Chorley Dreaming Of Another FA Cup Run As They Take On Fleetwood Town

Chorley Dreaming Of Another FA Cup Run As They Take On Fleetwood Town
15:34, 03 Nov 2017

When the cameras come to Victory Park for Chorley FC’s first-ever televised game on Monday, die-hard fans will be hoping for a repeat of the club’s FA Cup glory of 1990.

That was the last time Chorley graced the first round proper, when a dull autumn afternoon exploded into life with a thrilling 2-1 victory against near neighbours Bury. (That giant-killing spawned The Guardian’s memorable headline “Small earthquake in Chorley: Bury dead”)

The Magpies have a habit of hosting Lancashire rivals in this competition, having previously held Preston North End to a goalless draw in the Eighties before losing the first-round replay. The club also agonisingly missed out on a dream tie with neighbours Bolton Wanderers in the 1990s after falling at the final qualifying stage.

So, what does the casual observer need to know about Chorley FC - and its home town - ahead of the game?

The boss: Former Crystal Palace, Blackburn and Bolton forward Matt Jansen is at the helm. His appointment followed the relative success of previous manager Garry Flitcroft, the ex-Manchester City and Blackburn midfielder.

League status: These days, Chorley seem to hover relentlessly around the play-off zone of the Vanarama National League North, in other words the sixth tier of the English league pyramid. At the time of writing, the club was in sixth place.

Chorley did enjoy a short stay in what was the Conference at the end of the Eighties. Unfortunately, just when things were going well, leading scorer Phil Power suffered a broken leg, prompting a downward spiral in fortunes.

Notable successes: Other than the FA Cup achievements – losing at Shrewsbury in round two following that Bury victory remains Chorley’s best run – the club reached the FA Trophy semis in 1996, only to be defeated by Sammy McIlroy’s Macclesfield.

Most famous players: Fans of the Eighties era of Panini stickers might remember the mulleted Paul Mariner. The former England striker - who scored 13 goals in 35 international games - first plied his trade at Chorley before moving on to Plymouth. Mickey Walsh, capped more than 20 times for the Republic of Ireland, also cut his teeth here. Subsequent years have really only produced Lee Trundle, a useful lower-league forward who eventually bagged a goal every other appearance in a four-year stint at Swansea.

Victory Park: The ground became the club’s permanent home when it was built – and named – to commemorate the end of the First World War. It boasts a capacity of 3,500, though is rarely more than half full. Expect that to change for the visit of the Cod Army.

Hiccups: Chorley FC was embroiled in financial scandal in 2011 when two of its directors embezzled a five-figure sum. Local businesses teamed up to save the club, and the two officials were eventually jailed.

Local celebs: Sir Bradley Wiggins is a Chorley resident. It’s also the birthplace of rubber-faced comedian Phil Cool. Meanwhile, Chorley MP Lindsay Hoyle is a pretty big noise in the House of Commons these days, barking out orders as the Deputy Speaker.

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