View source for Radcliffe F.C.

{{short description|Association football club in Greater Manchester, England}}
{{More citations needed|date=March 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox football club
| clubname = Radcliffe
| image = Radcliffe FC crest.svg
| image_size = 145px
| fullname = Radcliffe Football Club
| nickname = The Boro
| founded  = 24 May 1949
| ground   = [[Stainton Park]]<!-- Do not change to sponsored names. These are not used on Wikipedia where they can be avoided-->, [[Radcliffe, Greater Manchester|Radcliffe]] 
| Training Ground = 
| capacity = 3,500 (350 seated) 
| chairman = Billy Quarmby
| manager  = Bernard Morley and Anthony Johnson
| league   = {{English football updater|RadclifB}}
| season   = {{English football updater|RadclifB2}}
| position = {{English football updater|RadclifB3}}
| website     = {{URL|https://www.radcliffefc.com/}}
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|pattern_la2=_blueborder|pattern_b2=_bluecollar|pattern_ra2=_blueborder|pattern_sh2=_bluebottom|pattern_so2=_bluetop
|leftarm2=FFFF00|body2=FFFF00|rightarm2=FFFF00|shorts2=FFFF00|socks2=FFFF00
}}
'''Radcliffe Football Club''' (formerly '''Radcliffe Borough''') is an English football club based in [[Radcliffe, Greater Manchester|Radcliffe]], [[Greater Manchester]], where they play their home games at [[Stainton Park]]<!-- Do not change to sponsored names. These are not used on Wikipedia where they can be avoided-->. The club was formed on 24 May 1949 and currently plays in the [[National League North]], the sixth tier of the [[English football league system]], after winning the [[2023-24 Northern Premier League#Premier Division|2023–24 Northern Premier League Premier Division]] title. Radcliffe won the Northern Premier League First Division in 1996–97, reached the first round of the [[FA Cup]] for the only time in its history in 2000, and won league playoffs in 2003 and 2019. The club changed its name to '''Radcliffe Football Club''' for the 2018–19 season.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45259061|title=Prestwich Heys v Radcliffe tie on BBC|work=BBC Sport}}</ref>

==History==
The club was formed on 24 May 1949 at the Owd Tower Inn in Radcliffe by Jack Pickford and a committee of 17 and became a member of the South East Lancashire Football League.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History |url=https://radcliffefc.com/club/history/ |access-date=2024-11-14 |website=radcliffefc.com |language=en-GB}}</ref> It had two players (Tommy Entwistle and Bert Nutter), £1.2s.6d (£1.12½p) in the bank, and no ground, but arranged to lease a field off Ashworth Street for two years. In 1951–52 the club moved across Eton Hill Road to a pitch on Betley Street leased from the [[Earl of Wilton]]. The following year the club turned the pitch 180 degrees parallel with Bright Street which became the name of the ground.

After a short period in the South East Lancashire League, the club joined the [[Manchester League]], playing against the 'A' teams of four professional clubs: [[Manchester United]], [[Manchester City]], [[Stockport County]] and [[Bury F.C.|Bury]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Manchester League 1920-1960 |url=https://www.nonleaguematters.co.uk/nlmnet/Regs_2_N/NWman20.html |access-date=2024-12-09 |website=www.nonleaguematters.co.uk}}</ref> The home game against Manchester Utd was lost 5-1 but three weeks later Boro’ won the return game at The Cliff 1-0 against the [[Busby Babes]] - their only home defeat in two seasons. In 1955–56, Boro’ had their best finish in second place and in 1956–57 they finished third. In 1958–59, they reached the Manchester Junior Cup Final at [[Old Trafford]] losing to Cheadle Rovers by the only goal. Five days later they faced Cheadle Rovers again, in the William Gilgryst Cup Final at Bury; the game finished 0–0 after which the Cup was shared for six months each. In 1961–62, Boro’ again reached the Gilgryst Cup Final against [[Buxton]] Reserves at [[Ashton United]]'s ground but lost 1–2 AET.

