Your favourite defunct football clubs

[japanreading]

My Top 3:

1. Colne Dynamoes
2. Third Lanark
3. Zebra Morioka

Why is it that club's who go out of business, generally speaking, have bizarre or unusual names?

[Dirk Gently]

Bradford Park Avenue.

They don't have unusual names. Tottenham Hotspurs, Preston North End, Sheffield Wednesday and Aston Villa are just as odd - but because they're still in business you hear the names so much that they're not so unusual.

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Third Lanark for me. Its like 4th Woodley Cubs.

Also Clydebank for not actually realising they had gone bust til about 2 years after they did. Because Airdrie bought their league registration.

[bobbybottler]

Bradford Park Avenue.

I'm sure I read somewhere that they were having another go.

Anyway....
Middlesbrough Ironopolis
Blackburn Olympic (FA Cup winners)
Team Bath (student wakners)
Thames AFC - as I never tire of writing on here, the possessors of the largest ground to host League football in England, despite what The Cube thinks.

[Dirk Gently]

Bradford Park Avenue.

I'm sure I read somewhere that they were having another go.

Yeah, I'm sure you're right there - just always had a soft-spot for them since I saw a 17-year-old David Gower straight drive a Chris Old yorker over their main stand ...

[bobbybottler]

Third Lanark for me. Its like 4th Woodley Cubs.

You mean that 4th Woodley was peopled by those wearied by the sectarian bigotry displayed by other, larger, cub and scout troops in the Loddon District?

[Sarah Star]

Corinthian FC

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Third Lanark for me. Its like 4th Woodley Cubs.

You mean that 4th Woodley was peopled by those wearied by the sectarian bigotry displayed by other, larger, cub and scout troops in the Loddon District?

Jesus

[Dirk Gently]

Corinthian FC

They're still going - in the 30s they amalgamated with Casuals FC and became Corinthian Casuals - played AFC Wimbledon at Wembley last year.

[bobbybottler]

Third Lanark for me. Its like 4th Woodley Cubs.

You mean that 4th Woodley was peopled by those wearied by the sectarian bigotry displayed by other, larger, cub and scout troops in the Loddon District?

Jesus

[Sarah Star]

Corinthian FC

They're still going - in the 30s they amalgamated with Casuals FC and became Corinthian Casuals - played AFC Wimbledon at Wembley last year.

Ironic, but not quite the same thing.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Bradford Park Avenue.

I'm sure I read somewhere that they were having another go.

Yeah, I'm sure you're right there - just always had a soft-spot for them since I saw a 17-year-old David Gower straight drive a Chris Old yorker over their main stand ...

They've been going for a while and are in the Northern Premier League.

[AbovetheI]

Deportivo oxf*rd

[floyd__streete]

You mean that 4th Woodley was peopled by those wearied by the sectarian bigotry displayed by other, larger, cub and scout troops in the Loddon District?

99th Reading OUR LADY OF PEACE. Low lie the fields of Sol Joel. Got me 'Car Bombing' badge age 10.

Clydebank got going again in the Scottish Junior leagues http://www.clydebankfc.co.uk/. More of a Rutherglen Glencairn fan myself, mind.

A big shout out to Wokingham Town. Technically not defunct, but they were on the cusp of promotion to the Conference twenty years ago, now merged with Emmbrook Sports and playing pub teams in Hellenic 1 East on a roped pitch at Cantley with no floodlights. Before I could afford to watch RFC away I spent many a happy mid-90s afternoon down Finch Road watching Town get thrashed 5-0 by the likes of Bognor Regis Town whilst listening to Reading lose away from home courtesy of Classic Gold 1431 with commentary by Richard Shepherd & Mike Lewis, who once suggested in all seriousness during the dying embers of a narrow defeat that we should bring Jeff Hopkins on up front.

