Scarborough

Scarborough FC was a football club representing the town of the same name, who were formed in 1879, originally as Scarborough Cricketers FC as a way of staying fit for the cricket players during the winter months. 

The team played their games at Scarborough Cricket Club on North Marine Road before moving to the nearby Recreation Ground, where Woodall Avenue now stands.

The team initially played in local football before being accepted into the Northern League, after two failed attempts, and being placed in Division Two for the 1898-99 season. At the same time, the club moved across town to play at the Athletic Ground on Seamer Road.

In the 1909-10 season, the club competed in the FA Amateur Cup. One of the club’s players had been ill, and a fundraising game had assisted him with his treatment. ‘Boro’ defeated Preston Winckley, but their opponents were awarded the game as the FA had deemed the raising of money meant that the club were professional.

The following season saw Scarborough join the Yorkshire Combination, where they finished as runners-up in their debut season, before reverting to the Northern League in 1914-15. The club joined the Yorkshire League in 1926-27 for one season before turning professional and becoming members of the Midland League. The reserve side joined the Yorkshire League in 1928.

After finishing as runners-up in the Midland League in 1927-28, Scarborough were crowned as champions in 1929-30. In the 1938-39 season, Boro defeated North Shields, Darlington and Bromley in the FA Cup to set up a third-round tie with Luton Town. The game ended 1-1 at the Athletic Ground in front of a crowd of 11,162 before the team bowed out 5-1 in the replay at Kenilworth Road.

The club left the Midland League over the War years, playing a comeback campaign in the Scarborough & District League, before returning for the 1946-47 season with George Hall in charge of the team. Harold Taylor, who took the side to the second round of the FA Cup, and then Frank Taylor had short spells as manager before former Leicester City player Reg Halton took over.

Throughout the 1950’s Scarborough regularly appeared in the first round of the FA Cup where they were defeated on a couple of occasions by Rhyl, as well as Mansfield Town, Wigan Athletic, York City and Bradford City with George Higgins taking over as manager in 1957 before Andy Smailes replaced him a couple of years later.

Photo: with thanks to Bob Lilliman.

In 1960-61, the 'Seasiders’ became founder members of the Northern Counties League before making the move to the re-formed North Eastern League in 1962-63, becoming champions at the first attempt under popular manager Eddy Brown.

The title persuaded the club to rejoin the Midland League for the following season, where they ended as runners-up. Former players Albert Franks and then Stuart Myers had spells as manager before the club directors looked after team affairs as Scarborough became founder members of the Northern Premier League in 1968-69.

That debut season saw Boro narrowly escape relegation, which led the club to employ local lad Colin Appleton as player-manager after his successful spells as skipper of Leicester City and Charlton Athletic, as well as a term as Barrow manager.

Photo: with thanks to Bob Lilliman.

The 1960s had seen Scarborough appear in the FA Cup first round on several occasions, with memorable ties with Bradford Park Avenue, Crewe Alexandra and Altrincham. The 1964-65 season saw Boro defeat Bradford City before being defeated by Doncaster Rovers in a replay.

The transformation under Appleton’s stewardship was instant as the team never left the top four positions for the following four seasons, coming close to lifting the title in 1968-69. However, it would be in the cup competitions that Scarborough gave their fans so many memorable moments throughout the 1970s.

The team had reached the first round of the FA Cup, going out to Workington and then Hartlepool United, before the 1972-73 run saw a win against Oldham Athletic in a replay at the Athletic Ground before going out to Doncaster Rovers.

The FA Trophy of that season would be etched forever in the club's history. Wins against Macclesfield Town, Sandbach Ramblers, Mexborough Town and Chelmsford City set up a semi-final against Ashford Town of Kent at London Road, Peterborough, in the final season of neutral grounds being used.

Appleton fired Boro to Wembley with a second-half penalty. In the final against Wigan Athletic, Malcolm Leask put Scarborough ahead before being pegged back in stoppage time. Malcolm Thompson’s extra-time goal won the match 2-1.

