Marlow United F.C.

Marlow United
Full nameMarlow United Football Club
Nickname(s)The Flying Blues
Founded1977
GroundHedsor Social Club
ChairmanDaniel Carvell
ManagerAshok Sharma
2023–24Thames Valley Premier League Division Four, 5th of 7 (promoted)

Marlow United Football Club is a football club based in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England. They were established in 1977 and were among the founding members of the Reading Football League in 1989.

History

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The club was formed in 1977 and started in division 5 of the Wycombe & District Football League for the 1977–78 season. The following season they were promoted to the second division, but at the end of the season United were expelled from the league due to the other member clubs voting the team out of the league. Marlow then joined the Pages East Berks Football League for the 1979–80 season. United returned to the Wycombe League in 1982–83, playing in the First Division. They remained in the First division until they were promoted as champions to the Senior Division in the 1984–85 season.[1]

For the 1987–88 season United decided to leave the Wycombe & District Football League to join the Premier Division of the then Reading & District Football League. One season later United won promotion as runners up to the senior division. The Reading & District Football League & Reading Combination amalgamated and in 1990 became known as the Reading Football League with its Senior Division taking on Step 7 status in the FA National League System. Marlow United became joint founder members of this league. In 2004–05 they went on to become the only side from Buckinghamshire to ever win the Reading Football League championship.[1]

At the end of the 2005–06 season United finished runners-up in the Senior Division and gained promotion to the Division One East of the Hellenic League, which was made possible two years previous when they embarked on a ground share agreement with Flackwell Heath FC, leaving their original home of Gossmore Lane. United created yet another first in the club's history when in the 2006–07 season as they made a historic first ever appearance in the FA Vase, seeing them triumph over Wessex League Premier team Bournemouth FC by 2–1 in front of a crowd of 161. Although United were to lose 2–1 in the next round they still earned the accolade of 'FA Vase team of the round' for their giant killing exploits over Bournemouth FC. The 2007–08 season saw United make their first ever appearance in the FA Cup, a 2–1 defeat to Cove, and in promotion to the Hellenic Premier division.[1]

United stayed in the premier division until the end of the 2009–10 season, where they withdrew from the Hellenic league, for financial reasons and joined the Reading Football League again, playing in the Premier division.[2] With the return to the Reading league United also moved to playing their games at Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre.[3] The following season the Club gained promotion to the Senior Division of the Reading league. During season 2013/14 United reached both the BTC Senior Cup final beating South Reading 2-0 and the Reading Senior Cup Final losing 2–1 to Wokingham & Emmbrook both games being played at the Madejski Stadium. The Reading Football League renamed itself the Thames Valley Premier League so as to retain its step 7 status for the 2014/15 season. This was particularly poignant for United as they won the inaugural Thames Valley Premier League title along with the BTC Senior Cup beating AFC Aldermaston 2–1 at the Madejski Stadium to record the 'double'. Both 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons saw United finish league runners up, while they also reached the Berks & Bucks FA Intermediate Cup Final losing 2–1 to Woodley United at Larges Lane where they returned to contest the 2017/18 Berks & Bucks FA Senior Trophy Final but again losing this time 3–1 to Saxton Rovers. A league position of 6th place was largely due to game postponements due to weather conditions and agreed shared points at the end of the season.

The 2018–19 season saw the club win the Thames Valley Premier League and the BTS senior cup.[4] The Club almost made the final of the Berks and Bucks Senior Cup that season, beating Slough Town 1–0 in the semi-final, but were removed from the competition after two players were found to have played in other FA County competitions.[5] The league success saw the club gain promotion to division One east of the Hellenic League.[6]

On 1 April 2020, Marlow United announced that they would resign from the Hellenic Football League and request to return to the Thames Valley Premier Football League at step seven due to financial difficulties.[7] However, they also left the Thames Valley Premier after just a single season, folding in 2021.

Ground

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Marlow United ground share at the Alfred Davis Memorial Ground, Oak Tree Road, Marlow which is the home of Marlow FC.

Their highest attendance is 250 which was enjoyed this season at the Alfred Davis v Cookham Dean.

Honours

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League honours

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Cup honours

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  • Berks & Bucks FA Senior Trophy
  • Runners Up (3) : 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19
  • Hellenic League Floodlit Cup[12]
    • Winners (1): 2008–09
  • Reading Senior Cup[12][13]
    • Winners (1): 2007–08
    • Runners-up (3): 2005–06, 2006–07, 2012–13
  • Wycombe Senior Cup:[12]
    • Winners (2): 1994–95, 1995–96
    • Runners Up (1) : 1985–86
  • Maidenhead Senior Cup:[12]
    • Winners (1): 1987–88
  • BTC Senior Cup:[14][15][4]
    • Winners (3): 2012–13, 2014–15, 2018–19
    • Runners Up (2) : 1999–00, 2004–05
  • Wycombe & District Football League Cup:[12]
    • Winners (1): 1985–86
  • Berks & Bucks F.A. Junior Cup:[12]
    • Winners (1): 1979–80

Records

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  • Highest League Position: 18th in Hellenic League Premier Division: 2008–09[9]
  • FA Cup Best Performance: Preliminary Round: 2008–09[9]
  • FA Vase Best Performance: First Round: 2007–08[9]
  • Highest attendances:161 vs Bournemouth FC on 16 September 2006[1] 250 v Cookham Dean on 13 October 2018.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "History – Marlow United Football Club". Pitchero.com. 12 August 2008. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  2. ^ Peters, Dave (3 June 2010). "Cash crisis forces Marlow United out of league (From This Is Local London)". Thisislocallondon.co.uk. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  3. ^ "Location – Marlow United Football Club". Pitchero.com. Archived from the original on 3 July 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  4. ^ a b "Marlow United beat Mortimer to win BTC Senior Cup". Bucks Free Press.
  5. ^ "Slough Town FC set to play in Bucks & Berks Senior Cup final after Marlow FC kicked out amid ineligible player row". Royal Borough Observer.
  6. ^ "Which division each Berkshire club will play in 2019/20". 20 May 2019.
  7. ^ "Club Statement". Marlow United. 1 April 2020.
  8. ^ "Marlow United FC claim the Thames Valley Premier League title". www.sloughexpress.co.uk.
  9. ^ a b c d e MARLOW UNITED at the Football Club History Database
  10. ^ "League History – Reading Football League". Rdgleague.com. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  11. ^ "Thames Valley Premier League (Formerly the Reading FL)". Full-time.thefa.com. Retrieved 8 November 2015.[permanent dead link]
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Honours – Marlow United Football Club". Pitchero.com. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  13. ^ "Departing Herridge delights in Wokingham & Emmbrook cup final victory / Bracknell News / Sport / Football". Bracknellnews.co.uk. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  14. ^ "Nicol's double seals Marlow cup win – Goalpost – Football – Sport – getreading – Reading Post". getreading. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  15. ^ "TheFA". Full-time.thefa.com. Retrieved 8 November 2015.[permanent dead link]
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51°36′15.36″N 0°42′43.79″W / 51.6042667°N 0.7121639°W / 51.6042667; -0.7121639

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