Ilfracombe Town F.C.

Ilfracombe Town
Full name Ilfracombe Town Football Club
Nickname(s) The Bluebirds
Founded 1902 (as Ilfracombe)
Ground Marlborough Park, Ilfracombe
Chairman Kenny Robertson
League North Devon League Premier Division
2015–16 North Devon League Premier Division, 6th

Ilfracombe Town Football Club is a football club based in Ilfracombe, Devon, England. They are currently members of the North Devon League Premier Division and play at Marlborough Park, situated high on a hill overlooking the Bristol Channel.

History

The club was founded in 1902 as Ilfracombe F.C. and became a founder member of the North Devon League in 1904. In 1920, the Town suffix was added to the club's title. In 1922, the club switched to the East Devon League. The club in 1923 then acquired its present ground of Marlborough Park and laid out the pitch ready to start in the 1924–25 season.[1]

After the Second World War they were the founding members of the Western Football League Division Three in 1949 and progressed through the division until reaching the Western League top flight in 1953. The 1949–50 season also saw the club make its debut in the FA Cup.[2] After only two seasons, they were relegated and after four more seasons in Division Two, left the Western League in 1959, and joined the North Devon League, with the relegation the club also stopped playing in the FA Cup having to wait until 1989 before entering it again.[2]

After a quarter of a century back in local football in the North Devon League, they re-joined the Western League in 1984 as members of Division One, a status they had retained until promotion in 2007.[2] In 1986 the club also entered the FA Vase for the first time. Since earning promotion they have remained in the Western Football League Premier Division. In the 2010–11 season the club went on to win the Les Phillips Cup by beating Cadbury Heath 3–1 in the final.[3]

In 2016 the clubs record goal scorer Toby Reed transferred to local rivals Combe Martin FC.

Ground

Ilfracombe Town play their games at Marlborough Park, Ilfracombe EX34 8PD. The ground has 1500 seats in two covered stands. The clubhouse has a fully licensed bar with catering and function rooms, available to hire. The ground has eight floodlight pylons to enable evening games to be played although only 3 are fully functioning. However due to the incredibly negative state of the clubs financial situation, they are unable to be repaired as 60% of the clubs funding, which is only made by the kitchen and only gets used by fat 1p benefits, is then put towards food importation to please the only contributors to the rapidly crumbling club.

Honours

Records

References

  1. "Western Football League | Club Directory | Ilfracombe Town". Toolstationleague.com. Retrieved 2012-08-13.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ILFRACOMBE TOWN at the Football Club History Database
  3. "MORE used to being underdogs, Ilfracombe Town found the favourites tag suited them in the most significant game in the club's history.". This is North Devon. 2011-05-12. Retrieved 2012-08-13.
  4. "Western Football League Cup - Les Phillips cup 1989-present" (PDF). Western Football League. Retrieved 2013-01-06.

External links

Coordinates: 51°12′09.03″N 4°06′56.04″W / 51.2025083°N 4.1155667°W / 51.2025083; -4.1155667

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