A LOOK INTO HISTORY 216

A LOOK INTO HISTORY TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTEEN
SUTTON TOWN FC

Not wishing to get readers mixed up, our story is not of Sutton United FC in Surrey nor
Sutton Coldfield FC in the West Midlands but the sad and now gone, Sutton Town from
Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire.
The original Sutton Town can trace its roots back to 1885 playing in local Notts and
District League then the Derbyshire league. In 1923 they joined the Midland League but
leaving same in 1927 for the Derbyshire Senior League again only to rejoin the Midland
League in 1958-59. Their best season was in 1968-69 when they came second in what
was known as the Midland Counties League, to Matlock Town and in 1982-83 they
became founder members of the Northern Counties East league finishing in the Premier
Division 14 th place with Shepshed Charterhouse Champions. They were regular winners
of the Notts Senior Cup.
In 1979-80 another local side called Sutton Trinity joined the Midland League Division
One but at the end of 1986-87 were dissolved.
Our Match Programme is for their Floodlight inaugural against the might of Leeds
United on November 18 th 1980 at their Lowmoor Road, Kirkby-in-Ashfield ground. Priced
20p it was only 8 pages including the cover but gave a full resume of the Leeds United
team and thanked Allan Clarke for bringing his team. Recent results for the “Snipes”
were given, a few adverts and short editors notes were all there was but at least its a
historical piece.
Progress continued into 1987-88 when they joined the Northern Premier League
Division One but left to rejoin the NCEL and in 1991/92 they were 2 nd behind champions
North Shields before changing their name to Ashfield by decree of the local council in
1992. The trouble for the club came in 1997 when, as Ashfield United they folded. In
2000-01 a club called North Notts joined the Central Midlands League and in 2002
changed their name to Sutton Town in the Central Midlands League then Northern
Counties League East, resigning in 2007. A new club joined the Central Midlands
League in 2008-09 after financial problems and a takeover but finally ceased trading in
2014. Another new side were due to play 2020-21 but this did not come to fruition, so
the somewhat colourful history terminates there !