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Worksop Town FC was established in 1861,
making it one of the oldest football clubs in the country,
having been formed two years before the Football Association
itself.
In
the 1990s, Worksop Town FC had to struggle. In 1991 the
club had to move from council land in the heart of Worksop
and start from scratch on waste land on the outskirts
of the town. With the help of supporters and volunteers,
the homeless Tigers built their new home in Sandy Lane,
which has seen them grow in strength ever since.
Worksop
Town FC were one of the founder members of the Northern
Premier League in the 1967/68 season. They have moved
up and down the leagues but the 1990/91 season saw Worksop
finish in third place in the First Division. They gained
promotion to the Premier Division in the1998/99 season
with the help of the management team of Paul Mitchell,
Pete Rinkcavage and the now retired Danny Hague.
In
the 2000/01 season, the club signed former England legend
Chris Waddle. Waddle began his football career in the
non-league ranks with Tow Law Town before moving on to
better things and to glory with Newcastle United, Tottenham
Hotspur and Marseille, winning 62 England caps along the
way. He then returned to England where he had spells at
Sheffield Wednesday, Bradford and Falkirk before joining
the Sandy Lane club. His impact both on and off the pitch
was immediate.
The
Tigers began the 2000/01 season at good pace, winning
seven out of their opening twelve games which included
a record breaking 12-0 win over Frickley Athletic. Despite
being in first place during the early weeks of the season,
Worksop couldn't quite sustain the consistency of Emley
and eventual champions Stalybridge, and they finally finished
fifth.
Season
2001/02 was one of Worksop’s most memorable when,
for the first time since 1955/56, they reached the First
Round proper of the FA Cup. Bournemouth away was a tough
tie but Worksop were not disgraced and did the Town proud.
They were knocked out by Bournemouth but still held their
heads high and went on to win the Chairman’s Cup
competition and finish a very respectable fourth in the
league. This they followed up in 2003 by finishing fifth
and then seventh in 2004. |
