Chasetown

Chasetown FC is a non-league football club from the Chasetown area in the town of Burntwood in South Staffordshire, approximately fifteen miles north west of Wolverhampton. The club were formed in 1954, originally as Chase Terrace Old Scholars Youth Club.

Within a year ‘The Scholars’ had joined the Lichfield & District League. By 1961-62 the club had moved up to the Staffordshire County League, where they remained for a decade. In 1972 they changed their title to Chasetown FC and joined the West Midlands (Regional) League.

Placed in Division One, Chasetown had a fine record with four runners up positions before securing the title in 1977-78. However, promotion was denied as the club played at a ground lacking facilities; Burntwood Recreation Centre. This was resolved in 1983 when the club moved to The Scholars Ground on Church Lane as Premier Division football was secured.

The League Cup and regional trophies were won as Chasetown became founder members of the Midland Football Alliance for the 1994-95 campaign. After several seasons without making an impact Charlie Blackmore took over as manager from Michael Rowe in February 2004, soon beginning to oversee some marvellous times at the club.

In 2004-05 Chasetown ended as league runners-up before landing the title in 2005-06 season, but it was through their FA Cup exploits that the club came to attention of football fans nationwide. 

Victories over Causeway United, Gedling Town, Belper Town, Cogenhoe United and Blyth Spartans saw The Scholars reach round one of the FA Cup. The club hosted Oldham Athletic on live TV, taking the League cup to a replay that was lost at Boundary Park.

The league success led to promotion to the Southern League Division One Midlands. Following a season of consolidation Chasetown were at it again in the Cup. Wins against Oadby Town, Rocester, Cambridge City, Rainworth Miners Welfare and Nuneaton Town saw the team reach Round One. 

Team Bath were dispatched before Port Vale were seen off at Church Street after a 1-1 draw at Vale Park. In the third round Cardiff City and the live Sky TV cameras came to town. City won the game 3-1, while a bond of long lasting friendship was built between the clubs. The Scholars also made the end of season playoffs.

After three seasons as members of the Southern League, Chasetown were transferred across to the Northern Premier League Division One South for the 2009-10 campaign. In the first season in their new surroundings, promotion was won via the playoffs following a final win against Glapwell after seeing off Sheffield in the semi-final.

Blackmore moved to a directors role in October 2011, as Chris Brindley took over as manager. He departed when Chasetown were relegated from the Premier Division at the completion of the 2011-12 campaign. 

Craig Harris was appointed as team boss at the start of the 2012-13 season, which saw another playoff appearance. This time they lost out in a 2-1 to Stamford after previously defeating Coalville.

The side finished mid table in consecutive seasons with the arrival of new manager Marcus Law in January 2015. He remained in place until the seasons end when he was replaced by Dave Stringer.

Chasetown finished in seventh spot in 2015-16 but a disappointing following season saw Craig Dundas brought in to manage the side. The playoffs were reached in 2017-18, where the Scholars lost their semi-final to Bedworth United.

The club was placed in Division One West of the competition in 2018-19 before another switch in 2019-20 to Division One South East. The side sat in fifteenth when the season was ended prematurely after the outbreak of Coronavirus, following Mark Swann coming in as manager in January 2020.

The 2020-21 campaign also ended early because of the lingering pandemic, with Chasetown in fifth place. The Scholars reached the playoffs in 2021-22 where they defeated Halesowen Town before losing the final 1-0 to Belper Town.

After just missing out on the playoffs in 2022-23, the club was placed in Division One West of the Northern Premier League for the following season. They decamped to the home of Boldmere St Michaels for the first few months while a new artificial surface and ground improvements were carried out at Church Street.

Chasetown FC will play in the Northern Premier League Division One West in the 2023-24 season.

My visit

Chasetown 4 Scarborough Athletic 0 (Saturday 15^th March 2014) Northern Premier League Division One South (att: 210)

Rather than heading straight to Scarborough after finishing work for my monthly long weekend break, I remained in London and decided to head to the match to break the journey and visit somewhere new, before continuing north afterwards. 

I was to meet my old pal Guy Watson who was travelling down from Leeds, while Karl Theobald was going to Molineux for the Wolves v Shrewsbury Town game. He was to give us a ride back.

It was a lovely day as I got on the train to Birmingham New Street from Euston. On arrival I decided it was easier to catch a connection to Lichfield, rather than my original choice of Walsall. From there the number 60 bus dropped me outside The Junction pub, where Guy was already at the bar.

