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Northwich Victoria Football Club are a semi-professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...
club based in
Northwich {{Infobox UK place , static_image_name = Northwich - Town Bridge.jpg , static_image_caption = Town Bridge, the River Weaver and the spire of Holy Trinity Church , official_name = Northwich , country ...
,
Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county tow ...
, which compete in the . They play home games at
Wincham Park Wincham Park is a football stadium in Wincham, a parish on the edge of Northwich, England. The home ground of Witton Albion, it first opened in 1989, after the club left their former Central Ground. Capacity is 4,813, with 600 covered seats ...
, in a groundshare agreement with nearby rivals Witton Albion. They had played at the same
Drill Field The Drill Field was a football stadium in Northwich, Cheshire, which was the home ground of Northwich Victoria Football Club between 1875 and 3 May 2002. At the time it was closed, it was believed to have been the oldest football ground in the ...
ground between 1875 and 2002, which was at the time of its demolition was believed to be the oldest ground in the world on which football had been continuously played. They played at the short-lived Victoria Stadium between 2005 and 2011, and have since been forced to share grounds with nearby clubs. The original club was founded in 1874, and named in honour of the then-reigning monarch,
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...
. They won the first six
Cheshire Senior Cup The Cheshire County Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the Cheshire Senior Cup, is a football knockout tournament founded in the 1879–80 season and involves teams from Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside, England. It ...
finals in the competition's history. The club became defunct and amalgamated with Hartford and Davenham United in February 1890, with the new club taking the old Northwich Victoria name. This new club helped to found
The Combination The Combination was a league during the early days of English football. It had two incarnations; the first ran only for the 1888–89 season for teams across the Northern England and the Midlands, and was wound up before completion. The second ...
in 1890, before being invited to become founding members of the
Football League Second Division The Football League Second Division was the second level division in the English football league system between 1892 and 1992. Following the foundation of the FA Premier League, the Football League divisions were renumbered and the third t ...
two years later. After two seasons playing in the
Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in Association football around the wor ...
, they returned to The Combination and spent 1989 to 1900 in the Cheshire League. Northwich spent 1900 to 1912 competing in the
Manchester League The Manchester Football League is a football league in England, affiliated with Manchester FA, covering a 30-mile radius from Manchester Town Hall. It was formed in 1893, although play ceased between 1912 and 1920. Currently it consists of fiv ...
, being crowned champions in the 1902–03 campaign. They spent a short time either side of
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
in the
Lancashire Combination The Lancashire Combination was a football league founded in the North West of England in 1891–92. It absorbed the Lancashire League in 1903. In 1968 the Combination lost five of its clubs to the newly formed Northern Premier League. In 1982 it ...
. Northwich Victoria became founder members of the
Cheshire County League The Cheshire County League was a football league founded in the north west of England in 1919, drawing its teams largely from Cheshire, surrounding English counties and North Wales. Initially the league was dominated by the reserve teams of Footb ...
in 1919 and would win the competition for the first and only time in the 1956–57 season. They co-founded the
Northern Premier League The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. It has four divisions: the Premier Division (which stands at level 7 of the English football league system), Division One East, Division One West and Divisio ...
in 1968 and then the
Alliance Premier League The National League (named Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons) is an association football league in England consisting of three divisions, the National League, National League North, and National League South. It was called the ...
in 1979. Northwich won the
FA Trophy The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after the English Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams. The com ...
in
1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
, having been runners-up in
1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C ...
and then again in
1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 800, causing the plane to crash and killing everyone o ...
. Relegated in 2005, they won the
Conference North The National League North, formerly Conference North, is a division of the National League in England, immediately below the National League division. Along with the National League South, it is at the second level of the National League Syst ...
title at the end of the 2005–06 campaign, However, the club suffered three relegations in four years by 2012, and were relegated down to the ninth tier of English football in 2017. In June 2017, the club was taken over by its supporters.


