Club History Chronology 1 Chronology 2 Chronology 3

Stotfold is a small country town with a population in the region of 7600. It is situated in the county of Bedfordshire, but being near the North Herts border has strong links with the Hertfordshire towns of Baldock, Hitchin and Letchworth. The first recorded football in the town was 1904, however it is certain that the game was played for a number of years before that. In those early 1900s, Stotfold sides played in the Biggleswade and District League. This was followed by a spell of nearly 30 years in North Herts Football. The first record of a trophy being won was 1911 when Potton were beaten 1-0 in the Biggleswade and District Championship.

Stotfold FC was officially founded, with proper financing, stewardship and record-keeping, after WW2 in 1946. In 1951 we joined the South Midlands League Division 2 and in 1953 were promoted to Division 1. Our present ground, when it was just a meadow named 'Roker', had first been used in 1911 by Stotfold Athletic. So, we were delighted to move into the newly-developed 'Roker Park' ground in 1965, having played previously at the Hitchin Road Recreation Ground.

In 1955 we were promoted to the Premier Division, where we stayed for 30 years winning the championship in 1980 and were runners-up no fewer than 9 times. The club joined the United Counties League in 1984/85 season with our best placing as runners-up in 1993/94 and 1995/96 under the guidance of ex-Arsenal player Ian Allinson. During 1998-2000 the club won The Beds Senior and Premier Cups, UCL League Cup, and the Hinchingbrooke Cup as well as being runners-up and finalists in two North Beds Charity Cups. The club also reached the last 32 of the FA Vase and the 3rd Qualifying Rd of the FA Cup in 2000 under Phil Pateman's management. Kenny Davidson took over the side in 2001, reaching the final of the Beds Senior Cup but resigned in Dec 2002.

Phil Pateman assumed charge of the side again and the team won the North Beds Charity Cup and were finalists in the Hunts Premier Cup. However, their most notable success came from being awarded national fair play team of the year by Ladbrokes in association with The Non League paper as well as the UCL fair play award. They finished a creditable 10th place from a previous 18th and retained the NBCC.

During the summer, Phil Pateman stepped down to concentrate solely on his chairman duties securing the services of ex-player and former St. Albans City and Baldock manager, Steve Cook for the 2004/05 season. Steve left the club for Borehamwood after one season, and Jim Benton, stepped forward to take charge for the 05/06 season. This saw many familiar faces drift away from the club and many new ones appear. Poor discipline and performances on and off the pitch resulted in a bad year all round for the club, and after Jim's departure, local manager Glen Clarke was handed the position, handing in his notice on the eve of the new season. Coach/physio Ian Williscroft took charge for the first 9 games before Mark Teeling took over midway through September. After gaining 11 points from 17 league games and some heavy defeats, Mark was replaced in December by the previously successful partnership of Ian Donnelly and Ian Allinson.

With the club staring relegation in the face, Ian recruited several senior players and combined these with the best of our young squad and the club hauled themselves out of the bottom two, winning 8 of our last 10 games. During the summer the squad was strengthened further, and this culminated in the most successful season in the clubs history. The first and second team squads won their respective league and county cup competitions, (the first club to do so), with the second team remaining unbeaten in the league. In addition the club were the only UCL club to reach the 3rd Qualifying Round of the FA Cup before losing to Tonbridge Angels. So it was a shock and bitter disappointment when the UCL decided against awarding Ian Allinson the Manager of the Year Award. During the summer Ian was offered the managers job at Ryman Premier League Borehamwood and this was an offer he could ill afford to miss. He has since given the opportunity to several of the successful side to play with him at that level. However he left a great legacy and we promoted Ian Donnelly to the position with reserve manager Terry Kitchener stepping up to assist him. Success continued, winning the UCL League Cup and North Beds Charity Cup and finishing League Runners Up. The Reserves and the Under 18 Academy continued to sweep all before them under Gordon Bickerstaff's management and after Ian Donnelly stepped down with Terry at the end of the previous season, it was easy to promote from within again, with Gordon bringing his Assistant Cecil Lee with him.