Appleton headed off at the end of the season to become the assistant to Lawrie McMenemy at Grimsby Town, with Kenny Boyes taking charge of the team as Crewe Alexandra were put out of the FA Cup before the side were defeated away to Port Vale.

My drawings of the Athletic Ground of the 80s & 70s,
along with team kits and club crests.
Click on the images for larger views.

Former Hull City player Ken Houghton came in as player-manager in the summer of 1974 and made some wise signings. His side went on another FA Trophy run, defeating Gateshead United, Boston United, Enfield, Wimbledon in front of over 8,000 fans at the Athletic Ground, and then Bedford Town to face Matlock Town at Wembley.

The match saw Boro lay siege on the Matlock goal, but they could not convert their chances, while the Derbyshire side scored from each of their attempts on target to win 4-0.

Appleton returned as manager in the 1975 postseason and set about more heroics. By now, Boro had been given an exemption to begin their FA Cup campaign from the first round. Morecambe and Preston North End were defeated before eventual semi-finalists Crystal Palace ended the run, in front of the Match of the Day cameras.

However, any disappointment for Boro fans soon gave way in the FA Trophy. Wins against Willington, Goole Town, Dagenham, Tooting & Mitcham United and Enfield set up a final against rival Northern Premier League side Stafford Rangers.

Once again, Boro were taken to extra time before they could claim a 3-2 victory with goals from John Woodall, Derek Abbey and a last-minute penalty from Sean Marshall. The season also saw Boro play in the Anglo-Italian Trophy, which ended in an aggregate defeat to US Lecce, while they also competed in the Anglo-Italian Cup, in which Udinese were beaten. 

In the 1976-77 season, Boro defeated Parma before going on to retain the FA Trophy with victories over Frickley Athletic, Walthamstow Avenue, Hitchin Town, Nuneaton Borough and an epic four-game semi-final against Altrincham, setting up a Wembley final against Dagenham.

In the 1977 final, Boro had to come back from a goal down to win with two late goals from Abbey and a Harry ‘A’ Dunn penalty. The joy turned to terrible sadness just a few days later when twenty-one-year-old winger Tony Aveyard died as a result of a head collision.

The 1977-78 season saw another fine FA Cup run with wins over Rochdale and Crewe Alexandra before a third-round defeat away to Brighton & Hove Albion. The following season, Boro were beaten in round two at York City. Throughout the stellar cup year, the side never finished outside the top five in league action.

Scarborough were founder members of the Alliance Premier League in 1979-80 while legendary manager Colin Appleton moved aside in 1981 with Jim McAnearney his replacement, whose spell lasted just a couple of years.

Stalwart skipper and record appearance holder Harry Dunn had a short spell at the helm before he was replaced by John Cottam. Boro were a struggling club at the time. Former chairman Don Robinson had taken charge at Hull City, where he appointed Colin Appleton as manager. His entrepreneurial talents were missed. Gates and finances were both low.

Harry Dunn had a longer spell in charge between 1984 and 1986 as the league was renamed the Gola League and then the Football Conference, before the chairman of the day, Barry Adamson, made an appointment which would change the club forever.

Neil Warnock was appointed from Burton Albion as the new Scarborough manager as he signed on fifteen new players, and despite starting the season as 50/1 outsiders, they went on to win the Conference title to become the first club to be automatically promoted into The Football League. Boro also reached the last eight of the FA Trophy before going out to Fareham Town.

Stars of the season were Kevin Blackwell, Ces Podd, Steve Richards, Tommy Graham, Ray McHale, Mitch Cook and Stewart Mell. The season was marred when chairman Adamson died of a heart attack while trying to break up crowd trouble at the Trophy match against Morecambe. 

Former player Terry Wood took his place until the end of the season, when Peter Gargett took over the chair. The squad was strengthened for their first season in the Football League. Improvements were made to the Athletic Ground, but the first few home games were marred by crowd trouble. Within a few months, high fences were fitted at the front of the terraced areas.