History


Early history and amalgamation

The generally accepted year for the original bois Victoria Football Club's founding is 1874 by Charles James Hughes and James Heyworth. However, according to club historian Ken Edwards' book ''A Team for All Seasons'', the organisation itself could have been in existence earlier in the 1870s. Northwich played their first challenge matches in the 1874 season and originally accepted both
association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
and
rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...
rules. This was shown in 1876 when they contested an away match under Rugby rules at Farnworth and Appleton F.C. (now known as
Widnes Vikings The Widnes Vikings are an English rugby league club in Widnes, Cheshire, which competes in the Betfred Championship. The club plays home matches at the Halton Stadium. Founded as Widnes Football Club, they are one of the original twenty-two r ...
) and then at home under association rules, winning both games. The first time the club entered an organised competition was the 1877
Welsh Cup The FAW Welsh Cup ( cy, Cwpan Cymdeithas Pêl-droed Cymru), currently known as the JD Welsh Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams in the Welsh football league system. It is considered the mo ...
, which at the time was open to Welsh teams as well as English teams situated close to the border. Its best achievement in the competition was in the 1881–82 and 1888–89 seasons, when the club reached the final, losing to
Druids A druid was a member of the high-ranking class in ancient Celtic cultures. Druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no written accounts. Whi ...
and Bangor respectively. When they reached the final in 1882, they were the first English club to do so. In 1880, the club entered the inaugural competition for the new Cheshire Football Association Challenge Cup (Cheshire Senior Cup) and became the first winners of the cup with a victory over Hartford St. John's. They went on to win the cup for the next five seasons, defeating in the finals: Birkenhead (1881), Northwich Novelty (1882),
Crewe Alexandra Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Crewe, Cheshire, that competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Railwaymen' because of ...
(1883 and 1884), and Davenham (1885). In 1890, the club became a founding member of the second incarnation of
The Combination The Combination was a league during the early days of English football. It had two incarnations; the first ran only for the 1888–89 season for teams across the Northern England and the Midlands, and was wound up before completion. The second ...
, Northwich's first league. In their second season in the league they finished as runners-up. On Monday 17 February 1890, the original club would cease to exist by the end of that season after a vote was passed at the Crown and Anchor Hotel, Northwich, to amalgamate with nearby Hartford and Davenham United; that club had also been formed by the amalgamation of Hartford St. John's (founded in 1876) and Davenham (founded in 1879). It was agreed at the meeting that the new club would use the name Northwich Victoria, however the original club was declared defunct, and the Cheshire Challenge Cup which had been given to the club, was now given to the Brunner Public Library in the town.


Professionalism and the Football League

A great leap forward was taken in 1892, when Northwich became one of the founding members of the English Second Division, which saw the team turn professional. In the league's inaugural season, Northwich finished 7th, the highest finish in the club's history. It was during the latter stages of this season that Northwich acquired the services of
Billy Meredith William Henry Meredith (30 July 1874 – 19 April 1958) was a Welsh professional footballer. He was considered one of the early superstars of football due to his performances, notably for Manchester City and Manchester United. He won each ...
, the Welsh International, who is widely regarded as the first football superstar. At Northwich, he teamed up with Pat Finnerhan, a regular for the Northwich team for the past few seasons, and a player whom Meredith would spend more time with when both joined
Manchester City Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
in 1894. It was said by many that "Finnerhan made Meredith". Northwich would remain a professional team for one further season, 1893–94, during which they defeated
Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East En ...
5–3 at the Drill Field, a game where Meredith scored his first hat-trick for the club. Another notable result was holding Woolwich Arsenal (now known as Arsenal F.C.) to a 2–2 draw at the Drill Field. However, as a result of their final position at the bottom of the league, the club's board decided not to apply for re-election to the Football League at the end of the season. The financial burden of professional football had taken its toll on the club, which decided to return to strictly amateur, regional football in their first and previous league,
The Combination The Combination was a league during the early days of English football. It had two incarnations; the first ran only for the 1888–89 season for teams across the Northern England and the Midlands, and was wound up before completion. The second ...
, where they had a mixture of mid-table and top-half finishes up to the 1898 season, when they left the league. In 1898, Northwich became a member of the newly formed Cheshire League, where they remained for two seasons, finishing 8th in their first season, and runners-up in their next season in the First Division. Up to the middle of this century, Northwich played in red and blue horizontal stripes. However a major change in the club's livery occurred when they adopted the colours they still wear today; green and white.
Lured by the chance of increased revenues, the club joined the
Manchester League The Manchester Football League is a football league in England, affiliated with Manchester FA, covering a 30-mile radius from Manchester Town Hall. It was formed in 1893, although play ceased between 1912 and 1920. Currently it consists of fiv ...
in the 1900–01 season, when they finished runners-up. Silverware came only two seasons later in the 1902–03 season when they won the league, finishing 9 points clear of their nearest challengers Newton Heath Athletic. They departed the Manchester League in the 1912–13 season, becoming members of the second division of the
Lancashire Combination The Lancashire Combination was a football league founded in the North West of England in 1891–92. It absorbed the Lancashire League in 1903. In 1968 the Combination lost five of its clubs to the newly formed Northern Premier League. In 1982 it ...
(not to be confused with The Combination). Their first season saw them promoted to the First Division after finishing 4th. In 1919, the club became a founding member of the
Cheshire County League The Cheshire County League was a football league founded in the north west of England in 1919, drawing its teams largely from Cheshire, surrounding English counties and North Wales. Initially the league was dominated by the reserve teams of Footb ...
, which was more appropriate for its location in the county of Cheshire. Making hard work of achieving success, Northwich won the league only once in the 1956–57 season. They continued to play in the league until the 1967–68 season.


