Boston United F.C. facts for kids
 |
|||
| Full name | Boston United Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Pilgrims | ||
| Founded | 1933 | ||
| Ground | Boston Community Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 5,061 | ||
| Chairman | David Newton | ||
| Manager | Graham Coughlan | ||
| League | National League North | ||
| 2018–19 | National League North, 11th of 22 | ||
|
|
|||
Boston United Football Club is a football club from Boston, Lincolnshire, England. They are known as 'the Pilgrims'. This nickname comes from the Pilgrim Fathers. These were people who left England a long time ago. They sailed to North America and settled near Boston, Massachusetts. The club's badge even shows the Mayflower, which was the ship the Pilgrim Fathers sailed on.
Boston United's traditional colours are amber and black. They play their home games at the Boston Community Stadium. This stadium was finished in 2020 and can hold 5,061 fans. The club has some local rivals, including Lincoln City, Scunthorpe United, Gainsborough Trinity, and Grimsby Town.
The club was started in 1933. It took over from an older club called Boston Town. Boston United first played in the Midland League. Later, they joined the Southern League for four years starting in 1958. They then moved to the United Counties League and won their first league title in 1965–66.
Boston United then joined the West Midlands (Regional) League. They won the Premier Division in 1966–67 and 1967–68. In 1968, they helped start the Northern Premier League. The Pilgrims won the Northern Premier League four times in the 1970s. These wins were in 1972–73, 1973–74, 1976–77, and 1977–78. In 1979, they also helped start the Alliance Premier League.
Boston United won the Southern League in 1999–2000. They then won the Conference in 2001–02. This meant they reached the Football League for the first time. They spent five years in the fourth division. In 2007, the club faced financial difficulties. This led to them being moved down two divisions to the Conference North. The next year, they were moved down again to the Northern Premier League.
In 2010, Boston won the Northern Premier League Premier Division play-offs. They tried to get promoted from the Conference and National League North several times. Finally, in 2024, they won the National League North play-offs. This brought them back to the fifth division of English football.
Contents
Club History
Boston United was founded in 1933. Their very first game was on 26 August 1933. They lost 3–1 at home to Grimsby Reserves. About 1,544 fans watched the game. Boston's first goal was scored by a player named Blessed. After this, the club had some success in different leagues. These included the Midland League and Southern League.
In the 1955–56 season, the club had a great run in the FA Cup. They won 6–1 against Derby County. Derby County was playing in the Third Division North at the time. Geoff Hazledine scored three goals in that game. This was a record away win for a non-League team against a League team in the FA Cup.
This win set up a Third Round match. They played against Tottenham Hotspur on 7 January 1956. Tottenham Hotspur was a top team in the First Division. The game was played at White Hart Lane in front of 46,185 fans. Boston lost 4–0. However, more than 10,000 Boston fans traveled to watch the game. Special trains were even arranged to take them from Boston to London.
Boston United was one of the founding members of the Northern Premier League in 1968. They won this league four times. They also helped start the Alliance Premier League in 1979. This league is now called the National League. Even though they won the Northern Premier League title in 1978, they did not get promoted to the Football League. Instead, Wigan Athletic took the spot.
In 1985, Boston United played at Wembley Stadium for the first time. This was for the FA Trophy Final in the 1984–85 season. They reached the final after Bob Lee scored a winning goal in the semi-final against Altrincham. Boston lost the final 2–1 to Wealdstone. Chris Cook scored Boston's only goal.
Boston United finished third in the Conference league in 1988–89. However, they were not able to keep up this success. They were moved down to the NPL in 1993. They then moved to the Southern League and won the title in 2000. In 2001, the club became fully professional. In their first season as a professional club, Boston won the Conference. This meant they were promoted to the Football League.
After their promotion, the club faced some challenges. There were issues with how players were registered. The club was fined and had points taken away from their first season in the League. This made some other clubs upset.
Neil Thompson, who was a youth team coach, became the manager. In their first Football League season, Boston managed to stay in the league. They finished in a good 15th place. The next season was another tough fight to avoid being moved down. Later, Steve Evans returned as manager. He helped the team finish 11th. In 2004–05, Boston was expected to do very well. However, they finished 16th. The 2005–06 season was their most successful in the Football League. They finished 11th, which was their highest position. They missed the play-offs by only five points.
The 2006–07 season was very difficult for Boston. In May 2007, they were moved down from League Two on the last day of the season. Manager Steve Evans and his assistant left the club.
Because they were moved down, Boston was supposed to play in the Conference National in 2007–08. However, the club faced more financial issues. This meant they were moved down two more divisions. They played the 2007–08 season in the Conference North. This was two steps below the Football League. This season was under new owners, David Newton and Neil Kempster.