In 1963–64 the Club joined the [[Lancashire Combination]] Division 2, a great wish of club founder Jack Pickford.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Football Club History Database - Radcliffe Borough |url=https://www.fchd.info/RADCLIFB.HTM |access-date=2024-11-14 |website=www.fchd.info}}</ref> In August 1966, the club was informed it would have to leave Bright Street and find another ground after the Earl of Wilton decided to sell the land to the [[Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government|Ministry of Housing]]. In 1968–69, having been refused a site on Bury Road in Radcliffe, the club moved to the White House sports ground on Middleton Road (outside [[Bowker Vale tram stop]]), owned by Manchester Corporation Transport Dept.  A new ground was then found in Stainton Park; the old wooden stands were brought from Bright Street and erected at the new ground and a pitch was laid in June 1969.

In 1970, Radcliffe won the League Cup and finished third in the league. After one further season it was accepted into the [[Cheshire County League]], but throughout the rest of the 1970s the team struggled and were finally relegated to Div 2 in 1979–80. The Cheshire County League subsequently became the [[North West Counties Football League|North West Counties League]] and that change saw an upturn in fortunes for 'The Boro'.

The first season again brought success when Radcliffe secured the Second Division championship in front of a then record [[Stainton Park]] crowd of 1,468. After one season in the First Division, Radcliffe lifted the First Division championship in 1985 and made the step up into the newly formed [[Northern Premier League First Division]] in 1987. After many years of consolidation in the league, and at times, fighting against relegation, the 1995–96 season saw an upturn in the club's fortunes, both on and off the pitch. The club, for the first time in its history, reached the last 16 of the [[FA Trophy]], narrowly losing to [[Football Conference]] side, [[Gateshead F.C.|Gateshead]] 2–1.

Radcliffe achieved its highest honour in the [[1996–97 in English football|1996–97 season]], winning the [[Northern Premier League]] First Division title by two points from local rivals [[Leigh RMI F.C.|Leigh RMI]]. The club's stay in tier six lasted only one season.

The club reached the first round of the [[FA Cup#2000s|FA Cup]] in 2000, losing 1–4 to [[York City F.C.|York City]] in a match played at [[Gigg Lane]], the home of [[Bury F.C.|Bury]], in front of a crowd of 2,495. Boro again missed out on promotion in the [[2001–02 in English football|2001–02 season]]. After leading the division until February, a poor run to the end of the season meant the club entered the newly formed play-offs, losing to [[Bamber Bridge F.C.|Bamber Bridge]] in the semi-final at [[Irongate, England|Irongate]].

In the 2002–03 season Boro missed out on the championship by two points to [[Alfreton Town]], and reached the 4th qualifying round of the FA Cup, losing to [[Chester City F.C.|Chester City]] in front of 1,138 at Stainton Park. Promotion was finally won via the play-offs. Boro beat [[North Ferriby United A.F.C.|North Ferriby United]] in the semi-final and Chorley in the final at Stainton Park, winning 4–2 on penalties after Chorley scored two goals in the last 10 minutes to make it 2–2 and take the game into extra time. Boro's Jody Banim got 46 goals in the season.

[[File:Stainton Park.jpg|thumb|right|Stainton Park during a friendly against neighbours [[Bury F.C.|Bury]] in 2006]]

With Boro back in the [[Northern Premier League]] Premier Division and a place in the newly formed [[Conference North]] up for grabs, promotion was the obvious aim. By November Boro were sixth thanks to 22 goals by Jody Banim, who set an English record by scoring in 14 consecutive games. Boro sold Banim to Conference promotion chasers [[Shrewsbury Town]] for a record fee of £20,000 in December 2003, and, without his goals, the club slid down the table eventually finishing 19th. In the relegation play-offs, Boro beat [[Whitby Town F.C.|Whitby Town]] on penalties 8–7 in the quarter-finals, before bowing out to [[Burscough F.C.|Burscough]] in the semi-finals. As a result, the club returned to tier seven following a pyramid restructure.

In 2004–05, the club finished ninth in the Northern Premier League. The club continued to be near the play-offs and solid midtable finishes followed but after four seasons were relegated back to the First Division in 2007, where the club remained until 2019.

