St James Park, Churchill Way, Brackley, Northamptonshire, NN13 7EJ
Conta C t us:
Email: enquiries@brackleytownfc.co.uk Tel: 01280 704 077
@BrackleyTownFC /brackleytownfcofficial /brackleytownfc /brackleytownfcofficial BrackleyTownFCofficial
Cl u B o FFICI als :
Chairman Francis Oliver
CEO Janene Butters
Director Matt Wise
Head of Football Admin Tim Carroll
Head of Commercial Steve Goodman
Head of Media Chris Tymon
Head of Safeguarding Nick Zammit
Head of Junior Football Andy Thompson
Venue Manager Sharon Edwards
Administrator Mike Bosher
Life President Ray Styles
Life President Phil Hedges
FIR st t E a M Manag EME nt:
Manager Roger Johnson
Assistant Manager Stephen Ward
First Team Coach Kevin Foley
Lead Therapist Matt Firth
Kit Manager Keith Marshall
photog R aphs:
Glenn Alcock, Josh Nesden
Pleasure Media Ltd trading as Brackley Town Football Club is a limited company by shares owned by Ray Styles and Allan Leighton. The company is registered in England under company number 3693143 and whose registered address is: Holeys Accountants, Stuart House, 15/17 North Park Road, Harrogate, HG1 5PD
Established in 1890, our football club has always been based in the heart of our community.
Brackley Town is currently in it’s most successful period, we were proud to put our town on the map when we won the 2018 FA Trophy at Wembley. Our community is extremely important to our football club. Whether it’s our loyal supporters who come down St James Park to cheer on their team, or the help we receive from volunteers who help us on matchdays.
Or it’s what we give back to our community, from the soccer schools we run for 4 year olds, or the work we do with the lonely and the vulnerable, it means everything to us.
The money generated from sponsorships and advertising opportunities at Brackley Town means that we can continue educating and supporting our local community and that means everything to us.
We hope that the following pages in this brochure give you a good idea of what our football club is about, and hopefully you can join us.
Brackley Town Football Club & Ludis would like to thank all of the businesses that appear in this publication for their support and wish them continued commercial success.
The content of this brochure is believed to be correct at the time of printing but we cannot endorse individual statements and readers should not rely solely upon the continued accuracy of any individual claims contained herein without consultation with the service provider. Designed and Printed by Ludis 2023.
For more information on Ludis visit www.ludisgroup.co.uk.
The last eight years have been the most successful period in our 130 year history. We have seen promotion to the National League North, the sixth tier of English football, we’ve then finished in the playoffs five times, twice in the playoff final.
In 2018 we won the FA Trophy at Wembley, with over 6,000 of our fans there to witness history happening. Our matchday attendances continue to grow with each season, up to an average of 737 from 550 and last season we had regular games of over 1000 supporters in the ground. We continue to develop our home ground, St James Park to improve the matchday experience and our digital presence continues to grow too.
Our work in the community is vital to our football club and key to everything we do, not just on matchday, but throughout the year we are a community hub.
As a football club, we are ambitious both on and off the pitch and with your help we can make a positive difference.
We hope you can join us for our journey!
Brackley Town Football Club has a rich and varied history and has always been proudly based within the town.
Founded in 1890 Brackley Town was, around the turn of the century, a prominent side in the local area. At one time the name of Tottenham Hotspur appeared on the fixture list, London being a short journey away on the newly opened Great Central Railway. The Club then slipped into relative obscurity, competing mainly at a very junior level. Most of the time before the war was spent in the Oxfordshire League, games being played in Manor Road, before they transferred to the North Bucks League in the post-war years.
Here they stayed until 1968 when they took what appeared to be a step down the ladder by joining the Banbury & District League. During this time they had moved their ground to the Buckingham Road with the changing facilities and headquarters situated in The Plough public house.
In 1974 the club moved back to the North Bucks League and this coincided with a move to the current St James Park ground. A small clubhouse and changing rooms were built and within 3 years the major step up into the Hellenic League was made. They stayed in Division One until 1983 before moving into the United Counties League, winning the Division One title at the first attempt and gaining promotion into the Premier Division.