Post-war

In 1968, Northwich were one of several members from the Cheshire County League to leave and become a founder member of the newly created
Northern Premier League The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. It has four divisions: the Premier Division (which stands at level 7 of the English football league system), Division One East, Division One West and Divisio ...
. Generally finishing around mid-table or in the top half, it was the 1976–77 season when Northwich came closest to winning the league, narrowly missing out on the title on goal difference to
Boston United Boston United Football Club is a semi-professional association football club based in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. The club participates in the National League North, at the sixth tier of the English football league system. The club is known ...
on the final day of the season following a 1–1 draw with Scarborough. In the same season Northwich had their best run in the FA Cup in modern times, reaching the Fourth Round (see FA Cup History). In 1979, Northwich were founder members of yet another league, when the
Alliance Premier League The National League (named Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons) is an association football league in England consisting of three divisions, the National League, National League North, and National League South. It was called the ...
(later the
Football Conference The National League (named Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons) is an association football league in England consisting of three divisions, the National League, National League North, and National League South. It was called the ...
) was formed. In 1980–81, Northwich finished 4th, their highest position in the league. They were the last ever-present team when they were relegated in the 2004–05 season. The club reached the final of the
FA Trophy The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after the English Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams. The com ...
in the 1982–83 season, but were beaten 2–1 by Telford United. However the club achieved silverware in the 1983–84 season when they defeated
Bangor City Bangor City Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Bangor) are an inactive Welsh football club from the City of Bangor, Gwynedd. They started the 2021–22 season in the Cymru North the second level of the Welsh football league system, bu ...
2–1 in the same competition, the FA Trophy in a replay of the final at the appropriately named
Victoria Ground The Victoria Ground was the home ground of Stoke City from 1878 until 1997, when the club relocated to the Britannia Stadium after 119 years. At the time of its demolition it was the oldest operational ground in the Football League. History ...
in Stoke-on-Trent. The first game, played at
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
, was drawn 1–1. On 10 December 1986, Northwich were due to play
Maidstone Maidstone is the largest town in Kent, England, of which it is the county town. Maidstone is historically important and lies 32 miles (51 km) east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town, linking it wi ...
, who were on that day the leaders of the GM Vauxhall Conference. Northwich had been badly hit by injuries and flu, and were unable to field a full team; they had tried but failed to get the match postponed. Manager
Stuart Pearson Stuart James Pearson (born 21 June 1949) is an English former footballer. His nickname was "Pancho". He was a skilful forward who played in three FA Cup finals, two for Manchester United and one with West Ham United. Playing career Hull City ...
planned to start the game with the only eight fit players at his disposal. On hearing of this, club chairman Derek Nuttall walked into the social club an hour before kick-off and asked if anyone would like a game. After the initial surprise, three supporters (one of whom had already fortified himself with two pints and a pork pie) volunteered. Registration formalities were completed just in time, and the match (later to be dubbed "The Pie and Pints Match") went ahead. The three new players were given the instruction, "When you get the ball, give it to (former England international) Gordon Hill" - which they did. Northwich 1-1 Maidstone. In the 1995–96 season, they reached the final of the
FA Trophy The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after the English Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams. The com ...
once again, returning to Wembley for the first time since their draw and eventual victory in the competition a decade earlier. They were defeated 3–1 by
Macclesfield Town Macclesfield Town Football Club was an English professional football club based in Macclesfield, Cheshire, that was wound-up after a High Court ruling on 16 September 2020. Initially known as Macclesfield F.C., the club was formed in 1874 and ...
.