Even though they finished 10th in 2007–08, Boston was still having financial problems. This led to them being moved down again to the Northern Premier League Premier Division for the 2008–09 season. They finished 16th that year. The next season was much better. The Pilgrims finished 3rd in the league. They won the play-offs, beating Bradford Park Avenue in the final. This earned them promotion back to the Conference North.
In 2011, joint managers Rob Scott and Paul Hurst left the club. They became managers for Grimsby Town. Former Boston player Jason Lee and current player Lee Canoville took over as joint managers. They helped United finish 3rd in the Conference North. They played in the play-offs but lost on penalties.
After a good start to the 2012–13 season, Boston's performance dropped. Jason Lee was sacked. Graham Drury took over but left after less than two months. Dennis Greene then became manager. He could not help the club finish higher than 16th place.
In 2014–15, Boston reached the play-offs after finishing 3rd. They lost in the semi-finals on penalties to Chorley. Boston was expected to reach the play-offs again in 2015–16. They had some good periods of form and finished 5th. They faced North Ferriby United in the play-offs. Boston won the first game 2–0 at home, but lost the second game. The next season started poorly, and manager Greene left. Adam Murray took over and helped the team stay safe from being moved down. He left the club the following year.
With Boston in a relegation spot, Craig Elliott became manager. He helped the Pilgrims avoid being moved down. Elliott's second full season (2019–20) was the club's last at York Street. The team had a great FA Cup run. They won four away games to reach the second round against Rochdale. A draw meant a replay at York Street. The League One team won 2–1 in a televised game. Over 4,000 fans attended. The season was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic. Boston finished third based on points per game. They won a semi-final against Gateshead 5–3. This set up a play-off final with Altrincham. Altrincham scored the only goal of the game. This was Boston's last match at York Street.
The new Pilgrim Way stadium was delayed by the pandemic. So, the 2020–21 season started with United playing home games at Gainsborough's Northolme. A COVID-19 outbreak meant only three home games were played there. The Boston Community Stadium opened in December 2020. The season was ended early due to the pandemic. In the 2023–24 season, Boston won the National League North play-offs. They beat Brackley Town 2–1 away in the final. This meant they returned to the fifth division.
Club Stadiums
Boston United played at York Street until 2020. This stadium was also known as The Jakemans Stadium due to a sponsorship deal. The stadium had four main areas for fans.
Former club chairman Jon Sotnick said the old stadium was not good enough for Football League standards. He wanted a new ground. Plans for a new stadium were submitted in June 2006. However, the council did not approve the plans. The old ground had a total capacity of 6,643 fans.
The club built a new stadium outside the town. On 10 April 2019, they announced that the 2019–20 season would be their last at York Street. The new ground has a capacity of 5,061.
At the start of the 2020–21 season, the club was allowed to use Gainsborough Trinity's Northolme stadium temporarily. This was while the final work was being done on their new stadium.
Boston United played their first game at the Boston Community Stadium on 5 December 2020. They lost 2–0 to Chorley in the National League North. Because of COVID-19 rules, fans could not visit the new stadium until July 2021. The first game with fans was a friendly against Lincoln City. Boston won that game 5–0.
Club Kits
When Boston United was founded in 1933, they used blue shirts, white shorts, and black socks. These were from the old Boston Football Club. Later that year, they changed to a black shirt with a large white 'V'. This design was used until 1937. After that, United switched to white shirts with black shorts and socks. After World War II, Boston United went back to blue shirts. They wore different shades of blue with either black or white shorts and socks.
The current colours of amber and black have been used since 1951. The design of the kit changes each season. In recent times, Boston United's kits have been made by different companies. These include Umbro, Paulas Benara, Vandanel, Errea, Nike, Adidas, and again Umbro.
