Bridlington Town

Bridlington Town the story so far... After the First World War a group of school leavers, anxious to continue their enjoyment of football, decided to form their own club, which they named Bridlington Centrals. At first they competed in the Driffield & District Minor League and in due course they had to move up to the Driffield & District League. Eventually, they found themselves in the East Riding Amateur League where they enjoyed a fair amount of success which was climaxed by five consecutive championships in the fifties. In the same period Centrals also carried off the East Riding Senior Cup on two occasions and this success encouraged them to join the Yorkshire League in 1959 under the changed name of Bridlington Town. The club immediately finished runners-up in Division Two and qualified for promotion to the First Division. They also reached the first round proper of the F.A.Cup for the first time where they lost to the then mighty Bishop Aukland. Soon after another F.A.Cup tie attracted the record attendance for Queensgate when 2,102 spectators saw Town take on neighbours Scarborough. In 1967 Bridlington dominated the Yorkshire League but Town had to settle for second best to Bridlington Trinity although some consolation was gained by winning the East Riding Senior Cup again. Town had also won the League Cup in 1960, 1961 and 1966. In 1982 the Northern Counties (East) League emerged from the amalgamation of the Yorkshire and Midland Leagues. Town were placed in Division One (North) but were elevated to the Premier Division in 1986 following the resignation of a number of clubs to join the Northern Premier League. In 1988-89 the club achieved their best placing, finishing third and defeating champions Emley in the League Cup Final. Town also recorded their seventh victory in the East Riding Senior Cup beating Hull City 1 - 0. The following year Town were finalists at Wembley for the first time in the F.A.Vase, in front of a crowd of 7,932, the game finishing 0 - 0, the only ever Wembley final to be goalless, with Yeading winning the replay 1 - 0 at Elland Road 9 days later. During the intervening period between the final and the replay Town had to play Hull City in defence of the East Riding Senior Cup, the League Cup against Osset Town and a league game. During this period Ken Richardson had joined the club as President and was instrumental in assisting the club with the necessary finance to develop the ground by building a new stand, clubhouse, turnstiles and floodlights. Town were now regarded as one of the strongest teams in non-league football and reached Wembley again in 1993, this time in front of a slightly bigger crowd of 9,061, and this time returned the victors one nil over Tiverton Town, thanks to a goal from Alan Radford. Town also won the Northern Premier (Unibond) League First division. Due to legal wrangles the team moved to play their home games at Doncaster Rovers ground and then folded, leaving Queensgate with no football during 1993 - 94. Following the disbanding of the Semi-Pro side after the 1993/94 season an ambitious local 'PUB' side, The Greyhound, were inspired to make an approach to the lease-holders with a view to making the Queensgate ground the base for The Greyhound team. A deal was struck with the proviso that the club change their name to Bridlington Town AFC. A new club crest was designed and a new motto 'Pergere et Eniti', broadly meaning 'Onwards and Upwards', was adopted. The new era began an 10 September 1994 when the new Bridlington Town AFC. took to the field for their first league game against Viking Panthers in the Driffield and District League Premier Division in front of 200 spectators. Many local observers speculated as to how long the club would survive at Queensgate with the obvious financial burden but the team completed that season in their new home finishing fourth in the league and also reached the final of the East Riding Senior Country Cup.

Steady Progression saw the club join the East Riding County League Division One, where the League and Cup Double was achieved. Over the next three seasons in the County Premier Division the club continued to improve and made application to the Northern Counties East League. It was on the third application that Bridlington Town was accepted, having finished runner up in the league but beat the league champions in the league cup final of 1998/99, under manager John Bowman. A fifth place finish in that first season back in the NCEL was creditable, but at Xmas in 2000 the club had slumped to mid-table. Bowman was replaced by Billy Heath and he took the club to a 4th place finish. Towns 3rd season back in the NCEL saw an 18 game unbeaten run lift Town to finish Division One Runners Up and gained promotion to the Premier Division. The 2002 - 2003 season started with a continuation of the good form and 14 straight wins in all competitions. Town also reached the 4th Qualifying round of the FA Cup, losing away at Conference side Southport, and the 1/4 final of the Vase, losing away at League rivals and eventual Vase winners Brigg Town. Another incredible run of league form saw Town lose only one of the last 26 games and the Club finished as Champions with a fantastic 20 point winning margin to gain promotion to the Unibond League for 2003 - 2004. Winter postponements and the cup success saw Town playing three games each week through March and April and the heavy toll caused Town to "sacrifice" the cup success for the league title. To ensure promotion, Gary Wilkinson of Wilkinson Caravans, the main sponsor, also secured the purchare of Bridlington Town AFC Ltd from the former owners thus ensuring the future of the club.

The season in the Unibond Division One saw injuries and suspensions take their toll in the second half of the season but the club fiinished in 11th place to complete A third successive promotion, this time to the Unibond Premier Division, that was due to the reorganisation of the league and meant the new club had returned to the status held by the former club when they folded, and had achieved this in just ten seasons. Gary Wilkinson was unable to continue with the club any longer due to financial constraints, and Pete Smurthwaite, of PBS Construction, bought the club. Pete is also the first team physio.