Thame United F.C.

Last updated
Thame United
Thame United logo.png
Full nameThame United Football Club
Nickname(s)Red Kites
Founded1883
GroundMeadow View Park
Capacity2,500 [1]
ChairmanRichard Carr
ManagerBen Williams
League Southern League Division One Central
2022–23 Southern League Division One Central, 12th of 19

Thame United Football Club are a football club based in Thame, Oxfordshire, England. They were established in 1883 and joined the Hellenic League in 1959. The club currently competes in the Southern League Division One Central.

Contents

History

Thame United were formed in 1883, making them one of Oxfordshire's oldest clubs. They spent their early years playing in local Oxfordshire leagues. In 1959 they stepped up to the Hellenic League, where they were league champions in 1961–62 and 1969–70 and runners-up on three other occasions.

In 1988 the decision was taken to switch to the South Midlands League. In three seasons in this league United finished runners-up twice and then claimed the league title in 1990–91, which saw them promoted to the Isthmian League Division Three. Two promotions followed in quick succession, putting the club in Division One in 1995. Although United were relegated in 1998, they bounced straight back the following season under manager Andy Sinnott, who also led them to the semi-finals of the FA Vase and to within two points of achieving promotion to the Premier Division.

In October 2003 the club reached the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup for the first time in their history, going down 2–1 to Conference side Farnborough Town. Since then they have reached this point in the competition twice, losing 1–0 to Hornchurch and 5–0 to Forest Green. In 2004, due to non-league reorganisation, United switched to the Southern League Division One West.

In 2005 severe financial difficulties hit the club, with bailiffs seizing assets to offset unpaid VAT bills, and the landlord of their Windmill Road stadium serving them with notice of eviction. The club managed to limp to the end of the season playing at the ground of neighbours Aylesbury United and a rock-bottom finish saw them relegated back to the Hellenic League after 18 years away.

During the summer of 2006, Aylesbury were also evicted from their ground, leaving Thame homeless once again, leading to a new groundshare arrangement with AFC Wallingford. The results on the playing field continued to be poor, and they completed the 2006–07 season in a relegation position despite the improvement of results following the return of successful manager Mark West. Because of this, they were relegated to the Hellenic Football League Division 1 East for the 2007–08 season.

In October 2007 it was announced that the club planned to move to a multi-million pound venue at Church Farm in the North of Thame. They hoped to begin playing in their new stadium by the 2009–10 season, but as of October 2010 the stadium was still being built. After the stadium was completed, a game to celebrate the club's new stadium was played against Football League Two side Oxford United in January 2011. [2] Thame lost 3–1 with the new Meadow View Park's first attendance of 1,381. [3] At the end of the 2016–17 season, the club was promoted to the Southern League in Step 4 of the National League System under manager Mark West after a final day on which the "Red Kites" beat Henley Town 9–0. In their first Southern League game in decades, Thame came from behind to beat Chalfont St. Peter 2–1. In 2021 Thame United and Thame Boys / Girls merged. Richard Carr became chairman of Thame United with Jake Collinge taking on the role as Vice Chairman.

In the 2020/21 season Thame United FC reformed the senior women’s team entering into the Thames Valley Counties Women's Football League. They managed to stay in the division after pulling off the great escape in the final 3 games picking up 7 out 9 points under new management.

Management team

Staff

Current squad

As of 11 April 2023

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

No.Pos.NationPlayer
1 GK Flag of England.svg  ENG Craig Hill
DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Matt Peake-Pijnen
DF Flag of England.svg  ENG George Gilmore
DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Finlay Murray
DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Luke Carnell
DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Lewis Thorne
DF Flag of England.svg  ENG Harry Mepham
No.Pos.NationPlayer
10 MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Dan West(Captain)
7 MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Greg Hackett
MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Jack Tutton
MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Jack Gardner
MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Dave Pearce
MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Kamal McEwan
MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Hayden Beadle
FW Flag of Dominica.svg  DMA Jefferson Louis
FW Flag of England.svg  ENG Jordy Ngathe
FW Flag of England.svg  ENG Harry Alexander
FW Flag of England.svg  ENG Harlem Hale

Stadium

Thame United play their home games at Meadow View Park, Thame. Construction on the ground commenced in March 2010 at a cost of £3.1m, the team moving in to the ground in December 2010. [4] From the 2015–16 season, Aylesbury United signed a two-year deal to groundshare with Thame United.