Shirt Sponsors and Manufacturers
Here is a list of the companies that have made Boston United's kits and sponsored their shirts:
| Year | Kit Manufacturer | Main Shirt Sponsor | Back of Shirt Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1933–1950 | Umbro | None | None |
| 1950–1983 | Admiral | ||
| 1983–1987 | Lowland's Sportswear | ||
| 1987–1988 | Umbro | Burdens Tractors | |
| 1988–1990 | Batemans Brewery | ||
| 1990–1993 | Influence | ||
| 1993–1997 | Paulas Benara | ||
| 1997–1998 | Vegas | ||
| 1998–1999 | Wards | ||
| 1999–2000 | Stantons Metsä Prima | ||
| 2000–2003 | Finnforest | ||
| 2003–2004 | Oldrids (Home) Oldrids Downtown (Away) |
||
| 2004–2006 | Chestnut Homes | ||
| 2006–2007 | Vandanel | Haart | |
| 2007–2009 | Cropley's Suzuki | AC Williams | |
| 2009–2010 | Chris Cook Print | ||
| 2010–2012 | Errea | T&B Containers | |
| 2012–2013 | Thurlby Motors | T&B Containers | |
| 2013–2016 | Kia | Turnbull | |
| 2016–2020 | Nike | ||
| 2020–2023 | Adidas | ||
| 2023–2024 | Umbro |
Current Players
|
|
Coaching Staff
| Manager |  Graham Coughlan |
| Assistant manager | TBC |
| First team coach | TBC |
| Head of medical services |  Carol Holland |
| Youth Team Head Coach | Jamie Raynor |
| Youth Team Assistant Head Coach | Mark Melson |
| Youth Team Coach | Lewis Wright |
Manager History
Here is a list of Boston United managers over the years:
| Dates | Manager |
|---|---|
| 1934–1935 | Jimmy Cringan |
| 1935–1936 | Willie Vaughton |
| 1936–1937 | Arthur Greaves |
| 1937–1939 | Fred Tunstall |
| 1945–1947 | Fred Tunstall |
| 1948–1949 | Jimmy McGraham |
| 1950–1952 | Jimmy Ithell |
| 1952–1954 | Fred Tunstall |
| 1954–1957 | Ray Middleton |
| 1957–1960 | Ray King |
| 1960–1961 | Ray Middleton |
| 1961–1964 | Paul Todd |
| 1964–1965 | Fred Tunstall |
| 1965–1969 | Don Donovan |
| 1969–1972 | Jim Smith |
| 1972–1975 | Keith Jobling |
| 1975–1976 | Howard Wilkinson |
| 1976–1977 | Freddie Taylor and Gordon Bolland |
| 1977–1979 | Mickey Walker |
| 1979–1981 | Albert Phelan |
| 1981–1984 | John Froggatt |
| 1984–1986 | Arthur Mann |
| 1986–1987 | Ray O'Brien |
| 1987–1990 | George Kerr |
| 1990–1992 | Dave Cusack |
| 1992–1994 | Peter Morris |
| 1994–1996 | Mel Sterland |
| 1996–1998 | Greg Fee |
| 1998–2002 | Steve Evans |
| 2002–2004 | Neil Thompson |
| 2004 | James Rodwell (caretaker) |
| 2004–2007 | Steve Evans |
| 2007–2008 | Tommy Taylor |
| 2008–2009 | Steve Welsh |
| 2009–2011 | Rob Scott and Paul Hurst |
| 2011–2012 | Jason Lee and Lee Canoville |
| 2012 | Jason Lee |
| 2012–2013 | Graham Drury |
| 2013–2016 | Dennis Greene |
| 2016–2017 | Adam Murray |
| 2017–2022 | Craig Elliott |
| 2022 | Paul Cox |
| 2022–2024 | Ian Culverhouse |
| 2024– | Graham Coughlan |
Club Records and Statistics
- Highest attendance: 11,000 vs. Derby County, FA Cup third round replay, 9 January 1974
- Largest Football League victory: 6–0 vs. Shrewsbury Town, 21 December 2002
- Heaviest defeat: 9–2 vs. AFC Fylde, 19 November 2016
- Largest FA Cup win: 10–0 vs. Bilsthorpe Colliery, FA Cup preliminary round, 18 September 1937
- First club to start a Football League season on fewer than 0 points
- Largest FA Cup away win for a non-League team against a Football League opponent: 6–1 vs. Derby County, FA Cup second round, 10 December 1955
Cup Achievements
- Best FA Cup performance: Reached the Third Round three times (in 1955–56, 1973–74, 2003–04)
- Best League Cup performance: Reached the Second Round in 2004–05
- Best League Trophy performance: Reached the Second Round three times (in 2002–03, 2003–04, 2005–06)
- Best FA Trophy performance: Runners-up in 1984–85
Club Honours
Here are some of the titles and cups Boston United has won:
League Titles
- Football Conference (level 5)
- Champions: 2001–02
- National League North (level 6)
- Play-off winners: 2024
- Southern League
- Champions: 1999–2000
- Runners-up: 1998–99
- Northern Premier League
- Champions: 1972–73, 1973–74, 1976–77, 1977–78
- Runners-up: 1995–96, 1997–98
- West Midlands League
- Champions: 1966–67, 1967–68
- United Counties League
- Champions: 1965–66
- Central Alliance League
- Champions: 1961–62
Cup Wins
- FA Trophy
- Runners-up: 1984–85
- Northern Premier League Challenge Cup
- Winners: 1973–74, 1975–76, 2009–10
- Northern Premier League Challenge Shield
- Winners: 1973–74, 1974–75, 1976–77, 1977–78
- Lincolnshire Senior Cup
- Winners: 1934–35, 1936–37, 1937–38, 1945–46, 1949–50, 1954–55, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1959–60, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1985–86, 1987–88, 1988–89, 2005–06
- Non-League Champions of Champions Cup
- Winners: 1972–73, 1976–77
- East Anglian Cup
- Winners: 1960–61
- Eastern Professional Floodlit Cup
- Winners: 1971–72
See also
In Spanish: Boston United Football Club para niños
- Boston United Supporters' Trust
