{{short description|Association football club from Stratford-upon-Avon, England}} {{redirect|Stratford Rangers|club from Stafford|Stafford Rangers}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox football club | clubname = Stratford Town | image = Stratford-Town-FC-2021.png | image_size = 250px | fullname = Stratford Town Football Club | nickname = The Bards | founded = 1941 (as Stratford Rangers) | ground = The Arden Garages Stadium, Knights Lane, [[Tiddington, Warwickshire|Tiddington]] | capacity = | chairman = Jed McCrory | manager = Paul Davis | league = {{English football updater|StratfoT}} | season = {{English football updater|StratfoT2}} | position = {{English football updater|StratfoT3}} | pattern_la1=|pattern_b1=_collarnavy|pattern_ra1= | leftarm1=000055|body1=FF6100|rightarm1=000055|shorts1=000055|socks1=FF6100 | pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=_collarnavy|pattern_ra2= | leftarm2=FF6100|body2=FFFFFF|rightarm2=FF6100|shorts2=FFFFFF|socks2=FFFFFF | website = {{URL|http://www.stratfordtownfc.co.uk/}} | current = 2022–23 Southern Football League#Premier Division Central }} '''Stratford Town Football Club''' is a [[association football|football]] club representing the town of [[Stratford upon Avon]], [[Warwickshire]], [[England]], but currently based in nearby [[Tiddington, Warwickshire|Tiddington]]. They are currently members of the {{English football updater|StratfoT}} and play at Knights Lane.
==History== The club was formed in 1941 as '''Stratford Rangers''', changing their name in 1949. After playing in various local leagues, they joined the Worcestershire Combination (which later became the [[Midland Football Combination]]) in 1954. In 1957, they switched to the Birmingham and District League, which became the [[West Midlands (Regional) League]] in 1962, but rejoined the Combination in 1970. In 1975, they took the unusual step of joining the [[Hellenic Football League|Hellenic League]], which does not normally include teams from Warwickshire. After two unsuccessful seasons, they rejoined the Midland Combination once again, where they remained until becoming founder members of the [[Midland Football Alliance]] in 1994.
The club entered financial difficulty in 1998 and were reformed to become Stratford Town F.C.
On 20 April 2013, a 1–1 draw with [[Stourport Swifts]] sealed the Midland Alliance title and promotion to the [[Southern Football League]] for the first time in the club's history, where they initially played in Division One South & West. After two seasons in the Division One South & West, Stratford Town earned promotion to the Premier Division via the play-offs with a 3–2 win against [[Larkhall Athletic F.C.|Larkhall Athletic]] on 4 May 2015. They successfully retained their status the following season.
The [[2021–22 FA Cup|2021–22 season]] saw The Bards reach the first round proper of the [[FA Cup]] for the first time in their history, defeating [[National League North]] side [[Boston United F.C.|Boston United]] 3–2 in a fourth qualifying round replay after an initial 1–1 draw at the [[Boston Community Stadium]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/news/football-fever-set-to-grip-stratford-after-town-make-fa-cup-history/ |title=Football fever set to grip Stratford after Town make FA Cup history |last=Hughes |first=Ian |website=Stratford Observer |date=2021-10-20 |accessdate=2021-11-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thenonleaguefootballpaper.com/latest-news/fa-cup/409083/boston-united-1-1-stratford-town-united-find-bold-bards-so-hard-to-edge-past/ |title=Boston United 1-1 Stratford Town: United find bold Bards so hard to edge past |last=James |first=Christian |website=Non League Football Paper |date=2021-10-17 |accessdate=2021-11-09}}</ref> Stratford were drawn at home to [[EFL League One|League One]] side [[Shrewsbury Town F.C.|Shrewsbury Town]], with the match televised on [[ITV4]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.stratfordtownfc.co.uk/news/bards-fa-cup-tie-vs-tie-vs-shrewsbury-to-be-shown-live-on-itv4! |title=BARDS FA CUP TIE VS SHREWSBURY TO BE SHOWN LIVE ON ITV4! |website=stratfordtownfc.co.uk |date=2021-10-21 |accessdate=2021-11-09}}</ref> Despite scoring first, they were eventually defeated 5–1 in front of a sell-out 2,800 spectators at Knights Lane.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59198599 |title=Stratford Town 1-5 Shrewsbury Town |website=BBC Sport |date=2021-11-07}}</ref>
== Records == *Best [[FA Cup]] performance: First round, [[2021–22 FA Cup|2021–22]] *Best [[FA Trophy]] performance: First round, [[2018–19 FA Trophy|2018–19]], [[2023–24 FA Trophy|2023–24]], [[2025–26 FA Trophy|2025–26]] *Best [[FA Vase]] performance: Fifth round, [[2008–09 FA Vase|2008–09]] *Best [[FA Amateur Cup]] performance: Third round, [[1962–63 FA Amateur Cup|1962–63]]
==Stadium== Stratford Town moved into the Knights Lane ground, [[Tiddington, Warwickshire|Tiddington]] in the 2007–08 season. They played their first league match there against [[Barwell F.C.|Barwell]] on 16 February 2008, losing 1–0 to a Stuart Spencer goal.<ref> [http://www.stratfordtownfootballclub.co.uk/first_team/reports_feb08.shtml Stratford Town match report] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724022837/http://www.stratfordtownfootballclub.co.uk/first_team/reports_feb08.shtml |date=2008-07-24 }}</ref>