In what turned out to be the club's final season in the UCL, 2009/10 saw the first team produce a very creditable performance reaching the 4th round of the FA Vase and finishing 7th in the league.

Having finally been granted a move to the Molten Spartan South Midlands League in 2010/2011 the Eagles struggled to adapt until the new year and eventually finished mid-table. The first team reached the final of the NBCC, losing to Biggleswade Town 2-1. The reserves lost many of their players who needed a fresh challenge after being so successful, leaving Manager Malcolm Ward with a difficult task and they also finished in a respectable mid-table position.

The Academy continued to go from strength to strength with the U15 and U18 Academy teams winning the Beds County Cup. The U18s also won the County Floodlit Cup and the Ridgeon's League West title under Manager Ryan Brooke.

In season 2012-13 Gordon Bickerstaff stood down and Steve Young took charge of first team duties, supported by Roy Ryall. Gary Hoy took over the Reserves whilst continuing to run our Under 17 and 18 Academy teams. After another poor start the first team secured a respectable mid-table position whilst the Reserves, made up almost entirely of Academy players, won the Biggleswade KO Cup. Our Under 18s reached the first round of the FA Youth club for the very first time despite playing mostly 16-year-old players before going out to Leyton Orient. The U17s finished 2nd and U18s first in their respective leagues.

In 2013 the Academy again flourished, reaching the 3rd QR of the FA Youth Cup before losing to full-time Academy side Cambridge United on penalties. They also reached 2 semi-finals and finished 3rd in the league. The first team turned their season around from being 3rd from bottom of the SSML Premier Division with just 18 points at Xmas, to three cup finals and a semi-final place in another. They also moved away from the foot of the table with a further 29 points in the second half of the season.

During the close season the club reappointed Steve Young as Manager but were left stunned when Coach Tony Lamacraft collapsed after an abandoned first team friendly caused by the double leg fracture of one of the Stotfold players. Despite the valiant efforts of club officials and paramedics including an air ambulance crew Tony passed away. Over 500 attended his funeral and Tony is sadly missed not just by Stotfold but the whole of the local football community.

Steve promoted from within the club, Michael Parkin and Matt Endersby stepping up and the club also appointed Rob Bates as the Under 18 Academy Manager. Rob played professionally for Colchester United and was the Academy Manager for Biggleswade Town last season before resigning his position in the summer, most of that academy side following him to the club after a hugely successful 2013 season. The club also reformed the Reserve side after a traumatic 2013 season and Dave Elkin and Dave McCoy joined from Langford.

The 2014/15 season was once again a challenge. Steve Young decided to resign his position in January 2015 for personal reasons and we had no hesitation in appointing Rob Bates as the manager of the first eleven. During his 5 months in charge he managed to mould a team to stave off relegation from the Premier League and finish a creditable 16th with 44 points. We were narrowly beaten 2-1 in the North Beds Charity cup by Biggleswade United.

Rob Bates having brought his under 18 side from Biggleswade Town took them to second place in the Southern Counties Olympian Division and winners of the Colwyn Cup Final beating the league winners Cockfosters 3-2.

The last 2 seasons delivered stability with the first team following the trend of struggling in their league programme up to Xmas and then storming to mid table by the end of it. The reserves changed to position stability. We dropped the Reserve squad for an U21 side and then as U25s last year and won the Biggleswade KO in 2016, finishing top four in their leagues. The first team won the NBCC in May defeating Biggleswade United 2-0 in the final in what turned out to be the last game under Rob Bates and his management team who resigned shortly after.

The club were not left wanting for replacements and are delighted to have appointed Mick Reardon who has brought with him James Tizard. Mick developed Stanway Rovers Youth and has had management spells at Haverhill, Braintree and more recently Biggleswade United where he won the NBCC and took United to their highest league position at that time and best FA Cup run before he resigned in 2015/16. He holds a UEFA B licence.

