ANGLIAN COMBINATION AND BEFORE

View our past finishes in the Anglian Combination here.

The club has existed since 1890 and has been an ever present member of the Anglian Combination since it's formation in 1964. Prior to that records exist to show the club being members of the Wymondham and District League, The East Anglian League, the South Norfolk League, the Norwich Junior League and latterly the Norfolk and Suffolk League (which became the Anglian Comb). The club had limited success in the first 25 years of the new League with only the Reserves registering honours as Reserve Division 3 Runners Up in 1973/74 and again in 1981/82.

A successful managerial partnership of Brian Dale and John Fincham built a good squad of local players who took the Division 3 title in 1989/90 and had a great first season in Division 2. The team narrowly missed promotion to Senior football but had the bonus of an excellent run in the Junior League Cup which saw Boro lose a tight final to Wells. The following season saw a managerial change and the fortunes of the club took a downturn after several players left to join Senior Clubs which ensured relegation quickly followed.

In order to get the club back up, the committee appointed experienced managers Arthur Chenery and Tim Clarke but their tenure at the helm ended after two agonisingly close promotion races leaving Boro still in Division 3. The club had been galvanised though and had a strong backroom team when the decision to appoint Mick Money as manager for 1994/95 changed the history of ATFC for good. Mick brought John Fincham back to the club and began assembling a squad of players with higher league pedigree plus getting back Boro based players from other clubs. The first month saw little change to the club's fortune (the now mythical Black September) but once things clicked the team went on a long unbeaten run well into the spring. By the time defeat was tasted the Runners Up spot was assured and promotion was celebrated. The club had also become popular with local supporters and crowds gradually started to increase at both home and away matches.

The 1995/96 season saw an unprecedented year in Norfolk Junior football with Boro spending the whole season unbeaten, winning Division 2 plus the Junior League Cup and seeing the first appearance at Carrow Road culminating in the Norfolk Junior Cup. Without resting on their laurels, Boro continued to strengthen the squad for the first season ever in Senior football and remained competitive, finally finishing as Runners Up and gaining promotion to the Premier Division. Also notable that season was the clubs debut year in the Norfolk Senior Cup which also remains their best. A run to the semi final saw Eastern Counties teams dispatched until they met the might of Diss Town. The visitors ran out 2-0 winners but Boro had the full backing of a 1,000 plus crowd on the Rec that day, most of whom returned a month or so later to see the Easter Monday Championship decider v's Acle!

So Boro found themselves ahead of the plan and started the 1997/98 in the Premier Division looking in the title race for a lot of the season, albeit, as outsiders. The team finished 5th but reached the Senior League Cup (Mummery Cup) final and defeated league champions Dereham Town 1-0 to add more silverware to the cabinet.

The season of 1998/99 saw the club reach the pinnacle of its history, delivering the Premier League title (The Sterry Cup) after an absorbing season of cat and mouse with old rivals Acle. A late charge saw the team overhaul their nearest competitors and a tight win on a grey midweek evening triggered an all night party rivalling all those that had preceded it! Off the field the club's inability to be able to improve facilities on the Rec plus a split in the committee on whether to move to Gaymers meant the 1st team had gone as far as they could. Mick and John stood down as managers although both remained at the club in other roles. 

Boro appointed Richard Coe and Steve Blackett in charge and they set about rebuilding a squad affected by retirements but the transition period was seamless as several quality players came in. The 1999/2000 season was exciting despite missing out on retaining the title on goal difference. The Reserves had benefited from a strong squad and now gained promotion into their top division. A first appearance in the Reserve League Cup Final ended in defeat but the club was still looking good. A second successive Runners Up place in the Premier Division was secured but wasn't enough to keep Richard and Steve at the club and both resigned at the end of the 2000/01 season. The firsts remained in the Premier but only a great season for the Reserves in 2002/03 gave the club cause for celebration. The team secured their highest ever position finishing Runners Up in Reserve Division One also winning the Reserve League Cup for the first time.

