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Radcliffe F.C.
Radcliffe Football Club (formerly Radcliffe Borough) is an English football club based in Radcliffe, Greater Manchester, where they play their home games at Stainton Park. 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 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.
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. 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. 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. 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. 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 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 2–1.
Radcliffe achieved its highest honour in the 1996–97 season, winning the Northern Premier League First Division title by two points from local rivals Leigh RMI. The club's stay in tier six lasted only one season.
The club reached the first round of the FA Cup in 2000, losing 1–4 to York City in a match played at Gigg Lane, the home of Bury, in front of a crowd of 2,495. Boro again missed out on promotion in the 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 in the semi-final at Irongate.
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Radcliffe F.C.
Radcliffe Football Club (formerly Radcliffe Borough) is an English football club based in Radcliffe, Greater Manchester, where they play their home games at Stainton Park. 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 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.
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. 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. 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. 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. 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 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 2–1.
Radcliffe achieved its highest honour in the 1996–97 season, winning the Northern Premier League First Division title by two points from local rivals Leigh RMI. The club's stay in tier six lasted only one season.
The club reached the first round of the FA Cup in 2000, losing 1–4 to York City in a match played at Gigg Lane, the home of Bury, in front of a crowd of 2,495. Boro again missed out on promotion in the 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 in the semi-final at Irongate.