Brackley is a small but growing Northamptonshire market town of around 15000 inhabitants situated between Northampton, Milton Keynes and Oxford. The nearest point of reference for many people would be the Silverstone motor racing circuit and Formula One has a big presence in the town as the base for the multiple world championship winning Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team

THE EARLY YEARS
Founded in 1890 Brackley Town was, around the turn of the century, a prominent side in the local area. At one time the name of Tottenham Hotspur appeared on the fixture list, London being a short journey away on the newly opened Great Central Railway.

The Club then slipped into relative obscurity, competing mainly at a very junior level. Most of the time before the war was spent in the Oxfordshire League, games being played in Manor Road, before they transferred to the North Bucks League in the post-war years. Here they stayed until 1968 when they took what appeared to be a step down the ladder by joining the Banbury & District League. During this time they had moved their ground to the Buckingham Road with the changing facilities and headquarters situated in The Plough public house.

THE MOVE TO ST JAMES PARK
In 1974 the club moved back to the North Bucks League and this coincided with a move to the current St James Park ground. A small clubhouse and changing rooms were built and within 3 years the major step up into the Hellenic League was made. They stayed in Division One until 1983 before moving into the United Counties League, winning the Division One title at the first attempt and gaining promotion into the Premier Division.

Then followed some difficult years with even the very survival of the club in doubt. The 1992/93 season ended with the ignominious distinction of having the worst playing record of any senior side in the country. It was only the fact that others did not have the required facilities for promotion that they were spared relegation.

But in 1994 they moved back across the pyramid into the Hellenic League and fortunes improved dramatically with former manager Phil Lines returning and in 1996/97 winning the Premier Division title. Minor miracles were then performed in order to make the ground suitable for elevation into Southern League.

With finances at full stretch however, the club was forced into voluntary liquidation in February 1999. It was saved at the last minute to ensure that the season was completed. The “new” club finished bottom of the Southern Section and were therefore demoted back into the Hellenic League.

The 2003/04 season saw an exciting run-in and the championship shield lifted on the last day of the season and with it promotion back to the Southern League.

Mike Ford took over as manager in October 2004, guiding the team to the fringes of the play-off positions. Ford departed in February 2006 with the club again just outside the promotion frame. Phil Lines and his Assistant Andy Sinnott took over and guided the club to a third place finish culminating in the heartbreak of losing in the last few minutes of the play-off final.

The 2006/07 season finally saw the team fulfil its potential. Leading the table from early December, the league was won at a canter. Lines then stepped aside and the club appointed the experienced Roger Ashby as they took the step into unknown territory at Step 3.

With Lines once again back at the helm an eleventh-placed finish in 2008/09 consolidated Premier Division status and the club’s growing ambitions and proceeds from a successful FA Cup run, reaching the first round proper for the first time, brought a new all-seater stand behind one goal to match the newly constructed, small covered terrace at the cricket ground end. The FA Cup run that ended at Eastwood Town was matched by a first appearance in the first round proper of the FA Trophy. Cup success was topped off by a third appearance in the Senior Cup Final and in April 2009 a new era was ushered in by the appointment from the playing staff of former Kettering Town and Rushden and Diamonds player, Aussie Jon Brady as Lines’ managerial successor.

2011/12 saw arguably the most successful season in the club’s history to that point culminating in winning the Southern League Premier Division and a second Senior Cup victory. The team lifted the Southern League shield at a jubilant St James Park after a 6-0 thrashing of St Albans City.

INTO CONFERENCE NORTH (STEP TWO)
The new season had seen the start of major ground improvements including new changing rooms, terracing, improved parking and the upgrading of the floodlights. The first season in the Conference North began with a 4-1 win at Altrincham to announce the arrival of Brackley Town at Step 2 and saw the side make it all the way to the play-off final losing by a single goal to FC Halifax Town at St James Park.

The 2013/14 season brought a 7th-placed finish and FA Cup success beating Division One Gillingham at St James Park in a 1st round replay on live TV. The addition of an artificial grass pitch was a further big boost to the club as it expanded its community programme and improved training facilities.

There followed two difficult seasons each of which ended in fairy-tale escapes at the wrong of the table with last day wins. In April 2015 only three wins from three could save the Saints and, with two wins in the bag, a 1-0 home win over Hednesford on the final day of the season courtesy of Ryan Rowe’s stunning late strike saved the day against all odds.

Jon Brady’s time in charge ended in October 2015 with ex-Chelsea defender Frank Sinclair taking temporary charge before former Cobblers striker and Nuneaton and Wrexham manager Kevin Wilkin was appointed to the hot seat. Wilkin led an FA Cup charge to the first round, losing only in a replay at league side Newport County, but the team laboured at the wrong end of the table until only a last day combination of a Brackley win at home against Tamworth and results elsewhere going their way would be enough to maintain National League North status.

