Full name | Biggleswade Town Football Club |
---|---|
Nickname(s) | The Waders |
Founded | 1874 |
Ground | Carlsberg Stadium, Biggleswade |
Capacity | 3,000 (300 seated) |
Chairman | Maurice Dorrington |
Manager | Chris Nunn |
League | Southern League Premier Division |
2016–17 | Southern League Premier Division, 7th of 24 |
Website | Club home page |
Biggleswade Town Football Club is a football club based in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, England. The club are currently members of the Southern League Premier Division and play at the Carlsberg Stadium.
The club were established in 1874 as Biggleswade, later becoming known as Biggleswade & District, and played only friendlies and cup matches until the late 1890s. In 1902 they were founder members of the Biggleswade and District League, and were its first champions, also winning the Bedfordshire Senior Cup that year. The club went on to win the league twice more before World War I, also playing in the Bedford & District League between 1909 and 1912 and winning one title.
In 1920 the club joined the Northamptonshire League, which became the United Counties League in 1934, and won the Bedfordshire Premier Cup in 1922–23 and 1927–28. After World War II the club adopted its current name and joined the Spartan League in 1945. They returned to the UCL in 1951, before switching to the Eastern Counties League in 1955. During their time in the ECL they set the record for biggest away win with a 12–0 victory over Newmarket Town. In 1963 they returned to the UCL due to the increasing transport costs. In 1975–76 they finished bottom of the Premier Division, and were relegated to Division One.
In 1980 they joined the Premier Division of the South Midlands League. They were relegated to Division One in 1983, but were promoted back to the Premier Division in 1987. When the Spartan and South Midlands leagues merged to form the Spartan South Midlands League in 1997 the club were placed in the Premier Division North. The following season they were placed in the Senior Division, and after finishing fifth, were promoted to the Premier Division.
In 2007–08 they won the Bedfordshire Premier Cup for a third time, beating Luton Town 3–2 in the final. The following season they won the league title, earning promotion to Division One Midlands of the Southern League. In 2010 the division was renamed Division One Central, and the 2010–11 season saw Biggleswade finish fourth, qualifying for the promotion play-offs and losing 2–0 to Daventry Town in the semi-finals. In 2012–13 they finished fourth again, and in the subsequently play-offs they beat Godalming Town 2–1 in the semi-finals and Rugby Town 3–1 to earn promotion to the Premier Division. In 2014–15 the club reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time, losing 4–1 at Stourbridge.