Runcorn Town F.C.

Did You Know?

• In 2014–15, Runcorn Town famously won at Conference North side Barrow in the FA Cup third qualifying round.
• The 2025–26 season was the club's best ever, winning three trophies: the North West Counties League Division One South, the Edward Case Cup, and the First Division Champions Cup.

History

Runcorn Town Football Club began life in 1967 as CKD, competing in the Runcorn Sunday League. Three years later, in 1970, the club rebranded as Mond FC, though details from those early days are scarce. Ahead of the 1974–75 campaign, the team switched to Saturday football, joining the Warrington & District Football League. After that first season, Mond merged with ICI Weston, a Premier Division side, to become Mond Rangers. The club stayed in the Warrington & District League until the 1984–85 season, when it was accepted into the West Cheshire League’s Division Two, while keeping a reserve team in its former league. During this period, Les Walsh netted 32 goals, including three hat-tricks.

Mond Rangers settled into a steady mid-table existence, and it wasn’t until the 1991–92 season that they claimed their first trophy: the West Cheshire Bowl, alongside a sixth-place finish in Division Two. The next year saw them climb to third in the league and reach the Bowl final again. They repeated that third-place finish the following season and won the Bowl once more. Promotion finally arrived in 1994–95 after a second-place league finish, and they also made the Cheshire Amateur Cup final, losing 2–1 to Poulton Victoria at Tranmere’s Prenton Park. After a fifth-place showing in 1996–97, the club struggled in Division One and suffered its first relegation in 2001–02.

Success returned in 2004–05, with the first team finishing as Division Two runners-up, lifting the Runcorn Senior Cup, and reaching the Cheshire Bowl final. Just before the 2005–06 season, the club changed its name to Runcorn Town. Plans were made to upgrade facilities with an eye on joining the North West Counties League, but the season ended in heartbreak: the team slipped into the relegation zone on the final day and went down. The very next season, Runcorn Town won Division Two for the first time in its history and earned promotion. The 2007–08 campaign stands as the club’s finest. They won the Runcorn Cup, finished runners-up in the Pyke Cup, and placed third in Division One—a joint-highest league finish. A fourth-place finish followed in 2008–09, and another third-place result came in 2009–10.

Cup competitions

Runcorn Town made their FA Cup debut in the 2011–12 season, hosting Brighouse Town of the Northern Counties East Football League Premier Division in the extra preliminary round on 20 August 2011. They won 4–1, and Scott Burton scored the club's first goal in the competition. Their best FA Cup run came in 2014–15, when they reached the third qualifying round before a 5–2 home loss to Norton United of the Northern Premier League Division 1 South. In the previous round, they had beaten National League North leaders Barrow 1–0 at Holker Street.

The club first entered the FA Vase in 2010–11, receiving a bye in the first qualifying round before playing their first match in the second qualifying round on 18 September 2010 away at Parkgate, also of the Northern Counties East League Premier Division. James McShane scored the club's first Vase goal in a 3–1 win. Their best Vase performance came in 2012–13, when they reached the fifth round proper before losing 2–1 after extra time at home to Walsall Wood of the Midland Football Alliance.

The 2010–11 season also marked Runcorn Town's debut in the Cheshire Senior Cup. After a first-round bye, they hosted Warrington Town of the Northern Premier League Division One North in the second round. Despite a two-division gap, the match finished 1–1 after extra time, and Town lost 4–2 on penalties. A notable Cheshire Senior Cup game came in 2011–12, when they were drawn away at Northern Premier League side Woodley Sports in the first round.

It was the club's first competitive match on a synthetic pitch. After a 1–1 draw in 90 minutes, three goals in the second half of extra time gave Woodley a 4–1 win. In the 2025–26 season, Runcorn Town reached the Cheshire Senior Cup final. They received a first-round bye, then beat Stockport Georgians on penalties.

Wins against higher-division sides followed: a victory at Stockport Town and a home semi-final win over Vauxhall Motors. In the final at the Mornflake Stadium, they lost 5–2 to Crewe Alexandra.

Players

James McShane scored 163 goals in 288 appearances between 2007 and 2016. Craig Cairns scored 133 goals in 142 appearances between 2016 and 2022. Nick Haughton made 14 appearances during the 2013/14 season before joining Fleetwood Town; he later played in the Football League with Fleetwood and won the FA Trophy at Wembley with AFC Fylde in 2019. Tom Crawford made 6 appearances on loan from Chester during the 2017/18 season and later joined League 2 side Notts County in 2018. Mark McGregor made 36 appearances between 2016 and 2018 and was also Assistant Manager, having Football League experience with Wrexham, Burnley, Blackpool and Port Vale. Louis Moss made 3 appearances in 2017 and has 8 caps for Barbados. Kevin Ellison made 14 appearances during the 2023/24 season, having played in the Premier League and over 500 Football League appearances.