Hinckley United F.C.

Football club infobox
clubname = Hinckley United

cite web
url = http://www.hinckleyunitedfc.co.uk/club/crest.html
title = Hinckley United Independent - the Hinckley United Crest
accessdate = 2007-11-10
format = HTML
work = Hinckley United Independent]
fullname = Hinckley United Football Club
nickname = The Knitters
founded = 1997 (or 1889)
(Merger of Athletic and Town)
ground = Marston's Stadium
capacity = 4329
chairman = flagicon|England Kevin Downes
manager = flagicon|England Dean Thomas
league = Conference North |
position = Conference North, 19th
season = 2007–08

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body1=3300CC
rightarm1=ff0000
shorts1=3300CC
socks1=ff0000

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pattern_b2=
pattern_ra2=
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Hinckley United Football Club are an English football club, from Hinckley, Leicestershire currently playing in the Conference North. Formed only in 1997, the club has risen from the Southern League Midland/West Division to the Conference North in those 10 years. Hinckley United play their home games at the Marston's Stadium having moved to the purpose built football stadium in March 2005.

Club history

One of the newest clubs in senior non-League football, Hinckley United, was formed as recently as Wednesday 18 June 1997. A meeting on that date saw shareholders of Hinckley Athletic (Midland Alliance) approve a merger with neighbours Hinckley Town (Southern League Midland/West Division.)Merger moves were made immediately at the end of the 1996–97 season when Athletic narrowly missed out on promotion to the Southern League for the third consecutive campaign following finishes of 2nd, 3rd and 2nd again. A meeting of the respective chairmen, Mick Voce (Athletic) and Kevin Downes (Town), established there was some common ground with each club having something positive to offer.

Formed in 1889, Athletic had the traditional support of the Hinckley people, averaging 250 and a Dr Marten's League approved ground at Middlefield Lane with good and ever improving facilities as well as exciting development plans in hand.

Town were formed in 1958 and made rapid strides from local football to the Dr Marten's League with the 1980s being a successful decade.

Consequently, the new club were to play at Middlefield Lane with Town's Leicester Road set up being used as a training ground, and once the FA and Southern League had approved the merger, United inherited Town's Southern League Midland/West Division place.

Manager

In August 1997 Dean Thomas became team manager with former Hinckley Athletic boss John Hanna being appointed general manager, although Hanna relinquished his position in the new year of 1998, leaving Thomas in sole charge.

Thomas was a professional footballer with Wimbledon, Fortuna Düsseldorf, Northampton Town and Notts County. While at Notts County, Dean was club captain and played twice at Wembley Stadium. His first managerial post was with Bedworth United, his hometown club, and then after the formation in 1997 became Hinckley United's manager. His greatest achievement as a manager so far has been winning the Dr Marten Western Division Championship with Hinckley United in season 2000–01, plus guiding Hinckley United to the FA Cup 2nd round in December 2001 and December 2004. He recently signed an extension to his contract keeping him at the club until 2010.

Thomas has now been Hinckley United manager for 10 years and has been granted a Testimonal Season for 2007–08.

His assistant manager during that time was former Notts County player Charlie Palmer, however at the start of the 2007–08 season Palmer was replaced by Nick Platnauer. Platnauer had previously managed Rothwell Town, Kettering Town and Bedford Town

Colours, crest & nickname

The club colours are red and blue, a blend of the main colours of the former clubs. Athletic played in red and Town played in blue. The original playing kit was red and blue stripes, blue shorts, blue socks - but that has evolved over the past 10 years. Now the playing kit is a solid blue body with red sleeves, and red flashes down the side of the body, blue shorts and red socks.

The original club crest for Hinckley United was the Arms of Honour of Hinckley, basically a red and white halved shield divided in half by a serated line. The Club Crest was relaunched in 2004 still incorporating the Arms of Honour of Hinckley but also taking elements of the Borough of Hinckley and Bosworth crest and mascots of the two merged clubs Hinckley Athletic and Hinckley Town. The Rams were added from the Borough crest signifying the Hosiery industry in the town, and Hinckley Town's Eagle plus Hinckley Athletic's Robin were placed atop the crest.

At the formation of the club, a competition was held for fans to come up with a nickname and The Knitters was chosen. This reflects one of the longest standing industries associated with the town, the wool and hoseiry trade, having been factories in Hinckley since the 17th Century.

Club Sponsors

The current shirt sponsors for 2007–08 are Castle Commercial, a property managing firm based in Hinckley. Hinckley United have had an association with the famous Triumph Motorcycles over the last 3 seasons and they still carry this on by being Associate Shirt Sponor, having the Triumph brand across the back of the playing shirts and on the shorts.