The record attendance is 2,800 for the FA Cup first round match against [[Shrewsbury Town F.C.|Shrewsbury Town]] on 7 November 2021.{{cn|date=November 2021}}
==Players== ===Current squad=== {{updated|17 August 2024}} <ref name="Stratford Town">{{Cite web | title = Stratford Town | url = https://www.stratfordtownfc.co.uk/teams/Stratford-Town/Players | work= stratfordtownfc.co.uk | access-date = 19 August 2022}}</ref> {{football squad start|nonumber=y|bg=000055|color=FF6100|border=000000}} {{football squad player | nonumber=y | nat=England | pos=GK | name=Maxx Clutterbuck}} {{football squad player | nonumber=y | nat=England | pos=GK | name=Callum Smith}} {{football squad player | nonumber=y | nat=England | pos=DF | name=[[Finlay Brennan|Finley Brennan]]}} {{football squad player | nonumber=y | nat=England | pos=DF | name=Paul McCone}} {{football squad player | nonumber=y | nat=England | pos=DF | name=Dan Vann}} {{football squad player | nonumber=y | nat=England | pos=DF | name=[[Lewis Wilson (footballer)|Lewis Wilson]]}} {{football squad player | nonumber=y | nat=England | pos=DF | name=Alex Worley}} {{football squad player | nonumber=y | nat=England | pos=MF | name=Jack Cund}} {{football squad player | nonumber=y | nat=England | pos=MF | name=Josh Hawker}} {{football squad player | nonumber=y | nat=Northern Ireland | pos=MF | name=Dan Lafferty}} {{football squad player | nonumber=y | nat=England | pos=MF | name=Lewis Ludford-Ison}} {{football squad mid|nonumber=y|bg=000055|color=FF6100|border=000000}} {{football squad player | nonumber=y | nat=England | pos=MF | name=Michael McGrath}} {{football squad player | nonumber=y | nat=England | pos=MF | name=Devonn O'Sullivan}} {{football squad player | nonumber=y | nat=England | pos=MF | name=Tom Solanke}} {{football squad player | nonumber=y | nat=England | pos=FW | name=Kieron Berry}} {{football squad player | nonumber=y | nat=England | pos=FW | name=[[Callum Ebanks]]}} {{football squad player | nonumber=y | nat=England | pos=FW | name=[[Andre Wright]]}} {{football squad player | nonumber=y | nat=England | pos=FW | name=[[Owen James]]}} {{football squad player | nonumber=y | nat=England | pos=FW | name=Jamie Molyneux}} {{football squad player | nonumber=y | nat=England | pos=FW | name=Tyrell Skeen-Hamilton}} {{football squad player | nonumber=y | nat=England | pos=FW | name=Charlie Williams}} {{football squad end}}<small>''The [[Southern Football League]] does not use a squad numbering system.''</small>
==Management and coaching staff== ===Boardroom=== {{updated|26 May 2022}} <ref name="Stratford Town"/> {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! style="background:#000055; color:#FF6100; border:2px solid #000000;" scope="col"|Position ! style="background:#000055; color:#FF6100; border:2px solid #000000;" scope="col"|Name |- {{Fb cs staff |bg= |p=Owner |s= Jed McCrory}} |}
===Current staff=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! style="background:#000055; color:#FF6100; border:2px solid #000000;" scope="col"|Position ! style="background:#000055; color:#FF6100; border:2px solid #000000;" scope="col"|Name |- |Manager |Paul David (caretaker) {{Fb cs staff |bg= |p=First Team Coaches |s= Dale Belford}} {{Fb cs staff |bg=y |p=Goalkeeper Coach |s= Kieron Williams}} {{Fb cs staff |bg= |p=Physio |s= Amanada Sibanda}} |}
===Managerial history=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! style="background:#000055; color:#FF6100; border:2px solid #000000;" scope="col"|Period ! style="background:#000055; color:#FF6100; border:2px solid #000000;" scope="col"|Manager |- | 1993 || style="background:#efefef;"| [[Alan Campbell (Scottish footballer)|Alan Campbell]] |- | –2005 || style="background:#efefef;"| Lennie Derby |- | 2005–2006 || style="background:#efefef;"| [[Ian Britton (English footballer)|Ian Britton]] |- | 2006–2007 || style="background:#efefef;"| Dennis Mulholland |- | 2007–2009 || style="background:#efefef;"| Micky Moore |- | 2009–2010 || style="background:#efefef;"| Rod Brown |- | 2010–2012 || style="background:#efefef;"| Morton Titterton |- | 2012–2014 || style="background:#efefef;"| Morton Titterton<br> Carl Adams |- | 2014–2018 || style="background:#efefef;"| Carl Adams |- | 2018 || style="background:#efefef;"| [[Darren Byfield]] |- | 2018–2019 || style="background:#efefef;"| Thomas Baillie |- | 2019 || style="background:#efefef;"| [[Tommy Wright (footballer, born 1984)|Tommy Wright]] |- | 2019–2021 || style="background:#efefef;"| Paul Davis |- | 2021–2022 || style="background:#efefef;"| [[Tim Flowers]] |- | 2022–2023 || style="background:#efefef;" | [[Dean Holdsworth]]<br> Gavin Hurren |- |2023-2024 |Gavin Hurren |}
==See also== *[[:Category:Stratford Town F.C. players|Stratford Town F.C. players]] *[[:Category:Stratford Town F.C. managers|Stratford Town F.C. managers]]
==References== *{{cite book | author=Mike and Tony Williams | title=Non League Club Directory 2006 | publisher=Tony Williams Publications Ltd| year=2006| isbn=1-869833-54-6}} {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{official website|http://www.stratfordtownfc.co.uk/}}
{{Southern League}}
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[[Category:Southern Football League clubs]] [[Category:Midland Football Alliance]] [[Category:Association football clubs established in 1941]] [[Category:Football clubs in Warwickshire]] [[Category:1941 establishments in England]] [[Category:Men's football clubs in England]] [[Category:Stratford-upon-Avon]]