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History of Ellesmere Port Town F.C. (established 1924)
Even though Ellesmere Port are not the best known club in England they are still a football club and they have now been a semi-professional club for 80 years. They have had some bumps on the way and have folded more than once but the important thing is that they are still a good football team even if they are bottom of the Carlsberg West Cheshire Division 1 league.
Today Ellesmere Port play at their ground called Chester Road but years ago their ground was in the middle of Ellesmere Port near to where the Port Arcades are now. It was called the York House Stadium and before this they played at Boathouse Field.
After 21 years of waiting on the sidelines Ellesmere Port Football Club was reformed in 1948 and called Ellesmere Port Town. They entered themselves in the Cheshire County League Championship again and this time they won it, but only on goal difference. They stayed in the Cheshire County League for 24 years, winning it 4 times and coming runners up once.
Then in 1973 they joined the Lancashire Combination, but they left this league after one season because of a lot of bad results.
A year later they joined the Mid-Cheshire league division two, but they also left this league a year later and then unfortunately they folded again.
They reformed again in 1992 and joined the North West Counties League division two and they have now played in this league for a few years and hope not to get relegated.
In 1923, the team moved to York Road Stadium as the area developed past the railway. They moved to Great Stanney to make way for the new town centre extension. From then on the club fell down the league tables and into lower divisions.
In 1948 they reformed and rejoined the Cheshire County league. They stayed in this league until 1962 and in this period of time they had won the league four times and came runners up once. They then joined the Northern Premier League (the uni-bond Premiership) but they only stayed in this league for one year and then they moved on to the Lancashire Combination Division 1. They only stayed in this league for one year as well and they could have come second in the league but they left the league with four matches to play. Then in 1976 the joined the Mid-Cheshire League Division 2 but after only one year they folded.
Ellesmere Port Town reformed again in 1992 and joined the North West Counties League Division 2. They were relegated from this league and found them selves in the league they are in today, the Carlsberg West Cheshire Division 1.
Ellesmere Port Football Club down the years have played some fascinating games with clubs that are extremely well known today. Here are some of the well known teams that they played and the results:
Ellesmere Port FC 0 vs 2 Tranmere Rovers FC
These are some players that played for Ellesmere Port Football Club and were then recognised as players that had lots of potential. These players went on to play for big clubs like Arsenal, Everton, Sheffield United and Wolverhampton Wanderers. These players also played for their country, e.g. England and Eire in the 1920's to the 1940's.
click photo for biography on Wolves web site
Ellesmere Port are now trying to get a board together and get a new campaign for the title going.
They hope to do this in the next two years and then hope to climb up the tables until they reach one of the uni-bond divisions and then they will then try to establish themselves there, but I think this is a bit optimistic.
The Ellesmere Port Town football strip is made up of a yellow shirt with vertical navy blue stripes and is emblazoned with there badge. The shorts are navy blue and the socks are navy blue with horizontal yellow stripes.
Important dates in history
Ellesmere Port Football Club was established in 1924 when they joined the West Cheshire County League and finished a dreadful 22nd out of the 22 teams in the league, and even more surprising Ellesmere Port didn't even win one match. Then in 1927, the team left the West Cheshire County League and eventually folded a few years later due to lack of players because they all disliked losing and wanted to leave for a better club who would actually win some matches. They also folded because of a lack of funds. They were renting a big stadium for the type of league they were in and the money they were earning hardly anything because no one wanted to go and watch them lose every week. So they ran out of money as well and Ellesmere Port looked like it was history.
Stadium
Ellesmere Port FC had many successes in the Wirral league, playing on the Boathouse Field, winning the Pyke Cup in 1904.
The team folded due to the war but reformed in 1919, playing at their new home Grace Road because of area development.
League History
Ellesmere Port have been in five different leagues in eighty years but in those eighty years they have only won four titles and came runners up once. The first league they joined was the Cheshire County League and that was in 1924, which was the year they were established. They stayed in this league for three years and they folded.
Famous Encounters
Here I am going to talk about famous and well known clubs that Ellesmere Port Football club played during the eighty years they have been established as a team. The team has played in the West - Cheshire League, the Northern Premier League, the North West Counties League Division 2, the Wirral League, the Lancashire Combination and also the Cheshire County League.
Ellesmere Port FC 1 vs 5 Liverpool FC
Famous Players
Stanley Cullis - Wolverhampton Wonderers and England
Sam Chedzoy - Everton and England.
Joe Mercer - Everton, Arsenal and England.
Alf Ringstead - Sheffield United and Eire.
The Club Today
Ellesmere Port Town's Chairman is called Garry Fraser and their Secretary is called Steve Foden, both of these have only recently joined the club.
Ellesmere Port do not have an away strip because they are the only team in their league with a yellow and blue kit and they cant afford an away kit.
Click here for full stats record
This photo is of an Ellesmere Port football team before the formation of Ellesmere Port Town F.C. This team was called Victoria Football Club and this photograph shows the team for 1911-1912.
By Callum Hughes, Joe Hurley, Jack Boulton (Year 9 - Nov 2004)
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