2000s and the end of the Drill Field

The new century saw Northwich Victoria face great financial difficulties and relegation, with the club nearly folding following
administration Administration may refer to: Management of organizations * Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal ** Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an administrative officer, admini ...
in both the 2004–05 and 2009–10 seasons. In the 2003–04 season, Northwich were slated for relegation to the
Conference North The National League North, formerly Conference North, is a division of the National League in England, immediately below the National League division. Along with the National League South, it is at the second level of the National League Syst ...
division as part of the
National League System The National League System comprises the six levels of the English football league system immediately below the level of the English Football League. It comes under the jurisdiction of The Football Association. The National League System has a h ...
restructuring; however, the bankruptcy of Telford United, Watnall Road, the ground of Hucknall Town's not being good enough and the demotion of
Margate Margate is a seaside town on the north coast of Kent in south-east England. The town is estimated to be 1.5 miles long, north-east of Canterbury and includes Cliftonville, Garlinge, Palm Bay and Westbrook. The town has been a significan ...
all led to Northwich Victoria being allowed to remain at the Conference National level. In September of the 2004–05 season, the club went into administration, and thus were deducted 10 points under National League rules, which left them in relegation trouble. However, the team recovered and finished in 19th place, nine points clear of the relegation zone. Unfortunately, they were voluntarily demoted from the Conference National anyway due to legal problems. After going into administration, FA deadlines over the transfer of their Conference membership to the club's new owners were not met. The alternative to demotion would have been outright expulsion from the Conference, which would have forced the club to start again in one of the lower regional divisions). The 2005–06 season appeared to be a turn in the right direction for Northwich as they reached the Third Round of the FA Cup, and in the penultimate game of the season, beat their nearest rivals,
Stafford Rangers Stafford Rangers Football Club is a semi-professional English football team from Stafford which plays in the Northern Premier League Premier Division. The team wear black and white stripes with black shorts. Stafford Rangers' rivals include T ...
, in front of more than 3,000 supporters to guarantee an immediate return to the Conference National and see them as champions of the Conference North. In October 2007 it was reported that the club was up for sale, and the club's existence was again threatened due to an unpaid tax bill. The club had applied to go into administration to stave off closure. In December 2007, a consortium led by Jim Rushe completed a takeover, with Rushe becoming the Club's chairman. However, Victoria Stadium remained owned by former chairman Mike Connett's real estate company Beaconet Ltd., which was in receivership. In January 2009, Connett removed safety equipment from the stadium, causing the club to move temporarily to
Altrincham Altrincham ( , locally ) is a market town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, south of the River Mersey. It is southwest of Manchester city centre, southwest of Sale and east of Warrington. At the 2011 Census, it had a population o ...
's
Moss Lane Moss Lane (currently known as the J. Davidson Stadium for sponsorship purposes) is a multi-purpose stadium in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, England. It is currently used primarily for football matches and is the home ground of Altrincham. Th ...
ground. On 19 May 2009 the club went into administration for the second time in five years following their relegation from the Conference National; they owed around £500,000 in unpaid bills to creditors. They were threatened with a double relegation to the
Northern Premier League The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. It has four divisions: the Premier Division (which stands at level 7 of the English football league system), Division One East, Division One West and Divisio ...
as a result of this, but ultimately won an appeal to be placed into the Conference North for the 2009–10 season. The 2009–10 season saw Northwich achieve a mid-table finish, but due to the ongoing financial problems, the club were expelled from the league and placed in the Northern Premier League Premier Division. For months following their FA Cup campaign in 2009, the club was still owed at least £180,000 of its FA Cup and TV broadcasting money by the FA, which would have allowed the club to settle their remaining debts. The club received the money in December 2010, a welcome relief due to adverse weather conditions which had affected football fixtures during the Winter. During the season, Northwich won the
Cheshire Senior Cup The Cheshire County Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the Cheshire Senior Cup, is a football knockout tournament founded in the 1879–80 season and involves teams from Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside, England. It ...
for the first time in 15 years, beating Woodley Sports on penalties. This was their first piece of silverware since they won the Conference North in 2006. They remained unbeaten in the competition under the management of Andy Preece until the end of 2011 following their defeat to
Stalybridge Celtic Stalybridge Celtic Football Club is an English football club based in Stalybridge, Greater Manchester. They are currently members of the and play at Bower Fold. The team traditionally plays in a blue and white strip. In 1921 Stalybridge Celtic ...
. The team won the cup twice under Preece's management. Following the end of the 2009–10 season, most of the squad were placed on the transfer market in an effort to cut wage bills. By the start of the new season, only three players from the previous season remained in the squad. The reserve feeder team, Woodley F.C, became Northwich Villa, who played in Division One of the Cheshire Football League. Many of the squad for that season came through the new structure into the first team's squad.


