Chippenham Town F.C.
Association football club in Chippenham, England From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Association football club in Chippenham, England From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chippenham Town Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Chippenham, Wiltshire, England. They are currently members of the National League South, the sixth tier of English football, and play their games at Hardenhuish Park.
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| Full name | Chippenham Town Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Bluebirds | ||
| Founded | 1873 | ||
| Ground | Hardenhuish Park, Chippenham | ||
| Capacity | 3,000 (300 seated)[1] | ||
| Chairman | Neil Blackmore | ||
| Manager | Gary Horgan | ||
| League | National League South | ||
| 2023–24 | National League South, 12th of 24 | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
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The club states it was established in 1873,[2] although local newspaper reports state the club was founded on 3 December 1884,[3][4] with the first game played on 17 December 1884 against Melksham.[5] In 1894 they were founder members of the Wiltshire League.[6] The 1901–02 season saw them finish joint top of the table with Warminster Town, but the club lost the championship play-off replay 1–0, following a 1–1 draw in the first match.[7] They joined Division Two of the Western League in 1904, but also continued to play in the Wiltshire League. The 1904–05 season saw them finish bottom of the Western League and second in the Wiltshire League.[7][8] At the end of the 1905–06 season the club withdrew from the Western League,[8] and went on to win the Wiltshire League in 1907–08 and 1908–09, before finishing as runners-up in 1909–10.[7] They were runners-up again in 1912–13, 1921–22 and 1922–23, before winning the league in 1928–29.[7]
In 1930 Chippenham rejoined Division Two of the Western League.[8] The league was reduced to a single division in 1939, and the club were runners-up when the league resumed in the 1945–46 season.[8] The 1951–52 season saw them win the Western League for the first time, and they also reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time, losing 3–0 at Leyton.[8] They were Western League runners-up again in 1954–55.[8] However, they left the Western League at the end of the 1964–65 season,[8] dropping back into the Wiltshire League.[2] In 1968 the club joined the Premier Division of the Hellenic League, where they played until rejoining the Western League in 1973.[2] When the league gained a second division in 1976, the club were relegated to the new Division One.[8] They were Division One champions in 1980–81, earning promotion to the Premier Division.[8] In 1999–2000 the club reached the final of the FA Vase, eventually losing 1–0 to Deal Town at Wembley Stadium.[8]
After finishing as runners-up in 2000–01, Chippenham were promoted to Division One West of the Southern League. Their first season in the division saw them finish as runners-up, resulting in promotion to the Southern League Premier Division.[8] In 2004–05 they were Premier Division runners-up, qualifying for the promotion play-offs. However, after beating Bedford Town 5–4 on penalties following a 2–2 draw in the semi-finals, they lost the final 1–0 to Hednesford Town.[9] The following season saw them reach the first round of the FA Cup for a second time, eventually losing 1–0 at Worcester City in a replay.[8] They also qualified for the promotion play-offs again after finishing fourth, beating King's Lynn 3–1 in the semi-finals before losing 3–2 to Bedford Town in the final.[10] Another fourth-place finish in 2007–08 led to another play-off campaign, this time ending with a 2–1 defeat to Halesowen Town in the semi-finals.[11] In 2009–10 the club finished third, and after beating Hednesford Town 2–0 in the play-off semi-finals, lost the final 2–1 to Nuneaton Town.[12]
In 2016–17 Chippenham won the Southern League's Premier Division with a league record 103 points, earning promotion to the National League South. They reached the first round of the FA Cup again in 2019–20, losing 3–0 at home to Northampton Town. The 2021–22 National League South season saw the club qualify for the promotion play-offs after finishing seventh, going on to beat Dartford 3–2 on penalties (after a 0–0 draw) in the quarter-finals, before losing 1–0 to Ebbsfleet United after extra time in the semi-finals.[8] In 2022–23 the club reached the FA Cup first round again; after beating Lincoln City 1–0,[13] they lost 6–1 at Burton Albion in the second round.
The club moved to Hardenhuish Park in 1919, having previously played at at least four other grounds.[14] A main stand was erected and subsequently added to on several occasions.[14] A clubhouse was opened in 1979, which has since been turned into hospitality suites, and floodlights were installed in 1986.[14] Additional covered standing is, as of 2021, now provided behind one goal whilst covered standing is along the opposite side of the pitch to the main stand.[15] This was built in 1993, replacing an earlier stand that had been damaged by storms.[14] The pitch at Hardenhuish Park has a noticeable slope, downwards towards the Town End.[14] A new, bigger clubhouse at pitch level was opened in 2020, housing a bar and is a year-round community facility.[16] The ground currently has a capacity of 3,000, of which 300 is seated.[1]
As of 21 August 2024[17]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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