Rags To Riches For The Cod Army
Mon 16th April 2012 | General | By Ian Templeman
Fleetwood Town Football Club's rise to Blue Square Conference Champions on Saturday meant that the Cod Army have achieved Football League promotion, just seven years after lifting the North West Counties Football League Premier Division title.
It marks only the second time in the league's history that a member club has gone on to reach The Football League, although we do have a number of current members in Bootle, Glossop North End and Nelson who have all been Football League members in the past.
Accrington Stanley were the first member club to progress through to the Football League, having won promotion from our First Division as runners-up in 1986/87.
Fleetwood's ascent to the Football League is a true rags-to-riches story. Formed in 1997 as Fleetwood Freeport, following the demise of the original Fleetwood Town, they joined the North West Counties Second Division (now known at the First Division) and finished their first season in a respectable 12th position.
However, the following season, they were crowned Second Division Champions, finishing the campaign on 71 points, five ahead of nearest rivals Abbey Hey, and with it promotion to the First Division. They also lifted the Second Division Trophy in this period, beating Warrington Town in the final to complete a league/cup double.
They were to spend the next six seasons in the First Division, with a name change occurring in 2001, reverting to the traditional name of Fleetwood Town FC. Their first season in the First Division saw them finish seventh, before improving on that finishing position the following season by finishing fifth.
The following two seasons saw them achieve mid table finished, before they finished third in 2004. However, their crowning season came in 2004/05 when they finished as Champions, ahead of Newcastle Town, amassing 99 points and with it promotion to the Northern Premier League.
Anyone visiting The Highbury Stadium who hasn't been since their NWCFL days will now see a total transformation, with millions of pounds being spent on developing a state of the art football and hospitality facilities which will not look out of place in the Football League. Everyone associated with the North West Counties Football League would like to wish Fleetwood every success for the future.
Fleetwood Town's NWCFL playing record 1997-2005 is as follows:
P W D L F A Pts
330 170 69 91 674 433 579
Rags To Riches For The Cod Army
Mon 16th April 2012 | General
By Ian Templeman
Fleetwood Town Football Club's rise to Blue Square Conference Champions on Saturday meant that the Cod Army have achieved Football League promotion, just seven years after lifting the North West Counties Football League Premier Division title.
It marks only the second time in the league's history that a member club has gone on to reach The Football League, although we do have a number of current members in Bootle, Glossop North End and Nelson who have all been Football League members in the past.
Accrington Stanley were the first member club to progress through to the Football League, having won promotion from our First Division as runners-up in 1986/87.
Fleetwood's ascent to the Football League is a true rags-to-riches story. Formed in 1997 as Fleetwood Freeport, following the demise of the original Fleetwood Town, they joined the North West Counties Second Division (now known at the First Division) and finished their first season in a respectable 12th position.
However, the following season, they were crowned Second Division Champions, finishing the campaign on 71 points, five ahead of nearest rivals Abbey Hey, and with it promotion to the First Division. They also lifted the Second Division Trophy in this period, beating Warrington Town in the final to complete a league/cup double.
They were to spend the next six seasons in the First Division, with a name change occurring in 2001, reverting to the traditional name of Fleetwood Town FC. Their first season in the First Division saw them finish seventh, before improving on that finishing position the following season by finishing fifth.
The following two seasons saw them achieve mid table finished, before they finished third in 2004. However, their crowning season came in 2004/05 when they finished as Champions, ahead of Newcastle Town, amassing 99 points and with it promotion to the Northern Premier League.
Anyone visiting The Highbury Stadium who hasn't been since their NWCFL days will now see a total transformation, with millions of pounds being spent on developing a state of the art football and hospitality facilities which will not look out of place in the Football League. Everyone associated with the North West Counties Football League would like to wish Fleetwood every success for the future.
Fleetwood Town's NWCFL playing record 1997-2005 is as follows:
P W D L F A Pts
330 170 69 91 674 433 579