Marston Stadium

Hinckley United began playing their games in 1997 at Middlefield Lane, former home to Hinckley Athletic. Although having the required Grade for Southern League and Conference North, it was old and would take a lot of work to upgrade to a better level. Hinckley United spent two years financing, securing land and building a new ground, and in 2005 Phase 1 of the Stadium was completed. Marston's Brewery signed to a 10 year sponsorship of the ground and it became known as the Marston's Stadium.

In total the complex covers 22 acres and includes 3 full size pitches, 2 three-quarter size pitches, 3 half size pitches and an All Weather floodlit pitch. The flagship of the complex is the Marston's Stadium, a 4329 capacity purpose built football ground, also comprising gymnasium, sports injury clinic and a social club too.

The first match in the Stadium was on 5 March, 2005 when Stalybridge Celtic were the first team to play Hinckley United on the ground, and drew 1–1, in front of a crowd of over 2000.

*Phase 1 completed in 2005, the Main Stand, The East Stand and the North Stand.
*Phase 2 completed in 2007, the Junior and All Weather pitch changing facilities at the West End.
*Phase 3 will incorporate a 400 seat covered stand at the West End of the ground.
*Phase 4 if necessary planning is in place to extend the stands to increase capacity to 6000.

Performance

ummary

Having won the Southern League Midlands/West Division in 2001, Hinckley United then qualified for the new Conference North league by finishing 6th in the Southern League Premier in 2004. In 2007 Hinckley United achieved their highest ever league position of 4th, qualifying for the play-offs, then reaching the play-off final, only to lose 4–3 to a last minute penalty. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_conf/6620221.stm|title=2007 Conference North Play Off Final details| date = 15 May, 2007 | accessdate = 2008-10-06 | publisher = BBC Sport]

League Position

*1997–98 Southern League Midlands 12th position
*1998–99 Southern League Midlands 4th position
*1999–2000 Southern League Midlands/West 3rd position
*2000–01 Southern League Midlands/West Champions
*2001–02 Southern League Premier 12th position
*2002–03 Southern League Premier 13th position
*2003–04 Southern League Premier 6th position, qualifying for Conference North
*2004–05 Conference North 12th position
*2005–06 Conference North 10th position
*2006–07 Conference North 4th position, losing play-off finalists

FA competitions

FA Cup

Hinckley United have only ever reached beyond the 1st round of the FA Cup on two occasions, both times losing to Football League opposition in the Second Round.

In 2001–02 Hinckley United beat Grays Athletic 1–2 at the New Recreation Ground in the First Round, then lost to Cheltenham Town 0–2 at Middlefield Lane.

In 2004–05 Hinckley United recorded one of their most famous victories by beating Torquay United 2–0 at Middlefield Lane. In the Second Round Brentford played at Middlefield Lane live on BBC TV as the match was scheduled to be shown on Match of the Day. The game finished 0–0 with Tommy Whittle, the then Hinckley goalkeeper facing a penalty that John Salako put wide of the post. The replay took place at Griffin Park and Brentford won 2–1, after Hinckley United defender Brad Piercewright was sent off for 'handling the ball on the line'.

FA Trophy

In the short history of Hinckley United the furthest progression has been to the 4th round. Yeovil Town beat Hinckley United 3–2 at Huish Park in 1998–99.

Current squad

Rivals

Local rivals include Nuneaton Borough, Shepshed Dynamo and Barwell.

Honours

*Southern League Western Division Champions 2000–01
*Southern League Merit Cup Winners 2000–01 (Joint-winners)
*Leicestershire Challenge Cup Winners 2006–07, 2003–04, 2001–02, 2000–01

Matt Gadsby

On September 9 2006 Hinckley United defender Matt Gadsby collapsed and died during a Conference North match at Harrogate Town. [cite web|url=http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_conf/5331422.stm|title=Hinckley United defender Gadsby dies| date = 9 September, 2006 | accessdate = 2007-11-26 | publisher = BBC Sport]

The practical response in the days following Gadsby's death included fans voluntarily organising bucket collections at games across the country to donate to Gadsby's widow and daughter. The football club in tandem with the Gadsby family set up a memorial fund to cope with the donations and organised events began to add to the fund. At the time commercial manager Dave Riche said: "The donations just keep flooding in we cannot thank the people out there enough. Everyone in the football community has come together for the fund and long may it continue." These events culminated in a memorial match at the Marston Stadium featuring a Legends XI and a Gadsby Select XI, featuring players from Gadsby's previous clubs.

References

External links

* [http://www.hinckleyunitedfc.org Hinckley United official website]
* [http://www.hinckleyunitedfc.co.uk Hinckley United independent website]
* [http://www.marstonstadium.co.uk The Marston Stadium website]
* [http://www.communigate.co.uk/worcs/mfyl/index.phtml The Midland Floodlit Youth League (HUFC Under 18's)]