market drayton town

At the start of 2003/04, the present committee was formed, and the name was changed, taking up the name of the old town club which had folded many years ago The following six seasons saw the club improve year on year both on and off the field. In the first season as Market Drayton Town FC, the team finished seventh in the West Midlands Premier Division and won the Shropshire Challenge Cup at the Gay Meadow. The second season (2004/05) saw Drayton achieve runners-up spot to Tipton Town in the League but again won the Shropshire Challenge Cup The following season (2005/06) Drayton finally gained promotion to the Midland Football Alliance (MFA) by winning the league (by 18 points) and again won the Shropshire Challenge Cup for a record third year in a row. In 2006/07, Drayton embarked on a new era, playing in the MFA, Shropshire Senior Cup with AFC Telford and Shrewsbury Town, Staffs Senior Cup, FA Cup, Vase Cup and League Cup. After securing status in the MFA by finishing thirteenth in the first year and then finishing a very close third in 2007/08, Drayton were very much hoping to go one step further and gain promotion from the MFA. After a long hard season in 2008/09 where 56 games were played, Drayton achieved the main aim and were crowned Midland Football Alliance League Champions finishing 8 points ahead of second place Barwell Town With astonishing statistics: 31 league wins, 24 league clean sheets, 111 league goals scored, 31 league goals conceded and only 5 league defeats, a few Alliance records were broken, and the club went on to win the League and Cup double by defeating Boldmere St Michaels at Walsall’s Bank’s Stadium in the League Cup Final 2 – 0, one of only two clubs to ever have that accolade. A great end to a fantastic year for the football club. During that season Drayton also managed to reach the last sixteen of the FA Vase but unfortunately lost at Biggleswade Town 4 – 5. Various managers were employed by the club during this time including Jimmy Mullen and Greg Clowes who brought stability to the team

In December 2014, Town appointed Martyn Davies as player/manager with Steve McCormick as his assistant. Martyn is a club stalwart who has scored almost 300 goals in his time as a player for the club. Having staved off relegation in 2014/15, 2015/16, was Martyn’s first full year as manager and he led the team to their best ever league performance by finishing in eleventh position and for a while were thereabouts in the Play-off places The last three seasons have seen the club at the wrong end of the table but have still maintained their place in the National League System despite a low budget. Martyn decided to resign at the end of the 2018/19 season to spend more time with his family and Chairman Mick Murphy decided to appoint another club stalwart, Steve McCormick as manager assisted by Nick Roberts and Coach John Timmiss.