Carlisle United F.C.

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Carlisle United F.C. are an English football team based in Carlisle, Cumbria, who are to play in the Football League One next season, after this season gaining promotion from the Football League Two.

Carlisle United is born

The club was formed when two Carlisle based teams, Shaddongate United and Carlisle Red Rose, merged in 1903. The newly formed club initially played at Milhome Bank and later at Devonshire Park, finally settling at their current home Brunton Park.

Rollercoaster ride through the league

Carlisle were elected to the Football League Third Division North in 1928 replacing Durham City. Carlisle spent one season in the old First Division, the 1974-75 season. They won their first three fixtures of the campaign to top the table, but finished the season in bottom place and were relegated. By 1987, the club had been relegated back to the Fourth Division and spent just two of the next 17 league seasons outside the bottom division of the Football League.

Michael Knighton takes over

Carlisle finished bottom of the last ever Fourth Division in season 1991-92 but were saved from demotion to the GM Vauxhall Conference because bankrupt Aldershot resigned from the league with just eight games to go, and there would have been no demotion from the league that season anyway. Carlisle won the Division Three championship in 1995 and a takeover by eccentric property millionaire Michael Knighton gave the club hope for the future. He even boasted that Carlisle would one day win the European Cup! However after failing to support managers Mick Wadsworth and Mervyn Day financially after each won promotion to Division Two, Knighton installed himself as manager, claimed to see aliens and the side were relegated back to the bottom division of the football league.

Jimmy Glass saves the day

Carlisle's league status was famously preserved on the last day of the 1998-99 season when an injury time winner by on-loan goalkeeper Jimmy Glass saw Scarborough relegated to the Conference instead. The next two seasons saw Carlisle narrowly avoid relegation until they finished mid table in 2002. But Carlisle's luck finally ran out in 2003 when Roddy Collins was appointed manager.

Relegation

In the 2003-2004 season Collins was sacked after a terrible start to the season and despite a transformation of form, under new manager Paul Simpson, the club lost its relegation battle on the penultimate weekend of the season and was relegated to the Nationwide Conference after 76 years as a league team. They are the first team to have once played in England's top Division to have suffered automatic relegation to the Conference.

Back to back promotions

In May 2005, Carlisle beat Stevenage in the final of the Conference Play-Offs to achieve promotion back to the Football League after only a year out. Then on April 22, 2006 Carlisle were promoted to League One with a 1-1 draw at Mansfield. The club won League Two title on the 2nd May 2006 after a 2-0 victory over Rochdale.

Crossing the border?

Due to the club's geographical location (Carlisle is somewhat isolated in the far north-west of England, very close to the Scottish border) and due to their lack of recent success in England, the club was rumoured to be interested in joining the Scottish football league system. As Carlisle United were just crowned champions of League Two in May 2006, and drawing the largest attendances in their division, it is now certain they will be remaining in England on a permanent basis.

Carlisle's following

This turnaround has been welcomed by both supporters and officials of the club, which is based in a city steeped in history dominated by a struggle to keep the town English. A semi-official history of the club - "The Lads in Blue" by Paul Harrison - was published in 1995, an updated edition is pending. Other notable books about the club include two titles by journalist Mick Mitchell devoted to 'legends', i.e.; the greatest players, and "Singin' The Blues" by Neil Nixon, a supporters' memoir covering the period from the sixties to the present day.

Farewell to Paul Simpson

Paul Simpson left Carlisle United on the 16th June 2006 to become manager of Preston North End. Neil McDonald, the former Bolton First team Coach and Crystal Palace Assistant Manager succeeded Simpson on the 29th June 2006.

Famous players

• Chris Balderstone
• Peter Beardsley
• Stan Bowles
• Michael Bridges
• Ivor Broadis
• Tony Caig
• Jimmy Glass
• Karl Hawley
• Matt Jansen
• Hughie McIlmoyle
• Alan Ross

Current squad

As of July 3, 2006:

History

• 1905-06 - Joined Lancashire Combination Division Two
• 1906-07 - Lancashire Combination Division Two Champions; promoted to Division One
• 1907-08 - Lancashire Combination runner-up
• 1910-11 - Joined North Eastern League, replacing their reserve XI
• 1921-22 - North Eastern League Champions
• 1927-28 - North Eastern League runner-up
• 1928-29 - Joined Football League Division Three North
• 1958-59 - Placed in Division Four on League reorganisation
• 1961-62 - Promoted to Division Three
• 1963 - Relegated to Division Four
• 1963-64 - Football League Division Four runner-up (missed title on goal average); promoted to Division Three
• 1964-65 - Football League Division Three Champions; promoted to Division Two
• 1969-70 - Football League Cup semi-finalists
• 1973-74 - Promoted to Division One
• 1975 - FA Cup quarter-finalists
• 1975 - Relegated to Division Two
• 1977 - Relegated to Division Three (on goal average x2)
• 1981-82 - Football League Division Three runner-up (missed title on goal difference); promoted to Division Two
• 1986 - Relegated to Division Three
• 1987 - Relegated to Division Four
• 1992-93 - Division Four re-designated Division Three on formation of F.A. Premiership
• 1994-95 - Football League Division Three Champions; promoted to Division Two; Auto Windscreens Shield (renamed The Football League Trophy as of 2002/2003 season) Runner-Up (0-1 against Birmingham City
• 1995-96 - Relegated to Division Three
• 1996-97 - Promoted to Division Two after finishing in the 3rd automatic promotion position; Auto Windscreens Shield winners (4-3 on penalties after 0-0 draw against Colchester United)
• 1998 - Relegated to Division Three
• 2002-03 - Football League Trophy runner-up
• 2004 - Relegated to Conference
• 2005 - Promoted to Football League Two via play-offs
• 2006 - Promoted to Football League One; Football League Trophy runner-up
• Best League position: 22nd in 1st Division (then level 1) 1974-75
• Best FA Cup performance: quarter-finals, 1974-75
• Best Football League Cup performance: semi-final 1969-70
• Best Football League Trophy performance: Winners 1996-97
• Best FA Trophy performance: 5th round, 2004-05

Source: [Carlisle United] at the Football Club History Database

Player Records

• Most league goals in a season - 42 Jimmy McConnell (1928-29)
• Most league goals in total - 126 Jimmy McConnell (1928-32)
• Most league appearances - 466 Allan Ross (1963-79}

External links

• [Official Carlisle United Website]
• [Football Club History Database]
• [Reeves Is Offside Again!]
• [The United Trust]
• [CUFC Online]
• [Carlisle United Rivals.net]
• [Carlisle's official London branch]

|- !colspan="3" style="background:#ccf; text-align:center;"|Football League One, 2006-2007 |- |colspan="3" style="padding:0 5% 0 5%; text-align:center; font-size: smaller;"| Blackpool | Bournemouth | Bradford City | Brentford | Brighton & Hove Albion | Bristol City | Carlisle United | Cheltenham Town | Chesterfield | Crewe Alexandra | Doncaster Rovers | Gillingham | Huddersfield Town | Leyton Orient | Millwall | Northampton Town | Nottingham Forest | Oldham Athletic | Port Vale | Rotherham United | Scunthorpe United | Swansea City | Tranmere Rovers | Yeovil Town    [ edit]

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