Nantwich Town F.C.

1884–2004

Founded in 1884, Nantwich spent early years playing friendly and cup matches but in 1892 the club joined the Shropshire & District League, finishing as runners-up in the first season. Nantwich moved into the stronger Combination the following season and on 15 October 1892 hosted Liverpool in the Merseysiders' first ever FA Cup match (Liverpool won the first qualifying-round tie 4–0). In those early years, the club had A. N. Hornby as president. Hornby captained England at rugby and cricket and, as well as being President, turned out for the club on several occasions. Before World War I, Nantwich also had spells in a variety of leagues including the North Staffs & District, the Crewe & District, Manchester and Lancashire Combination leagues. After the war, the club became founder members of the Cheshire County League in which they were perennial strugglers, though they did finish 6th in 1921–22. The season before, a record home attendance of 5,121 watched the Dabbers play Winsford United in the Cheshire Senior Cup at their temporary home at Kingsley Fields (now the location of the club's current ground). In 1933 the Dabbers won the Cheshire Senior Cup after beating ICI (Alkali) at the Drill Field, Northwich in front of 8,000 fans After World War II, the Dabbers joined the newly founded Mid Cheshire League in 1948 and in 1952, the club entered the inaugural FA Youth Cup competition. Drawn against Manchester United in the second round, the young Dabbers…

Honours

FA Vase Winners 2005–06 Cheshire County League Champions 1980–81 Cheshire Senior Cup Champions 1932–33, 1975–76, 2007–08, 2011–12, 2017–18, 2018–19 Finalists 1889–90, 1897–98, 1903–04, 1913–14, 1929–30, 2008–09, 2016–17 North West Counties Football League Challenge Cup Champions 1994–95 Finalists 1992–93 Mid-Cheshire League Champions 1963–64 Runners-up 1950–51, 1961–62, 1964–65 Mid-Cheshire League Cup Winners 1961–62, 1963–64 Finalists 1948–49, 1964–65 Crewe Amateur Combination Champions 1946–47 The Combination Runners-Up 1902–03 Cheshire League Division One Runners-Up 1900–01 Shropshire & District League Runners-Up 1891–92 Manchester League Runners-Up 1966–67 Northern Premier League Division One South Play-Off Winners 2007–08 Eddie Morris Trophy Winners 2020, 2021, 2023

Records

Fee received: £25,000 (Forest Green Rovers for Jon Moran, 2016) £20,000 (Crewe Alexandra for Kelvin Mellor, 2008) £5,000 (+ £5,000) (Crewe Alexandra for Matthew Freeman, 2007) £4,000 (Stafford Rangers for Dougie Dawson, 1995) Record league victory: 20–0 v Whitchurch Alexandra, Cheshire League Division 1, 5 April 1901 Record win margin: 20 as above Record league defeat: 2–16 v Stalybridge Celtic, 22 October 1932 Most goals scored in one Season: 60 Bobby Jones, 1946–47 Record attendance: Kingsley Fields, Nantwich 5,121 v Winsford United, 19 February 1921 London Road (Jackson Avenue), Nantwich 4,000 v Crewe Alexandra Reserves, 21 April 1924 The Weaver Stadium, Nantwich 2,078 v…