Peterborough United F.C. facts for kids
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Full name | Peterborough United Football Club | ||
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Nickname(s) | The Posh | ||
Founded | 1934 | ||
Ground | London Road | ||
Capacity | 15,314 | ||
Owner | Darragh MacAnthony (75%), Kelgary Sports & Entertainment (20%), IRC Investments Limited (5%) | ||
Chairman | Darragh MacAnthony | ||
Manager | Darren Ferguson | ||
League | League One | ||
2018–19 | League One, 7th of 24 | ||
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Peterborough United Football Club is a professional association football team from Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England. They are often called "The Posh." The team plays in EFL League One, which is the third level of English football.
Peterborough United started in 1934 and joined the Midland League. They were very successful, winning the Midland League title five times in a row from 1955 to 1959. Because of this success, they joined the Football League in 1960.
The team quickly made an impact, winning the Fourth Division title in their first season (1960–61). They even set a Football League record by scoring 134 goals that season! Peterborough United has moved between different divisions over the years, winning titles and promotions. They have also won the EFL Trophy three times, including back-to-back wins in 2024 and 2025.
The club has rivalries with nearby teams like Cambridge United and Northampton Town. Peterborough United has always played their home games at London Road.
Contents
Club History
Early Years (1934–1990)
Peterborough United was formed in 1934. It replaced an older team called Peterborough & Fletton United, which had closed down. The new club joined the Midland League. They needed money to join, and another club, Grantham Town, helped them out with a loan.
The Posh played their first league match and won 4–0 against Gainsborough Trinity. Over the years, they won the Midland League six times. This included an amazing five wins in a row from 1956 to 1960.
In 1960, Peterborough United was voted into The Football League. They immediately won the Fourth Division in their first season (1960–61). After this, they spent seven seasons in the Third Division. They even reached the quarter-finals of the 1964–65 FA Cup in 1965, beating big teams like Arsenal. However, they were sent back to the Fourth Division in 1968 due to money problems.
It took six seasons for the club to return to the Third Division, winning the Fourth Division championship again. In 1978, they almost got promoted to the Second Division but missed out on the last day. After this, the club faced a tough period and spent 12 years back in the Fourth Division.
Rising Through the Ranks (1991–2000)
In 1991, Chris Turner, a former player, became manager. The team then went on a great run of 13 games without losing. On the last day of the season, they secured promotion to the Third Division.
The next season, 1991–92, was one of the club's most successful. They had a fantastic run in the League Cup, beating teams like Wimbledon and Newcastle United. They even beat Liverpool 1–0 to reach the quarter-finals!
In the league, the team played very well and earned a spot in the play-offs. They won their semi-final against Huddersfield Town. On May 24, 1992, Peterborough United played at Wembley Stadium for the first time. They won the Third Division play-off final against Stockport County 2–1, earning promotion to the new First Division. They finished 10th in the 1992–93 season, which is their highest-ever league finish.
Modern Era (2001–Present)
In the 2005–06 season, the club had several managers. In 2007, Darren Ferguson took over as manager. He led the club to back-to-back promotions, moving them from League Two to the Championship in just two seasons (2007–08 and 2008–09).
Peterborough spent three of the next four seasons in the Championship. After being relegated in 2010, they won a play-off final in 2011 to return to the Championship.
In 2013, they were relegated back to League One. However, they went on to win the EFL Trophy in 2014. In the 2020–21 season, Peterborough was promoted back to the Championship. They were relegated again the following season.
Peterborough United made history by becoming the first team to win the EFL Trophy in back-to-back seasons. They won the trophy in 2024 and again in 2025.
Team Nickname
Peterborough United is known as "The Posh." This nickname started in 1921. A manager named Pat Tirrell said he was "Looking for posh players for a posh new team." The name stuck!
The term "posh" was sometimes used by the press to make fun of the club. In 2002, Victoria Beckham, who was known as "Posh Spice," tried to stop the club from using the nickname for merchandise. However, she was not successful.
Home Stadium
Peterborough United has always played their home games at London Road. The stadium has different stands for fans. There have been talks about building a new, larger stadium in the future.
The most fans ever to attend a game at London Road was 30,096. This happened on February 20, 1965, during an FA Cup match against Swansea Town.
The stadium's name has changed due to sponsorship deals. It was called the ABAX Stadium from 2014 to 2019. Since June 2019, it has been known as the "Weston Homes Stadium."
