Penrith A.F.C.

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Penrith FC
Penrith F.C. logo.png
Full namePenrith Football Club
NicknameThe Bonny Blues
Founded1894
GroundFrenchfield Park Stadium, Penrith
Capacity1,500
ManagerDanny Grainger (interim)
League Northern League Division One
2025–26 Northern League Division One, 12th of 19

Penrith Association Football Club are a football club based in Penrith, Cumbria, England.

Contents

They play in the Northern League Division One and their home games take place at the Frenchfield Park Stadium.

The club moto is RES-NON-VERBA which is the Latin phrase that translated means "actions speak louder than words" or "deeds not words" and features on the club crest.

The team are also known as "The Bonny Blues" as the home strip features a blue shirt with blue shorts and blue socks; the away colours are a yellow shirt with yellow shorts and socks.

History

Founded in 1894.[1] They originally joined the North Eastern League in 1907–08 and are currently members of the Northern Football League Division One.

The club joined the Northern Football League in 1947 and were runners up to Stanley United in the 1961-62 season.

Penrith have had many managers over the years with Alan Ashman being the most famous, Ashman left the club in February 1963 to join Carlisle United followed by West Bromwich Albion, where he won the FA Cup in 1968 beating Everton FC in the Final played at Wembley Stadium.

The team spent 35 years in the Northern Football League until moving to the North West Counties Football League for the 1982-83 season.

A five-season spell in the North West Counties Football League (including finishing as league runners-up to Stalybridge Celtic in the 1983-84 season) saw them in a position to join the Northern Premier League when they expanded to form a Second Division in 1987.

The move to the Northern Premier League did not prove successful, and by 1990 they were relegated back to the North West Counties League, where they stayed for seven seasons before returning once more to the Northern Football League, fifteen years after originally leaving that league.

In 1981–82, they had their best FA Cup run, reaching the Second Round, beating Football League club Chester City FC 1-0 at their Southend Road ground in the First Round before losing 3-0 at Belle Vue against Doncaster Rovers who at the time were managed by former Leeds United and Scotland captain Billy Bremner.

The club have reached the FA Cup First Round twice since beating Chester City, only to lose 2-0 against Hull City in 1983 and 9-0 to Burnley FC in 1984, both ties being played at Southend Road.

The 2002-03 season saw the club winning the Northern Football League Division Two Championship, finishing three points ahead of nearest rivals Horden Colliery Welfare.

In 2007, they changed their name to Penrith Town, but a merger a year later with Northern Football Alliance club Penrith United saw the old name resurrected for the merged club, since then the club have continued to play in The Northern Football League.

In 2008 the club saw its ground at Southend Road earmarked for development with a new stadium built at Frenchfield Park, the first home game at the club's new home being played on 4 August 2009.

Penrith’s most recent success being in the 2009-10 season when beating Carlisle based team Gillford Park FC 6-0 in the Cumberland Senior Cup Final.

The club have reached the Third Round of the FA Vase on five occasions the most recent being in 2016-17 when losing 3-0 to Atherton Collieries at the Frenchfield Park Stadium.

In October 2021 the club announced the appointment of former Jamaica international Chris Humphrey as manager at Frenchfield Park, Humphrey had a successful playing career at Hibernian FC and Motherwell FC in Scotland as well as Shrewsbury Town and Preston North End in England.

In May 2022 the club appointed former Carlisle United player Darren Edmondson as manager, Edmondson had a distinguished Football League career making 214 appearances and scoring 8 goals for the Cumbrian club.

Following Edmondson's departure in May 2025 to join Workington AFC, Penrith announced the re-appointment of Jim Nichols for a second spell as first team manager, eight years after leaving the club at the end of the 2016-17 season.

Since moving to the Frenchfield Park Stadium the club has carried out significant improvements to the facilities and in June 2023 work began to create a new 3G artificial pitch making it a very modern and picturesque stadium.

The current capacity of Frenchfield Park Stadium is around 1,500 and has room for future expansion should the club ever require it.

