Hinckley United F.C. - Club History

Club History

The Town of Hinckley has had an established football team for over one hundred years. The earliest recorded team was Hinckley Town, formed in 1889 and competed in the Leicestershire Senior League, playing their games at the Holywell Ground, behind the Holywell Inn pub. A short spell in the Midland League in 1900 was followed by a name change to Hinckley United and a return to the Leicestershire Senior League in 1905, where the club remained until the outbreak of the First World War. After the war Hinckley United competed in the Birmingham Combination, becoming champions twice in 1923–24 and 1926–27.

After the war, the brewery owners of the Holywell Ground decided they wanted the land for other uses and the football club found themselves without a ground. The club managed to purchase land on Middlefield Lane, for a then sum of £500, in August 1946, and following a name change to Hinckley Athletic in September 1946, the club resumed playing in the Nuneaton Combination league.

Hinckley Athletic subsequently competed in the Birmingham Combination again, the Southern League and West Midlands League before becoming founder members of the Midland Alliance. At the height of their success manager Dudley Kernick took the club into the Southern League Premier in 1964, before a financial crisis led to a relegation and eventual resignation from the Southern League. The club struggled to survive in the West Midlands League for the next 25 years. The early 1990s saw a turn around in fortunes for Hinckley Athletic and manager John Hanna saw the club become founder members of the Midland Alliance league.

Meanwhile in 1958 Westfield Wanderers were formed and played in the Hinckley District League. In 1972 they changed their name to Hinckley Town and joined the Leicestershire Senior League, before their successful period in the 1980s with a switch to the Central Midlands League, then the West Midlands League and gaining promotion to the Southern League in 1990.

Hinckley United, was formed on Wednesday 18 June 1997. A meeting on that date saw shareholders of Hinckley Athletic approve a merger with neighbours Hinckley Town. Merger moves were made immediately at the end of the 1996–97 season when Athletic narrowly missed out on promotion to the Southern League for the third consecutive campaign following finishes of 2nd, 3rd and 2nd again. A meeting of the respective chairmen, Mick Voce (Athletic) and Kevin Downes (Town), established there was some common ground with each club having something positive to offer, and the merger was completed.

Consequently, the new club were to play at Middlefield Lane with Town's Leicester Road set up being used as a training ground, and once the FA and Southern League had approved the merger, United inherited Town's Southern League Midland Division place.

The aim was to provide better quality football in Hinckley and this success was achieved within four years. After a mid table finish in their first season, Hinckley United improved with finishes of fourth, third and then won the Southern League Midland/West Division in season 2000–01. That season saw Hinckley score 102 league goals and extend an unbeaten home record to 51 games.

This success was further coumpounded by becoming founder member of the Conference North. The first two seasons in the Southern Premier Hinckley had mid-table finishes, but the third season however was better than anyone could've expected. Hinckley United finished in sixth place, also meaning they finished in a position to be accepted into the newly established Conference North division for 2004–05.

After two mid table finishes consolidating in Conference North, season 2006–07 was accepted as the season Hinckley would make a serious challenge for the title. However after a good start tragedy struck the club when popular defender Matthew Gadsby collapsed and died on the pitch at Harrogate on 9 September 2006. Hinckley players took a month away from football and spent the rest of the season playing catch up. When Hinckley returned to action the season was one of up and down, but held on to a play off spot, eventually rallying on and off the field to secure fourth place in the league, reaching the play off final, but missing out on promotion conceding a last minute penalty.

Off the pitch things gathered pace with the development of the club. Middlefield Lane was sold for £4 million which funded De Montfort Park, a purpose built 4329 capacity football ground. The move away from Middlefield Lane happened on 5 March 2005 when the first game at the new De Montfort Park Stadium was played. Attendances increased at the new Stadium and a home league attendance record was set for Hinckley when nearly 2900 watched Hinckley draw with Nuneaton on boxing day 2006.

Following from the play off final defeat, Hinckley United struggled the following season and were involved in a relegation battle throughout. Despite being bottom of the league at Christmas, relegation was avoided by a nine game unbeaten run at the end of the season, ensuring survival in the penultimate game.

The next few season were treated as consolidation, as financial hardship hit the club off the field. Lack of proper budgeting the previous seasons meant the club were unable to meet debts, and the HMRC petitioned the courts for a winding up order. The football club was also sanctioned with a 'registration embargo' limiting the number of players at the club to a maximum of 16. Over two years were spent with the club trying to finance and settle the debts, gaining adjournments from the courts, and the debt was finally settled in November 2010.

Players left the club, due to the financial issues, and season 2010–2011 saw a virtual fresh team of players start for Hinckley. Again it was a battle against relegation, but after the 'registration embargo' was lifted in November 2010, some new players were brought in and Hinckley dragged themselves away from the relegation zone towards a mid table finish.

Another season of struggle and financial hardship followed in season 2011-2012 and the club were relegated on the final day of the season, though finished on 48 points, the highest points total to be relegated from the Conference North. On the 25th of May 2012, the F.A published their proposed club allocations for the 2012-2013 non-league season proposing Hinckley United will be in the Conference North for the 2012-2013 season after both Darlington Football Club and Kettering Town Football Club were relegated further divisions after financial problems. In June this reprieve was officially confirmed at the Football Conference AGM. On October 10th the only manager in the club's history, Dean Thomas resigned following a poor start to the season and increasing financial restrictions. Dean Thomas's assistant manager Carl Heggs was offered the job on November 15th at a board meeting following a month in temporary charge, even though the best result managed during this time was a 1-1 draw with Gainsborough Trinity in the FA Trophy.