Club Rivalries
Football clubs often have rivalries with other teams, especially those nearby.
Cambridge United
Cambridge United is considered Peterborough United's main rival. Their matches are known as the Cambridgeshire derby. The games between these two teams have been very close over the years. Peterborough has won 19 matches, and Cambridge has won 15. They did not play each other between 2001 and 2017. They met again in 2022, with Peterborough winning 1–0. Peterborough also won their most recent game in March 2025.
Northampton Town
Northampton Town is another traditional rival. This rivalry goes back to when both teams were in lower leagues. The city of Peterborough was historically part of Northamptonshire, which adds to this rivalry.
MK Dons
More recently, fans have started to see the MK Dons as rivals. This is partly because of their location and because both teams have competed for promotion from League Two and League One.
Huddersfield Town
There has been a rivalry between Peterborough United and Huddersfield Town since 1992. Peterborough beat Huddersfield in the play-off semi-finals that year. The rivalry grew stronger in 2011 when Peterborough beat Huddersfield 3–0 in the League One play-off final. In 2013, Huddersfield's result on the last day of the season caused Peterborough to be relegated from the Championship.
Lincoln City
Peterborough also has a rivalry with Lincoln City. The city of Lincoln is about 50 miles from Peterborough. This rivalry became more intense on May 1, 2021. Peterborough came back from being 3–0 down to draw 3–3 against Lincoln. This result secured Peterborough's promotion to the Championship and meant Lincoln had to go into the play-offs.
Pride of Anglia
Many fans also see Peterborough as part of the "Pride of Anglia" derby. This involves professional clubs from Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, and sometimes Essex. Matches against these teams often attract large crowds. For example, in the 2019–20 season, over 10,000 fans watched Peterborough play Ipswich Town.
Current Players
Team Roster
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Players marked are listed for transfer.
Players on Loan
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Club Officials
Boardroom Members
- Chairman: Darragh MacAnthony
- Chief Executive Officer: Dawn Gore
- Director of Football: Barry Fry
- Directors: Liz Elsom, Iain Crawford, Dawn Gore
- Commercial Director: Alex Harris
- Club Patron: Bob Symns
First Team Staff
- First-team manager: Darren Ferguson
- Assistant manager: Kieran Scarff
- First-team coach: Kevin Russell
- Head of sports science: Lewis Keeble
- First Team Analyst: Daniel Hutchings
- Physio: Jonathan Chatfield
- Kit Manager: Ryan Melton
- Club Doctor: Dr Cosmas C.P Nnochiri
Youth Team Staff
- Under 23s Manager: Ryan Semple
- Under 18s Manager: Jimmy Unwin
- Under 18s Assistant Manager: Hugh Alban-Jones
- Academy Goalkeeper Coach: Harry Hogg
- Youth Lead Phase Coach: Ryan Jones
- Head of academy coaching: Tony Cook
- Head of Player Care: Lewis Elsom
- Academy manager: Dan Robinson
Club Records and Achievements
Best Performances
- FA Cup: Reached the Quarter-finals in the 1964–65 season.
- League Cup: Reached the Semi-finals in the 1965–66 season.
Individual Player Records
- Most League Appearances: Tommy Robson, with 482 games played between 1968 and 1981.
- Most Consecutive Appearances: Eric Steele, who played 148 games in a row from 1973 to 1977.
- Most League Goals: Jim Hall, scoring 122 goals from 1967 to 1975.
- Most League Goals in One Season: Terry Bly, who scored 52 goals in the 1960–61 season. This is also a record for the Fourth Division.
- Highest Transfer Fee Received: Around £7 million (could go up to £10 million) from Brentford for Ivan Toney in August 2020.
- Highest Transfer Fee Paid: Over £1.25 million to Bristol City for Mo Eisa in June 2019.
Club Honours (Trophies Won)
- Third Division / League One (Level 3)
- Runners-up: 2008–09, 2020–21
- Play-off winners: 1992, 2011
- Fourth Division / Third Division / League Two (Level 4)
- Champions: 1960–61, 1973–74
- Runners-up: 1990–91, 2007–08
- Play-off winners: 2000
- Midland League
- Champions: 1939–40, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60
- Football League Trophy / EFL Trophy
- Winners: 2013–14, 2023–24, 2024–25
See also
In Spanish: Peterborough United Football Club para niños