Bury Town F.C.

Football club infobox
clubname = Bury Town


fullname = Bury Town Football Club
nickname = Blues
founded = 1872
ground = Ram Meadow, Bury St Edmunds
capacity = 3,500
chairman = Russell Ward
manager = Richard Wilkins
league = Southern League
Division One Midlands
season = 2007–08
position = Isthmian League
First Division North, 7th (transferred)
pattern_la1=_blueshoulders|pattern_b1=|pattern_ra1=_blueshoulders
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leftarm2=FFFFFF|body2=FFFFFF|rightarm2=FFFFFF|shorts2=000000|socks2=FFFFFF

Bury Town Football Club is a semi-professional football club, based in Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. The club competed in the Isthmian League First Division North in 2006-07, but have been transferred into the Southern Football League Division One Midlands for the 2008-09 season. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_conf/7402814.stm|title=Leagues agreed for 2008/09 season|date=2008-05-16|publisher=BBC Sport Online|accessdate=2008-05-19]

Club history

Early history

Bury Town Football Club was founded in 1872 and is recognised as the fourth oldest non-league football club in the country. The club play at Ram Meadow, which has an estimated capacity of 3,500 with covered accommodation for 1,500 spectators, including seating for 300.

The club was one of eleven founder members of the Suffolk County FA in 1885. Prior to changing its name to Bury Town, the club was known as Bury United playing initially in the Norfolk & Suffolk league and then the Essex & Suffolk Border League. The club was also known as Bury St Edmunds FC and Bury North End FC for a short time.

The Blues moved to senior football by becoming founder members of the Eastern Counties League in 1935 and gained their first honour when they won the Suffolk Senior Cup in 1936/37, a trophy they retained for the next 2 seasons. 1937/38 saw the Club achieve its best pre-war league position of runners-up before the competition was suspended due to the outbreak of war. Bury Town won the Suffolk Senior Cup for the fourth time in 1945 before resuming league action in 1946.

Post-war

In 1958/9 Bury Town became the first ever winners of the Suffolk Premier Cup and went on to retain the trophy for the next three seasons. In 1961/62 the Eastern Counties League Cup was won for the first time and then in 1963/4 the club won the Eastern Counties League Championship for the only time in its history, recording a “treble” by winning the League Cup and again the Suffolk Premier Cup for the fifth time. This success prompted the club to join the Metropolitan League in 1964 when once again, they won the Suffolk Premier Cup. During the 1965/6 campaign, Bury Town recorded yet another “treble” winning the Metropolitan League Championship, the Metropolitan League Professional Cup and for the seventh time, the Suffolk Premier Cup. In 1967/8 the Blues won the Metropolitan League Cup for the only time and finished runners-up in the league.

The Metropolitan League Championship was won for the second and last time in 1968/9 when the club reached the First Round Proper of the FA Cup for the only time in its history. 3,000 spectators saw the Blues hold Third Division leaders A.F.C. Bournemouth to a goal-less home draw at Kings Road, but the replay at Dean Court was lost 3-0.

1970/1 was the club’s last season in the Metropolitan League when they finished as runners-up and also lifted the Suffolk Premier Cup for the eighth occasion. In 1971/2 Bury Town moved into the Southern Football League but poor results prompted a return to the Eastern Counties League in 1976/7. A year later, the Blues moved to Ram Meadow and again won the Suffolk Premier Cup.

1980s to present

In 1986/7, which proved to be Bury Town’s last season in the Eastern Counties League, the club enjoyed another good run in the FA Cup reaching the 4th qualifying round. The Blues were drawn away to Football Conference leaders Enfield and forced a 0-0 draw before 842 spectators. A record crowd of over 2,500 saw the visitors win the replay at Ram Meadow.

In the 1986/7 season, Bury Town rejoined the Southern Football League and experienced mixed fortunes in the Southern Division. After a difficult period in the early 90s, the club restructured in the spring of 1995. The 1995/96 season saw the club accepting a transfer across to the Midland Division. After completion of only one season in the Midland Division, Bury Town were unable to maintain a strong enough fight and were relegated. Despite relegation Bury won the Suffolk Premier Cup, beating Woodbridge Town in the Final.

Bury saw little success until the 2004/5 season with the club finishing second in the league and winning the Westwood Shield, as well as reaching the Quarter Final of the FA Vase for the first time. The following season saw the club finish second in the league again, allowing them promotion to the Isthmian League, as well as reaching the Semi Final of the FA Vase. Bury Town kicked off 2006-07 in the reinstated Isthmian League Division One North.

Honours

*Eastern Counties League: Winners 1963-64; Runners Up 2004-05,
*Eastern Counties League Cup: Winners 1961-62, 1963-64
*FA Vase : Semi Finalists 2005-06, Quarter Finals 2004-05, 1988-89,
*Metropolitan League: Winners 1965-66; Runners Up 1967-68, 1970-71,
*Metropolitan League Cup: Winners 1967-68,
*Suffolk Premier Cup Winners: 1958-59, 1959-60,1960-61, 1961-62, 1963-64, 1964-65, 1970-71, 1977-78, 1995-96
*Suffolk Senior Cup Winners: 1936-37, 1937-38, 1938-39, 1944-45, 1984-85.
*Memorial Cup Winners: 1982-83,

Current squad

ources

* [http://www.burytownfc.co.uk/col.asp?cid=38 Club History from club website]
*fchd|id=BURYT|name=Bury Town

References

External links

* [http://www.burytownfc.co.uk/ Official website]
* [http://burytownfc.proboards21.com/ Town Talk - Fans Forum]