For a second successive season the remarkable happened and Glenn Walker’s goal allied to Lowestoft’s inability to beat Gloucester City brought another heart-stopping afternoon that ultimately saw the Saints survive on goal difference only.

Rumours of moves into National League South proved unfounded and a fifth season in National League North saw Wilkin’s side finish just a single point outside the play-off places. The season also saw great cup success reaching Round 2 in the FA Cup having beaten League One Gillingham (again!) in a televised replay at St James Park in Round 1. The 4-3 win every bit as thrilling as you might expect from the score-line and including James Armson’s hat-trick. The quarter-final stage was reached in the FA Trophy with defeat at eventual winners York City. Further milestones in 2016-17 were reached by Glenn Walker and Steve Diggin each completing 200 games for the club.

FA TROPHY WINNERS:
2017-18 was a remarkable season and the club’s most successful ever with a third placed finish earning a play-off spot and a Wembley appearance against National League Bromley in the FA Trophy final. The defeat of Bradford Park Avenue in the play-off semi-final brought a play-off final at Harrogate Town but that game proved one match too far. The following Sunday Kevin Wilkin and captain Gaz Dean led the side out at Wembley in front of over 7000 Brackley supporters and over 30,000 in brilliant sunshine. The game matched the weather as Dean’s added time equalizer led onto a penalty shoot-out which was won 5-4 and sparked wild celebrations. A day and a season never to be forgotten.

The 2018-19 season again saw success in the league and FA Trophy. A 3 rd placed finish brought a semi-final play-off at St James Park, a goalless draw and penalties that fell 5-4 in Spennymoor Town’s favour. While another superb run in the Trophy concluded with a fine win at National League Chesterfield but narrow defeat at home against Orient.

At the beginning of 2020, with 34 games played and with Saints again in the play-off places, nobody could guess what was to befall the world and unfold as the Covid pandemic took over, cancelling sporting events and driving us into unprecedented lock-down. Leagues were decided on unweighted points per game and play-off games finally permitted in the heat of July, behind closed doors and under the strictest of medical conditions. Penalty shoot-out defeat against Gateshead mercifully drew a final line under the season.
The 2020-21 season was abandoned after 16 games without promotion but one highlight stuck out as a fine FA Cup run ended in narrow second round defeat on live Friday evening BBC television at an empty Tranmere Rovers’ Prenton Park. And so we came to 2021-22 after two troubled seasons, the world and football aiming to get back on its feet.
Kevin Wilkin’s team was never out of the top two all season long. A record points tally, just five defeats, only 23 goals conceded and 28 clean sheets recorded marked a magnificent campaign, eventually ending runners up as Gateshead took top spot with a late strong run leaving Saints with a fourth attempt at promotion to Step One via the play-offs. Defeat at home against York City in the play-off semi-final was the final action of a long season that had started in superb style with three straight wins, all away from home as Covid still played havoc with fixtures. Newcomer Twariq Yusuf struck a late winner at Chorley on his first appearance to get the season off to a flier and winning at York City’s brand new LNER stadium set tongues wagging that this was a Brackley Town side of resilience and belief. Wins against near neighbours Leamington and Southport and a draw at Blyth Spartans led into a first defeat of the season at home against Darlington when an early red card left Saints with ten me n for 70 minutes of the match.
There followed a run of ten games unbeaten before losing out to a very strong Gateshead side at The International Stadium in mid-December. Bouncing back in style however, a win away at Boston’s new stadium saw Saints top of the table at New Year.
2022 started with defeat on Kettering’s pitch that was akin to a ploughed field and has now acquired legendary status among all clubs. There followed a remarkable sequence of 18 unbeaten games including wins over Kettering, AFC Fylde, Kidderminster and Gateshead at St James Park. On the evening of 9 April following a home win over York City Saints sat top of National League North with six games remaining.
However home defeats against Boston United and Blyth Spartans, draws at Leamington and Hereford and a final day draw with Chester marked a frustrating finale to the season with worryingly no goals scored in five of the last eight games.
Once more into the play-offs and a semi-final game this time at home against York City, a side that Saints had twice beaten in the regular season and finished 21 points lower in the table. On the day a single goal settled it in The Minstermen’s favour. The match report said it all: “York City progressed to the play-off final as Brackley were the architects of their own downfall, suffering play-off heart-break at a packed St James Park. A lack of composure in front of goal saw a series of chances spurned before a defensive slip was punished by York in a rare goal threat and the visitors defended what they had to see the game out. “It is a tough one to have to swallow,” Kevin Wilkin said. “I can’t ask any more from the lads physically. It was a game we felt we could win. We always felt comfortable in the game but a slight lapse in concentration just before half-time cost us. The lads applied themselves in the right way, we were set up in the right way and asked questions of York but we didn’t do that most important of things and score the goal. I’ve reminded the boys how well
they’ve done through the regular season and the points they’ve amassed. The dedication and focus is great credit to the players and my management team and everybody at the club. This is not a massive club but we work hard at what we do and we have been competitive for a good number of years now. We will get over this and pick ourselves up and hopefully go again next season.”
The 2022-23 season started with a home win against newly promoted Scarborough Athletic but three successive defeats pointed to a tough campaign ahead. With the team in 8th place after ten games and an FA Cup defeat at the hands of Northern Premier League Worksop Town, Kevin Wilkin’s time was up. Wilkin had brought amazing success to the club but, like prime ministers, managers rarely get to choose the timing of their departure. Wilkin was quickly snapped up by AFC Telford United and Brackley moved to appoint ex-Premier League defender Roger Johnson as the next incumbent to follow Wilkin’s seven season reign.
Johnson had shared Wilkin’s greatest day at Wembley in 2018 but on the losing side and there seemed a strange turn of events to find central defender Johnson managing FA trophy-winning captain Gaz Dean but Johnson’s time started brightly with a thirteen game unbeaten trun up until the turn of the year. The Christmas/ New Year double header brought Banbury United to St James Park on Boxing Day for a 1-1 draw before the return leg on New Year’s Day brought a win and top spot in the division.
Lying third in mid-February four defeats in five games were followed by six more winless games and time was called on Johnson’s St James Park tenure. Legendary captain Dean was asked to step into the breach aided by Jimmy Armson and Martin Woods. With the play-off places wide open and competition red hot Dean’s side won one, lost one and drew two to get Saints over the line in 4th place and into the play-off eliminators.
A midweek home game against Gloucester City was won in a penalty shoot-out with five immaculate spot-kicks to set up a trip to Chester in the semi-final. George Carline’s goal was the difference as Saints put in a resilient performance at a hostile Deva Stadium. A serious crowd disturbance at the conclusion of the game marred a marvellous afternoon for the visitors and was to bring significant sanctions to the home club by the National League and a formal investigation by Cheshire police.
The final took place at St James Park with Kidderminster Harriers the visitors. In early April Harriers had been looking over their shoulder in 14th place but a remarkable winning run of nine games edged them into the play-off places and away wins in the eliminator and at second-placed King’s Lynn Town in the semi-final eased them into the final.
In front of a record home crowd of over 3000 and on live television Saints started well until a defensive mix up let in Harriers and Dean’s side never recovered conceding a second after the interval and the dream had gone for another season.

