Football
FIRST TEAM
Click here to information on Ludlow Town Football Club First Team
RESERVES
Click here to view the County League site where Ludlow Town Football Club Reserves play
COLTS
Click here to view the Shropshire Alliance League site where Ludlow Town Football Club Colts play
Club History
History
The Brief History of Ludlow Town F.C.
Ludlow Town Football Club are one of the oldest clubs currently playing in the West Midlands, being founded in (1890) and after playing on several council grounds around the town we had the opportunity to acquire our own facilities The Riddings Park in (1981), where our first league opponents were, Worcester City Reserves, on the opening of the new ground, on August 29th of that year. For most of the early years we played in the South Shropshire and North Herefordshire League’s. In the early 1960s we moved on to play in the Kidderminster League and on winning the Premier Division Title we transferred to the Shropshire County League. After many successful seasons in that league it was decided by the committee of the day that it was time to move the club forward. In 1978 Ludlow Town were elected into the West Midland (Regional) League Division Two, which was won at the first attempt, thus gaining promotion to Division One.
The club then went through a lean spell, and had to wait until the 1988/89 season before reaching our first West Midland League Final, finishing runners-up to Pelsall Villa 2-1 in the League Cup. However that same season saw Ludlow Town player and former manager Mark Evans being voted Division One `League Player of the Year’. 1990/91 proved to be one of our better seasons in the West Midland League finishing runners-up in Division One to Cradley Town, missing out on promotion due to ground facilities, but as some consolation we won the Division One League Cup beating Shropshire rivals Broseley Athletic. Steve Biggins was our second player to be voted `League Player of the Year’. Adding to that we also claimed the Presteigne Otway Cup, and successfully retained it the following season.
After ground improvements to include floodlights in 1994/95, we were elected into the newly formed Premier Division reaching the Premier League Cup Final in our first season, losing to Blakenall after a replay. Also that season saw Ludlow Town win the Shropshire County F.A. Challenge Cup beating Bridgnorth Town Reserves 3- 1 and again winning the Presteigne Otway Cup this time beating Llandrindod Wells 4-2 in the final. With two teams in the town it became difficult to sustain the running of both clubs, so 1995 saw the merger of Ludlow Town with local rivals Ludlow Colts, who at the time were playing their home games at the Linney in town.
Under the new management team of Les Bristow and Steve Frisby, the club achieved its best season to date by winning the West Midland (Regional) League Premier Division 2000/01, losing only one league game along the way. With the Town’s third player Ashley Davies to be voted `League Player of the Year’, Ashley also received the Leagues Leading Goalscorer award with 50 league goals to his name. This remarkable achievement allowed the club to apply for promotion into the Midland Football Alliance League. Town’s first season in the Alliance saw them finish in a very creditable tenth spot. Having spent their first two seasons playing away from home, ground sharing at Blakenhall and later Shifnal Town. The Knights succumbed to relegation two years later in 2005.
During this time we also re-located to our new Stadium at Bromfield Road. The current stadium boasts a modern main building with outstanding function rooms, lounges, bars, a physio room and club offices. To compliment this, the club have just installed a third generation artificial grass pitch which will benefit the people of South Shropshire as it is suitable for a wide range of sports. In July 2006, the Stadium was renamed “The SBS Stadium” after the announcement of Shropshire Building Supplies as the club’s strategic Local Community Partner.
Ludlow Town have been successful in winning the Shropshire County Challenge Cup in 1973/74, 1993/94, 1994/95 and 1996 /97 seasons with Graham Swinboume completing a remarkable `double’. Graham captained the winning side in 1973/74 and then twenty years later managed the 1993/94 side to cup glory.
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