Bilston Town F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Bilston Town Community Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Steelmen | ||
| Founded | 1894 | ||
| Ground | Queen Street Stadium, Bilston | ||
| Chairman | Denise Frankham | ||
| Manager | Dave King | ||
| League | West Midlands (Regional) League Premier Division | ||
| 2018–19 | West Midlands (Regional) League Premier Division, 13th of 20 | ||
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Bilston Town Community Football Club is a football team from Bilston, England. They are often called 'The Steelmen'. Over the years, they have played under several names, including Bilston United and Bilston Town. Currently, they play in the West Midlands (Regional) League Premier Division league at their home ground, Queen Street Stadium.
Contents
The History of Bilston Town
The Early Years: Starting Strong (1894-1920s)
Bilston Town started in 1894. It was formed when two local teams, Bilston Rovers and Bilston Wanderers, joined together. They were first known as Bilston United. In their very first year, they joined the Walsall & District Junior League. They quickly became successful, winning the league title in 1895–96. They won it again in 1900–01 and 1901–02. Later, they moved to a higher league called the Birmingham Combination.
The team played in the Birmingham Combination for many years. In 1921, they moved to the Birmingham & District League. They almost won the league in 1922–23, finishing second. After a few more seasons, they changed their name to Bilston Borough and returned to the Walsall & District League in 1932.
Post-War Comeback and League Success (1930s-1950s)
Bilston Borough quickly won the Walsall & District League again in 1932–33 and 1935–36. The club paused playing in 1939 because of World War II. They restarted in 1946, now simply called Bilston. They won the Walsall Senior league in 1947–48. Then, they moved back to the Birmingham Combination. In 1954, they were runners-up in the league. The league later changed, and Bilston found themselves in Division Two, but they were determined to climb back up.
FA Cup Adventures and League Titles (1960s-1970s)
Bilston won the Division Two title right away, moving back to Division One. In 1960–61, they became champions of the Birmingham & District League. This league was renamed the West Midlands (Regional) League in 1962. The team reached the first round of the famous FA Cup in 1968–69, a big achievement! Even more exciting, in the 1972–73 season, Bilston reached the second round of the FA Cup. They also won the Premier Division title and the Premier Division Cup that same year. It was a truly golden season for the club!
New Name, New Challenges (1980s-2000s)
The club continued to do well, finishing as runners-up in the Premier Division in 1973–74 and 1975–76. In 1983, the team officially became Bilston Town. They earned promotion to the Southern League in 1984–85. They almost reached the Premier Division in 2000–01, missing out by just two points. After this, the club decided to move back to the West Midlands Regional League.
Rebuilding and Recognition (2000s-Present)
In the early 2000s, Bilston Town continued to compete in the West Midlands Regional League. After some changes, the club reformed as Bilston Town (2007) and started again in Division Two. They quickly moved up, becoming runners-up in Division Two in 2007–08 and then in Division One in 2012–13, which led to promotion to the Premier Division. A proud moment came in July 2017 when the club received the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service. This award recognizes outstanding work by volunteer groups in the community. It shows how much the club means to its local area.
At the end of the 2020–21 season, Bilston Town moved to Division One of the Midland Football League. This happened because of changes in how the football leagues were organized.
Queen Street Stadium: Home of The Steelmen
Bilston Town Community FC plays its home games at Queen Street Stadium in Bilston. Before moving here, the team played at a place called Prouds Lane. They moved to Queen Street in 1919. Their first game at the new stadium was an FA Cup match against Tamworth Castle, which Bilston won 1–0.
Stadium Improvements and Big Games
In 1953, bright floodlights were added to the stadium. The first game under these lights was a friendly match against Wolverhampton Wanderers. A huge crowd of 8,000 fans came to watch! The record for a competitive game was 4,300 fans. This was for an FA Cup match against Halifax Town in 1968–69.
Reopening and Sharing the Pitch
In 2007, the stadium had to close for a short time because it needed important repairs to make it safe. The club had to play at Bantock Park during this period. But good news came in 2008! Plans were made to fix up and reopen the stadium. The work was finished, and the team was back playing at Queen Street for the 2008–09 season. The club now has a long-term agreement to use the stadium.
Queen Street Stadium has also been a home for other football teams. These include Bustleholme, Dudley Town, Wolverhampton Wanderers Reserves, Wolverhampton Wanderers Women, and Willenhall Town.
Club Achievements and Trophies
Here are some of the major awards and cups Bilston Town Community FC has won:
- West Midlands (Regional) League
- Champions: 1960–61, 1972–73
- Division Two champions: 1956–57
- Premier Division League Cup winners: 1972–73
- Division One League Cup winners: 2003–04
- Walsall & District League
- Champions: 1895–96, 1900–01, 1901–02, 1932–33, 1935–36, 1947–48
- Staffordshire Senior Cup
- Winners: 1957–58, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1997–98
- Staffordshire Junior Cup
- Winners: 1905–06, 1900–01
- Staffordshire FA Challenge Cup
- Winners: 1921–22, 2002–03
- Walsall Senior Cup
- Winners: 1968–69, 1971–72, 1972–73
- Bilston Charity Cup
- Winners: 1900–01, 1913–14
- Birmingham Junior Cup
- Winners: 1895–96
- John Martin Trophy
- Winners: 2009–10 (joint), 2010–11, 2013–14 (joint)
- Rugeley Charity Cup
- Winners: 1966–67
- Smedley Crooke Memorial Charity Cup
- Winners: 2017–18
- Walsall Charity Cup
- Winners: 1901–02
- Walsall Hospital Cup
- Winners: 1900–01, 1901–02
- Walsall Junior/Challenge Cup
- Winners: 1900–01, 1905–06, 1932–34 (shared), 1934–35, 1935–36, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1948–49
- Wednesbury Charity Cup
- Winners: 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1984–85
- Willenhall Nursing Institute Cup
- Winners: 1908–09
- Wolverhampton Charity Cup
- Winners: 1895–96, 1899–1900, 1900–01, 1903–04
Club Records
Here are some interesting facts and records about Bilston Town Community FC:
- Best FA Cup performance: Second round, 1972–73
- Best FA Trophy performance: Fourth round, 2000–01
- Best FA Vase performance: Quarter-finals, 1992–93
- Biggest win: 12–0 against Norton Wood, 15 February 1936
- Heaviest defeat: 19–1 against Worcester City, 21 November 1931
- Record attendance: 8,000 fans against Wolverhampton Wanderers, in a friendly match on 10 March 1953
See also
- Bilston Town F.C. players
- Bilston Town F.C. managers
