Stafford Rangers F.C.
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Full name | Stafford Rangers Football Club | ||
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Nickname(s) | Boro', Rangers | ||
Founded | 1876 | ||
Ground | The Stan Robinson Stadium Marston Road Stafford | ||
Capacity | 4,000 (530 seated) | ||
President | Ken Hunt | ||
Chairman | John Bromley | ||
Manager | Dave Cooke | ||
League | Northern Premier League Premier Division | ||
2022–23 | Northern Premier League Premier Division, 12th of 22 | ||
Website | Club website | ||
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Stafford Rangers Football Club is a semi-professional
The team wear black and white stripes with black shorts. Stafford Rangers' rivals include
History
Early history
Despite extensive research, no one has been able to prove conclusively when Stafford Rangers was actually formed, as early minute books were destroyed during the
Rangers' early matches were cup games and friendlies, with the club reaching the FA Cup First Round in both 1884–85 and 1885–86. The club then had spells in the Shropshire League, Birmingham League and North Staffordshire League up to the turn of the century, and moved to their present Marston Road home in 1896. In 1900–01 Stafford rejoined the Birmingham League and in 1904–05 had an FA Cup run to the last Qualifying Round bowing out in a replay at Second Division Blackpool. They were demoted to the Birmingham Combination in 1912 but won the championship at the first attempt (1912–13) and then finished runners-up in two of the next four seasons either side of the First World War. Rangers won the Birmingham League title in 1926–27, twice finished runners-up (1928–29 and 1929–30) and were twice third in five memorable seasons. During this period a total of 542 league goals were scored with striker Eddie Cameron regularly scoring goals. Due to financial troubles the team spent the mid to late 1930s struggling to avoid re-election and in one game were so short of players that the club secretary R.P. Brown had to play and actually scored a goal. During April 1935 a successful appeal for £100 to pay creditors enabled the club to survive. When war broke out in 1939, Rangers participated in an emergency Birmingham League during the 1939–40 season, finishing as runners-up, and then disbanded.
Post-war
After the Second World War the club reformed and played in the Birmingham Combination for six seasons, achieving a highest position of 6th in 1950–51. With a view to progress, Rangers joined the Cheshire County Football League in 1952 and finished 3rd in the 1954–55 season. However, Rangers' spell in the Cheshire Football League was generally one of struggle and during the early sixties financial difficulties again threatened the club's existence. There were, however, some positive results, including the seven goals scored by Les Box in an 11–0 FA Cup victory over Dudley Town during September 1957.
In 1965, the appointment of Colin Hutchinson as manager started an improvement. Rangers won the 1967–68 Cheshire League Cup and following season finished as Cheshire League runners-up to earn a place in the Northern Premier League.
The seventies were the most successful era in the club's history. With Roy Chapman as manager, the club recorded a
Three seasons later Rangers progressed to the
Rangers thus became founder members of the
After Booth departed for
Ian Painter succeeded Bond in the 1998 close season and in his first term Rangers finished 5th in the Southern League Midland Division with the distinction of being the equal highest scorers in the pyramid with 92 goals. In 1999–2000, following a slow start, a strengthened side achieved a club record unbeaten run of 23 league games. Rangers were once again equal highest scorers in the pyramid with 107 goals and duly won the Southern League Western Division championship.
21st century
After two seasons in the Premier Division, finishing seventh and ninth respectively, Painter left the club in April 2002. During Painter's final season, Rangers recorded a club-record 15–0 victory over Kidsgrove Athletic in a Staffordshire Senior Cup tie on 20 November 2001.
Stafford Rangers achieved promotion back to the fifth tier of English football after a play-off win on penalties over Droylsden in May 2006 at rivals Burton Albion's new Pirelli Stadium. This came at the end of a successful 2005–06 league campaign which resulted in a second-place finish.
In the 2006–07 season the club reached the second round of the
2007 saw Stafford struggle to compete in an increasingly difficult league with many ex-league and professional sides. Phil Robinson left the club after 5+1⁄2 years in charge and many Stafford fans[who?] were unhappy to see him leave. Players Neil Grayson and Kevin Street were placed in temporary charge of the county town club as joint caretaker managers.