Then followed some difficult years with even the very survival of the club in doubt. The 1992/93 season ended with the ignominious distinction of having the worst playing record of any senior side in the country. It was only the fact that others did not have the required facilities for promotion that they were spared relegation.
But in 1994 they moved back across the pyramid into the Hellenic League and fortunes improved dramatically with former manager Phil Lines returning and in 1996/97 winning the Premier Division title. Minor miracles were then performed in order to make the ground suitable for elevation into Southern League.
With finances at full stretch however, the club was forced into voluntary liquidation in February 1999. It was saved at the last minute to ensure that the season was completed. The “new” club finished bottom of the Southern Section and were therefore demoted back into the Hellenic League.
The 2003/04 season saw an exciting run-in and the championship shield lifted on the last day of the season and with it promotion back to the Southern League. Mike Ford took over as manager in October 2004, guiding the team to the fringes of the play-off positions. Ford departed in February 2006 with the club again just outside the promotion frame. Phil Lines and his Assistant Andy Sinnott took over and guided the club to a third place finish culminating in the heartbreak of losing in the last few minutes of the play-off final. The 2006/07 season finally saw the team fulfil its potential. Leading the table from early December, the league was won at a canter.
Lines then stepped aside and the club appointed the experienced Roger Ashby as they took the step into unknown territory at Step 3.
With Lines once again back at the helm an eleventh-placed finish in 2008/09 consolidated Premier Division status and the club’s growing ambitions and proceeds from a successful FA Cup run, reaching the first round proper for the first time, brought a new all-seater stand behind one goal to match the newly constructed, small covered terrace at the cricket ground end. The FA Cup run that ended at Eastwood Town was matched by a first appearance in the first round proper of the FA Trophy. Cup success was topped off by a third appearance in the Senior Cup Final and in April 2009 a new era was ushered in by the appointment from
the playing staff of former Kettering Town and Rushden and Diamonds player, Aussie Jon Brady as Lines’ managerial successor.
2011/12 saw arguably the most successful season in the club’s history to that point culminating in winning the Southern League Premier Division and a second Senior Cup victory. The team lifted the Southern League shield at a jubilant St James Park after a 6-0 thrashing of St Albans City.
The new season had seen the start of major ground improvements including new changing rooms, terracing, improved parking and the upgrading of the floodlights. The first season in the Conference North began with a 4-1 win at Altrincham to announce the arrival of Brackley Town at Step 2 and saw the side make it all the way to the play-off final losing by a single goal to FC Halifax Town at St James Park.
The 2013/14 season brought a 7th-placed finish and FA Cup success beating Division
One Gillingham at St James Park in a 1st round replay on live TV. The addition of an artificial grass pitch was a further big boost to the club as it expanded its community programme and improved training facilities.
There followed two difficult seasons each of which ended in fairy-tale escapes at the wrong of the table with last day wins. In April 2015 only three wins from three could save
the Saints and, with two wins in the bag, a 1-0 home win over Hednesford on the final day of the season courtesy of Ryan Rowe’s stunning late strike saved the day against all odds.
Jon Brady’s time in charge ended in October 2015 with ex-Chelsea defender Frank Sinclair taking temporary charge before former Cobblers striker and Nuneaton and Wrexham manager Kevin Wilkin was appointed to the hot seat. Wilkin led an FA Cup charge to the first round, losing only in a replay at league side Newport County, but the team laboured at the wrong end of the table until only a last day combination of a Brackley win at home against Tamworth and results elsewhere going their way would be enough to maintain National League North status.
For a second successive season the remarkable happened and Glenn Walker’s goal allied to Lowestoft’s inability to beat Gloucester City brought another heart-stopping afternoon that ultimately saw the Saints survive on goal difference only.
