Central Avenue - Worksop Town

Today's article looks at a Club in our own Division. Worksop Town, Founder members of The Northern Premier League and Currently back playing in the NPL along with Bamber Bridge. The Tigers are claim to be The 4^th oldest Association Football Club in the World. Although this is often disputed. Founded in 1861. The Football Club, for much of it’s existence played at The Central Avenue ground in the town. That came to an abrupt end in 1992 when due to mounting debts, the Club were evicted from Central Avenue and spent three seasons, ground sharing with Gainsborough Trinity, before in 1992, the club returned to Worksop and the newly built Sandy Lane Stadium where they still play today.



But that stay, has not been without it’s up and downs. In 2004 the club found itself once again in financial difficulty and lost it’s ownership of The Sandy Lane Ground. The club once again having to ground share, this time they found themselves playing at multiple venues, including Hucknall Town, Ilkeston Town and Retford United. In 2011, the club where back again their home town as they returned to Sandy Lane. But by 2014, crisis was looming once again as the owner of the club at the time revealed he would no longer fund them, which forced Worksop Town to resign from the Northern Premier League and they joined the North East Counties League.


The club climbed back slowly and in 2018, they were crowned Champions of The NECL and returned to the Northern Premier League, Division 1 East. In 2023 Worksop Town romped home to the The NPL Div 1 East Championship. Securing the crown with seven games remaining. They were once again back in the Northern Premier League. Much improvement has been made to the Sandy Lane Ground and it can now boast to be one
of the best in the Division.


The club had originally moved to Central Avenue in 1901 when in partnership with Worksop Cricket Club they purchased the ground. and stayed there for 87 years. A traditional Old non league ground with a fine mix of stands and terraces all boasting unique Character. The stadium was effectively 3 sided, as all along one touchline was the Cricket field. The Ground would have been capable of holding up to 10,000 supporters in it’s hey day and the record attendance at the ground was 8,741 for an FA Cup 2^nd round match against Chesterfield in 1925.



The football club’s supporters during the 1920’s were also witness to what has been known for decades as The “Great Betrayal” by the club directors at the time. An event
described by Tigers supporters as "one of the most catasrpphic and irredeemable betrayals made in footballing history". In 1923, Worksop Town were drawn away to play Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup at White Hart Lane. The players had travelled to London by train and played out of their skins to come away with a 0-0 draw in front of 21,000.



A replay at Central Avenue was anticipated and hundreds of fans had gathered at the Towns Railway Station late into the evening after the match to greet their returning heroes. The players never arrived. The clubs directors had made the decision to accept Spurs offer of playing the replay at White Hart Lane with the Worksop Town players staying in London.. Two later the replay saw Spurs win the tie 9-0. The betrayal felt by the fans at home in Worksop was felt for decades and is still talked about to this day.



It’s pleasing to note the Worksop Town now seem to have recovered form all their previous financial concerns and at the time of writing currently sit top of the Northern Premier League. Their refurbished Sandy Lane ground is up their with the best in the League. A ground we at Bamber Bridge thoroughly enjoyed visiting last season and look forward to a return visit this time around.