On 21 February 2008,
On 14 April 2010, news was leaked that chairman Jon Downing had resigned from his position, after 17 years on the club's board.[2] In September 2010, Brindley resigned as manager of Stafford Rangers. The following month, the club appointed Tim Flowers as manager, but he resigned as manager on 11 January 2011 after just nine games in charge and his assistant Matt Elliott took over the job. Despite some improved performances Elliott could not prevent relegation to the Northern Premier League for the 2011–12 season. Their fate was not confirmed until the final game of the season, a 3–2 defeat at Stalybridge Celtic. Elliott initially accepted the offer to become manager for the next season but then had a change of heart and resigned. On 31 May 2011 Greg Clowes was appointed manager, but on 8 September 2013, following defeat in all of their opening seven league games, Clowes, Garner and coach Mick Hathaway were relieved of their management duties. The club appointed Andy Mutch as interim manager until Graham Heathcote was announced as manager on 3 January 2014. Following a further relegation, this time to the NPL Division One South, Heathcote felt he could not continue as manager on a limited playing budget, and on 28 May 2014 former Rushall Olympic boss Neil Kitching was appointed as the new manager of Stafford Rangers.[3] At the end of the 2015/16 season, Boro were promoted back to the NPL Premier Division, finishing as champions of the NPL Division 1 South with 95 points.
At the end of the 2017–18 season Neil Kitching and his coaching team parted company with the club by mutual consent after four successful years at the helm. It was announced at the start of the 2018–19 season that former Stafford Rangers player Steve Burr would be taking over and he was appointed the club's new Manager. On 28 December 2018 Steve Burr resigned from his position as Manager following poor results.
On 1 January 2019 Alex Meechan and Andy Fearn stepped up from Assistant Manager and First Team Coach to take charge of the first team as joint managers until the end of the season. After guiding the club away from the drop zone, thus avoiding relegation the Board of Directors gave the managerial duo the job on a permanent basis.
The 2020–21 season saw another managerial change with Jody Banim taking the helm. Matt Hill took the post of Assistant. Andy Fearn, who had been joint manager, joined the Board of Directors as Director of Football. At the end of the year Matt Hill took charge, until he left the club in November 2023, when he was succeeded by his assistant.
The 2023–24 season saw a managerial change as Matt Hill was sacked as manager on 16 November 2023. On 28 November 2023 Stafford Rangers appointed ex-Nantwich manager Dave Cooke. He achieved two play-off finishes, and helped guide them into the FA Cup first round twice. He also helped them lift the Cheshire Senior Cup on two occasions.
Stadium
In the 2006–07 season Rangers had an average attendance of over 1000.
On 14 December 2018 the new Shed End (a covered terrace at the far side of the ground) was completed and opened in a league game against local rivals Hednesford Town, with the Boro winning the game 4–1. The Shed End was a fan led project. Fans are now raising money for a cantilever stand at the Social Club End. Following its completion, the ground will have cover on all sides.
Prior to the 2019–20 season a group of fans renovated two unused rooms at the football ground to create a new Fans Bar. The Fans Bar is open to home and away fans on match days.
During November 2019 the club had the away turnstiles refurbished, this also included new exit gates and new fencing being erected, the club's car park situated at the front of the ground was fully tarmacked, replacing a rubble surface.
