Durham City A.F.C.

Durham City

Full name	Durham City Association Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Citizens
Founded	1918 (Reformed in 1950)
Ground	The Arnott Stadium, Durham (Capacity: 3,000)
Chairman	Ian Walker
Manager	Lee Collings, Richard Ord
League	Northern Premier League Division One North
2010–11	Northern Premier League Division One North, 17th
Home colours Away colours

Durham City A.F.C. are an English football club that currently plays in the Northern Premier League Division One North. They are based in the city of Durham in North East England.

History

Durham City formed in 1918 and were admitted to Division Three North of the Football League in 1921. In 1928 they failed to gain re-election to the league and returned to playing in the North Eastern League, being replaced in the league by Carlisle United. The club was disbanded in 1938, but was reformed in 1950, at first playing in the Wearside League, before gaining admission to the Northern League in 1952.

League history

Season	League Contested	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	League Position
1921–22	Football League Third Division North	38	17	3	18	68	67	+1	38	11th of 20
1922–23	Football League Third Division North	38	9	10	19	43	59	-16	28	20th of 20
1923–24	Football League Third Division North	42	15	9	18	59	60	-1	39	15th of 22
1924–25	Football League Third Division North	42	13	13	16	50	68	-18	39	13th of 22
1925–26	Football League Third Division North	42	18	6	18	63	70	-7	42	13th of 22
1926–27	Football League Third Division North	42	12	6	24	58	105	-47	30	20th of 22
1927–28	Football League Third Division North	42	11	7	24	53	100	-47	29	21st of 22

Source: Football club history database
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points (2 points for a win, 1 point for a drawn game);

They were Northern League champions in 1994 and again in 2008, gaining entry to the Northern Premier League First Division North. They won that division at the first attempt and were promoted to the Premier Division. However, at the start of the 2009–10 season the club was informed by the Football Conference that they would not be allowed to progress any further up the pyramid with their artificial surface, which led to their main sponsor pulling out a week before the season was due to start. The loss of income meant that almost all the club's players left, and they turned to a local sixth-form centre to fill the team.^[1] The scratch side lost their first 28 matches and were deducted 6 points for playing a suspended player under a false name.^[2] They finally recorded their first win and points of the season on 13 March 2010 with a 2–1 victory over FC United of Manchester, and followed that with a 4–3 win in their next match at home to Whitby Town, although this was not enough to prevent relegation back to First Division North, finishing the season with 0 points (after the six-point deduction).

Stadium

New Ferens Park

The club has occupied as many as five different grounds since its foundation. In their first season the club played at Garden House Park (near the site of the present county hall), then played for four seasons at Kepier Heughs before moving to Holiday Park (on Framwellgate Waterside) until 1938.

The club's fourth ground was at Ferens Park, near the Sands area - the club stayed at this ground until forced to move due to promotion requirements in 1994. The club also gained its largest attendance ever of 7,000 at Ferens Park, when on November 7, 1957, Tranmere Rovers visited in the second round of the FA Cup, beating City 3–0.

Presently the club play at New Ferens Park (also known as The Arnott Stadium) in Belmont on the northern outskirts of the city. This ground was of a very high quality by Northern League standards. It is not, however, up to Northern Premier League standards and improvements have to be made for the 2008–09 season. Currently, the ground boasts a 300-seater stand and clubhouse which also incorporates covered standing room for 600 further spectators. Spectators can also stand around the pitch as a path has been laid around the pitch. The present Chairman Stewart Dawson plans to further improve the ground with the addition of new 5- and 7-a-side all weather pitches and a standing area behind the west goal. Current attendances are estimated to be around the 200 mark. The stadium was also used as the home of the reserve team of Sunderland until they moved to The Hetton Centre for the 2006–07 season.

Honours

DUAFC vs Stirling Alumni at Durham City AFC

• Northern Premier League Division One North
  • Champions – 2008–09
• Northern Football League Division One
  • Champions – 1993–94, 2007–08
  • Runners-Up – 1970–71, 2003–04
• Northern Football League Division Two
  • Champions – 1998–99
  • Runners-Up – 1991–92
• Northern Football League Cup
  • Winners – 2001–02
  • Runners-Up – 1957–58, 1976–77, 1985–86, 1999–2000
• Durham Challenge Cup
  • Winners – 1971–72
  • Runners-Up – 2008–09
• Durham FA Benevolent Bowl
  • Winners – 1955–56
• J.R. Cleator Cup
  • Winners – 1994–95, 2008–09

Records

• FA Cup
  • Second Round Proper – 1925–26, 1957–58
  • First Round Proper – 1927–28, 1955–56
• FA Trophy
  • Second Round – 2008–09
  • First Round – 1983–84, 1994–95
• FA Vase
  • Semi Finals – 2001–02
  • Quarter Finals – 1987–88

References

1. ^ FCUM.TV meet Durham City Chairman, Ian Walker
2. ^ "Durham City Deducted Six Points by Football Association". UniBond League. 12 February 2010. http://unibondleague.pitchero.com/durham-city-deducted-six-points-by-football-association-961/. Retrieved 26 February 2010. 

External links

• Durham City A.F.C. official site
• Durham City at the Football Club History Database
• A Brief History of Durham City AFC