The Southern League`s Outstanding Teams – Gresley Rovers 1996/97

Remarkable campaign for the Moatmen ends in disappointment.

Season 1996/97 saw the champions of the Southern League Premier Division fail to take their place in the Football Conference for the first time since 1983 when AP Leamington`s Windmill Ground failed ground grading.

Gresley Rovers had only been promoted from the West Midlands (Regional) League at the end of the 1991/92 season, having won back-to-back titles.

They immediately won promotion from the Southern League Midland Division by finishing runners-up to Nuneaton Borough.

Under Steve Dolby, Rovers finished 14th and then 8th in the Premier Division. However, the club really took off after the appointment of former Derby County and Manchester City centre-back Paul Futcher as player-manager, with former Nottingham Forest and England international striker Garry Birtles as his assistant in November 1995.

Rovers improved their league position yet again in 1995/96 as they ended the season in 5th place and won the Derbyshire Senior Cup yet again.

But season 1996/97 was the best in the club's 114-year history because in addition to retaining the Derbyshire Senior Cup they also won the Southern League Premier Division championship against all the odds.

It was certainly no fluke though, and to put their efforts into perspective, Gresley were never out of the top three all season.

After breaking clear in August, only Gloucester City – for five weeks – and Halesowen Town – for one week – topped Rovers.

Gresley regained leadership of the division from Halesowen on December 14th, never looked back and ended the campaign 11 points clear of Cheltenham Town, who came through to finish as runners-up.

The success of the Moatmen is all the more remarkable when it is remembered that as early as October 1996, the club conceded that it could not be promoted to the Conference.

During the previous two years, the club`s Board of Directors had concentrated much of its efforts on a re-location plan that would see Gresley leave their quaint, but small Moat Street ground for a new, purpose-built football stadium.

It is testament, therefore, that Futcher and Birtles kept the players` attention firmly focussed on winning the championship.

Andy Garner, the ex-Blackpool and Derby striker who went on to become Nigel Clough`s long a trusted number two, finished as Gresley`s top scorer with 20 league goals, opening the scoring from the penalty spot in the first game of the campaign at Hastings Town on August 17th.

Despite losing only one game during the first half of the league programme, Gresley were never really allowed to break away from the chasing pack.

Burton Albion, King`s Lynn, Nuneaton and Sudbury Town all threatened to make an impact at the top.

It was, however, Cheltenham, Gloucester and Halesowen who maintained a stranglehold on the positions immediately behind the leaders.

Halesowen watched Gresley win the league with 85 points, whilst they finished fourth with 73 points.

The previous year the Yeltz were runners-up with 92!

Gloucester eventually finished third on 74 points, and the eight points dropped in their final seven games during an amazing fixture pile-up caused mainly by the Tigers` terrific run in the FA Trophy, left them just one point behind their fierce rivals Cheltenham.

Gloucester saw off Kingstonian, Yeading, Halifax Town, Runcorn and Bishop Auckland in the Trophy before eventually bowing out at the semi-final stage to Dagenham & Redbridge but only after a third game at Slough Town following a 4-4 draw on aggregate.

Ironically, Gresley`s title was finally won with a 3–1 home victory against Gloucester at the Moat Ground on 26 April 26th 1997 in front of the second-biggest crowd of the season – 1,376 – beaten only by the derby against Burton Albion in March.

Defender Mark Blount gave Rovers an early 8th-minute lead which midfielder Tony Marsden added to 8 minutes later.

Gloucester`s £10,000 signing from Rushden & Diamonds, striker Dale Watkins, reduced the deficit after 23 minutes.

But another midfielder, Richard Wardle, ensured the points remained in the Derbyshire village with a third goal 12 minutes from time.

The game was also notable for serious crowd disorder between the two sets of fans after Gresley's opening goal which led to the game being delayed for 25 minutes as fighting spilled onto the pitch.

Gresley tried hard to get a foothold into the Conference and Derby County were willing to lend them their recently vacated Baseball Ground until the required standards or a move of ground could be met, but this was rejected by the footballing authorities.

In the end it was Cheltenham who were promoted, and after finishing second four times in five years, they perhaps deserved their slice of luck.

Paul Futcher left during the 1997 close season and Garry Birtles stepped up into the manager's hot-seat.

The disappointment of not being promoted to the Conference saw many of Gresley's players leave the club and the 1997/98 season saw Gresley finish in the bottom half of the Premier Division.

Their proposed move to a new ground never happened in the end and after financial difficulties, Gresley Rovers liquidated at the end of the 2008/09 season, forming a new football club, Gresley FC, which began their climb back up the non-League Pyramid in the East Midlands Counties League in 2009/10.