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| CLUB HISTORY |
| A CLUB PLAYING IN THE SAME NAME OF KIDSGROVE ATHLETIC WAS IN ORDER AT |
| THE TURN OF THE CENTURY. THEY PLAYED IN THE GLORIOUS PASTURES OF |
| CLOUGH HALL, THE RESIDENCE OF THE LORD OF THE MANOR. THE SURVIVING |
| LINKS ARE THE NAME OF THE GROUND, AND ON THE ONE AND ONLY PHOTOGRAPH |
| ANCESTORS OF ERNIE LANGFORD, ONE OF THE CLUBS DIRECTORS. THE HALL WAS |
| DEMOLISHED AS THE GREAT WAR LOOMED OVER EUROPE AND THE TOWN LOST ITS |
| FOOTBALL STATUS. AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR, FOOTBALL IN THE TOWN |
| WAS RESSURECTED IN THE FORM OF KIDSGROVE UNITED. DESPITE POOR |
| FACILITIES THE TEAM ATTRACTED PLAYERS FROM A WIDE AREA. A SITUATION THE |
| LOCAL YOUTH LOBBY FOUND RATHER INSULTING AND DETRIMENTAL TO FOOTBALL |
| PROWESS AND STATURE LOCALLY, SO IT CAME TO PASS THAT IN 1952 A NUMBER |
| OF YOUNG MEN FORMED THEIR OWN TEAM AND THE NAME OF ATHLETIC WAS |
| REVIVED. THEIR FIRST MATCH BROUGHT AT "CRICKET" THE LOCAL KNOWLEDGE OF |
| THE TRACK REEPED REWARDS. THE CLUB WAS OFFICIALLY FORMED AT A MEETING |
| AT THE BLUE BELL INN, ITSELF GAINING NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR ITS FINE ALE |
| ON 3rd DECEMBER 1952. FRANK TIMMIS A COMMITTEE MEMBER TODAY WAS ITS |
| FIRST SECRETARY, THE LOCAL MAYOR PROMISED A £25 LOAN, WITH OTHER MEANS |
| THROUGH TEA DANCES. THE CLUB ENTERED THE ESTABLISHED BURSLEM AND |
| TUNSTALL LEAGUE AND PLAYED ON THE VICKERS AND GOODWIN PITCH NEXT TO |
| THE A50 WHICH IS SADLY NOW PART OF THE SEWAGE WORKS. SUCCESS WAS NOT |
| FORTHCOMING AS INTERNAL WRANGLINGS OVER "IMPORTED" PLAYERS FROM AS |
| FAR AWAY AS 5 MILES THREATENED THE CLUBS STRUCTURE.BUT PEOPLE LIKE |
| ERNIE LANGFORD KEPT THE CLUB GOING . IN 1960 ON THE PRESENT SITE, A FARM |
| FIELD WAS CONVERTED INTO A PITCH, AND AFTER A YEAR OUT, THE TEAM GAINED |
| SUCCESS BY WINNING THE SECOND DIVISION TITLE. THE TOWN ITSELF WAS NOW |
| EXPANDING RAPIDLY AS INDUSTRY SPRANG UP AND PEOPLE MOVED TO THE AREA |
| TO WORK IN THE PITS AND COKEWORKS. AFTER CAPTURING THE DIVISION ONE |
| TITLE, THE CLUB MOVED TO THE STAFFORDSHIRE LEAGUE (NORTH) AND QUICKLY |
| WON DIVISIONS TWO AND ONE. THE MOVE UP TO THE MID-CHESHIRE LEAGUE WAS |
| NOT MET IN SOME STAFFORDSHIRE QUARTERS. MUCH SUCCESS WAS ENJOYED IN |
| THE LEAGUE WITH FOUR CHAMPIONSHIPS, AND THREE CUP WINS, AS WELL AS TO |
| LIFT THE STAFFORDSHIRE VASE TWICE, THE FIRST CLUB TO DO SO. THE NEXT WAS |
| THE CLUBHOUSE WHICH WAS BUILT AND ALTERED OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS AN |
| FINALLY AFTER THREE ATTEMPTS,THE CLUB JOINED THE NORTHWEST COUNTIES |
| LEAGUE IN 199. THE INSTALLATION OF FLOODLIGHTS FOLLOWED WHICH ALLOWED |
| THE CLUB TO JOIN THE NEWLY FORMED DIVISION ONE IN SEASON 1992/93. WE |
| NARROWLY AVOIDED RELEGATION, AFTER THEN CONSOLIDATION IN MID TABLE. |
| 1N 1997/98 THE CLUB HAD UNPARALLED SUCCESS ON THE FIELD WINNING THE |
| CHAMPIONSHIP, LEAGUE CUP AND REACHING THE SEMI-FINAL OF THE FA VASE, |
| WHERE A 3-2 AGGREGATE DEFEAT BY EVENTUAL WINNERS TIVERTON TOWN COST |
| THEM A PLACE IN THE FINAL AT WEMBLEY. KIDSGROVE SCORED EXACTLY 200 |
| GOALS DURING THE SEASON, HOWEVER PROMOTION TO THE UNIBOND LEAGUE |
| WAS STALLED BECAUSE OF SOME DEVELOPMENT FAILINGS. IN THE 2001/02 YEAR |
| THE CLUB PULLED OUT ALL THE STOPS, WITH THE HELP OF CHAIRMAN TERRY |
| HILLMAN, WHOSE AIM WAS TO REACH UNIBOND LEVEL WITHIN FIVE YEARS. THIS |
| WAS ACHIEVED WUTH TWO GAMES TO SPARE AS KIDSGROVE TRIUMPHED IN A |
| THREE WAY TITLE RACE WITH PRESCOT CABLES AND SALFORD CITY. THE CLUBS |
| 50th ANNIVERSARY SEASON. THE FIRST YEAR IN THE UNIBOND LEAGUE WAS A |
| STRUGGLE, WITH FIVE MANAGERS COMING AND GOING OVER THE COURSE OF THE |
| SEASON. HOWEVER RELEGATION WAS AVOIDED BY A GOOD MARGIN WITH GROVE |
| EVENTUALLY FINISHING 19th. TERRY HILLMAN LEFT THE CLUB IN 2003/04 AND THE |
| CLUB STRUGGLED FURTHER, EVENTUALLY FINISHING BOTTOMOF THE LEAGUE |
| AFTER A TERRIBLE RUN OF RESULTS AFTER CHRISTMAS. CONSOLATION DID COME |
| HOWEVER IN THE FORM OF NO RELEGATION DUE TO THE LEAGUE BEING MOVED |
| AND RESTRUCTURED. A MAIDEN STAFFORDSHIRE SENIOR CUP WIN FOLLOWED |
| AT THE END OF THE SEASON WHEN WE BEAT STAFFORD RANGERS 1-0 AT THE |
| BRITANNIA STADIUM THE HOME OF STOKE CITY IN FRONT OF 1133 PEOPLE. |
| MAY 6th 2005 UNIBOND LEAGUE CHAIRMANS CUP WINNERS AFTER TWO LEGGED |
| FINAL WIN AGAINST WOODLEY SPORTS 3-3 AWAY, 4-3 HOME 7-6 AGGREGATE |