Alfreton Town Football Club is an English semi-professional association football club based in Alfreton, Derbyshire. As of the 2023–24 season they compete in the Conference North, the sixth tier of English football.[1] The present club was formed in 1959 through the merger of Alfreton Miners Welfare and Alfreton United,[2] though a previous incarnation of the team played for two seasons in the Midland Football League and entered the FA Cup five times between 1924 and 1929.[3][4]
After the clubs re-formation they spent two seasons in Division One North of the Central Alliance before being readmitted to the Midland League.[2] In 21 seasons Alfreton won the title three times and finished as runners-up on a further three occasions. The league merged with the Yorkshire Football League to form the Northern Counties East Football League in 1982 and it was after five seasons that Alfreton won their first ever promotion, having finished as champions in 1986–87.[3][5]
In 1996 the side won promotion to the Northern Premier League Premier Division but struggled, lasting only two seasons before suffering back-to-back relegations. After three seasons back in the Northern Counties East League they achieved consecutive promotions, returning to the Northern Premier League Premier Division where they finished fourth, then the club's highest ever league finish. Founding members of the Conference North in 2004, several years of consolidation were followed by consecutive third place finishes and then the league title in 2010–11.[2] Promotion to the Conference Premier saw the team competing in a national league competition for the first time.
Alfreton first entered the FA Cup in the 1924–25 season and have progressed to the second round proper on two occasions, in 2008–09 and 2012–13. They played in the inaugural edition of the FA Trophy and have appeared in every competition since, barring three seasons in the FA Vase after dropping to Step 5 of the National League System. Since the club's re-formation Alfreton have also taken part in the every staging of the Derbyshire Senior Cup, winning ten times and finishing as runners-up on a further eight occasions.[6]
Key
Key to league record
Level = Level of the league in the current league system
Pld = Games played
W = Games won
D = Games drawn
L = Games lost
GF = Goals for
GA = Goals against
GD = Goals difference
Pts = Points
Position = Position in the final league table
Top scorer and number of goals scored shown in bold when he was also top scorer for the division.
Key to cup records
Res = Final reached round
Rec = Final club record in the form of wins-draws-losses
^Won the Derbyshire Senior Cup with a 4–2 aggregate win over Gresley Rovers.
^Won the Derbyshire Senior Cup with a 4–1 aggregate win over Buxton.
^Won the Derbyshire Senior Cup with a 1–0 aggregate win over Matlock Town.
^Lost 2–1 on aggregate in the Derbyshire Senior Cup final to Matlock Town.
^Lost 2–1 on aggregate in the Derbyshire Senior Cup final to Belper Town.
^Won the Derbyshire Senior Cup with a 3–0 aggregate win over Matlock Town.
^Lost 3–1 on aggregate in the Derbyshire Senior Cup final to Matlock Town.
^Lost on penalties in the Derbyshire Senior Cup final to Matlock Town. The tie had initially finished 1–1 after two legs.
^Lost 6–5 on penalties in the Derbyshire Senior Cup final to Ilkeston Town. The tie had initially finished 1–1 after two legs.
^Won the Derbyshire Senior Cup with an 8–1 aggregate victory over Ilkeston Town.
^With Alfreton's relegation to the Northern Counties East League they dropped to Level 9 of the English football league system thus becoming ineligible to take part in the FA Trophy. They instead competed in the FA Vase, for clubs between Levels 9–11
^Won the Derbyshire Senior Cup with a 5–4 aggregate victory over Gresley Rovers.
^Won the Derbyshire Senior Cup with a 7–1 aggregate victory over Mickleover Sports.
^Lost 4–3 on aggregate in the Derbyshire Senior Cup final to Belper Town.
^Alfreton were deducted three points for fielding an ineligible player against Kidderminster Harriers in December.[22]