26-05-2023, 15:25
This lot have hit hard times over recent years
The future of 1990s FA Cup giantkillers Hednesford Town is under threat after a failed takeover.
The Staffordshire club released a statement on Thursday to say a deal for a new owner to take over the Pitmen has fallen through.
They will not now take up their place in the eighth tier Northern Premier League West for the 2023-24 season.
The club said: "All options will now be explored to try and ensure Hednesford can restart for the following season."
"It is with huge sadness that we write to confirm that the prospective new owner and chairman has withdrawn from the takeover late this afternoon.
"Due to recent meetings with the league and the FA, the timing of this means that unfortunately, Hednesford Town FC will be unable to play in the 2023-24 season."
The peak days of the Pitmen
Hednesford were the top non-league club in the Midlands when they finished 10th in the Conference in 1988-99, having finished seventh in their first campaign at fifth-tier level the year before.
They spent four seasons at fifth-tier level before being relegated in 2001.
They also made national headlines when they reached the FA Cup fourth round in 1997, beating fellow non-league side Southport and winning 1-0 at Blackpool thanks to a late Joe O'Connor strike before victory over York City at Keys Park.
They then lost 3-2 at Bryan Robson's Middlesbrough, the eventual finalists, only going down to two late goals from Jan-Aage Fjortoft and Fabrizio Ravanelli.
Hednesford were top of Conference North when they last reached the FA Cup first round in November 2013, narrowly losing 2-1 at home to Crawley Town.
But they dropped away to finish fourth, behind champions Telford, and were then relegated to the Northern Premier League just two seasons later in 2016.
And they have been in the Northern Premier League West since it restructured in 2020.
The future of 1990s FA Cup giantkillers Hednesford Town is under threat after a failed takeover.
The Staffordshire club released a statement on Thursday to say a deal for a new owner to take over the Pitmen has fallen through.
They will not now take up their place in the eighth tier Northern Premier League West for the 2023-24 season.
The club said: "All options will now be explored to try and ensure Hednesford can restart for the following season."
"It is with huge sadness that we write to confirm that the prospective new owner and chairman has withdrawn from the takeover late this afternoon.
"Due to recent meetings with the league and the FA, the timing of this means that unfortunately, Hednesford Town FC will be unable to play in the 2023-24 season."
The peak days of the Pitmen
Hednesford were the top non-league club in the Midlands when they finished 10th in the Conference in 1988-99, having finished seventh in their first campaign at fifth-tier level the year before.
They spent four seasons at fifth-tier level before being relegated in 2001.
They also made national headlines when they reached the FA Cup fourth round in 1997, beating fellow non-league side Southport and winning 1-0 at Blackpool thanks to a late Joe O'Connor strike before victory over York City at Keys Park.
They then lost 3-2 at Bryan Robson's Middlesbrough, the eventual finalists, only going down to two late goals from Jan-Aage Fjortoft and Fabrizio Ravanelli.
Hednesford were top of Conference North when they last reached the FA Cup first round in November 2013, narrowly losing 2-1 at home to Crawley Town.
But they dropped away to finish fourth, behind champions Telford, and were then relegated to the Northern Premier League just two seasons later in 2016.
And they have been in the Northern Premier League West since it restructured in 2020.
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People got to shout to stay alive
People got to shout to stay alive