RUGBY TOWN F.C.

'Rugby Town AFC' is a football club based in Rugby, Warwickshire, who play in the Southern League (currently known as the British Gas League). They are nicknamed ''The Valley'', and play their home matches at Butlin Road. They were originally named VS Rugby; in 2000 the club was renamed to Rugby United, and in 2005 became Rugby Town AFC.

Contents

Origins

VS Rugby

Rugby United

Rugby Town AFC

Current squad

External links

Origins

In 2005, the name Rugby Town AFC appeared once more on the Southern League fixture list. As with so many other non-league football teams, the club's history is not straightforward, and this particular club dates back to the early 1950s when Keith Coughlan formed a team in the New Bilton area of Rugby. Sky blue was introduced as the main kit colour in 1959.
The first competitive match was in the Rugby and District League on September 8 1956 under the name of Valley Sports; the name was taken from the "Happy Valley", the local name for New Bilton. At this stage, The club played at Hillmorton Recreation Ground, and in due course moved to share the Oakfield ground of Southern League Rugby Town.

VS Rugby

In 1971, the club officially changed its name to Valley Sports Rugby. Coughlan always had his sights set above purely local football, and in 1963 moved the club into the Coventry and North Warwickshire League, and in 1969 into the United Counties League.
In 1973 the club moved to its own ground at Butlin Road and in the same year Rugby Town folded after 15 seasons in the Southern League. Valley Sports became the senior club for the town, and abbreviated their name to VS Rugby. VS moved from the United Counties to the West Midlands League in 1974, and in 1976 entered the FA Cup for the first time.
In January 1981 Jimmy Knox was appointed manager. Knox had been a successful player and manager at Rugby Town, before a spell as top non-league manager at AP Leamington. His reputation enabled him to survive ten defeats in his first eleven games in charge. In 1983 he led VS to success at Wembley in the FA Vase, after they beat Halesowen Town 1-0 in the final. In the same season, they were promoted into the Southern League.
After a gap of 10 years, Rugby again had a representative team at this level. During Knox's 10-year spell, the club moved into the Premier Division, won the Southern League and Birmingham Senior Cup, and had memorable FA Cup encounters with Northampton Town, Leyton Orient, Bristol Rovers and Bristol City.
Jimmy Knox left Butlin Road in the summer of 1992 with the team 3rd in the Premier Division and with the Birmingham Senior Cup again in the club's possession, and his departure led to a rapid decline in club fortunes. VS were relegated for the first time in their history, and then put into liquidation.

Rugby United

A group of supporters, including founder Keith Coughlan, rescued the club, and manager Ron Bradbury stayed on to gain promotion behind newly formed Rushden & Diamonds. Despite the team struggling on the pitch, developments around the ground, including a new 500 seater cantilever stand with dressing rooms underneath, a refurbished clubhouse bar and a much improved pitch put the now renamed Rugby United in a position to compete in the Southern League Premier Division following the reorganisation of non-league football.

Rugby Town AFC

The original Rugby Town had played in the Southern League from 1919 to 1934, and from 1958 to 1973. In 1993, Rugby Town re-emerged and joined the Midland Combination Division Two but resigned midway through season 1995/96 and had their record expunged. 2000/01 saw them once again rise from the ashes and join the same league, but again their tenure was short-lived as they resigned and folded in 2004.
In 2005, a grant from the Football Trust to develop all-weather floodlit junior and senior pitches at Butlin Road, together with the complex of junior pitches in Hillmorton, led to the merging of Rugby United and the acclaimed Rugby Town Juniors under the Rugby Town AFC banner.
In season 2006/2007, Rugby Town AFC had a difficult season, but avoided relegation, eventually finishing 17th in the Southern League Premier Division.

Current squad

External links

★ Club website