The first team I ever saw play football has folded. Buckingham Town were founded in 1883, and until a few years ago they played at Ford Meadow, by the River Ouse, five minutes' walk from the house where I grew up. They played in the North Bucks League for a while. When I was a child I would go the reference library and read 19th century match reports from the local newspaper archive.
In 1983 the Robins (now in the United Counties League) were on the up, and hosted Second Division leaders Leicester City for a friendly to celebrate their centenary. The week before they came to town they thrashed Wolves 5-0, as I excitedly pointed out in middle school assembly when the headmaster announced that Big Football was coming to town. Leicester came, in November, with all their stars - Lineker, Alan Smith, Lynex, the stylish Gerry Daly - and I was lit. Spent most of the game running around trying to get autographs. Told John O'Neill he was one of four players I hadn't managed to get stickers of in my Espana 82 album (he took it well). Was refused a half-time autograph by Leicester manager Gordon Milne because he was "busy" (his team won 7-0, I think).
I had a pre-existing soft spot for Leicester since they ended Liverpool's record home unbeaten run two years previously. This match cemented that they were my team (yes, I know, it should have cemented Town as my team, but at the age of 10 I wanted a team with exciting famous players). Years later i realised that at the time their fans probably thought it was pretty odd to take all those first team players for a mid-season friendly with a non-league side. I wrote the whole thing up for Leicester fanzine The Fox, and (now in my 30s) felt ridiculously proud that I had a published article linking the two football clubs that have loomed large in my life.
But Buckingham weren't quite that little, they were coming into the best period of their history. With the mighty Terry Shrieves leading the line, Town had titanic battles at the top of the UCL with Rushden, Irthlingborough Diamonds and Brackley Town. Two of those had to merge to get the better of Robins! I think they won the UCL twice, and also brought the club's only appearance in the FA Cup proper, when they hosted Leyton Orient (lost 1-0. Supposedly a local character of our acquaintance, Pete Puissant, misdirected the visitors' coach so it got stuck in the ford from which Ford Meadow took its name, but I acknowledge this sounds pretty apocryphal).
After their second UCL win (I think) Town were awarded promotion to the Southern League, where they acquitted themselves with distinction, winning the Southern Division. This revealed the absolute limit of any possible ambition, as they were denied promotion due to the ground not meeting Premier Division standards. WSC ran an article on this by Philip Cornwall, in 1990 or thereabouts, and this ensured that I became a faithful reader of the mag. I was a casual, irregular attender at this time but I did go to the odd away match, travelling on the coach with the players and officials. Town also made the FA Vase QFs twice, losing out to Tiverton and Guiseley.
Being unable to gain promotion had an inevitable stagnating effect, and a few years later Town were relegated back into the UCL, but it wasn't the league it once was. The old rivals had gone - Rushden and Irthlingborough teaming up for a short-lived Football League adventure, Brackley starting a measured climb through the leagues that has seen them reach a ludicrously high level (Conference North playoffs FFS). Following a bizarre interlude where they appointed a manager who claimed to have managed the Fiji national side (he hadn't), Town continued to muddle along, managed for years by the odd but savvy Morell Maison, at one point including former FA Cup winner Christopher Wreh in their lineup, until being relegated from the UCL Prem in 2007. In 2011 they were forced to leave Ford Meadow and go into exile, first in Winslow, then in Milton Keynes. Last year I was in Buckingham and took photos of the rotting stands and goals - the land hasn't been developed and never will, as it floods like anything. If I can work out how I'll post some here, though they're hardly exciting.
Town's 'localness' can perhaps be measured by noting that I knew the children of two of the chairmen, as well as Mr. Newton who ran the programme hut. Buckingham's pop is (or was) about 10,000. Their demise leaves Buckingham Athletic of the South Midlands League as the town's only team, so good luck to them (they have a women's team, unimaginable when I was growing up).
Many thanks to Furtho for keeping me updated on the situation and on North Bucks football in general. He did tip me off that they were playing what would likely be their last game a couple of weeks ago, but sadly I was too ill to make it up there.