The 2020-21 season was abandoned after 16 games without promotion but included a terrific FA Cup campaign that ended in Round 2 with live Friday night coverage on BBC2 and a 1-0 defeat at Tranmere Rovers. And so we came to 2021-22 after two troubled seasons, the world and football aiming to get back on its feet.

Kevin Wilkin’s team was never out of the top two all season long. A record points tally, just five defeats, only 23 goals conceded and 28 clean sheets marked a magnificent campaign, eventually ending runners up as Gateshead took top spot with a late, strong run leaving Saints with a fourth attempt at promotion to Step One via the play-offs. Defeat at home against York City in the play-off semi-final was the final action of a long season that had started in superb style with three straight wins, all away from home as Covid still played havoc with fixtures.

A run of ten games unbeaten before losing out to a very strong Gateshead side at The International Stadium in mid-December set up the second half of the season and, bouncing back in style, a win away at Boston’s new stadium saw Saints top of the table at New Year.

2022 started with defeat on Kettering’s pitch that was akin to a ploughed field and has now acquired legendary status among all clubs. There followed a remarkable sequence of 18 unbeaten games including wins over Kettering, AFC Fylde, Kidderminster and Gateshead at St James Park. On the evening of 9 April following a home win over York City Saints sat top of National League North with six games remaining.

However home defeats against Boston United and Blyth Spartans, draws at Leamington and Hereford and a final day draw with Chester marked a frustrating finale to the season with worryingly no goals scored in five of the last eight games.

Sustained success on the pitch brought increased spectator numbers and the decade of progress on and off the pitch was marked by the opening in July 2021 of The Venue replacing the previous clubhouse destroyed by fire two years before, the installation of further seated accommodation and improved supporter facilities around St James Park. The amenities provided by The Venue and the role the club played through its community work and during the pandemic only enhanced Brackley

Town Football Club’s place at the very heart of the town’s community and demonstrate the continued ambition to develop all aspects of the club and the commitment to further, future success.

Brackley Town Football Club

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