During the dark days of the closed season, a lot of us [including me!] were seriously starting to come to terms with the prospect of Pompey folding and a new Phoenix Club to be put in place, some-where in the Non-League pyramid for the 2013-14 season. I thought, as a 'but for the grace of God' thread, I'd take a look at the six former League Clubs that have folded over the past 20 years. Darlington FC Folded in 2012 two seasons after being relegated from the League Two for the second time. New Club Darlington 1883 has joined Northern League Division One. This is at Level 9, the equivalent of the Wessex League Premier Division. Their league opponents include Bedlington Teriers and West Aukland They are currently ground sharing with Bishop Aukland Rushden & Diamonds The Diamonds won the conference in 2001 and spent five seasons in the league before relegation in 2006. Although they finished 13th in the Conference in 2011, financial difficulties meant they couldn't guarantee fulfilling the following season's fixtures, so were thrown out of the conference and folded. AFC Rushden and Diamonds are playing in the United Counties League Division One [level 10]. Their league opponents include Buckingham Town and Oadby They are groundsharing at Wellingborough Chester City FC Relegated from League Two in 2009 and folded in February 2010, with their Conference results up to that point expunged. New Club Chester FC joined Northern Premier League Division One North [Level 8; equivalent of Southern League Division One North or South & West] for the 2010-11 season. Two consecutive promotions has seen them reach Conference North Their league opponents include former league sides Boston Utd and Workington. They still play at the Deva Stadium, home of the old Chester City FC. Halifax Town FC Halifax were relegated from the Football League for the second time in 2002 and folded after the 2007-08 Conference season. New club, FC Halifax Town joined the Northern Premier League Division One North [Level 8] in 2008. Like Chester, they are now in Conference North. They still play at The Shay Scarborough FC Scarborough were the very first team to gain automatic promotion to the Football League in 1987. They were relegated after 12 seasons and then relegated to Conference North in 2006. They folded at the end of the following season. New club, Scarborough Athletic FC joined the Northern Counties Eastern League Division One [Level 10; equivalent of Wessex League Division 1] in 2007. They are currently in the NCEL Premier Division [Level 9] Their league opponents include Staveley Miners Welfare and Lincoln Moorlands Railway. They currently groundshare with Bridlington, but hope to move back to Scarborough for the 2014-15 season. Maidstone Utd FC Maidstone won the Conference in 1989. Their ground wasn't up to league standard so they sold the land (to MFI) and groundshared with Dartford. This saw average gates fall from 2,400 to 1,400. The amount of money spent to reach the league finally took its toll and the club folded at the end of the 1991-92 Fourth Division campaign. The New club [started as Maidstone Invicta but has since reverted to Maidstone Utd] joined right at the bottom of the pile; Kent County League Division Four [Level 13] for the 1992-93 season They are currently in the Isthmian League Division One South [Level 8] Their league opponents include Worthing and Corinthian Casuals. After various groundshares they finally moved to the new Gallagher Stadium in Maidstone at the start of this season. As I said above: But for the grace of God, some-one on another board could have been writing this thread, with a 7th team, AFC Pompey on the list! Here's to the new owners*, whoever they may be * except Chainrai
A couple of other notable ones are King's Lynn Town FC, now playing in the interestingly monikered Northern Premier League Division One. AFC Rushden & Diamonds have just started in a level 9 league whilst their predecessors were in the Football League not too long ago. And the Welshmen of Merthyr Town who play in the English league system, Tydfil being notable for playing a few big European Cup Winner's Cup games in the past. I am guessing the AFC Pompey thing is not a realistic probability any more though.
The success of some phoenix clubs is quite commendable. Some examples: Accrington Stanley: The original club resigned from the Football League in 1962 and folded in 1966 The new club was formed in 1968 and made it back into the Football League after winning the Conference in 2006 Aldershot: The original club went out of business before the end of the 1991-92 season. The new club, Aldershot Town, made it into the Football League after winning the Conference in 2008 Newport County: The original club folded in 1989 after losing its league status. The new club is currently at the top of the Conference
All commendable; however, Accrington took 40 years to get back, Aldershot took 16 years, County 23 years and counting. None of them are higher than L2. How many fans would be content with, or alive to witness, a return to League football in such a timespan?
All very true, but without blowing our own bugle, we would have a far bigger fanbase than all of these clubs. It's true there is no telling how long it would take to get back to the FL but, for some spending some time in the conference watching your average joe's kicking the ball around is far more attractive than watching BC continue to financially "rape" the club. Also, Napoli and Fiorentina are phoenix clubs.
