Selby Town

Selby Town FC is a non-league club from the former shipbuilding and mining town of the same name which is located around fifteen miles south of York. The club was formed in 1919; becoming founder members of the Yorkshire League a year later.

The team finished as league runners-up four times before the decade was out. For a couple of seasons in the early 1930’s the league ran two separate competitions. ‘The Robins’ ended up in second place and then won the first league held in 1932-33.

The Yorkshire League reverted to just one competition per season, with Selby being crowned as champions in 1935-36. The 50’s were a halcyon period at Flaxley Road; which became home after a move from the Bowling Green, with the club ending as runners-up before lifting the league title in 1952-53.

Selby also appeared in the first round of the FA Cup where they went out 5-1 at home to amateur football powerhouses Bishop Auckland. The championship was retained the following season. Again the team reached the same stage of the Cup before bowing out 2-0 at home to Bradford Park Avenue.

In 1954-55 the run in the FA Cup continued. Rhyl were defeated 2-1 in North Yorkshire before Hastings United ended the dreams of a dream tie with a 2-0 victory at Flaxley Road.

Another first round appearance followed in 1956-57, a year after another runners-up league finish. Hartlepools United won the tie 3-1 at the Victoria Ground.

The 1960’s saw the emergence of striker Graham Shepherd who would eventually net 158 goals between 1963 and 1982. The side remained in the top flight of the Yorkshire League until being relegated to Division Two in 1972-73.

It would become consecutive relegations for Town in 1973-74 before promotion was won as runners-up from Division Three at the first attempt. However, the side went back down in 1976-77, where they would stay for five years.

Selby Town became founder members of the Northern Counties East League in 1982; being placed in Division Two North, from where they were promoted to Division One North in 1983-84.

The competition was restructured for 1985-86, with Selby finding themselves in Division Three; which was absorbed into Division Two a year later. Promotion was secured by way of a runners-up berth in 1989-90.

Selby were crowned as Division One champions in 1995-96 under the management of Barry Walker and Tony Carter. The side also went on a run to the fourth round of the FA Vase before Trafford ended any dreams of Wembley after two replays.

Former player Bob Lyon saw a successful spell as manager after the turn of the Millennium, winning several knock out competitions. A runners-up place in the Premier Division in 2004-05 was followed by third place in 2008-09.

In 2011-12 the Robins were relegated to Division One after finishing bottom of the table with Leon Sewell, Dave Heard and Graham Hodder all had spells in charge of the team, amid rumours of financial problems behind the scenes.

Hodder departed at the end of the season to be replaced by Phil Jones who remained in charge until his coach Phil Emery took over the role as the club consolidated and gradually built on the pitch.

Christian Fox was appointed as Town manager in May 2017 taking his side to seventh place in his debut season before weighing in with ninth place in 2018-19.

Selby Town FC will play in the Northern Counties East League Division One in the 2019-20 season.


My visits

Local Team v British Gas (August 1995) Pre Season Friendly

Back in the day I worked in a desperately depressing job as a night cleaner at the Malton Bacon Factory. I was back at pre season with British Gas FC; who I’d played with in all four divisions of the Scarborough Sunday League.

I’d had a spell playing with Britannia FC, another pub in town before returning to assist manager Dave Trenham. I’d decided to try and get fit and give it a go once again. A work and playing colleague Neil Pearcey worked with some lads from Selby and sorted the game.

We headed across North Yorkshire by coach for the Sunday morning kick-off. I cannot remember the details of the game, which is most unlike me to have not at least written it down somewhere; although my head was not in a good place at the time.

I’ve no recollection of the score but seem to remember that both sides had rolling subs and I got a decent run out and played alright. One effort on goal aside, that went out of the ground!

We went back to a pub with our hosts after the game for beers and food before returning to Scarborough where I went off to play pool for The Shakespeare.

Friday 10^th January 2020

With the day off work and heading to stay with Nick, Rach and Stan in York I decided upon a different route to enjoy a meander and to get photos of a couple of football grounds that I was missing.

My direct train to Selby rolled in over forty minutes late; definitely one for a complaint form in search of a refund. It was a sunny but cold morning as I headed past the beautiful Selby Abbey and along Gowthorpe, the main shopping street.

A turning up Scott Road took me past the Leisure Centre before I did a left down Richard Street. The ground entrance was at the bottom of the road. Alas it was locked. Never mind. I had a Plan B.

Selby was introduced to something I don’t suppose it sees too often. A selfie-stick. That’s right. My selfie-stick. This was purchased in case I visited a locked football ground so that I could use the extension; only putting the camera into reverse so it could peer over high walls.

I’m not sure what anyone would make of seeing me in the long grass and bushes against a perimeter wall using such a contraption, but there we go. I’d bought it for a reason, and it was time to try it out.

To be honest my first attempts with the contraption were a bit naff. I walked to Flaxley Road, hoping to find another entrance to the venue. My mind and memory were playing tricks with me. I was sure we had entered from somewhere else on my previous visit.

It was not to be. I was now left with the option of going back and trying again or doing without. My stubborn nature won the day, as did my perseverance as I ended up with some decent enough shots.

Scuttling off I took a short cut round the sports hall where a community police officer was chatting away. Goodness knows where the conversation would have gone if he’d walked around the corner a few minutes earlier?

The plan was to head to Tadcaster after Selby. This was reliant on a train journey to Sherburn-in-Elmet and then a bus. Panic started to set in when it was announced that my train was running late.

Buses were most infrequent, and I didn’t want to be marooned. We got to Sherburn in the nick of time; necessitating a run to my connecting bus. I made the required time. Unfortunately, this was to a bus stop that only existed in the mind of Google Maps. Bloody hell!

The following hour was spent pacing up and down once I’d discovered the actual stop for the 12.57 service and then entering a late opening cracker of an old school pub with coal fires. The Wheatsheaf was like being back in the 80s but in a good way. Heaven, especially as I was busting for the loo.

The TV was showing Bargain Hunt. Crikey is that what people watched while I was with ITV4 with repeats of Minder, The Sweeney & The Professionals? What utter guff; but addictive guff for all that.

I found myself talking to a bloke with his dog who in typical Yorkshire bluntness pointed out that the said item up for auction wasn’t necessarily authentic. Actually, he didn’t point it out. He lectured me. Oh, the good old northern pub regular!

The John Smith’s Cask was immaculate and gave reminder that even though there’s never been more choice, the classic ales should not be forgotten and not judged by their poor smooth imitations.

When my bus arrived it’s as well that I was alert. It was like a community mini-van and I was the only punter until five minutes before I alighted. The route was akin to one Postman Pat would head out on, through small pretty villages and along country lanes.

We chatted about rugby league, days out and lamented how things aren’t what they used to be with plenty of laughs and agricultural language thrown in. Blimey. A talking good fun driver. How I missed the north.

Later I’d post on Facebook about my visit to Selby Town appealing for any info about the match from my mates. Neil came back that he thought it may have been against Riccall, though he struggled to remember what he’d done the day before!

I was dropped off at Tadcaster Bus Station from where I went to visit my second ground of the day. You can read about it and the rest of my day here.