Abingdon United F.C.

{{short description|Association football club in England}}

{{use British English|date=April 2013}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}

{{Infobox football club

| clubname = Abingdon United

| image = Abingdon United FC.png

| fullname = Abingdon United Football Club

| founded = 1946

| chairman = Alan Midwinter

| manager = John Mills

| nickname = Ab U, United

| ground = {{nowrap|The Northcourt, Abingdon-on-Thames}}

| capacity = 2,000 (158 seated)

| league = {{English football updater|AbingdoU}}

| season = {{English football updater|AbingdoU2}}

| position = {{English football updater|AbingdoU3}}

| pattern_la1= | pattern_la2= | pattern_b1 = _bluecollar_2 | body1 = FFFF00 | leftarm1=0000FF | rightarm1 = 0000FF | pattern_ra1 = | shorts1 = 0000FF | socks1 = 0000FF

| pattern_b2 = _shoulder_stripes_red_stripes | pattern_ra2 = | pattern_sh2 = _white stripes | pattern_so2 = _color_3_stripes_white | leftarm2=FFFFFF | body2 = FFFFFF | rightarm2 = FFFFFF | shorts2 = FF0000 | socks2 = FF0000

}}

Abingdon United Football Club is a football club based in Abingdon-on-Thames, England. The club are currently members of the {{English football updater|AbingdoU}} and play at The Northcourt.

History

The club was founded in 1946 by ex-servicemen as a rival to the already existing Abingdon Town at the Anchor pub on the bank of the River Thames. The new club joined Division One of the North Berks League,[http://www.nbfl.co.uk/leaguetabs/1946-1947.asp 1946–1947] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202141156/http://www.nbfl.co.uk/leaguetabs/1946-1947.asp |date=2 February 2017 }} North Berks Football League and won the league's Charity Shield in their first season, beating Wallingford Town 3–2 after extra time in the final.[http://www.nbfl.co.uk/leaguetabs/CharityShield.asp Charity Shield Finals] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502233630/http://www.nbfl.co.uk/leaguetabs/CharityShield.asp |date=2 May 2014 }} North Berks Football League Despite finishing ninth out of twelve clubs in Division One in 1947–48,[http://www.nbfl.co.uk/leaguetabs/1947-1948.asp 1947–1948] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202140459/http://www.nbfl.co.uk/leaguetabs/1947-1948.asp |date=2 February 2017 }} North Berks Football League they were relegated to Division Two.[http://www.nbfl.co.uk/leaguetabs/1948-1949.asp 1948–1949] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202141203/http://www.nbfl.co.uk/leaguetabs/1948-1949.asp |date=2 February 2017 }} North Berks Football League

Abingdon went on to win Division Two in 1952–53,[http://www.nbfl.co.uk/leaguetabs/1952-1953.asp 1952–1953] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202140319/http://www.nbfl.co.uk/leaguetabs/1952-1953.asp |date=2 February 2017 }} North Berks Football League and were promoted back to Division One. In 1958 they moved up to the Hellenic League, where for the next 19 seasons the club remained in the bottom division of the Hellenic League, winning the Division One Cup in 1965–66. After finishing third in 1976–77 they were promoted to the Premier Division. They stayed in the premier division until the 1980–81 season, in which they finished bottom and were relegated back to Division One. However, after a single season in Division One, they made an immediate return, finishing as runners-up. The club then remained in the Hellenic premier Division for another 24 seasons.{{fchd|id=ABINGDOU|name=Abingdon United}}

In 1982–83 season Abingdon entered the FA Vase for the first time; four seasons later they played in the FA Cup for the first time, losing to Stourbridge after two replays in the first qualifying round. The 1996–97 season saw the club win three trophies; the Hellenic League's Floodlit Cup, the Hellenic – Hungerford Cup and the Berks & Bucks Senior Trophy.[http://hellenicleague.org.uk/programme/abingdonutd/history.pdf Abingdon United • Club History] Abingdon United F.C. They retained the Berks & Bucks Senior Trophy the following season, and won the Hellenic – Hungerford Cup again in 2001–02. In 2005–06 the club finished third in the Premier Division, and were promoted to Division One South & West of the Southern League. The club remained in the Southern League Division One South & West until the end of the 2012–13 season, when they resigned from the league and rejoined the Hellenic League Premier Division.

At the end of the 2015–16 season Abingdon were relegated to Division One East. However, after finishing as runners-up in Division One East the following season, they were promoted back to the Premier Division. Abingdon were relegated back to Division One of the Hellenic League in the 2018–19 season.

