A History of Runcorn Linnets FC
Runcorn Linnets Football Club was born on 28 April 2006, when the fans of Runcorn Football Club, dismayed at the club’s predicament, met at their spiritual home at the Quayside in Canal Street in Runcorn and voted to establish a new club which would continue the proud tradition of non-League football which had existed in the town since 1918. A large group of fans formed an interim committee to set the wheels in motion. A Supporters Trust already existed and this was the vehicle through which the new club would be run. At this early stage, the club existed in name only, and the choice of the name Runcorn Linnets was symbolic in representing where the fans had come from and in keeping those ties with our past, whilst at the same time recognising that a new club needed to be built to re-establish confidence in the local community.

To start a new club from scratch with only 4 months to the start of a new season was a mammoth task, and the newly formed committee drew up business and action plans to attempt to achieve their objectives. Negotiations were opened on many fronts, with the FA, the Cheshire FA, the North West Counties League, Supporters Direct and Witton Albion Football Club. We received a vast amount of advice and support from all of these bodies and were hugely grateful to them all for their help. The Chairman and Board of Directors at Witton Albion FC extended the hand of friendship and offered us a ground share for the season, as no suitable venue was immediately available back in Runcorn. This we were delighted to accept. A Roll of Honour was established on our website in recognition of the support offered to us by fans and friends in those early days. We were supported by our local council and MPs in our bid for a place in the league for the start of season 2006/07. The members of the committee worked tirelessly to achieve our objective and we were delighted when we were finally accepted into the league by the member clubs on Saturday 17 June 2006 at the AGM in Buxton. It was a proud day for all of us and we were grateful to be given the opportunity to re-build a non-League club representing Runcorn and with the firm aim of moving the club back to its roots at the earliest opportunity. Former manager and player for Runcorn FC Halton, Steve Carragher, agreed to join as manager. Steve had vast non-League experience and we were delighted for him to lead the team in this new venture. The old Runcorn FC started life back in the Cheshire League, so it was perhaps fitting that we had this chance to re-build in the League that was formed from an amalgamation of that league and the Lancashire Combination.

We enjoyed our first season immensely in 2006/07, visiting some new grounds and making new friends along the way and to achieve promotion in our first season was a just reward for the effort put in by so many fans. We finished second to Winsford on goal difference. Our supporters, as always, turned out in numbers to support the team and visit lots of new grounds.

In season 2007/08 we entered the FA Vase for the first time, but lost at the First round stage to a strong Salford City team, which ultimately gained promotion. We had success in the Cheshire Senior Cup, beating Unibond 1 side Warrington T on their own ground and narrowly losing to Altrincham. We averaged around the 180 mark at home and often had a following of up to 100 fans at away grounds. Our desire to relocate back into Runcorn was always an integral part of our plans and we named our scheme R2R “Return to Runcorn”. At the beginning of 2008, the club decided to part with its management team by mutual consent and we appointed Steve Wilkes as our new manager, with goalkeeper Robbie Holcroft as his assistant. Steve used the second half of that season to look at players old and new. Overall season 2007/08 will be seen as one of consolidation in a higher league, with a better standard of football. Our mid-table finish was about right.

We entered the FA Cup for the first time in season 2008/09 with a home tie against Rossington Main winning 3-2. Unfortunately, we then came up against a strong Curzon Ashton team and bowed out of the competition at the next stage. Curzon ultimately progressed into the First Round proper. In the FA Vase, we had a good run up to the Third Round Proper. We then came up against Vase holders, AFC Fylde, where we lost 4-1 after a very tight first half. Good wins at Alsager and at home to AFC Fylde in the Vodkat Cup put The Linnets into the semi-finals against Silsden. A defeat in the home leg was followed up with a fighting performance at Cougar Park, which saw The Linnets through to the final at Tameside Stadium against a very strong New Mills side, where we ended as runners-up by 2 – 0

Season 2009/10 saw The Linnets again finish in mid table with little real success in the cup competitions. The main traget throughout this time had been to get the club back into the town

In June 2009 we were able to release the news that our plans for a new ground had received the support of the Halton Borough Council Executive Board and just before Christmas we received the excellent news that we had received a grant of over £93000 from the FSIF. Our original plans had been to play at the Riverside College, but now, with the help of the council and the FSIF grants, we have now developed a site at the Halton Sports complex within the town. Building on the new ground started at the beginning of February 2010 and was completed over the summer. The club also announced a new club sponsor, Millbank, a UK market leading resource management solution provider, who operate from headquarters in Runcorn, who have signed up to a three year deal with the club, commencing in 2010, with the option of a two year extension.The new ground will be known as The Millbank Linnets Stadium and the opening ceremony on July 17th 2010 when Witton Albion were our visitors, attracted a crowd of over 1000 fans and this was followed up on the opening day of the season with a new record league gate for The Linnets of 508 against Colne.

Season 2010/11 was the first back in Runcorn and saw The Linnets part company with the management team of Steve Wilkes and Ian McGarry towards the end of August 2010 and former Linnet Paul McNally was appointed as the new manager bringing in former Atherton LR manager, Dave Hughes, as his assistant and Chris Fitzsimmons as coach. A rebuilding process took place during the season and the Linnets finished the season strongly. The most encouraging feature of season 2010/11 was the tremendous support the Linnets received from their fans. The average attendance at the Millbank Linnets Stadium was 106% up on the previous season and almost 50% higher than the next best supported team.

Last updated May 2011