Issue #19 - v Thornton Cleveleys (05/04/2025)

SATURDAY 5 APRIL 2025

NWCFL First Division North vs THORNTON CLEVELEYS

KO 3:00PM

“WE CAN’T TAKE OUR FOOT OFF THE GAS”

THOUGHTS FROM THE DUGOUT

Good afternoon and welcome back to Rakesmoor Lane for today’s North West Counties Football League fixture against Thornton Cleveleys.

Tuesday was a great result and another big achievement for the club, finally securing our place in the playoffs. It’s something the lads have worked hard for all season, and they fully deserve that reward. But while it’s a big moment, we can’t afford to take our foot off the gas now –we’ve got a chance to build momentum, and three more points at home today would set us up nicely ahead of next week’s clash with Nelson.

The group has shown real commitment throughout the campaign, and now that we’ve hit one of our targets, the hunger is there to go again. We want to finish strong, and performances over the next couple of games will be key heading into the playoffs.

We’re in a good position now to rotate slightly and use the full depth of the squad. That gives us the chance to get minutes into players like Brandon, Callum, and Tommy, who’ll all be important for us in the run-in. It’s about managing the squad wisely and making sure we’re as sharp and ready as possible when the knockout games begin.

KEVIN WATKIN

GOLD PARTNERS

SILVER PARTNERS

FACTSHEET

COLOURS

Red NICKNAME

Thornton

GROUND NAME

Gamble Road

CAPACITY <1000

RECORD ATTENDANCE Not Listed

LEAGUE POSITION 14th

EYES ON OPPONENT

ON THE OPPONENT

THEIR HISTORY

Library records indicate, ICI Ltd founded and sponsored a football team for their workers at the chlorine-production plant in the early 1900’s. Its unconfirmed how long these early beginnings and precursor to the current teams were maintained throughout the early 1900’s but the records show a team known as Thornton Jubilee Football Club in the 1930’s and Trunnah United in the 1950s.

The present seniors club, in its more familiar guise was formed in July 1980 when Ronnie Andrews brought the Thornton Catholic Club side to ICI Thornton and in August of 1981 the club joined the West Lancashire League with Mike Sillis as Manager. The clubs Reserve side, managed by Ronnie Andrews played in the Premier Division of the Blackpool and Fylde Football Combination.

In 1982 the First team finished the season Division Two Champions.

By 1987 the Reserve side had moved to the West Lancashire League Reserve Division and in 1991 they won the league championship. Following the closure of the ICI Plant at Thornton the club renamed as Thornton International in 1992 and for the 1991/92 season the first team were once again West Lancashire Division Two Champions, and also runners-up in the Presidents Cup.

1995 Thornton-Cleveleys Junior Football Club merged with the open age teams of Thornton International FC, previously known as ICI, to form Thornton-Cleveleys Football Club.

In April of 2003, the first team won the Tavern Cup and the Reserves were double winners in the 2003/04 season being both Reserve Division 2 champions and winning the Houston Cup

In 2010 the first team were Division 1 winners seeing a return to the Premier Division and in 2014 lifted the Lancashire Amateur Shield for the first time.

In 2021, after over 20 years at its home on Bourne Way the club spent a transient year while a new £1 million facility was built on their former ICI Football Club ground.

In 2022 Thornton Cleveleys won the West Lancashire Premier Division League and followed a year later in 2023 winning the Presidents Cup.

In 2024 the club regained the West Lancashire League title winning in a dramatic ending to a season that was literally decided on the last minute of the campaign. Two weeks previously Thorntons Second team won the West Lancashire Reserve Division.

The Club was promoted to The North West Counties League Division One North in 2024.