Berwick Rangers F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Berwick Rangers Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Black & Gold, The Borderers, The Dream Team, The Wee Gers | ||
| Founded | 1884 | ||
| Ground | Shielfield Park, Berwick-upon-Tweed |
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| Capacity | 4,099 (1,366 seated) | ||
| Chairman | Kevin ‘Slim’ Dixon | ||
| Manager | Kevin Haynes | ||
| League | Scottish League Two | ||
| 2015–16 | Scottish League Two, 6th | ||
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Berwick Rangers Football Club is a football team. They are based in Berwick-upon-Tweed, England. What makes them special is that they play in the Scottish football league system!
The club started in 1884. They currently play in the Scottish League Two, which is the fifth level of Scottish football. Until 2019, they were the only team from outside Scotland in the Scottish Professional Football League.
Berwick Rangers play their home games at Shielfield Park. This stadium can hold just over 4,000 fans.
Contents
Club History: The Borderers' Journey
Berwick Rangers officially formed on January 7, 1881. However, newer research suggests 1884 is the more likely start date. Their very first official game was on February 16, 1884. They played against another local team called 'The Royal Oaks' and won 1–0.
Joining Scottish Football Leagues
Around 1905, Berwick Rangers joined the Scottish Football Association. They started playing in the Scottish Border League that same year. After World War I, they joined the East of Scotland League.
In 1951, the club was finally accepted into the Scottish Football League. They joined the C Division (North & East). This division was mostly for reserve teams. In 1955, this division was removed. Berwick Rangers then moved into an enlarged Division B, which later became Division Two. They have played in the Scottish football league system ever since.
Finding a Home: Shielfield Park
For many years, the club did not have a permanent home. They moved around a lot. Finally, in 1954, they settled down at Shielfield Park. This has been their home stadium ever since.
Big Cup Moments
Berwick Rangers had some exciting moments in cup competitions. In 1954, they beat Dundee 3–0 in the Scottish Cup. They reached the quarter-finals but lost 4–0 to Rangers. Ten years later, they made it to the semi-finals of the Scottish League Cup. Again, they lost to Rangers, this time 3–1.
The Famous 1967 Scottish Cup Win
One of their most famous victories happened in 1967. Under player-manager Jock Wallace, they beat Rangers 1–0 in the Scottish Cup. This was a huge upset in Scottish football! Before this, they had set a club record by beating Vale of Leithen 8–1.
The game against Rangers drew their biggest ever home crowd: 13,365 fans. This result caused a stir, and some Rangers players even left their club. In the next round, Berwick played Hibernian. They lost 1–0 in front of nearly 30,000 people.
Ups and Downs: Later Years
After the 1967 success, the club had a quiet period. In the late 1970s, under manager Dave Smith, they won the Division Two title in 1979.
However, they struggled in the 1980s. In the 1988–89 season, they almost went bankrupt. They were even locked out of Shielfield Park and had to play games elsewhere. In 1988, Jim Jefferies became manager. He led the team to an amazing 21-game unbeaten run.
The club survived these tough times. In the early 1990s, they nearly went out of business again in 1994. Later in the 1990s, they had more success. They almost got promoted to Scottish Football League Division One in 1994.
They were relegated to Division Three in 1997. But under manager Paul Smith, they won promotion back in 2000. Smith's team also managed to get replays against big clubs like Rangers and Heart of Midlothian in the Scottish Cup.
Recent Seasons
In 2005, they were relegated to the Third Division again. They almost got promoted back the next season but lost in the play-offs. In 2007, manager John Coughlin led them to win the Third Division championship. This was their first title in 28 years! They also set a new record for consecutive league wins.
John Coughlin resigned in October 2007. Several managers followed, including Michael Renwick and Allan McGonigal. In 2008, a group of fans took control of the club. Jimmy Crease became manager for the fourth time.
In 2011, player Ian Little became caretaker manager. He was given the job permanently until the end of the 2011–12 season. On August 26, 2012, Rangers FC played their first ever league game in England against Berwick Rangers at Shielfield Park. Berwick Rangers earned a famous 1–1 draw.
Ian Little was sacked in January 2014. Colin Cameron then became the new player-manager.
On May 18, 2019, Berwick Rangers were relegated out of the SPFL pyramid. They moved into the Lowland Football League. This happened after they lost 7–0 to Cove Rangers.
The Berwick Rangers Community Foundation started in 2020. On October 9, 2021, Berwick Rangers had their record league win. They beat Vale of Leithen 11–0 in the Scottish Lowland League.
Unique Status: An English Team in Scotland
Berwick Rangers is one of the few teams in the world that plays in a football league system different from its own country's.
Berwick-upon-Tweed is about 2.5 miles (4 km) south of the Scottish border. It is closer to Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, than to Newcastle upon Tyne, the nearest major city in England. The town was historically part of Scotland and changed hands many times. It finally became part of England in 1482.
Because Berwick is in England, it had to follow the Taylor report rules. These rules were put in place after the Hillsborough disaster in 1989. This was unique because they were the only team in the Scottish leagues subject to these English rules.
Current Squad
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Coaching Staff
- Manager: Kevin Haynes
- Assistant Manager: Gary Small
- Player/Coach: Liam Buchanan
- Coach: Andy Donlevy
- Goalkeeping coach: vacant
- Club physio: vacant
- Kitman: vacant
- Groundsman: Jason Kinnon
- Chief Scout: James Cumming
Club Records and Achievements
Berwick Rangers has achieved several notable records throughout its history:
- Record league win: 11–0 against Vale of Leithen (October 9, 2021)
- Record cup win: 8–1 against Vale of Leithen in the Scottish Cup (December 1966)
- Record home attendance: 13,365 fans against Rangers in the Scottish Cup (January 28, 1967)
- Most goals in a season by one player: 38 by Ken Bowron (1963–64)
- Most goals scored for the club: 115 by Eric Tait (1969–88)
- Longest winning streak in the league: 8 games in the Scottish Football League Third Division (2006–07)
- Longest unbeaten streak in the league: 21 games in the Scottish Football League Second Division (1988–89)
- Most appearances for the club: 435 by Eric Tait (1969–1988)
Honours and Trophies
The club has won several titles and finished as runners-up in various competitions:
- Scottish League Division Two
- Winners: 1978–79
- Runners-up: 1993–94
- Scottish League Division Three
- Winners: 2006–07
- Runners-up: 1999–00
- East of Scotland League
- Winners (2): 1927–28, 1946–47
- Runners-up (2): 1923–24, 1928–29
- North Northumberland League
- Winners: 1896–97
- Scottish Border League
- Winners: 1898–99
- East of Scotland Shield
- Winners (2): 1980–81, 1983–84
- King Cup
- Winners (7): 1908–09, 1923–24, 1925–26, 1927–28, 1932–33; also won by the Reserves in 1980–81, 1989–90
See also
In Spanish: Berwick Rangers Football Club para niños