In 2016, a new chairman and manager took the reins. Off the field, investment was given to the stadium, including a new stand at the Pilkington Road end, a new press area, a new director's area, a new covered turnstile block, a TV gantry, boardroom, club shop, sponsors lounge and social club. The club changed name, officially dropping 'Borough', in 2018, having earlier reached the 2017 Lancashire Cup Final. With a new manager in charge (Jon Macken, with assistant Frank Sinclair) from October 2017, the club progressed and was promoted via the play-offs back to the Northern Premier League in 2019. The [[2023–24 Northern Premier League#Premier Division|2023–24 season]] saw Radcliffe crowned champions of the Northern Premier League Premier Division, earning promotion to the [[National League North]] for the first time and a return to Step 2 of the National League System after a 20-year absence.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thenpl.co.uk/radcliffe-reign-81292|title=Radcliffe Reign!|website=www.thenpl.co.uk|date=13 April 2024|accessdate=14 April 2024}}</ref>

==Women's team==
In 1994-95, the first Radcliffe Borough Ladies team appeared at Stainton Park, after Bury Girls & Ladies joined the club and changed their name accordingly. The women competed in the [[North West Women's Regional League]] for three seasons under the Radcliffe Borough name, before re-establishing their links with [[Bury F.C.]] and taking Bury's name in 1997.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Women's F.A. Cup - Teams |url=http://womensfacup.co.uk/history/index.php?od=3&yd=0&tid=1444 |access-date=2024-11-14 |website=womensfacup.co.uk}}</ref>

History somewhat repeated itself in 2023–24 when Bury Foundation Women established links with Radcliffe FC, moved to Stainton Park and changing their name to Radcliffe Women.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Keeling |first=Neal |date=2023-09-03 |title=They thought they had lost it all - but found something truly special |url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/thought-lost-found-something-truly-27585196 |access-date=2024-11-14 |website=Manchester Evening News |language=en}}</ref> They currently compete in the [[North West Women's Regional League]] under the management of Steve Jones, with a reserve team in the [[Lancashire Womens County League]] and an under-18s side in the [[Greater Manchester Womens Football League]].

In the intervening years [[Blackburn Rovers W.F.C.]] played for a few seasons at Radcliffe's ground, Stainton Park.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2010-09-21 |title=Blackburn Rovers Ladies go top after victory |url=https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/8403786.blackburn-rovers-ladies-go-top-after-victory/ |access-date=2024-12-09 |work=Lancashire Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}}</ref>

==Notable players==

The following players played for Radcliffe/Boro and later went on to sign for clubs in the [[Football League]], [[Scottish Football League]], [[MLS]], [[A-League]], [[I-League]] or played internationally while at the club.

*{{Flag icon|ENG}} Gary Curtis
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Craig Dawson]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Steve Fleet]]
*{{Flag icon|BER}} [[Kole Hall]]
*{{Flag icon|SKN}} [[Raheem Hanley]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Niell Hardy]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} Brian Hart
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} Jimmy Hayman
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Kevin Hulme]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} Bob Hutchinson
*{{Flag icon|GAM}} Lamin Jagne
*{{Flag icon|SKN}} [[Lois Maynard]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Jack McIntyre (English footballer)|Jack McIntyre]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Paul Mullin (footballer, born 1974)|Paul Mullin]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Billy Myerscough]]
*{{Flag icon|BEL}} [[Tunde Owolabi]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Andy Parry]]
*{{Flag icon|NIR}} [[Rory Patterson]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Gary Pierce (footballer)|Gary Pierce]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Edward Rayner]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Mark Redshaw]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Domaine Rouse]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Darren Sheridan]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Jordan Slew]]
*{{Flag icon|HKG}} [[Sean Tse]]

The following players have played at the highest level of English football or internationally and later turned out for the Boro.

*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Gordon Armstrong]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Arthur Barnard (footballer)|Arthur Barnard]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Peter Barnes (footballer)|Peter Barnes]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Ian Bishop (footballer)|Ian Bishop]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Frankie Bunn]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Len Cantello]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Gordon Clayton (footballer, born 1936)|Gordon Clayton]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Nick Culkin]]
*{{Flag icon|GUY}} [[Neil Danns]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Mike Flynn (footballer)|Mike Flynn]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[John Foster (footballer)|John Foster]]
*{{Flag icon|SCO}} [[Tommy Heron]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Gordon Hill (footballer)|Gordon Hill]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Fred Hill (footballer, born 1940)|Fred Hill]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Paul Gascoigne]]
*{{Flag icon|SCO}} [[David Goodwillie]]
*{{Flag icon|TUR}} [[Jem Karacan]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Alan Kennedy]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Dave Lennard]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Chris Makin]]
*{{Flag icon|SCO}} [[Trevor Ross]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Lee Sharpe]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Darren Sheridan]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Neil Whitworth]]
*{{Flag icon|ENG}} [[Frank Worthington]]