[Terminal Boardom]

A big shout out to Wokingham Town. Technically not defunct, but they were on the cusp of promotion to the Conference twenty years ago, now merged with Emmbrook Sports and playing pub teams in Hellenic 1 East on a roped pitch at Cantley with no floodlights. Before I could afford to watch RFC away I spent many a happy mid-90s afternoon down Finch Road watching Town get thrashed 5-0 by the likes of Bognor Regis Town whilst listening to Reading lose at the likes of Port Vale courtesy of Classic Gold 1431 with commentary by Richard Shephered & Mike Lewis, who in all seriousness once suggested during the dying embers of a narrow away defeat that we should bring Jeff Hopkins on up front.

Not forgetting FA Trophy semi finals.

Oh, and Mike Lewis is still a twat.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Yup, remember watching Wokkers beating Yeovil 2-1 in a league match once at Finch. Road

For all the good that it eventually did them...........

[paultheroyal]

Maidstone United

[From Despair To Where?]

Bradford Park Avenue.

Not defunct, I watched them a couple of times last season. Play at Horsfall Stadium, an athletics stadium spitting distance from Odsal. They're in the Unibond League and were in the same division as FC United last season. Division 2, I think.

Always had a soft spot for Meadowbank Thistle, who in a similar, if not quite as grandiose vein as Queens Park, entertained a couple of dozen fans every fortnight in a 15,000 seat stadium. I suppose they have the honour of going defunct 3 times now as Feranti Thistle (had to change their name and constitution when they joined the Scottish League because works teams were barred from the Scottish League), Meadowbank Thistle and Livingston.

[Four Of Clubs]

Certainly a new version of Bradford PA returned to football not long after folding in 74 - reformed in 77 and got back into 'Senior' non-League football about 1989 - even clawed their way back up as far as the CONFERENCE - NORTH for one season (04/05).
Dropped straight through the Northern Prem. the following season but have got back for 08/09 - finished 7th level on points with FCUM just outside the Play-Offs for the Conference North.

Maidstone United similarly after folding in 92 - God that does make me feel old - emerged out of the bits and pieces of a Club called Maidstone Invicta and joined the Kent league [STEP05] in 01/02 - rose steadily - now lower mid-table for two season in the Isthmian Premier [STEP03]
Had been groundsharing at Sittingbourne - who ironically have been locked out of their main stadium for quite a few years now - still gets used for car Boot sales and Monster Truck rallies.

Both sides used a 'secondary' ground next door - saw Maidstone get dumped out of a CUP by 'ricay a couple of seasons back.

They are trying desparately to get back to a new Stadium in or nearer Maidstone but for 09/10 season have moved in with Ashford Town.

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I too have fond memories of Finch Rd - first saw Wokkers there getting beat in the cup 1-2 by Bognor in 84/85 - got a vague recollection that some fellah had filmed it - played it back on the Club Bar's tele and found out he'd missed the Wokkers goal!
- used to meet my mate in the Pin and Bowl round the corner from the ground - also sadly gone - knocked down for flats or Pets World or something?
Same year as I saw Wycombe get absolutely spanked by Windsor @ Loakes Park!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My other memories of defunct clubs or those who've dropped off the bottom end of the Pyramid are:-
- seen several versions of Newbury - all of whom have wheedled their way into playing at Faraday Rd.
- Maidenhead Town who still scuttle about in the Reading Leagues somewhere I think.
-Hornchurch folded in 05 whilst in the CONF-South - reformed immediately as one 'o they AFC thingys.
-Coney Hall in 'Sarf Lahnden' won the CCL1 by miles - couldn't go up cos of their ground - returned to the county leagues - only mention it cos I read that their current manager was shot dead last week before he took training.
AFC Wallingford regularly stormed the CCL Premier - made perhaps an unwise transfer over to the Hellenic and now find theselves in deep trouble in the lower reaches of the North Berks League.
They also seem to be on the brink of getting locked out of their ground - ironically their lodgers are Thame who - after some success in the late 90s - got heaved off their ground in Thame which they had spent some money on refurbing for higher levels.

[Dirk Gently]

Yup, remember watching Wokkers beating Yeovil 2-1 in a league match once at Finch. Road

For all the good that it eventually did them...........

Remembr Wokkers having a decent FA cup run in the 80s - went to watch them lose away to Kingstonian at Kingsmeadow.