As of August 2023, Marston Road has been renamed The Stan Robinson Stadium, due to a new sponsorship deal with the haulage company of the same name. This is due to the loyalty and support Stan Robinson showed over many years
Squad
- As of 23 August 2023[4]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Notable players
See Stafford Rangers F.C. Players
Notable names
- As of 28 November 2023
Manager | Dave Cooke |
Assistant manager | Dale Belford |
First team coach | Jimmy O'Neill |
Source: staffordrangersfc.co.uk
Post-war managers
See Stafford Rangers F.C. Managers
Dates | Name | Notes |
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February 1947 – May 1947 | George Austin | |
August 1947 – May 1948 | Jack Dowen | |
May 1948 – May 1950 | Billy Frith | |
August 1950 – May 1951 | Charlie Evans | |
August 1952 – November 1953 | Eric Hampson | |
February 1955 – November 1955 | Frank Brown | |
September 1957 – May 1958 | George Antonio | |
August 1958 – May 1959 | Len Millard | |
August 1959 – September 1960 | Bert Mitchell | |
January 1961 – October 1963 | Graham Cordell | |
February 1964 – May 1964 | Ken Griffiths | |
August 1964 – May 1965 | Stan Smith | |
August 1965 – May 1969 | Colin Hutchinson | |
August 1969 – September 1975 | Roy Chapman | 1971/72 'Treble' 1974/75 FA Cup fourth round |
September 1975 | Ken Jones | |
September 1975 – May 1976 | Colin Meldrum | 1975/76 FA Trophy Finalist |
??? – ??? | Reg Berks | |
1977 – February 1980 | Roy Chapman | |
May 1980 – October 1981 | Paul Ogden | |
October 1981 – January 1983 | Bobby Thomson | |
January 1983 – September 1983 | Colin Clarke | |
September 1983 – May 1988 | Ron Reid | |
July 1988 – February 1989 | Bryan Chambers | |
February 1989 – November 1989 | Ron Reid | |
November 1989 – May 1990 | John Williams | |
June 1990 – January 1992 | Chris Wright | |
January 1992 – 1993 | Dennis Booth | |
??? – ??? | Brendan Phillips | |
??? – June 1995 | Mark Harrison | |
August 1995 – ??? | Bob Horton | |
??? – ??? | Kevan Bowen | |
October 1997 – May 1998 | Kevin Bond | |
August 1998 – May 2002 | Ian Painter | 1999–2000 Southern League Western Division |
June 2002 – November 2007 | Phil Robinson
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Promotion to Conference National |
November 2007 – March 2008 | Neil Grayson Kevin Street (Joint) | |
March 2008 – December 2008 | Steve Bull | |
December 2008 – September 2010 | Chris Brindley | |
October 2010 – January 2011 | Tim Flowers | |
January 2011 – May 2011 | Matt Elliott | |
July 2011 – September 2013 | Greg Clowes | |
September 2013 – January 2014 | Andy Mutch | |
January 2014 – May 2014 | Graham Heathcote | |
May 2014 – May 2018 | Neil Kitching | First promotion since May 2006 by winning the Northern Premier League Division One South (2015 / 2016) |
May 2018 – December 2018 | Steve Burr | |
January 2019 – April 2020 | Alex Meechan & Andy Fearn (Joint) | |
May 2020 – November 2020 | Jody Banim | |
November 2020 – November 2023 | Matt Hill | |
November 2023 – | Dave Cooke |
Honours
League champions
- Northern Premier League Division One South2015–16
- Birmingham Combination 1912–13
- Birmingham League 1926–27
- Northern Premier League 1971–72, 1984–85
- Southern Football League Western Division 1999–2000
League runners-up
- Birmingham League 1928–29, 1929–30
- Birmingham Wartime League 1939–40
- Cheshire County League 1968–69
- Northern Premier League 1970–71, 1975–76
- Southern League Premier Division 2002–03
- Conference North 2005–06
Cup winners
- FA Trophy 1971–72, 1978–79
- Staffordshire Senior Cup 1954–55, 1956–57, 1962–63, 1971–72, 1977–78, 1986–87, 1991–92, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2014–15, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2021–22
- Conference League Cup 1985–86
- Northern Premier League Shield 1985–86
- Walsall Senior Cup 2013–14
Statistics
Record Win | 15–0 v Kidsgrove Athletic 20 November 2001 |
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Record Defeat | 0–12 v Burton Town, 13 December 1930 |
Most goals in a game | 7 – Les Box v Dudley Town, FA Cup 6 September 1958 |
Best FA Cup run | 4th round 1974–75 |
Record FA Cup Win | 11–0 v Dudley Town 6 September 1958 |
See also
References
- ^ "Non-league football: Stafford appoint Brindley as manager". The Sentinel. 17 December 2008. Retrieved 17 December 2008.
- ^ "Shock as Boro boss quits". Staffordshire Newsletter. 15 April 2010. Archived from the original on 18 April 2010.
- ^ "Non-league football: Graham Heathcote is new Stafford Rangers boss". Express and Star. 3 January 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
- ^ "Players & staff". Stafford Rangers F.C. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
External links
- Official site staffordrangersfc.co.uk
- [1] s3.zetaboards.com/staffordrangersfans
- Stafford Rangers JFC staffordrangersjuniors.moonfruit.com
- Stafford Rangers at the Football Club History Database