2010s, management split and ground crisis

In January 2012 the club were informed that they were to be evicted from the Victoria Stadium by their neighbours THOR Chemicals who had purchased the land, despite assurances that the club's purchase of the ground was almost complete. At the same time the management team of
Andy Preece Andrew Preece (born 27 March 1967) is an English football manager and former professional footballer who is currently the manager of Chorley.Andy Morrison Andrew Charles Morrison (born 30 July 1970) is a Scottish football manager and former footballer who is currently head coach of the Sri Lanka national team. As a player he was a central defender who played in the Premier League with Blackburn R ...
, and
Darren Ryan Darren Ryan (born 3 July 1972) is an English former footballer. Career Ryan began his professional career with Shrewsbury Town, as he progressed through the youth system and made four Football League appearances for them from 1990 to 1992. He ...
left the club to join Airbus UK Broughton. They were replaced by Paul Simpson, but he departed after only a month, and
Martin Foyle Martin John Foyle (born 2 May 1963) is an English former professional footballer and manager who is the Head of Recruitment at club St Mirren. In his 20-year playing career he played 533 League games, scoring 155 goals. As a manager, he took ...
took over until the end of the season. In April 2012 the Northern Premier League announced that Northwich Victoria had been expelled from the league for a breach of league rules regarding financial matters. Although lying second in the league, the club was not allowed to contest the playoffs. On appeal, the FA ruled that the punishment was excessive; instead the club was relegated one step in the league. On 8 May 2012, it was announced that former
Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club' ...
striker
Andy Mutch Andrew Todd Mutch (born 28 December 1963) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. During his playing career, he was widely known for his partnership with Steve Bull at Wolverhampton Wanderers. Playing career Mutch ...
would be taking over as manager for the 2012–13 season.
Northwich started the season in the lowest league in the club's history, with their local rivals Witton Albion starting in a higher division for the first time. With no home ground, and a large section of the fan-base refusing to associate with the Club or its then-owner, Northwich Victoria achieved its lowest ever home game attendance, with only 86 spectators witnessing a 3–4 defeat to
Stamford A.F.C. Stamford Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Stamford, Lincolnshire. They currently compete in the . History The club was established in 1896 and spent a single season in the East Midlands League. After se ...
Mutch departed from the club on 3 November of that year, with the club mired in controversy but eighth in the league table. Lee Ashcroft was appointed the new manager in December 2012. Northwich moved from the Northern Premier League Division One South to Division One North in 2013–14. During December, a 10-match stadium ban that had been given to Ashcroft was upheld on appeal, and so he was replaced as manager by
Jim Gannon James Paul Gannon (born 7 September 1968) is a professional football manager and former player who most recently was manager of Hyde United. He started and finished his career as a player in Ireland, but made most of his professional appear ...
. In 2014–15, Northwich finished fourth and qualified for the promotion playoffs but was defeated in extra time. However, for 2015–16, Witton Albion were relegated to the same division, and Northwich was able to re-establish a three-year ground-sharing arrangement with them permitting Northwich to play at Wincham Park. In the
2015–16 FA Cup The 2015–16 FA Cup (also known as the FA Challenge Cup) was the 135th edition of the oldest recognised association football, football tournament in the world. It was sponsored by Emirates (airline), Emirates, and known as The Emirates FA Cup fo ...
, Northwich advanced through six rounds of competition to become the last team from Level 8 still competing, and Northwich finished third in Division One North despite a 9-point penalty for using an ineligible player in four matches, reaching the finals in the playoffs for promotion. For the 2016–17 season, both Northwich and Witton Albion were transferred to Division One South. In January 2016, Gannon departed, being replaced by Adam Lakeland. Paul Moore took over as manager after the resignation of Lakeland during the mid season 2016–17 . With off-field developments overshadowing the hard work of players and management, the new-look team struggled at the lower end of the table for much of the season and certainly Lakeland had his work cut out from the start. Despite some and potential lifelines at the end of the season, the announcement came that the club was to enter administration yet again (along with the inevitable 10-point deduction) and relegation to Step 5 was confirmed. Paul Moore was replaced as manager by
Steve Wilkes Stephen Brian Wilkes (born 30 June 1967) is an English former professional footballer who played in the Football League as a midfielder. Wilkes was born in Preston, Lancashire. He was a part of the Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football C ...
in September 2017.


