Sudbury
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Sudbury
FOOTBALL CLUB
T
he year 1999 marks the
year where the two
ambitious and thriving
football clubs, Sudbury
Town and Sudbury Wanderers made
the decision to form an amalgamation
that would eventually go on to be the
record-breaking team known as AFC
Sudbury.
Despite forming less than two
decades ago, the side has already
gone through considerable
changes; changes that
have
clearly
been
beneficial
to
the
club’s
ongoing
success. In its first
season following
the
club’s
formation,
they managed
to secure a
3rd
place
finish
in
the Eastern
Counties
Football
L e a g u e
(otherwise
known
as
the Thurlow
N u n n
League
for
sponsorship
purposes).
However, it was
the
subsequent
seasons where the
team truly started to
demonstrate their ability.
The 2000/01 season saw
Keith Martin, the manager at
the time, lead his men to the club’s
first league title. This was the beginning
of an astonishing streak of 5 league
wins, setting a record for the Thurlow
Nunn League. As well as winning their
first league title in 2000/01, the club also
managed to bring home their first piece
of silverware by beating Felixstowe &
Walton United F.C 3-1 to win the Suffolk
Premier Cup. This was accomplished
again in the following season, when
AFC Sudbury ended the game against
Mildenhall Town F.C 1-0 to achieve
their
second
Suffolk Premier Cup.
Having claimed the title twice in the
2000/01 and 2001/02 seasons, Martin
stepped down and was replaced by the
reserves team manager Gary Harvey,
who went on to secure titles in the
2002/03, 2003/04 and 2004/05 seasons.
During Harvey’s first season in charge,
AFC Sudbury managed to win their
third consecutive Suffolk Premier Cup
by scoring four goals past Bury Town
F.C to end the game 4-0.
In 2006/07, the club finally
accepted promotion from step
5 to step 4 of the National
League
System
and
saw the club play in
the Ryman League
Division One North.
This season saw
the club appoint
Mark Morsley
as
manager,
almost leading
the team to
promotion
in both the
2006/07 and
2007/08
seasons by
reaching
the play-off
finals.
Since the
promotion
to
step
4,
the
club’s
performance
started to become
sporadic
and
inconsistent, finishing
12th and 14th in the
2008/09 and 2009/10
seasons
respectively.
However, the club then
managed to finish just two and
three places outside the play-offs in the
2010/11 and 2011/12 seasons.
During this period, the club made
various changes in managers; with a
complete overhaul happening in 2013.
The club appointed former Wroxham
Sudbury Club Info - www.afcsudbury.com - Twitter : @AFCSudbury - Founded 1999
36 Issue 54