of the competition.[3]
After the Second World War the club played in the FA Cup for the first time, reaching the Extra Preliminary Qualifying round before being knocked out by Alton Town.[4] The club became one of the founder members of the Dorset Football Combination League at the start of the 1957–58 season.[3] Four seasons later the club reached the final of the Dorset Senior Cup, for the first time but lost out to Dorchester Town.[3][5] The club continued in the Combination until the end of the 1961–62 competition, when they dropped into the Dorset leagues again.[3]
The 1976–77 season saw the club return to the Dorset Combination league.[4] The club went on to win the combination league in the 1988–89 competition.[6] They repeated another title success again in the 1996–97 campaign.[4]
When the Wessex Football League expanded for the start of the 2004–05 campaign, the club moved to the newly created Division Two.[7] The next season saw the club enter the FA Vase for the first time, where they were knocked out in the First Qualification round by Westbury United.[4] The club stayed in the Wessex League a further season, when they finished bottom of the league and were relegated to the Dorset Premier Football League.[4] In 2013–14, Shaftesbury Town continued their Dorset Premier League challenge, starting on 10 August against Wareham Rangers.
The 2023–24 season saw Shaftesbury promoted from the Wessex Premier Division, defeating AFC Stoneham 1–0 in the play-off final.[8]
Ground
editShaftesbury play their home games at Cockrams, Coppice Street, Shaftesbury, SP7 8PF. But, when the council refused to give planning permission, the club called upon the local sponsor and supermarket, Tesco. Tesco built the club a new playground and a huge sheltered stand which is estimated to have around 2–300 persons capacity.[citation needed]
The club have played at Cockrams since moving there in 1974.[3] The ground belongs to the local Shaftesbury council who lease the ground to the club.[9]
Honours
editLeague honours
edit- Wessex League Premier Division
- Playoff winners (1): 2023–24
- Dorset Football Combination League :[4]
- Winners (2): 1988–89, 1996–97
- Dorset Senior League :[3]
- Winners (1): 1932–33
- Dorset Junior League :[3]
- Winners (2): 1905–06, 1962–63
Cup honours
edit- Dorset Senior Cup:[3]
- Runners-Up (1): 1960–61
- Dorset Football Combination League Challenge Cup :[4]
- Winners (2): 1988–89, 1994–95
- Runners-Up (1): 1987–88
- Dorset Junior League Cup :[3]
- Winners (3): 1899–1900, 1905–06, 1975–76
- Runners-Up (1): 1896–97
- Dorset Junior Cup :[3]
- Winners (1): 1907–08
Records
editFormer players
edit- Players that have played/managed in the football league or any foreign equivalent to this level (i.e. fully professional league).
- Players with full international caps.
Former coaches
edit- Managers/Coaches that have played/managed in the football league or any foreign equivalent to this level (i.e. fully professional league).
- Managers/Coaches with full international caps.
References
edit- ^ "Dorset CS Clubs". DorsetFA. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
- ^ "Shaftesbury Football Club Cockrams Coppice Street Shaftesbury Dorset SP7 8PF 01747 853990". Visitshaftesburydorset.co.uk. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Shaftesbury". S299639758.websitehome.co.uk. Retrieved 6 February 2013.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j SHAFTESBURY [DORSET] at the Football Club History Database
- ^ "History » Honours". Dorchester Town FC. Archived from the original on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
- ^ "Non League Tables for 1988–1989". NonLeagueMatters. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
- ^ "Wessex League 1986–2011". Nonleaguematters.net. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
- ^ "ROCKIES GOING UP!". www.wessexleague.co.uk. 28 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
- ^ "Town council support for football club". This is Dorset. 9 December 2011. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 8 February 2013.