Cup history

During their long history, Northwich Victoria have had many FA Cup runs where they have qualified for the First Round Proper and further. Their first, and best run, came in the 1883–84 season, when the side reached the quarterfinals, defeating
Druids A druid was a member of the high-ranking class in ancient Celtic cultures. Druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no written accounts. Whi ...
, Davenham and Brentwood in the earlier rounds. However, they were beaten ultimately by Blackburn Olympic in the quarterfinals. On 19 November 1892, Northwich defeated
Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...
2–1 in the Third Qualifying Round in Liverpool's first season and therefore became the first team to eliminate Liverpool from the FA Cup. In modern times, Northwich Victoria's best performance in the FA Cup came in the 1976–77 season, reaching the Fourth Round. After beating
Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Bor ...
in the First Round (forcing them to two replays), they defeated
Peterborough United Peterborough United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Peterborough have a long-standing ...
on the Second Round and
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
's
Watford Watford () is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne. Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal encouraged the construction of paper-making mills, print works, and ...
3–2 at the Drill Field in the Third Round. A home tie against
Oldham Athletic Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is a professional football club in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The history of Oldham Athletic be ...
for the Fourth round was moved to
Maine Road Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England, that was home to Manchester City F.C. from 1923 to 2003. It hosted FA Cup semi-finals, the Charity Shield, a League Cup final and England matches. Maine Road's highest a ...
due to popular interest. Northwich lost the game 3–1 in front of a crowd of more than 29,000, their largest crowd ever. In the 2005–06 season, under the management of
Steve Burr Steve Burr (born 12 January 1960) is a Scottish former footballer who was most recently manager of Hednesford Town. Playing career Steve Burr began his football career as a player with Stafford Rangers but it was with a summer 1984 move to Ma ...
, Northwich reached the FA Cup Third Round, and were drawn against Premier League side
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
on 8 January 2006. Over 3,000 supporters travelled to the Stadium of Light, where Northwich were ultimately defeated 3–0. The club have reached the Second Round on several occasions: in 1979–80 (losing to
Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1932, ...
in a replay), 1982–83 (
Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England. The side currently competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The te ...
), 1984–85 (Wigan Athletic), 1987–88 (
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre rivers, and is ...
), 1988–89 (
Tranmere Rovers Tranmere Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. The team compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1884 as Belmont Football Club, they ado ...
), 2000-01 (
Leyton Orient Leyton Orient Football Club is a professional football club based in Leyton, East London, England, who compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. They are the second oldest football club in London to play at a profession ...
), and 2009-10 ( Lincoln City). Despite their league position declining to Level 8, which required five qualifying rounds just to reach the First Round Proper, Northwich Victoria again reached the Second Round in 2015–16, and were defeated by
Northampton Town Northampton Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Northampton, England. The team plays in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1897, the club competed in the Midland ...
from
Football League Two The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football L ...
in December 2015.


Club identity

Northwich Victoria are known to their fans by several nicknames. The most common, Vics/The Vics, is a shortening of Victoria in the club's name. They are also known as 'The Trickies', a nickname initially given to them as an insult by local rivals, a nickname that has been adopted by the club's own fans. In old media, the club were also referred to as the Victorians (again owing to their name), and the 'Salt Boys/Men', due to Northwich's history as being a centre of the UK salt trade.


