Cadbury Athletic F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Cadbury Athletic Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Chocolate Men | ||
| Founded | 1994 | ||
| Ground | Cadbury Recreation Ground, Bournville | ||
| Chairman | Bryan Elliott | ||
| Manager | Daniel Moses | ||
| League | Midland League Division One | ||
| 2018–19 | Midland League Division One, 8th of 19 | ||
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Cadbury Athletic Football Club is an amateur football team from Birmingham, England. They are connected to the famous Cadbury chocolate company. The team plays in purple and white, just like the company's colours. They are currently part of the Midland League Division One league. Their home ground is the Cadbury Recreation Ground in Bournville.
Contents
Club History and Achievements
How the Club Started
The Cadbury Athletic Football Club began in 1994. They joined Division Three of the Midland Football Combination league. In their very first season, 1994–95, they finished ninth. Even so, they were promoted to Division Two.
Moving Up the Leagues
In the 2000–01 season, the team finished fourth in Division Two. This was good enough for them to be promoted to Division One. That same year, they also won the league's Challenge Vase.
A few years later, in 2004–05, Cadbury Athletic were runners-up in Division One. This success led to another promotion, this time to the Premier Division.
Challenges and Comebacks
In 2011–12, the club finished twelfth in the Premier Division. However, they decided to leave the division and moved back down to Division One.
They bounced back quickly! In 2013–14, Cadbury Athletic became champions of Division One. This was the last season for the Midland Combination league. It then joined with another league to form the Midland League. Cadbury Athletic was placed into Division One of this new league.
Recent Successes
After the 2020–21 season, the club again moved down a division, joining Division Two. But they didn't stay there long! The very next season, 2021–22, they won the Division Two title. They also won the Birmingham Saturday Vase that year, beating Tipton Town 4–0 in the final match.
Home Grounds of Cadbury Athletic
The Original Home
The club first played at the Cadbury Recreation Ground. This ground is located at the Cadbury factory in Bournville. However, the ground did not have floodlights. Floodlights are important for playing games in the evening or during darker months.
Moving for Floodlights
Because of the lack of floodlights, the first team had to move. They played at the Triplex Sports Ground, which belonged to Pilkington XXX in Kings Norton. Later, they even played at Alvechurch's Lye Meadow ground for a while. Eventually, they returned to the Triplex Ground.
The Triplex Ground's History
The Triplex Ground was first built by a team called Richmond Swifts. Between 1956 and 1958, they worked to make the ground flat. They also created raised areas, like small hills, on three sides of the pitch. The fourth side was left open for cricket games. A stand for spectators was built in the mid-1990s. Richmond Swifts left the ground because they couldn't get permission to install floodlights. Later, Pilkington XXX took over the ground and were able to put in floodlights.
Back to Cadbury Recreation Ground
When Cadbury Athletic moved down to Division Two in 2021, they returned to their original home. They now play at the Cadbury Recreation Ground once more.
Famous Players from Cadbury Athletic
Many young players who started at Cadbury Athletic have gone on to become professional footballers. These include well-known names like Rico Henry, Ryan Burge, Demarai Gray, Corey O'Keeffe, and Daniel Sturridge.
Club Honours and Trophies
Cadbury Athletic has won several important titles:
- Midland League
- Division Two champions: 2021–22
- Midland Combination
- Division One champions: 2013–14
- Challenge Vase winners: 2000–01
- Birmingham Saturday Vase
- Winners: 2021–22
Club Records
Here are some of the best performances Cadbury Athletic has had in major competitions:
- Best FA Cup performance: Preliminary round, 2015–16 (This means they reached an early stage of the FA Cup, a big national competition.)
- Best FA Vase performance: Fourth round, 2018–19 (The FA Vase is another national competition for smaller clubs, and they did very well to reach the fourth round.)
