Ollerton Town Football Club is a football club based in Ollerton, Nottinghamshire, England. The men's team play in the Central Midlands Alliance Premier Division North whilst the ladies team plays in the East Midlands Women's Regional Football League.
History
Ollerton has a long history of local football going back to the late 1800s. One of its best periods was immediately before the Second World War; when Ollerton Colliery reached three Notts Senior Cup finals in a row from 1936 to 1939, winning it in 1937/38. Its reserve team also won the Notts Intermediate Cup the year previous.
In 1930, a side called Ollerton Forest defeated Welbeck Athletic 3–0 in the North Notts Senior Cup final at Mansfield Town's Field Mill stadium. This is believed to be the first competitive football game in England to be played under floodlights and more can be read about it here.
Ollerton Colliery ceased as a football club in the early 1980s but was reformed as Ollerton & Bevercotes F.C in 1988. The club won the Nottinghamshire Football Alliance Division Two championship in 1992–93, gaining promotion to Division One under the management of Adge Owen and David Kent.
Following the closure of the colliery in 1994, the club changed its name to Ollerton Town F.C. In the same year, Ollerton were champions of Division One in 1995–96 and were promoted to the top division of the Notts Alliance. After finishing runners-up in 1999–2000, the club was promoted to the Central Midlands League[1] and entered the English Football Pyramid.
In the 2007–08 season, Ollerton, under the management of Don Gethfield, David Kent and Anthony Thompson, the club won the Central Midlands Premier Division, earning promotion to the Supreme Division. That season they also reached the Nottinghamshire Senior Cup final where they were beaten 2–0 by Eastwood Town.
In 2008–09, the club took part in the FA Vase for the first time, getting to the second round proper in 2009–10.[1]
After the resignation of Don Gethfield back in 2011, and a brief stint under Paul Rawden, the club appointed Dave Winter as first team manager, with Stephen Bodle as his assistant. The former Kirkby Town pair guided the club to the Central Midlands Floodlit Cup final in their first season.
For the 2011–12 season, the club was placed in the Central Midlands North Division following a league restructure.
In the 2015–16 season, with former-captain Jamie Allan now also on board as first team coach, the club secured promotion to the Northern Counties East League after finishing runners-up in the Central Midlands North Division.
After several seasons in the NCEL Division One, Ollerton Town were moved laterally into the East Midlands Counties League for the start of the 2020–21 Season. The club topped the division after 12 games, winning 9 of them, but the season was brought to a premature end due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
In May 2021, Dave Winter resigned from his role as first team manager after almost ten years, and over 360 games, in charge. The club moved quickly to appoint Stephen Bodle as his replacement, with Lee Needham assisting him moving forward. At the end of the 2020–21 season the East Midlands Counties League was dissolved and the club were transferred to Division One of the Northern Counties East League.
Full League History
Season
League
Placing
1988-1989
Mansfield Bitter League
N/A
1989-1990
Mansfield Bitter League
N/A
1990-1991
Notts Alliance Division Two
5th
1991-1992
Notts Alliance Division Two
3rd
1992-1993
Notts Alliance Division Two
1st
1993-1994
Notts Alliance Division One
5th
1994-1995
Notts Alliance Division One
9th
1995-1996
Notts Alliance Division One
1st
1996-1997
Notts Alliance Senior Division
14th
1997-1998
Notts Alliance Senior Division
10th
1998-1999
Notts Alliance Senior Division
11th
1999-2000
Notts Alliance Senior Division
2nd
2000-2001
Central Midlands Premier Division
11th
2001-2002
Central Midlands Premier Division
11th
2002-2003
Central Midlands Premier Division
6th
2003-2004
Central Midlands Premier Division
8th
2004-2005
Central Midlands Premier Division
10th
2005-2006
Central Midlands Premier Division
10th
2006-2007
Central Midlands Premier Division
13th
2007-2008
Central Midlands Premier Division
1st
2008-2009
Central Midlands Supreme Division
4th
2009-2010
Central Midlands Supreme Division
3rd
2010-2011
Central Midlands Supreme Division
13th
2011-2012
Central Midlands Supreme Division
7th
2012-2013
Central Midlands Supreme Division
6th
2013-2014
Central Midlands North Division
8th
2014-2015
Central Midlands North Division
10th
2015-2016
Central Midlands North Division
2nd
2016-2017
Northern Counties East League Division One
17th
2017-2018
Northern Counties East League Division One
15th
2018-2019
Northern Counties East League Division One
16th
2019-2020
Northern Counties East League Division One
Voided
2020-2021
East Midlands Counties League
Curtailed
Ground
The club's ground is situated on Walesby Lane in Ollerton. Previously referred to as "The Lane", in 2018, the club announced a sponsorship deal with Nottinghamshire company FastFrameUK which saw the window and door retailer secure the naming rights of the ground,
The ground was previously shared with Ollerton Cricket Club up until the start of the 2018–2019 season when the cricket club sadly folded.
There is a small pavilion playing host to the changing rooms for both teams where post-match hospitality also occurs.
The pitch itself is floodlit and has two large stands running down two ends to provide cover for spectators. Three sides of the pitch also have hard standing in keeping with the ground grading required for Step 6 football.
A small porta-cabin behind the pitch offers refreshments for visiting spectators with a variety of drinks and snacks on offer.
One side of the pitch backs on to a row of near-by houses and it is on this side where two large, brick built dug outs have been constructed with seats in to keep the players and management dry. Each dug-out could easily hold around 8 players/staff.
Honours
Ollerton Town have won three league championships:[1][2]