Boro completed a successful first season in a mid-table position. The club was sold to Leeds-based businessman Geoffrey Richmond in the summer of 1988. The owner of Ronson lighters, Richmond, authorised several big-money signings such as forward Steve Norris.

Big plans in 1989
Click on the image to enlarge it.

In a groundbreaking move, the Athletic Ground became the first football ground in the League to be renamed under a sponsorship deal, as it became the McCain Stadium. On New Year's Eve, Boro went top of Division Four when the news broke that Warnock had resigned.

His replacement was veteran winger Colin Morris, who took the side to the playoffs, where Boro went out to Leyton Orient in the semi-final. The League Cup brought national media attention to the club as Halifax Town and Portsmouth were defeated before Boro went out to Southampton in a replay at The Dell.

It was during the run that a TV voiceover rounding up the goals on national TV mentioned in the Portsmouth game about the ‘Seadogs of Scarborough’. From that time on, the fans and eventually the club took on that nickname.

Richmond announced plans for the club to move to a new stadium on the edge of town on the Dunslow Road Trading Estate. Morris led the side to wins against Scunthorpe United and Chelsea in the League Cup the following season, with record signing Martin Russell starring. Boro went out in the next round 7-0 to Oldham Athletic on the artificial pitch at Boundary Park.

Morris departed in early 1989, with Ray McHale taking his place. Russell and goalkeeper Ian Ironside were sold on during his tenure, which was not helped when chairman Richmond put on unnecessary pressure by promising free season tickets to those purchasing the previous season if Boro failed to reach the play-offs.

This was despite McHale putting together a fantastic side featuring Tommy Mooney and Darren Foreman, who played some lovely football as Bradford City, Coventry City and Plymouth Argyle were knocked out of the League Cup before Arsenal won at a fogbound McCain Stadium in round four.

McHale was replaced by his assistant Phil Chambers, who lasted just a few months before Steve Wicks came in. Richmond swapped his chairman position with the chairman of Bradford City, Dave Simpson, who, in turn, sold Scarborough FC to locally based businessman John Russell.

Wicks got the team playing some excellent football before he was sacked in a dispute over budgets before the start of the 1994-95 campaign. The new boss was a former Boro hero, Billy Ayre, who played at centre back in the final two Wembley triumphs.

Unfortunately, a mixture of poor form and a poor budget meant that things didn’t work out for Ayre, who was replaced by the returning McHale. The season had seen Boro reach the third round of the FA Cup following victories over Chesterfield and Port Vale, before the Seadogs went out in a replay at Vicarage Road against Watford.

Both the 1994-95 and 1995-96 seasons saw Boro hang on to their League status by the skin of their teeth after finishing second from bottom of the table, at a time when only the bottom side went down. Toward the end of the latter season, Mitch Cook had replaced McHale in an unsuccessful term.

The summer of 1996 saw Mick Wadsworth arrive as manager, as Hull City were defeated in the League Cup before Boro went out to Leicester City. Wadsworth built a fine side with Gareth Williams, Steve Brodie, Andy Ritchie, Gary Bennett and Jason Rocket starring. After a mid-table finish, Boro reached the playoffs in 1997-98 as money was thrown at the squad. 

The experienced Ian Snodin and Paul Atkins came in, but injuries and the age of the side eventually did for Boro as they went out in the semi-final to Torquay United. The defeat was to prove costly for the club. It became obvious that Russell had gambled the club's finances on the win as the stadium had been fitted with two new stands. 

Several players were forced to depart because of budgetary constraints. With the team struggling, Wadsworth departed in January 1999. Derek Mountfield and Ray McHale took charge of a couple of games with the squad down to bare bones before the experienced Colin Addison arrived at the club.

The new manager brought in a plethora of new and loan signings, including goalkeeper Tony Parks and full-back Graeme Atkinson. Heartbreakingly, Boro were relegated in stoppage time on the final day of the season when Jimmy Glass, Carlisle United’s loan goalkeeper, scored in their game with Plymouth Argyle to leapfrog the Seadogs.

