Scarborough Town

Scarborough Town FC

Ground: McCain Sports Field

Capacity: c500

Club Founded: 2007

Club Dissolved: 2013

Scarborough Town FC may not have existed for long, but they certainly put the cat among the pigeons at a time when the town was recovering from the loss of its senior football club.

Spectator Accommodation at George Pindar Community Sports College

The Scarborough Town Story

There are different versions depending on individual views explaining the formation of Scarborough Town FC. In essence, it was formed by a group of supporters and former officials of Scarborough FC, once the club was liquidated. Most of whom disagreed with the Seadog Trust, which formed Scarborough Athletic FC and were playing home games in Bridlington.

Scarborough Town existed as an extension of the Academy system, which had relocated to George Pindar Community Sports College (GPCSC), and was formerly based at Scarborough FC. Home games were played at GPCSC after being based at the McCain Sports Field in Cayton under the wing of the old club.

The club joined the Teesside League in 2008-09, winning Division Two before being accepted into the Wearside League. The talented youngsters representing the club were coached by former Scarborough FC stalwart Mitch Cook and his team. The league title was won as gradual improvements were made to the GPCSC venue.

Some local residents voiced concerns once the pitch had a railed fence, and a wooden fence was gradually erected around the ground. Dugouts and a small covered seating area were added. Sport England raised their objections, preventing a concrete surround around the pitch. Planning permission was deferred by Scarborough Town and GPCSC. 

Despite Scarborough Town preferring to apply for promotion to the Northern League, the FA insisted they apply to the Northern Counties East League (NECL), in which Scarborough Athletic played. The club applied to the local council for planning permission for floodlights, hard standing and a covered seated stand in April 2010.

The NCEL accepted the club into the league on the proviso that planning permission was granted by the time of their June AGM. Sport England's objections led to rejection and the NCEL withdrew their offer of a place in the league. Having resigned from the Wearside League, the club had no league to play in.

Town's Under 19 team was also without a league as they needed a senior club to retain league membership. Scarborough Athletic offered the Under 19s their affiliation to keep playing competitive football for the 2010-11 season. Town decided not to press ahead with plans to apply for the Teesside League at a league EGM. 

The club Chairman, Hugh Bellamy, also Principal of GPCSC, moved away from the area to take on another professional role elsewhere. It left Town without the guarantee of a home ground. The players all moved on to find new clubs, many in a higher league than the league Town aimed to play in.

GPCSC withdrew their commitment to the club before Town finally chose to join the Humber Premier League. The facilities at Pindar were removed and erected at the McCain Sports Field, where the club were to play home games once again. The team won the competition's Division One under the management duo of Derek Exley and Shaun Rennison. 

Interest dwindled the following season as the team used several grounds for home games. The club ceased playing after the 2012-13 campaign, although it was rumoured that Town were looking to join the Central Midlands League.

My visits to the Ground/s

I played football and cricket on many occasions at the McCain Sports Field. It has two pitches with a cricket square dividing them. I scored important local league goals there and once scored a sparkling 40 not out in an Evening League clash for Civil Service 2nds

I played once at their former home back in 1979. I scored a delicate lob for Raincliffe School in a 5-3 win against the barbaric Pindar side. I've walked across it many times since to play on the pitches over Cayton Low Road.

My Personal View

2007 was an extremely tough time for supporters of Scarborough FC (SFC). The club was liquidated in the High Court, in debt with no viable solution to the situation. The Seadog Trust upset most of those in positions at the old club who were loyal to the owners and directors. The Trust wanted transparency and to buy shares to have a say in SFC.

SFC's owners claimed the Trust were causing instability, recruiting members at games and holding fundraising events. When SFC was liquidated, the Seadog Trust quickly formed Scarborough Athletic FC (SAFC). An urgent application was required to gain entry to the NCEL, which insisted it would only accept one club from the town.

The owner of SFC threatened a league application from a club he said was ready to launch. It got extremely messy. Any existing trust between the factions was damaged further. SAFC were accepted into the NCEL but were forced to rent Queensgate to share with Bridlington Town FC, twenty miles down the coast.

Those still loyal to the former SFC regime formed Scarborough Town (STFC), creating rivalry and further division. For a couple of years, it got nasty, becoming a battle of wills between those connected with SAFC and STFC. Some underhanded tactics were used by loyal followers of both clubs. 

Personally, I am sorry that the situation occurred. Much of the responsibility lay with individuals connected with SFC, who, in my opinion, were not completely honest with supporters and those who provided them with great service at the old club. 

It saddens me greatly that there are fans who stood side by side for many years supporting SFC who refuse to back SAFC in any way.