Rumours of moves into National League South proved unfounded and a fifth season in National League North saw Wilkin’s side finish just a single point outside the play-off places. The season also saw great cup success reaching Round 2 in the FA Cup having beaten League One Gillingham (again!) in a televised replay at St James Park in Round 1. The 4-3 win every bit as thrilling as you might expect from the
score-line and including James Armson’s hat-trick. The quarter-final stage was reached in the FA Trophy with defeat at eventual winners York City. Further milestones in 2016-17 were reached by Glenn Walker and Steve Diggin each completing 200 games for the club. 2017-18 was a remarkable season and the club’s most successful ever with a third placed finish earning a play-off spot and a Wembley appearance against National League Bromley in the FA Trophy final. The defeat of Bradford Park Avenue in the play-off semi-final brought a play-off final at Harrogate Town but that game proved one match too far. The following Sunday Kevin Wilkin and captain Gaz Dean led the side out at Wembley in front of over 7000 Brackley supporters and over 30,000 in brilliant sunshine. The game matched the weather as Dean’s added time equalizer led onto a penalty shoot-out which was won 5-4 and sparked wild celebrations. A day and a season never to be forgotten. The 2018-19 season again saw success in the league and FA Trophy. A 3rd placed finish brought a semi-final play-off at St James Park, a goalless draw and penalties that fell 5-4 in Spennymoor Town’s favour. While another superb run in the Trophy concluded with a fine win at National League Chesterfield but narrow defeat at home against Orient. At the beginning of 2020, with 34 games played and with Saints again in the play-off places, nobody could guess what was to befall the world and unfold as the Covid
pandemic took over, cancelling sporting events and driving us into unprecedented lock-down. Leagues were decided on unweighted points per game and play-off games finally permitted in the heat of July, behind closed doors and under the strictest of medical conditions. Penalty shoot-out defeat against Gateshead mercifully drew a final line under the season.
The 2020-21 season was abandoned after 16 games without promotion but included a terrific FA Cup campaign that ended in Round 2 with live Friday night coverage on BBC2 and a 1-0 bdefeat at Tranmere Rovers. And so we came to 2021-22 after two troubled seasons, the world and football aiming to get back on its feet.
Kevin Wilkin’s team was never out of the top two all season long. A record points tally, just five defeats, only 23 goals conceded and 28 clean sheets marked a magnificent campaign, eventually ending runners up as Gateshead took top spot with a late, strong run leaving Saints with a fourth attempt at promotion to Step One via the play-offs.
Defeat at home against York City in the play-off semi-final was the final action of a long season that had started in superb style with three straight wins, all away from home as Covid still played havoc with fixtures..
A run of ten games unbeaten before losing out to a very strong Gateshead side at The International Stadium in mid December set up the second half of the season and, bouncing back in style, a win away at Boston’s new stadium saw Saints top of the table at New Year.
2022 started with defeat on Kettering’s pitch that was akin to a ploughed field and has now acquired legendary status among all clubs. There followed a remarkable sequence of 18 unbeaten games including wins over Kettering, AFC Fylde, Kidderminster and Gateshead at St James Park. On the evening of 9 April following a home win over York City Saints sat top of National League North with six games remaining.
However home defeats against Boston
United and Blyth Spartans, draws at Leamington and Hereford and a final day draw with Chester marked a frustrating finale to the season with worryingly no goals scored in five of the last eight games.
Sustained success on the pitch brought increased spectator numbers and the decade of progress on and off the pitch was marked by the opening in July 2021 of The Venue replacing the previous clubhouse destroyed by fire two years before, the installation of further seated accommodation and improved supporter facilities around St James Park.
The amenities provided by The Venue and the role the club played through its community work and during the pandemic only enhanced Brackley Town Football Club’s place at the very heart of the town’s community and demonstrate the continued ambition to develop all aspects of the club and the commitment to further, future success.
We have a range of sponsorship opportunities and products at Brackley Town to help you to build your brand awareness.
We’re a community led football club and well connected in the area, but playing our football in the National League North, your brand will be seen by thousands of football fans each season up and down the country.
Partnering with us can help you build awareness of your brand and products to a local and national audience.
By using advertising options, we can help you to increase your sales targets through effective promotions and advertising.
Develop your contacts, build relationships and extend your professional network with like-minded people and businesses.
We’re a football club at the very heart of our community. Work with us to support our local community together.
Whatever the purpose, our clubhouse and event space is a great space to help you to deliver events that your guests will love.
With exclusive access to our Anne Leighton Room, you can dine in comfort and have a few drinks from the private bar before the match and at half-time, it makes the perfect day out for any Saints fan.