Back in the Conference, Boro finished in third spot in the 1999-00 season. Wins against Ilkeston Town, Stocksbridge Park Steels and Burnham saw the team reach the fifth round of the FA Trophy before going out away to Bishop Auckland.

The McCain Stadium at the turn of the millennium and team kits.
For a larger view, click on the image.

Addison resigned soon after the start of the following campaign, as Neil Thompson was appointed. Russell was now losing popularity at quite a rate. The club entered into a CVA, and Russell sold the club to Darryl Littlewood from Halifax, who used the money from a friend's lottery win to buy the club.

Football philanthropist and future Gretna owner and Northern League sponsor, Brooks Mileson, got involved in October 2000 and brought in Keith Agar, a man with a controversial football background, as General Manager.

The club had spent a second spell in Administration, and a CVA failed when Mileson sold the club in November 2001 to Malcolm Reynolds, a businessman with a financial background. He appointed the experienced Russell Slade as manager with Boro ten points adrift at the bottom of the table.

The change with Slade in charge was remarkable as he found hungry young players who reached the fourth round of the FA Trophy with wins over Hednesford Town and Barnet before bowing out to Morecambe in a replay. In the league, the side finished in mid-table. Fans were expecting a challenge for the play-offs the following season, but Boro finished in seventh place. 

The 2003-04 campaign saw the team slip to a finish below halfway, but it was in the FA Cup that the Seadogs got worldwide attention. The run saw Hinckley United, Doncaster Rovers, Port Vale, and Southend United dispatched. This took Scarborough to the fourth round for the first ever time, where they were drawn at home to Chelsea in a game that saw the Blues win 1-0 before a live audience on Sky TV.

The run was desperately required as the club continued to struggle financially. Reynolds and his colleague on the board, Ian Scobbie, announced that the Cup money would secure the club's future. Slade departed for Grimsby Town at the end of the season. Reynolds unveiled plans for a new stadium near the railway line off Dunslow Road, near where Richmond had intended to build his new stadium back in 1989. 

Moneys were borrowed in advance to keep the club in business. Slade was replaced by midfielder Nick Henry, whose side finished unbeaten at home during the 2004-05 campaign, but poor away form led to a mid-table finish. Henry’s budget was extremely tight, and he was replaced for the 2005-06 season by midfielder Neil Redfearn.

Once again, another manager was hamstrung by financial constraints. This, allied to some terrible performances, saw Boro relegated to Conference North at the end of the season.

The finances got worse as Reynolds was barred from being a company director as Boro were found to be trading illegally. Scobbie took over as chairman while the team were deducted ten points because of their financial position, with the club being severely restricted in their signing of players.

Former midfield man Mark Patterson came in as manager to work alongside Mitch Cook. Gates dropped as supporters lost faith in those running the club. The team put in some remarkable performances under the circumstances, but the ten-point penalty proved too much to drag back while the signing embargo remained in place.

In April 2007, Scarborough FC were relegated from the Conference North after a home draw against Leigh RMI. They should have played in the Northern Premier League Premier Division in the 2007-08 season. However, after several brushes with the courts and the FA, Scarborough FC was wound up by the High Court on the 20th June 2007 with debts of £2.5M.

The supporters' Seadogs Trust had been set up the previous November; initially to try and obtain shares in the club and eventually run it as a fan-owned organisation. However, as it was becoming more obvious that the club could fold, the trust made preparations to form a replacement club.

On the 25th June 2007, Scarborough Athletic FC were successful in their application for membership to the Northern Counties East League and the NRCFA. To read about Athletic, click here.

Unfortunately, not all supporters agreed with the setting up of the new club. A year later, some of them formed Scarborough Town FC, which entered the Wearside League. Please click here to read about Town.

RIP Scarborough Football Club and The Athletic Ground