The club are in talks with the Juniors with a view to merger this season and seeds were sown with an EJA Under 13 entry last season. Under Jon boy Little they won the Herts County Cup, Harrison Trophy and their league before losing the Challenge Cup final. We have U13 And U14 teams this season. Work finally commences on our new facility in the autumn with this being our last season at Roker Park.

Club Honours

BEDS FA
Senior Cup Winners - 1964/65, 1993/94, 1999/2000, 2007/08
Runners Up - 2001/02
Premier Cup Winners - 1981/82, 1991/92, 1998/99
Intermediate Cup Winners - 1958/59, 1991/92, 1997/98, 2001/02, 2007/08
Runners Up - 2008/09
U18 Challenge Cup Winners - 2010/11
U18 Floodlit Cup Winners - 2010/11
Runners Up - 2009/10, 2011/12
Quarter-finalists 2012/13
U15 Challenge Cup Winners - 2010/11
U16 Challenge Cup Runners Up - 2011/12

UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE
Premier Division Winners 2007/08
League KO Cup Winners - 1998/99, 1999/2000, 2008/09
Premier Division Runners Up - 1993/94, 1995/96, 2008/09
Fair Play Winners - 2002/03
Reserve Division One Champions - 1987/88, 1991/92, 1996/97, 2001/02, 2007/08, 2008/09
Reserve KO Cup Winners - 1991/92, 2004/05, 2009/10

SOUTH MIDLANDS LEAGUE
Premier Division Champions - 1980/81
Division One Champions - 1953/54
Challenge Trophy Winners - 1981/82
Finalists - 2013/14
Reserve Division One Champions - 1954/55, 1957/58, 1958/59, 1959/60, 1960/61, 1970/71, 1983/84
Reserve Shield Winners - 1965/65
Reserve Floodlit Cup Winners - 2008/09
Runners Up - 2009/10, 2013/14

OTHER HONOURS
Ladbrokes National Fair Play Award Winners - 2002/03
North Beds Charity Cup Winners - 1955/56, 1956/57, 1961/62, 1981/82, 1987/88, 1990/91, 1997/98, 2002/03, 2003/04, 2008/09, 2009/10, 2016/17
Finalists 2010/11, 2014-15
Southern Combination Cup Winners - 1994/95, 1995/96
Southern Combination Res Cup Winners - 1994/95, 1995/96
Biggleswade KO Cup Winners (Most recent) - 1997/98, 1999/2000, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09, 2012/13
Runners Up - 2009/10
Hinchingbrooke Cup Winners - 1999/2000
Runners Up - 2011/12, 2013/14
Jan Anderson Memorial Trophy (Most recent) - 1998/99, 1999/2000, 2001/02 (shared), 2002/03
Jess Piggott Trophy - 2001/02, 2002/03
Hunts Premier Cup Finalists - 2002/03
Ridgeons Under 18's League Championship Winners - 2008/09, 2010/11, 2011/12
Ridgeons Under 18's League KO Cup Winners - 2004/04
Southern Counties League U18's Pegasus Division Champions - 2012/13
Olympian Division Runners Up = 2014/15 Brian Hitchings Cup U18's Quarter-finalists - 2012/13
Eastern Junior Alliance U16's Northern Division and Championship play off final Winners - 2006/07
Eastern Junior Alliance U15's Herts Division Runners Up - 2010/11
Eastern Junior Alliance U16's Beds Division Runners Up - 2011/12
Eastern Junior Alliance U17's Herts Division Runners Up - 2012/13
Eastern Junior Alliance U17 League Cup Quarter Finalists - 2012/13
Colwyn Youth Cup U18 Winners - 2014/15
Biggleswade KO Cup U21 Winners - 2015/16 Eastern Junior Alliance U13 Herts Brown Division Winners - 2016/17
Eastern Junior Alliance U13 Harrison Trophy Winners - 2016/17
Eastern Junior Alliance U13 League Cup Finalists - 2016/17
Herts U13 County Cup Winners - 2016/17