==Honours==

===League===
*'''[[Northern Premier League Premier Division]]'''
**Champions: [[2023–24 in English football|2023–24]]
*'''[[Northern Premier League Division One]]'''
**Champions: [[1996–97 in English football|1996–97]]
**Play-off winners: [[2002–03 in English football|2002–03]] [[2018–19 in English football|2018–19]]
*'''[[North West Counties Football League|North West Counties League]] First Division'''
**Champions: [[1984–85 in English football|1984–85]]
*'''[[North West Counties Football League|North West Counties League]] Second Division'''
**Champions: [[1982–83 in English football|1982–83]]
*'''[[North West Counties Football League|North West Counties League]] Reserve Division'''
**Champions: [[1986–87 in English football|1986–87]]
*'''[[Manchester Football League]] Division Two'''
**Runners-up: [[1965–66 in English football|1965–66]]
*'''Northern Football Combination'''
**Winners: [[1991–92 in English football|1991–92]]
*'''South East Lancashire League Division One'''
**Runners-up: [[1949–50 in English football|1949–50]], [[1950-51 in English football|1950-51]]
*'''South East Lancashire League Division Two'''
**Champions: [[1950–51 in English football|1950–51]]

===Cup===
*'''[[FA Cup]]''' Best - First Round Proper: 2000–01
*'''[[FA Trophy]]''' Best - Third Round (Last 16) : 1995–96 
*'''[[FA Vase]]''' Best - Fourth Round: 1993–94
*'''[[Lancashire FA]] County Cup''' 
**Finalists: 2008–09, 2016–17
*'''[[Manchester Premier Cup]]'''
**Winners: [[Manchester Premier Cup#2007–08|2007–08]], [[Manchester Premier Cup#2022–23|2022–23]]
**Finalists: [[Manchester Premier Cup#1997–98|1997–98]] 
*'''[[Manchester Senior Cup]]'''
**Finalists: [[1972–73 in English football|1972-73]]
*'''Manchester Junior Cup''' 
**Finalists: [[1958–59 in English football|1958–59]]
*'''[[Northern Premier League President's Cup]]'''
**Finalists: 2007–08
*'''[[North West Counties Football League|North West Counties League]] Challenge Cup'''
**Finalists: [[1984–85 in English football|1984–85]]
*'''[[Lancashire Combination]] League Cup'''
**Winners: [[1969–70 in English football|1969–70]]
*'''[[Lancashire Combination]] League George Watson Trophy'''
**Finalists: [[1970–71 in English football|1970–71]]
*'''[[Manchester Football League|Manchester League]] Gylchrist Cup''' 
**Winners: [[1958–59 in English football|1958–59]] (joint)
**Finalists: [[1961–62 in English football|1961–62]]
*'''South East Lancashire League Shield'''
**Winners: [[1949–50 in English football|1949–50]], [[1950–51 in English football|1950–51]], [[1951–52 in English football|1951–52]]
*'''South East Lancashire League Moore Cup'''
**Winners: [[1950–51 in English football|1950–51]], [[1952–53 in English football|1952–53]], [[1954–55 in English football|1954–55]]
*'''Bury Amateur League Cup'''
**Winners: [[1949–50 in English football|1949–50]]

===Players===
The club has performed exceptionally well in the [[Northern Premier League]]'s Player awards since their inception in 2011. The following players have picked up the following prizes:

*[[Jordan Hulme]] - Player of Season (Premier) - 2023–24, Team of the Season (Premier) - 2023–24, Third in Supporters Player award - 2023–24
*[[Elliot Rokka]] – Young Player of the Season (North Division) – 2017, Supporters Player Runner Up - 2017. Team of the Season - 2017
*[[Tunde Owolabi]] – League Supporters Player of the Season – 2019, Team of the Season - 2019
*[[Nick Culkin]] –  Team of the Season - 2011, 2012
*[[Sheldon Barrington]] – Academy Player of the Season - 2019
*[[Callum Grogan]] – Team of the Season - 2019