The 20-acre site is also home to a number of local youth and community teams, 7 pitches including multiple artificial turf training pitches, club bar and function rooms. [5]

Club records

Honours

League

Cup

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wycombe Wanderers F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. The team compete in League One, the third level of the English football league system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clapton F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Clapton Football Club is a football club based in Plaistow, East London. The club are currently members of the Eastern Counties League Division One South and play at the Terence McMillan Stadium in Plaistow following their 2019 eviction from their long-term home, the Old Spotted Dog Ground in Forest Gate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maidstone United F.C.</span> Football club in Kent, England

Maidstone United Football Club is a professional football club based in Maidstone, Kent, England. The team competes in the National League South, the sixth level of the English football league system. The club's nickname is "The Stones" and they play in black and amber.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grays Athletic F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Grays Athletic Football Club is a football club based in Grays, Essex, England. They are currently members of the Isthmian League North Division and play at Chadfields in nearby Tilbury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dulwich Hamlet F.C.</span> Association football club in London, England

Dulwich Hamlet Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in East Dulwich in south-east London, England. They are currently members of the Isthmian League Premier Division, the seventh tier of English football, and play at Champion Hill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basingstoke Town F.C.</span> Association football club in Basingstoke, England

Basingstoke Town Football Club is a football club based in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England. The club are currently members of the Southern League Premier Division South and play at the Winklebury Sports Complex. Their motto, 'Vestigia Nulla Retrorsum', means 'Never a step backward'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aylesbury United F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Aylesbury United Football Club is a football club based in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, England. They are currently members of Division One Central of the Southern League and play at Chesham United's Meadow ground, having been evicted from their Buckingham Road ground in 2006. They are nicknamed the Ducks due to the Aylesbury duck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abingdon Abbotts F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Abingdon Abbotts Football Club is a football club based in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oxford City F.C.</span> Association football club in Marston, England

Oxford City Football Club is a semi-professional association football club based in Marston, Oxford, England. They currently compete in the National League, the fifth tier of English football, and play their home matches at Marsh Lane.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bracknell Town F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Bracknell Town Football Club is a football club based in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England. Affiliated to the Berks & Bucks Football Association and nicknamed The Robins, they are currently members of the Southern League Premier Division South and play their home matches at Bottom Meadow in Sandhurst.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horsham F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Horsham Football Club is a non-League football club based in Horsham, West Sussex, England, currently playing in the Isthmian League Premier Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epsom & Ewell F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Epsom & Ewell Football Club is a football club based in Epsom, Surrey, England. Affiliated to the Surrey County Football Association, the club are currently members of the Combined Counties League Premier Division South and groundshare at Cobham's Leg O' Mutton Field. The club have played outside Epsom since leaving their West Street Ground in 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romford F.C.</span> Association football club in Essex, England

Romford Football Club is an English football club based in Romford, London. The club are currently members of the Essex Senior League and play at Rookery Hill in Corringham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wokingham & Emmbrook F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Wokingham & Emmbrook F.C. are a football club based in Wokingham, Berkshire, England. The club was formed in 1875 as Wokingham Town and adopted their current name in 2004, following a merger with Emmbrook Sports. Their nickname is "The Satsumas", a reference to the team's colours. They currently play in the Combined Counties League Premier Division North.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haringey Borough F.C.</span> Association football club in London, England

Haringey Borough Football Club is a football club based in Tottenham in the London Borough of Haringey, England. Established in 1973 by a merger of Edmonton and Wood Green Town, they are currently members of the Isthmian League Premier Division and play at Coles Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Badshot Lea F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Badshot Lea Football Club is a football club based in Wrecclesham, Surrey, England. The club are currently members of the Isthmian League South Central Division and play at Westfield Lane.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwood F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Northwood Football Club is an English football club based in Northwood in the London Borough of Hillingdon. The club is affiliated to the Middlesex County Football Association. They play their home games at The Skyline Stadium in Northwood Recreation Ground, Chestnut Avenue. The club are currently members of the Isthmian League South Central Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ascot United F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Ascot United Football Club is a football club based in Ascot, Berkshire, England. They are currently members of the Isthmian League South Central Division and play at Ascot Racecourse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hayes & Yeading United F.C.</span> Association football club in London, England

Hayes & Yeading United Football Club is an association football club based in Hayes, in the London Borough of Hillingdon, England. The club was formed in 2007 from a merger of Hayes Football Club and Yeading Football Club. It currently competes in the Southern League Premier Division South and plays its home matches at the Skyex Community Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Crendon F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Long Crendon Football Club is a football club based in Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire, England. They are currently members of the Hellenic League Division One and play at Marsh Lane, groundsharing with Oxford City.

References

  1. Mike Williams & Tony Williams (2012) Non-League Club Directory 2013, p670 ISBN   978-1-869833-77-0
  2. thamenews.net Archived 2012-03-15 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Thame United
  4. Carter, Gemma (14 August 2021), "Thame United - A Club History", Welwyn Garden City Football Club, pp. 11–12
  5. "Thame United - FA Cup journey". thefacup. YouTube. 6 October 2011. Archived from the original on 2021-12-14. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  6. "Thame United". Thame United F.C. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  7. Chairboys On The Net [@GasmanCOTN] (February 15, 2022). "Long Crendon v Wycombe Wanderers attendance confirmed as 1,904. A ground record for @thameunitedfc and the highest #chairboys B&B attendance, other than a final, for 50 years!" (Tweet) via Twitter.

Sources

51°45′21.0384″N0°58′33.9342″W / 51.755844000°N 0.976092833°W / 51.755844000; -0.976092833