Despite the efforts of a hard working and dedicated committee Boro's fortunes started to decline and eventually suffered two relegations to end up back in Division 2. With the club a regular feature back in junior football a working party set about improving the club behind the scenes. The major development was to merge the Senior Club with the Youth section after many years of apathy and this brought together some very strong individuals to form a forward thinking committee which has seen both Adult and Youth benefit since it's formation in the 2013/14 season. The first team had become competitive again and reached successive League Cup semi finals under Merv Mann and then Craig Bibby. Craig took the team to the brink of promotion in 2014/15 and then guided the side to the Runners Up spot and back to Senior football at the end of the 2015/16 season. Sterry Cup winner Jason Edwards took over the first team role with Nigel Clayton assisting and both built a good squad which was improving year on year in Division One. 

Current incumbent Marty Fuller returned to the club to take over the reins in 2018 and last season saw the team in 3rd place challenging for promotion when the season was cancelled. The Reserves have also seen a good period gaining successive promotions from Div 5 in in 2017/18 and Div 4 in 2018/19.  Prior to that managers Mark Brock and Ian Morter had taken the team to a third Reserve KO Cup final (now the Cyril Ballyn Cup) in 2016/17. 

In the summer of 2021, the club faced the largest exodus of players in a long time, with almost the entire squad of first team players leaving, along with manager Marty Fuller. Taking the reins from his dad, Jak Fuller took charge of the First Team setup, and despite numerous suggestions that it might not be possible, fielded a team the whole way through the season. Whilst the teams maintained dignity, neither the first team nor the Reserves could stave off relegation to Division 2 and Division 4 of the Anglian Combination respectively. There were some positives for all to see though, with a new generation of Attleborough based talent filling the First and Reserve teams week in, week out.

THE A TEAM AND SUNDAY FOOTBALL

The club has always tried  to run a third Saturday side competing in what is now the Central and South Norfolk League. The membership hasn't been continuous but the side was revived this year under the guidance of Terry McArthur who had managed the team previously.  Among league honours the side had won Division 2 in 1987/88 and had been Runners Up in 1993/94 and again in 2008/09 (remaining in the top flight until the team folded in 2018).  Cup honours include the 1st Div Cup in 2001/02, the 2nd Div Cup in 1990/91 as well as Invitation Cup honours in 2001/02 and again in 2002/03.

Boro were also members of the now defunct South Norfolk Sunday League for many years, fielding two sides and picking up the odd Divisional title and Cup along the way. Sunday football had a recent revival at the club although Boro doesn't currently field any sides.

Club stalwarts Adrian Binks and Jason Edwards entered an Under 23 team into the Norwich Sunday League for the 14/15, 15/16 and 16/17 seasons and comfortably won their respective divisional titles for all 3 years. Another stalwart getting (another) mention is TerryMcArthur who formed a Veterans side which gained successive promotions in 15/16 and 16/17 before spending 2 years in the very competitive Norfolk Veterans Premier League.

BEHIND THE SCENES

All those in recent Boro history will have enjoyed the facilities the club provides on the Rec.  The clubhouse began its association with ATFC as a derelict railway building before a lease was acquired and redevelopment started. Under the guidance of Nick Sparrow, a dedicated team turned the building into changing rooms and a bar which was first used in the 1982/83 season. Soon afterwards the club gained permission to extend the building with what is now the committee and meeting room upstairs and the home changing room and showers plus the referees room downstairs. The running of the social club was undertaken by Alf Fincham who had already seen decades of service to the Boro. The clubhouse hosted many celebrations over the years and was a successful venue in its own right. When Alf passed away in 2012 the club faced a period of uncertainty before the running was taken up by brothers Paul and Peter Large. Both were former players and regular patrons and their dedication has seen the social club thrive with profits going back into the continuous improvement of the facility. The club is proud to have the bar named in Alf Fincham's memory and those who are part of the Boro family today owe a massive debt of gratitude to the years of work he gave to us.

From 2019, the Attleborough Town Football Club has been run and operated by Scarlett Events.