Grounds

From their foundation in 1874, Northwich played at the
Drill Field The Drill Field was a football stadium in Northwich, Cheshire, which was the home ground of Northwich Victoria Football Club between 1875 and 3 May 2002. At the time it was closed, it was believed to have been the oldest football ground in the ...
, located in the centre of Northwich. Due to the ground not meeting new safety regulations and standards, and to provide revenue for the club, the ground was demolished in 2002. In the three-year gap between the demolition of the Drill Field and the construction of Victoria Stadium, Northwich played at
Wincham Park Wincham Park is a football stadium in Wincham, a parish on the edge of Northwich, England. The home ground of Witton Albion, it first opened in 1989, after the club left their former Central Ground. Capacity is 4,813, with 600 covered seats ...
, the home of their Northwich rivals Witton Albion, which is located across the canal from the Victoria Stadium. A new ground was built in
Wincham 200px, Map of civil parish of Wincham in the former borough of Vale Royal Wincham is a civil parish and village in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is about three miles north ...
, a few miles outside of the town in the middle of a business park. It was named the Victoria Stadium, and was opened in 2005, with its official opening in 2006 by Sir Alex Ferguson. When the team was sold to Jim Rushe in 2007, ownership of Victoria Stadium remained with former owner Mike Connett, although Rushe always claimed that his purchase of the stadium was imminent. In January 2012, Rushe's planned purchase of the Victoria Stadium fell through, and the site was sold to chemical manufacturer Thor Specialities Ltd., who were based adjacent to the stadium and planned on expanding their operation. As a result, the club was evicted from the ground with immediate effect, with its remaining home fixtures of the 2011–12 season either played at nearby venues or switched to the ground of the away team. Victoria Stadium was then torn down. The club then tentatively agreed to share Marston Road, the home of
Stafford Rangers Stafford Rangers Football Club is a semi-professional English football team from Stafford which plays in the Northern Premier League Premier Division. The team wear black and white stripes with black shorts. Stafford Rangers' rivals include T ...
located over 40 miles south of Northwich, to enable them to gain readmission to the Northern Premier League for the following season. The club hoped to secure a groundshare closer to their home town before the season started, and eventually agreed a lease on Flixton's Valley Road. However, the ground at Flixton did not meet ground grading requirements for the Northern Premier League. The club then unsuccessfully appealed the leagues refusal to allow the sub-standard ground at Flixton and followed this up with a second unsuccessful appeal as to their placement in the Southern division of the Northern Premier League. The club were forced to remain at Stafford, and were subsequently denied the appeal to switch to the Northern division due to the extra travelling for the away clubs. In 2013–14, Northwich Victoria were permitted to transfer to the Northern division and to play at Flixton's Valley Road. Finally, in 2015–16, Northwich returned to playing at
Wincham Park Wincham Park is a football stadium in Wincham, a parish on the edge of Northwich, England. The home ground of Witton Albion, it first opened in 1989, after the club left their former Central Ground. Capacity is 4,813, with 600 covered seats ...
as part of a renewed ground-share with Witton Albion. On 7 March 2016, it was announced by Witton Albion that they would terminate the groundshare agreement at the end of the 2015/16 season. Northwich Victoria entered a groundshare agreement with Barnton FC to play at their Townfield lane ground for the 2017–18 season, before returning to Witton Albion's
Wincham Park Wincham Park is a football stadium in Wincham, a parish on the edge of Northwich, England. The home ground of Witton Albion, it first opened in 1989, after the club left their former Central Ground. Capacity is 4,813, with 600 covered seats ...
ground from the start of the 2018–19 season.


Rivalries

Vics have a fierce rivalry with Witton Albion, another
Northwich {{Infobox UK place , static_image_name = Northwich - Town Bridge.jpg , static_image_caption = Town Bridge, the River Weaver and the spire of Holy Trinity Church , official_name = Northwich , country ...
team who play less than 500 yards from the former Victoria Stadium site. They also have a rivalry with
Altrincham Altrincham ( , locally ) is a market town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, south of the River Mersey. It is southwest of Manchester city centre, southwest of Sale and east of Warrington. At the 2011 Census, it had a population o ...
.


Records and statistics

*Record victory – 17–0 ''v.'' Marple Ass. (Cheshire Senior Cup) (7 February 1931) *Highest attendance – 11,290 ''v.'' Witton Albion (Good Friday 1949) *Highest attendance (at any ground) — 28,635 ''v.''
Oldham Athletic Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is a professional football club in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The history of Oldham Athletic be ...
FA Cup Fourth Round –
Maine Road Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England, that was home to Manchester City F.C. from 1923 to 2003. It hosted FA Cup semi-finals, the Charity Shield, a League Cup final and England matches. Maine Road's highest a ...
– (Saturday 1.1.77; Northwich 1–3 Oldham) *Most appearances – 961, Ken Jones (1969–85) *Most goals scored (overall) — 160, Peter Burns (1955–66) *Most goals scored (season) — 60 in 47 games, Len Barber (1956–57) *Record transfer fee paid — £10,000 to
Hyde United Hyde United Football Club is a semi-professional football club in Hyde, Greater Manchester, England. Formed in 1919, they were renamed Hyde F.C. between 2010 and 2015 as part of a sponsorship deal with Manchester City.Kidderminster Harriers Kidderminster Harriers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England. The team compete in the National League North, at the sixth tier of the English football league system. Formed in ...
for Delwyn Humphreys (September 1995) *Record transfer fee received — £50,000 from Chester City for Neil Morton (October 1990) and £50,000 from
Leyton Orient Leyton Orient Football Club is a professional football club based in Leyton, East London, England, who compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. They are the second oldest football club in London to play at a profession ...
for
Gary Taylor-Fletcher Gary Taylor-Fletcher (né Fletcher, born 4 June 1981) is an English former professional footballer. He has scored in each of the top five divisions of English football. He has been known as Gary Taylor-Fletcher since his marriage to Viv Taylor i ...
(June 2001) *Highest League finish – 7th – Division 2 (1892–93) *Best FA Cup run – quarter-final (1883–84)


