Vauxhall Motors F.C.
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Vauxhall Motors Football Club are an English football team based at Rivacre Park, Rivacre Road, in Hooton, sandwiched in between Eastham and Ellesmere Port, Wirral, who play in the Conference North. They were originally the factory team of the car manufacturer Vauxhall. However, they met a lot of success in their local leagues and fought their way up to be among the highest ranked amateur football teams in England and currently have a semi-professional status.
History
Vauxhall Motors were founded in 1963, shortly after the opening of the new Vauxhall Motors car plant in Ellesmere Port, in Cheshire. Early on in their history, they played in the Ellesmere Port League and the Wirral Combination, but they soon grew too strong for those leagues. By 1970 the club had achieved several promotions and played on the company-owned Hooton Park. By 1987 however, they had opened their own ground, Rivacre Park, where the club currently plays today. The opening of the new ground was especially important as then England manager Bobby Robson brought a number of former international stars for the opening game.
On the pitch, the club also started finding some success, winning their first West Cheshire League championship in the 1985-86 season. Soon after, they reached their first Cheshire Amateur Cup and triumphed in the Wirral Senior Cup. These accomplishments did not go unnoticed, as they successfully applied to join the North West Counties League for the 1987-88 season. They easily won the league's Second Division in their first season, and finished fourth in the First Division in the following. Despite expectations to challenge for the league title the next season, the team only finished fifth, but won the Northwest Counties League Cup in the process, defeating Darwen by a score of 2-0.
Soon after their fifth place finish, the board took the decision to move back to the West Cheshire League where the club finished in third the two following seasons. However, in 1994-95, the club won both division of the league for only the third time in the 103-year history of the league. Soon after, they were accepted back into the Northwest Counties League. Just as before, they easily won the Second Division of the NWCL, but didn't have the best of seasons in Division One, although they did reach the semi-final of the Cheshire Senior Cup. They continued to play in Division One, and reached the final of the NWCL Cup, losing to Kidsgrove Athletic in a closely contested match.
The 1998-99 season was by far the team's best so far, reaching the Fifth Round of the FA Vase, earned their best ever league position in third place, and won the NWCL Cup. However, the next season was even better, with the team reaching the semi-finals of the FA Vase and romping to the NWCL title, thus earning them a spot in the Unibond League Division 1. The reserves also enjoyed a successful season, winning a number of smaller trophies.
The club enjoyed considerable success in the UniBond League as well, earning promotion to the Unibond Premier Division in just one season and finishing a spectacular second place in the league. They continued to play well, with their high point coming when they defeated then Nationwide Division Two (now Coca-Cola League One) side QPR in their first appearance in the FA Cup First Round proper before losing in the next round in a televised match against Macclesfield Town. The season after, they hired manager Owen Brown and they earned promotion to the Nationwide Conference North, where they currently play.
- Best League Position: 15th, Nationwide Conference North, 2004-2005
- Best FA Cup performance: 2nd Round proper, 2003-2004
- Best FA Trophy performance: 4th Round proper, 2001-2002
- Best FA Vase Performance: Semi-Finals, 1999-2000
Colours and Badge
Vauxhall Motors colours are white with a strip of blue for the top and blue shorts with white socks. Their away kit is all sky blue.
The team badge is the same as the logo of their parent company, Vauxhall Motors.
Stadium
Rivacre Park has been the home of since the 1980s having formerly played at Hooton Park. It has a capacity of 2,500 with covered stand and terracing, with space for 250 seated guests. There are plans being made to improve the ground to Conference standards. The retrofitting will take place before the kickoff of the 2006/2007 season.
Current squad
As of January 2006
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Achievements
- Unibond Premier Division
- *Runners-up (1): 2001-02
- *Note: Team promoted in 2003-04 season despite finishing ninth
- Unibond League Division 1
- *Runners-up (1): 2000-01
- North West Counties League Division 1
- *Winners (1): 1999-2000
- North West Counties League Division 2
- *Winners (2): 1988-89, 1994-95
- West Cheshire League Division 1
- *Winners (3): 1984-85, 1994-95 (reserves), 2002-2003 (reserves)
- *Runners-Up (1): 1982-83
- North West Counties League Cup
- *Winners (2): 1990-91, 1998-99
- *Runners-up (1): 1997-98
- Cheshire Amateur Cup
- *Winners (1): 1986-87
- *Runners-up (1): 1993-94
- West Cheshire League Division 2 Cup
- *Winners (1): 1967-68
- Pyke Cup
- *Winners (1): 1999-2000 (reserves)
- *Runners-up (1): 1972-73
- Wirral Senior Cup
- *Runners-Up (3): 1982-83, 1994-95, 1999-2000 (reserves)
Miscellaneous
Their Reserve side still play in the West Cheshire League Division 1 and in the 2004-05 season, they lifted the Pyke Cup.
Another Vauxhall Motors club, based in Luton, formerly played in the Isthmian League. This club has long since folded with the demise of the Vauxhall Motors factory. However, it is worth noting that during the 1960's and 1970's both the Luton and Ellesmere Port factories played each other for various trophies.
Current striker Thomas Rooney (see squad list) is the cousin of Manchester United and England forward Wayne Rooney.
External links
- [link] - official site
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