6 Players were also represented in the Northern Premier League's Top 100 players named for its 50th Anniversary - Andy Johnston (7th), [[Craig Dawson]] (14th), [[Karl Marginson]] (62nd), Jody Banim (65th), Cieran Kilheeney (66th), Simon Carden (93rd)

==Managers==
* John Pearson (1949–1953)
* John Bradshaw (1953–1954)
* [[David Robbie (Scottish footballer)|David Robbie]] (1954–1955)
* Harry Cunliffe (1955–1963)
* Archie Lennon (1963–1964)
* [[John Pimlott (footballer)|John Pimlott]] (1964–1968)
* Les Grimsditch (1968–1969)
* [[Ray Gill]] (1969–1973)
* [[Don Wilson (footballer, born 1930)|Don Wilson]] (1973–1974)
* Ken Wright (1974–1978)
* Tommy McLoughlin (1978–1979)
* [[George Jones (footballer, born 1945)|George Jones]] (1979–1980)
* Dave Morris (1980–1986)
* Frank O'Kane (1986–1987)
* Ken Bridge (1988–1989)
* [[Len Cantello]] (1989–1990)
* Ken Wright (June-Nov 1990)
* [[Kevin Glendon]] (1990–2006)
* [[Frankie Bunn]] (March–May 1998)*
* [[Mike Farrelly]] (Dec 2001–2002)*
* Andy Johnston (2006-2007)
* [[Peter Coyne (footballer)|Peter Coyne]] (2007-2008)
* [[Kevin Glendon]] (2008–2010)
* [[Gerry Luczka]] (2010–2011)
* [[Benny Phillips]] (2011–2013)
* [[Kevin Glendon]] (2013–2014)
* [[Paul Maguire (footballer)|Paul McGuire]] (2014–2015)
* Bill Prendergast (2015)
* Danny Johnson (2015–2016)
* Bill Prendergast (2016–2017)
* Joe Gibbons (Apr-Sept 2017)
* [[Jon Macken]] (2017–2020)
* [[Lee Fowler]] (2020–2021)
* [[Bobby Grant (footballer, born 1990)|Bobby Grant]] (2021–2023)
* Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley (2023–present)

==Statistics and records==

=== Appearances ===
*Simon Kelly has made the most appearances for the club, making 502 starts.

=== Goals ===
*[[Ian Lunt]] has scored the most goals for the club, scoring 147 times. 
*The record for the most goals in a season is 46 by Jody Banim.

=== Biggest win ===
11-0 v [[New Mills]] - [[Cheshire County League]] Division Two - Wed 21 April 1982

=== Biggest defeat ===
11-0 v [[Witton Albion]] - [[Cheshire County League]] Division One - Sat 28 October 1978

=== Attendances ===
*The highest home attendance was during the 2024/25 FA Cup, where their first ever competitive meeting against Bury FC ended up with a sold out attendance of 2800.

=== Transfer fees ===
*The highest transfer fee received was from [[Shrewsbury Town F.C.|Shrewsbury Town]] for £20,000 for Jody Banim; however, the club has received more in add on fees from the sale of [[Craig Dawson]] to [[Rochdale AFC]] although the total sum remains undisclosed.
*The highest transfer fee paid was for Gary Walker for whom they paid £5,000 to [[Buxton F.C.|Buxton]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{official website|http://www.radcliffefc.com/}}
*{{fchd|id=RADCLIFB|name=Radcliffe Borough}}
*{{facebook|radcliffeboro}}

{{National League (English football)}}
{{Football in Greater Manchester}}
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[[Category:Radcliffe F.C.| ]]
[[Category:Football clubs in England]]
[[Category:Association football clubs established in 1949]]
[[Category:Northern Premier League clubs]]
[[Category:Football clubs in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury]]
[[Category:Lancashire Combination]]
[[Category:1949 establishments in England]]
[[Category:North West Counties Football League clubs]]
[[Category:Radcliffe, Greater Manchester]]
[[Category:Cheshire County League clubs]]