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Peterborough United
Peterborough United.svg
Full name Peterborough United Football Club
Nickname(s) The Posh
Founded 1934; 91 years ago (1934)
Ground London Road
Ground 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

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.

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!

PeterboroughUnitedFC League Performance
This chart shows Peterborough United's league positions since they joined the Football League.

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.

Peterborough United fans
Peterborough United fans cheering at Old Trafford in 2011.

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

No. Position Player
1 Australia GK Nicholas Bilokapic dagger
2 Northern Ireland DF Carl Johnston (vice-captain)
3 England DF Rio Adebisi
4 England MF Archie Collins
5 Sweden DF Oscar Wallin
8 England MF Ryan de Havilland
9 Northern Ireland MF Chris Conn-Clarke
10 England FW Abraham Odoh
11 England FW Declan Frith
13 England GK Will Blackmore
15 Wales DF George Nevett
17 England FW Kyrell Lisbie
18 Republic of Ireland FW Cian Hayes
19 Sweden FW Gustav Lindgren
28 England FW Jacob Wakeling dagger
No. Position Player
33 England DF James Dornelly
34 England DF Harley Mills
35 England MF Donay O'Brien-Brady
40 England DF Ollie Rose
41 England FW David Kamara
42 Brazil DF Lucca Mendonça
46 England FW Bolu Shofowoke
47 Wales MF Joe Andrews
48 England FW Bradley Ihionvien dagger
49 England GK Bastian Smith
50 England FW Andre Changunda
England GK Alex Bass
England DF Sam Hughes (captain)
Republic of Ireland DF David Okagbue
England MF Brandon Khela

Players marked dagger are listed for transfer.

Players on Loan

No. Position Player
England FW Pemi Aderoju (at Eastbourne Borough until 30 June 2026)

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 Scotland
  • Assistant manager: Kieran Scarff England
  • First-team coach: Kevin Russell England
  • Head of sports science: Lewis Keeble England
  • First Team Analyst: Daniel Hutchings England
  • Physio: Jonathan Chatfield England
  • Kit Manager: Ryan Melton
  • Club Doctor: Dr Cosmas C.P Nnochiri

Youth Team Staff

  • Under 23s Manager: Ryan Semple England
  • Under 18s Manager: Jimmy Unwin England
  • Under 18s Assistant Manager: Hugh Alban-Jones England
  • Academy Goalkeeper Coach: Harry Hogg England
  • Youth Lead Phase Coach: Ryan Jones England
  • Head of academy coaching: Tony Cook England
  • Head of Player Care: Lewis Elsom England
  • Academy manager: Dan Robinson England

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

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Peterborough United Football Club para niños

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