=Season-by-season record=

class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" sortable" style="text-align:center"

!Season

!Division

!Position

!Significant events

1949–50North Berks League Division One3/14
style="background:#fcc;"

|1949–50

North Berks League Division One9/12Relegated
1949–50North Berks League Division Two5/12
1949–50North Berks League Division Two7/12
1950–51North Berks League Division Two10/11
1951–52North Berks League Division Two12/14
style="background: #90EE90"

|1952–53

North Berks League Division Two1/13Champions, promoted
1953–54North Berks League Division One9/13
1954–55North Berks League Division One8/13
1955–56North Berks League Division One8/13
1956–57North Berks League Division One7/10
style="background: #90EE90"

|1957–58

North Berks League Division One7/10Moved up to Hellenic League
1958–59Hellenic League Division One7/13
1959–60Hellenic League Division One9/12
1960–61Hellenic League Division One3/14
1961–62Hellenic League Division One7/12
1962–63Hellenic League Division One10/14
1963–64Hellenic League Division One6/10
1964–65Hellenic League Division One10/16
1965–66Hellenic League Division One4/16
1966–67Hellenic League Division One4/16
1967–68Hellenic League Division One7/16
1968–69Hellenic League Division One5/18
1969–70Hellenic League Division One12/19
1970–71Hellenic League Division One7/20Division One renamed Division One A
1971–72Hellenic League Division One A8/13League reorganised, placed in Division Two
1972–73Hellenic League Division Two9/11Division Two renamed Division One
1973–74Hellenic League Division One19/21
1974–75Hellenic League Division One12/14
1975–76Hellenic League Division One5/14
style="background: #90EE90"

|1976–77

Hellenic League Division One3/16Promoted
1977–78Hellenic League Premier Division14/16
1978–79Hellenic League Premier Division14/14
1979–80Hellenic League Premier Division12/16
style="background:#fcc;"

|1980–81

Hellenic League Premier Division16/16Relegated
style="background: #90EE90"

|1981–82

Hellenic League Division One2/16Promoted
1982–83Hellenic League Premier Division12/16
1983–84Hellenic League Premier Division4/17
1984–85Hellenic League Premier Division6/18
1985–86Hellenic League Premier Division7/18
1986–87Hellenic League Premier Division6/18
1987–88Hellenic League Premier Division4/18
1988–89Hellenic League Premier Division3/17
1989–90Hellenic League Premier Division3/18
1990–91Hellenic League Premier Division7/18
1991–92Hellenic League Premier Division6/18
1992–93Hellenic League Premier Division15/18
1993–94Hellenic League Premier Division12/18
1994–95Hellenic League Premier Division11/16
1995–96Hellenic League Premier Division10/18
1996–97Hellenic League Premier Division2/18
1997–98Hellenic League Premier Division10/18
1998–99Hellenic League Premier Division7/19
1999–2000Hellenic League Premier Division8/19
2000–01Hellenic League Premier Division5/20
2001–02Hellenic League Premier Division4/22
2002–03Hellenic League Premier Division8/21
2003–04Hellenic League Premier Division11/22
2004–05Hellenic League Premier Division5/22
style="background: #90EE90"

|2005–06

Hellenic League Premier Division3/21Promoted
2006–07Southern League Division One South & West11/22
2007–08Southern League Division One South & West16/22
2008–09Southern League Division One South & West15/22
2009–10Southern League Division One South & West14/22
2010–11Southern League Division One South & West16/21
2011–12Southern League Division One South & West18/21
style="background:#fcc;"

|2012–13

Southern League Division One South & West20/22Resigned
2013–14Hellenic League Premier Division17/20
2014–15Hellenic League Premier Division15/20
style="background:#fcc;"

|2015–16

Hellenic League Premier Division19/20Relegated
style="background: #90EE90"

|2016–17

Hellenic League Division One West2/16Promoted
2017–18Hellenic League Premier Division13/20
style="background:#fcc;"

|2018–19

Hellenic League Premier Division19/19Relegated
2019–20Hellenic League Division One EastSeason abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21Hellenic League Division One East10/15Season abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021–22Hellenic League Division One15/17
2022–23Hellenic League Division One7/19
2023–24Hellenic League Division One

Ground

Image:Abindonunitedground.jpg

Abingdon United play their home games at the Northcourt Stadium in Northcourt Road, Abingdon. It has a capacity of 2,000, of which 158 is seated and 258 covered.Mike Williams & Tony Williams (2012) Non-League Club Directory 2013, p506 {{ISBN|978-1-869833-77-0}}

Honours

  • Hellenic League
  • Division One Cup winners 1965–66
  • Floodlit Cup winners 1996–97
  • Hellenic – Hungerford Cup winners 1996–97, 2001–02
  • North Berks League
  • Champions 1952–53
  • Berks & Bucks Senior Trophy
  • Winners 1996–97, 1997–98
  • North Berks Charity Shield
  • Winners 1946–47

Records

  • Highest league position: 11th in Southern League Division One South & West, 2006–07
  • Best FA Cup performance: Second qualifying round, 2000–01, 2009–10, 2014–15
  • Best FA Trophy performance: Second qualifying round, 2006–07, 2007–08
  • Best FA Vase performance: Third round, 1988–89
  • Record attendance: 1,567 vs Wantage Town, Hellenic League Challenge Cup, 4 October 2024{{cite web|url=https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/sport/24637913.jack-badger-record-crowd-pays-tribute-popular-abingdon-footballer/|title=Jack Badger: Record crowd pays tribute to popular footballer|website=Swindon Advertiser|date=8 October 2024}}

See also

References

{{Reflist}}