Founder members

Northwich Victoria are a founder member of several leagues, and inaugural members of cup competitions. These are: *Cheshire Football Association – 1878 *Cheshire County Football Association Challenge Cup (Cheshire Senior Cup) – inaugural member and first winner – 1879 *The Combination (second incarnation) – 1890 *Football League Second Division (Football League Championship) – 1892 *Cheshire County League – 1919 *Northern Premier League – 1968 *FA Trophy – inaugural member – 1969 *Alliance Premier League (Football Conference) – 1979 *Conference League Cup – inaugural member and first winner – 1979


Players


Notable former players

''Inclusion criteria: Attained international caps, went on to/previously played at a significantly higher level of football or is notable for a specific reason.''


Club management


Coaching positions

*Owner: Fan Owned *Chairman: Brian Turner *Vice-Chairman: Ian Egerton *Football Secretary: Dave Thomas *Manager:
Steve Wilkes Stephen Brian Wilkes (born 30 June 1967) is an English former professional footballer who played in the Football League as a midfielder. Wilkes was born in Preston, Lancashire. He was a part of the Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football C ...
*Treasurer: James Frith *Commercial Manager: Mike Wain


Managerial history


Honours and achievements


League

Conference North The National League North, formerly Conference North, is a division of the National League in England, immediately below the National League division. Along with the National League South, it is at the second level of the National League Syst ...
(6th tier) *Champions: 2005–06
Manchester League The Manchester Football League is a football league in England, affiliated with Manchester FA, covering a 30-mile radius from Manchester Town Hall. It was formed in 1893, although play ceased between 1912 and 1920. Currently it consists of fiv ...
*Champions: 1902–03
Cheshire County League The Cheshire County League was a football league founded in the north west of England in 1919, drawing its teams largely from Cheshire, surrounding English counties and North Wales. Initially the league was dominated by the reserve teams of Footb ...
*Champions: 1956–57


Cup

Cheshire Senior Cup The Cheshire County Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the Cheshire Senior Cup, is a football knockout tournament founded in the 1879–80 season and involves teams from Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside, England. It ...
*Winners: 1879–80, 1880–81, 1881–82, 1883–84, 1884–85, 1888–89, 1928–29, 1936–37, 1949–50, 1954–55, 1971–72, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1983–84, 1993–94, 2009–10, 2010–11 *Runners-up: 1891–92, 1896–97, 1905–06, 1908–09, 1939–40, 1947–48, 1950–51, 1963–64, 1965–66, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1977–78, 1985–86, 1998–99, 2002–03, 2006–07 Mid-Cheshire Senior Cup *Winners: 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12
Welsh Cup The FAW Welsh Cup ( cy, Cwpan Cymdeithas Pêl-droed Cymru), currently known as the JD Welsh Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams in the Welsh football league system. It is considered the mo ...
*Runners-up: 1881–82, 1888–89
Staffordshire Senior Cup The Staffordshire Senior Challenge Cup is a football cup tournament based in the county of Staffordshire in England first competed for in 1877–78. Organised by the Staffordshire Football Association, it is competed for by a mix of clubs from St ...
*Winners: 1978–79, 1979–80, 1989–90 *Runners-up: 1986–87, 1990–91
Conference League Cup The Conference League Cup (formerly known as the Setanta Shield for sponsorship reasons, and before that the Bob Lord Trophy) was a football competition open to clubs playing in the Football Conference. History The competition was formed for t ...
*Winners: 1979–80, 1992–93
FA Trophy The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after the English Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams. The com ...
*Winners: 1983–84 *Runners-up: 1982–83, 1995–96
Northern Premier League Challenge Cup The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. It has four divisions: the Premier Division (which stands at level 7 of the English football league system), Division One East, Division One West and Division ...
*Winners: 1972–73 *Runners-up: 1978–79, 2010–11 Drinkwise Cup *Winners: 1992–93


References

{{North West Counties League 1874 establishments in England Association football clubs established in 1874 Northwich Football clubs in Cheshire Football clubs in England Former English Football League clubs Cheshire County League clubs Lancashire Combination Northern Premier League clubs National League (English football) North West Counties Football League clubs Companies that have entered administration in the United Kingdom Fan-owned football clubs in England