Senior Coaching Staff

As of 8 October 2026
PositionName
Interim First Team Manager Danny Grainger
Assistant First Team ManagerRichard Prokas
First Team Goalkeeper CoachJordan Carrigan
PhysiotherapistNatalie Broad
Reserve Team ManagerMark Bell
Academy ManagerWayne Rebanks
Ladies Team ManagerJamie Fitzwilliam
Ladies Development ManagerSimon Savage

Current Squad

As of 01 May 2025

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos.NationPlayer
— GK Flag of England.svg  ENG Craig Hunter
— GK Flag of England.svg  ENG Aaran Taylor
— DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Matthew Bell
— DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Matthew Coombe
— DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Ronan Irving
— DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Kevin McKenna
— DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Andrew Murray-Jones
— DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Jack Piele
— MF Flag of England.svg  ENG James Bell
— MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Luke Brown
— MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Kingsley Grandison
No.Pos.NationPlayer
— MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Connor Hammell
— MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Robbie Hebson
— MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Luke Hunter
— MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Luke Moore
— MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Will Morrey
— MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Matthew Moynan(captain)
— MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Matthew Story
— MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Oliver Rafferty
— FW Flag of England.svg  ENG Jonny Murray
— FW Flag of England.svg  ENG D J Taylor
— FW Flag of England.svg  ENG Matthew Williamson

Season-by-Season

SeasonLeagueDivisionPosPlayedWonDrewLostGFGAGDPoints FA Cup FA Vase
2014/15 Northern Football League Division One14th421511166874-656 Extra Preliminary Round, losing to Newcastle Benfield First Qualifying Round, losing to Colne
2015/16 Northern Football League Division One14th421410186775-852 Extra Preliminary Round, losing to Jarrow Roofing Boldon First Qualifying Round, losing to Bridlington Town
2016/17 Northern Football League Division One12th42176196789-2257 Preliminary Round, losing to Dunston UTS Third Round, losing to Atherton Collieries
2017/18 Northern Football League Division One17th42153247185-1448 Preliminary Round, losing to Whitley Bay Second Qualifying Round, losing to Tow Law Town
2018/19 Northern Football League Division One18th34572239100-6122 Extra Preliminary Round, losing to Albion Sports Second Qualifying Round, losing to Charnock Richard
2019/20 Northern Football League Division One†2955193269-3720 Extra Preliminary Round, losing to Seaham Red Star First Qualifying Round, losing to Guisborough Town
2020/21 Northern Football League Division One†113081534-199 Preliminary Round, losing to West Allotment Celtic First Round, losing to Sunderland Ryhope Colliery Welfare
2021/22 Northern Football League Division One19th38105234789-4235 Extra Preliminary Round, losing to Guisborough Town First Round, losing to Prestwich Heys
2022/23 Northern Football League Division One14th38118194564-1941 Extra Preliminary Round, losing to West Allotment Celtic First Qualifying Round, losing to Horden Community Welfare
2023/24 Northern Football League Division One15th38132238289-741 Preliminary Round, losing to Consett Second Qualifying Round, losing to Ryton & Crawcrook Albion
2024/25 Northern Football League Division One17th42153245776-1948 Preliminary Round, losing to Crook Town Second Qualifying Round, losing to Padiham
2025/26 Northern Football League Division One12th36119166967+242 Extra Preliminary Round, losing to Pickering Town First Qualifying Round, losing to Campion

† Season curtailed due to coronavirus pandemic.

Recent Previous Managers

2002-2008David Heslop
2008-2012 Richard Prokas & James Tose
2012-2012Brian Williams
2012-2016Matthew Henney
2016-2017Jim Nichols
2017-2018Kyle May
2018-2019Andrew Coyles
2019-2021David Hewson
2021-2022 Chris Humphrey
2022-2025 Darren Edmondson
2025-2026Jim Nichols

Honours

Penrith's honours
CompetitionPositionSeason
Northern League Division One [1] Runners-up 1961–62
Division TwoChampions 2002–03
North West Counties League Premier DivisionRunners-up 1983–84
Cumberland Senior Cup Champions2000–01, 2005–06, 2009–10
Runners-up1991–92, 1994–95, 2003–04, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2022–23

Records

References

  1. 1 2 Penrith at the Football Club History Database

54°39′28.3″N2°42′53.5″W / 54.657861°N 2.714861°W / 54.657861; -2.714861