AS PART OF THE MATCHDAY ExPERIENCE, YOu CAN ExPECT:
• Access to our exclusive Anne Leighton Room
• A two-course luncheon served prior to the game
• A cheese and biscuit platter at half-time
• A complimentary matchday programme and team sheet
• A reserved space in the directors stand
• Unlimited tea and coffee
• A free drink from the bar
IF YOu’RE INTERESTED IN HOSPITALITY FOR THE WHOLE SEASON, THEN YOu MIGHT LIKE OuR PLATINuM
MEMBERSHIP PACKAGE. THIS INCLuDES ExCLuSIvE MEMBERSHIP TO BRACKLEY TOWN’S NEW PLATINuM SuITE FOR THE 2022/23 SEASON.
To book hospitality at St James Park for any of our upcoming matches or to find out more about the Platinum Membership Package, please contact sharonedwards@brackleytownfc.co.uk
Following on from our most successful season in our recent history, we have seen our community teams and matchday attendance grow at a higher rate than ever before so there’s never been a better time to get involved.
Working with Brackley Town Football Club is a great way to get involved with the local community, support other local businesses, and increase your own brand awareness. There is no “one size fits all” to sponsorship, so we offer a range of options that suit all businesses, big or small.
For further information please contact steve goodman
Email: stevegoodman@brackleytownfc.co.uk
We have a range of advertising opportunities and products at Brackley Town to help you to build your brand awareness.
We’re a community-led football club and well connected in the area, but playing our football in the National League North, your brand will be seen by thousands of football fans each season up and down the country.
We’re proud to produce a high-quality matchday programme “We Are Brackley” that is popular with both home and away supporters.
With 25 home league matches, plus cup games each season, our programme is a great way for your business to reach thousands of new customers each season and offers fantastic value for money.
You can promote your business on our printed match-day team sheet and social media graphic, seen by thousands of football supporters each game.
You can advertise on a perimeter board. This type of advertising provides your business with high-impact, memorable advertising to consumers and businesses every matchday.
Over the last few seasons, our digital reach has really grown, we now have 17,500 social media followers over our four social media platforms. With some news items reaching over 2,000 views in a day.
We have a range of digital sponsorship or advertising packages available.
For further information please contact steve goodman
Email: stevegoodman@brackleytownfc.co.uk
League, facing sides from across the county. As a club, it is our mission to have a girls team in every age group. We currently have ladies, u17s, u15s and u14s teams and this is growing all of the time, next season we plan to have teams in the u13s, u12s and u11s age groups. For further information please contact andy thompson
Email: andythompson@brackleytownfc.co.uk
Brackley Town FC Player Development Centre (PDC) runs at the heart of the local community, providing opportunities for young people to develop their confidence and skills in football.
The PDC offers an exceptional schools partnership programme, engaging primary school children in fun, challenging and inspiring sports lessons. There are also a variety of Junior teams, both boys and girls ranging from under-7s to under-18s, who play in local leagues and are coached and nurtured through their footballing journey.
For further information please contact andy thompson Email: andythompson@brackleytownfc.co.uk
Brackley Town Football Club is committed to its local community.
Our club not only provides enjoyment for our supporters, but also rewarding and important work for a dedicated band of volunteers.
Our volunteers are all equally important and have a passion to be part of something that makes a positive impact on the club and local community. volunteering can be extremely rewarding and is a great way to meet new people, and at Brackley Town we have a variety of roles available.
volunteers do not have to be available to work at every home game, but if you are able to help out – even just a few times each season – we would love to hear from you.
Our matchday operations team are vitally important to the success of each game. Our matches are usually played on Saturdays with kick-off at 3pm and our operations team work from 12-6pm. We do occasionally have Tuesday evening games which kick off at 7:45pm.
Exampleroles:stewards,turnstileoperators,programme sellers,50/50lotterysellers,photographers,videographers
A large number of our volunteer roles are not limited to matchdays and a lot of these roles are typical to those that can be found in any business. Our non-matchday roles can be suitable for anyone with a few hours a week to spare.
Exampleroles:Administration,contentcreators,welfare support,videography,retail,businessdevelopment BENEFITS
ADMISSION TO ALL HOME GAMES.
Food and drink vouchers for use during or after the game.
If you’d like to become a volunteer at Brackley Town Football Club, contact Andy Thompson at andythompson@brackleytownfc.co.uk with your details and the roles you are interested in.