We had hoped of seeing some of the Hull City v Manchester City game on TV, but the pub was showing the climax to rugby’s Six Nations, as England ran amok in Rome. The beer in the pub was OK, but the decor was dated. After a pint we tried The Uxbridge over the road. The choice of ales was good, which would come in handy later in the day.

We walked down Church Street and paid £8 admission along with an extra couple of quid for a decent enough programme. The vibrant clubhouse was busy with nice people and friendly staff. The Supporters Club had their own stall selling souvenirs and draw tickets. I contributed, while they kindly stored my bag away.

Fred Firman was down for the game with his wife Helen, along with Trevor Bull who we stood with. The catering point was a mobile caravan, whose food was nice enough but some of the prices a bit steep. While I got stuck into my hot dog I surveyed the scene of The Scholars Ground.

The entrance side had a low seated stand which also contained the changing rooms, offices and changing rooms at the rear. A couple of steps of open terracing stood at either side. The end to the right had a semi permanent seated stand next to a quaint shed, which was the press box. 

Open flat standing with some impressive flags on the back wall took up the rest of the end. The far side had two wide steps of open terracing with the bug outs in front, while the final end was flat open standing with a small new covered terracing in the centre. The ground had plenty of scope for further development.

There was a minutes silence before kick off for loyal Scholars fan and Supporters Club founder member Mary Goddard. The PA fan mentioned how apt she was remembered at the game as she was born in Scarborough.

Chasetown started the game on top, but Boro gradually got to grips and looked at ease before the home side went ahead in strange circumstances. Seadogs full back Steve Ridley inexplicably headed a cross into the top corner of his own net. Around the same time Pete Davidson was helped from the pitch with a suspected broken collar bone.

Davidson’s replacement Jimmy Beadle added some much needed oomph as Boro had a good spell of play. Chris Bolder saw a shot come back off the base of the post as an equaliser looked like it was on its way. A clearance knocked my pint over to cheers from my unsympathetic mates.

We retired to the bar at the break still hopeful that our team may get something from the second half. We took up our place on the covered terrace but before long Andy Milne was left floundering for pace. 

He made an awful challenge on the raiding wide man Jazz Luckie and quiet rightly being sent off for a second yellow card. I enjoyed a tray of chips to cheer myself up from the caterer who said he’d then sold out of all stock for the first time in three years!

For a while Boro played some nice stuff and showed signs of promise without really testing the home keeper Ryan Price. Sadly Bolder got a bad injury, which was rumored to be a broken foot, just to add to the team’s woes.

It got worse when the ref gave a penalty to Chasetown after Steve Ridley was outpaced. He brought down Ramone Stephens to receive a second yellow card, leaving Boro with nine men. Laughably some of the away section turned their anger on the official. Simon Brown smashed home the spot kick to make it 2-0.

Boro continued to try and play without any danger, while the home sides pace and physical presence was too much for the visitors time and time again. For some reason Matty Plummer held down Jermaine Johnson in the penalty area as a cross came in. Once more the referee correctly pointed to the spot, with Brown needing no second invitation as he made it 3-0.

Most rational Seadog fans were of the same opinion. Our team had been outthought, outfought and outpaced. We made our way around to the exit so I could collect my bag as a comedy fourth goal went in. A low corner was left by both Liam Sheppard on the near post and Jason White in goal. The ball went straight in from Lee Butler’s kick.

Just to put the icing on top of the cake Ryan Williams put in a poor challenge on Scholars sub Jono Gould. Gould unwisely retaliated and was shown a red card as the referee blew the final whistle. Williams was lucky to escape scot free.

The locals had been good all day and this continued back in The Uxbridge. Guy and I got talking to a Scholars convert who used to go everywhere with Aston Villa and England. We reminisced about the game we once loved at the top level as well as the music of the day before being joined by a father and son who’d been to Walsall Wood’s game.

Poor Karl had been stuck in traffic leaving Molineux. We had time for three pints before we said out goodbyes and jumped in. It was nice to see my old workmate Tim Mason had been to the Wolves with Karl. Sadly their game also disappointed as it ended 0-0.

Once back in Scarborough we had a few drinks on vibrant Falsgrave before my Dad collected us in the taxi. It had been a long but enjoyable day, ruined only by the performance of our respective teams. How many times have we said that!