Thanks to anyone who made it through the whole post, and sorry if it was boring. I didn't want to let them go without saying something.
In 1983 the Robins (now in the United Counties League) were on the up, and hosted Second Division leaders Leicester City for a friendly to celebrate their centenary. The week before they came to town they thrashed Wolves 5-0, as I excitedly pointed out in middle school assembly when the headmaster announced that Big Football was coming to town. Leicester came, in November, with all their stars - Lineker, Alan Smith, Lynex, the stylish Gerry Daly - and I was lit. Spent most of the game running around trying to get autographs. Told John O'Neill he was one of four players I hadn't managed to get stickers of in my Espana 82 album (he took it well). Was refused a half-time autograph by Leicester manager Gordon Milne because he was "busy" (his team won 7-0, I think).
I had a pre-existing soft spot for Leicester since they ended Liverpool's record home unbeaten run two years previously. This match cemented that they were my team (yes, I know, it should have cemented Town as my team, but at the age of 10 I wanted a team with exciting famous players). Years later i realised that at the time their fans probably thought it was pretty odd to take all those first team players for a mid-season friendly with a non-league side. I wrote the whole thing up for Leicester fanzine The Fox, and (now in my 30s) felt ridiculously proud that I had a published article linking the two football clubs that have loomed large in my life.
But Buckingham weren't quite that little, they were coming into the best period of their history. With the mighty Terry Shrieves leading the line, Town had titanic battles at the top of the UCL with Rushden, Irthlingborough Diamonds and Brackley Town. Two of those had to merge to get the better of Robins! I think they won the UCL twice, and also brought the club's only appearance in the FA Cup proper, when they hosted Leyton Orient (lost 1-0. Supposedly a local character of our acquaintance, Pete Puissant, misdirected the visitors' coach so it got stuck in the ford from which Ford Meadow took its name, but I acknowledge this sounds pretty apocryphal).
After their second UCL win (I think) Town were awarded promotion to the Southern League, where they acquitted themselves with distinction, winning the Southern Division. This revealed the absolute limit of any possible ambition, as they were denied promotion due to the ground not meeting Premier Division standards. WSC ran an article on this by Philip Cornwall, in 1990 or thereabouts, and this ensured that I became a faithful reader of the mag. I was a casual, irregular attender at this time but I did go to the odd away match, travelling on the coach with the players and officials. Town also made the FA Vase QFs twice, losing out to Tiverton and Guiseley.
Being unable to gain promotion had an inevitable stagnating effect, and a few years later Town were relegated back into the UCL, but it wasn't the league it once was. The old rivals had gone - Rushden and Irthlingborough teaming up for a short-lived Football League adventure, Brackley starting a measured climb through the leagues that has seen them reach a ludicrously high level (Conference North playoffs FFS). Following a bizarre interlude where they appointed a manager who claimed to have managed the Fiji national side (he hadn't), Town continued to muddle along, managed for years by the odd but savvy Morell Maison, at one point including former FA Cup winner Christopher Wreh in their lineup, until being relegated from the UCL Prem in 2007. In 2011 they were forced to leave Ford Meadow and go into exile, first in Winslow, then in Milton Keynes. Last year I was in Buckingham and took photos of the rotting stands and goals - the land hasn't been developed and never will, as it floods like anything. If I can work out how I'll post some here, though they're hardly exciting.
Town's 'localness' can perhaps be measured by noting that I knew the children of two of the chairmen, as well as Mr. Newton who ran the programme hut. Buckingham's pop is (or was) about 10,000. Their demise leaves Buckingham Athletic of the South Midlands League as the town's only team, so good luck to them (they have a women's team, unimaginable when I was growing up).
Many thanks to Furtho for keeping me updated on the situation and on North Bucks football in general. He did tip me off that they were playing what would likely be their last game a couple of weeks ago, but sadly I was too ill to make it up there.
Thanks to anyone who made it through the whole post, and sorry if it was boring. I didn't want to let them go without saying something.
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