Bourne Town F.C.

The club was established in 1883 and joined the Peterborough & District League in 1911.[2] Although they left the league in 1929, they returned the following season and were Division One champions in 1933–34.[3] They left the league again in 1935, but returned in 1937 and went on to win the league for a second time in 1939–40.[2] After World War II the club were champions in 1945–46 and 1946–47.[3] In 1947 they joined the United Counties League, but struggled in the new league, finishing second-from-bottom in 1948–49 and 1949–50, bottom in 1953–54 and second-from-bottom again in 1954–55 and 1955–56.[4] After leaving the league in 1956, they rejoined the Peterborough & District League, before switching to Division One South of the Central Alliance in 1958.[5]

Bourne won Division One South in 1959–60,[5] and in 1961 they joined the newly-reformed Midland League.[4] After finishing second-from-bottom in 1964–65, they returned to the United Counties League, and were placed in Division One. They finished as runners-up in their first season back in the league, and went on to win back-to-back league titles in 1968–69 and 1969–70, also winning the Knock-Out Cup in the latter season. A third title was won in 1971–72, after which Division One was renamed the Premier Division.[4] The club won the league for a fourth time in 1990–91, a season which also saw them win the league's Benevolent Cup and finish runners-up in the Evans Halshaw Floodlit Cup.[6] They remained in the Premier Division until the 2009–10 season,[4] when they were demoted to Division One due to FA ground grading regulations as the Abbey Lawn was not fully enclosed.

Bourne have entered all of the Football Association adult mens national 'Saturday' competitions; FA Cup, FA Amateur Cup,[7] FA Trophy and FA Vase.

Since being formed in 1883 the club has always played its home fixtures at the Abbey Lawn on Abbey Road. The Abbey Lawn is a sports facility owned by Bourne United Charities and also home to Bourne Cricket Club, Bourne Town Bowls Club, Bourne Abbots Petanque Club, Bourne & District Lawn Tennis Club, Bourne Outdoor Swimming Pool and the Dimension Skate Park.

The football facility consists of a large club house (The Len Pick Suite)[6], a covered standing terrace, a covered bench seated stand (the Terry Bates Stand).[8] Floodlights were installed in 1989. They were replaced with modern equivalents in 2021.[9]

The 2022/23 season saw the club embark on its first ever groundsharing agreement when the Peterborough United Womens First Team agreed a season-long partnership to play all of their home fixtures in the FA Women's National League Division One Midlands and Women's FA Cup at the Abbey Lawn.[10]

The club are nicknamed 'The Wakes'. The name was chosen following a competition arranged by the club after World War II.[6] The name relates to the town's association with Hereward the Wake, who is believed to have been born in or close to the town. He was an Anglo-Saxon nobleman and a leader of local resistance to the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century.

Other than in the clubs very early years it has always strived to maintain two senior sides. The Reserve team has competed in the Peterborough and District League, the Lincolnshire League [11] and the United Counties League. [12]

Between 1952-56 the club also entered an ‘A’ Team in the Peterborough and District League.[13] The ‘A’ Team was resurrected at the start of the 2022-23 season. The team was entered into the Peterborough and District League Division 4 and played their home matches at the Elsea Park AGP (a 3G artificial pitch ) at Fontwell Park Drive, Bourne.[14]

Bourne Town FC no longer has any youth teams but has previously had teams at under 16 and under 18 age groups. The under 16 team would regular compete in the annual Victor Bosley Shield (a competition named in memory of John Albert Victor Bosley from Bourne who died in World War I) [15] and the under 18’s would enter local Sunday football leagues and midweek floodlit competitions. Junior and Youth football in the town is now organised by Bourne Town Juniors FC which has close links with Bourne Town Football Club but no official affiliation. Bourne Town Juniors provides football opportunities for boys and girls from the ages of 5 to 18. They were formed in 1978 as Bourne Head Rangers FC, [16] initially for younger age groups but have greatly expanded over the years. The club was renamed Bourne Town Juniors in 1995.

The Latin moto ‘Vigila et Ora’ (meaning 'Watch and Pray') is shared by both Bourne Town FC and Bourne Town Juniors FC on their club crests. Both clubs have adopted the moto from the Bourne Town Council coat of arms which bears the same inscription.[17]

• United Counties League
  • Premier Division champions 1968–69, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1990–91
  • Knock-Out Cup winners 1969–70
  • Benevolent Cup winners 1990–91
• Central Alliance
  • Division One South champions 1959–60
• Peterborough & District League
  • Champions 1933–34, 1939–40, 1945–46, 1946–47
• Lincolnshire Senior A Cup
  • Winners 1971–72, 2005–06
• Lincolnshire Senior B Cup
  • Winners 1960–61
• Lincolnshire Intermediate Cup
  • Winners 1985–86
• Lincolnshire Junior Cup
  • Winners 1939–40
• Peterborough Senior Cup
  • Winners 1933–34, 1938–39, 1945–46

• Best FA Cup performance: Third qualifying round, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1965–66
• Best FA Amateur Cup performance: First qualifying round, 1935–36
• Best FA Trophy performance: First round, 1972–73
• Best FA Vase performance: Fourth round, 1989–90
• Record attendance: 3,000 vs Chelmsford City, FA Trophy, 1970[1]
• Most goals: David Scotney[18]
• Most league goals in a season: Dick Smith, 54 goals, 1971–72
• Most appearances: Colin Needham

• Bourne Town F.C. players
• Bourne Town F.C. managers

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