About the club

The club was founded in 1945 as a member of the Derby Sunday League, when the ground was given to the people of Mickleover by veterans upon returning from World War II. It was during the early sixties before the club enjoyed any sort of success. The then junior side moved into the Derby Senior League, moving quickly through the divisions, reaching the pinnacle of success during the 1969/70 season by winning the Premier Division championship and the League Cup.

The 1972–73 season saw the club enter Division one of the East Midlands Regional League. In 1977, we were Division One champions and were promoted into the Premier Division. The next two seasons saw the club win the Premier Division and League Cup. The 1980–81 season saw the club become league champions, finishing first in the Premier division.

In 1982 the club joined the Premier Division of the Central Midlands Football League as one of the founder members. The 1986–87 season saw the club enter the F.A. Vase for the first time. After finishing as league runners-up in the 1988-89 premier division campaign, the club then went onto win the premier division title in the next two seasons. After their second Premier Division title win the club earned promotion to the Supreme division, but could only last two seasons in the league as their ground could not meet the grade to stay at the higher level, and were relegated back to the Premier division. The 1992–93 season also saw the club enter the FA Cup for the first time, though not progressing past the preliminary qualifying round, after losing 2–0 to Belper Town.

The club gained promotion back to the supreme division when they came third in the premier division in the 1999–00 season, but only stayed one season in the top division before leaving the league to join the Midlands Regional Alliance.

The club started in Division Two of the Midlands Alliance, and it took them until the 2007–08 season to get to Division One, when they finished as runners-up. The 2010–11 season saw the club promoted again to the Premier Division as they crowned themselves champions of division one. The club then spent the next two seasons in the premier division, before rejoining the Central Midlands Football League in the South division.

Recent History

During the Covid affected 2019-20, the club folded the first team and left the Central Midlands league, leaving only the vets team and the junior section existing for the next year.

The 2021-22 season saw the return of open age football at the club, as a new first team was formed and entered into the Abacus Lighting Central Midlands League Premier Division South. This team was supported by a new reserves team, which was entered into the Midland Regional Alliance Drayton Pacs division one. This came about as a result of Holbrook Sports folding both their first and reserve teams. Garry Smith and Jeff Baldwin took the reins of the first team, while Danny Cooper and Sam Hutchinson ran the reserves.

The first season of the new seniors saw the firsts finish third in the league, while finishing runners-up in the Buckingham Insurance League Challenge Cup, missing out narrowly against Linby Colliery Welfare. The reserves matched the firsts with a third placed finish in the league.

2022-23 saw the most successful season in the club’s history. The first team went one better in both competitions, finishing runners up in the league, but winning the cup over league champions Clay Cross with a dominant 4-2 victory at Alfreton Town’s Impact Arena. The reserves had made the move across to the Abacus Lighting Central Midlands League Championship West, and a mid-table finish was more than topped up with a stunning penalties victory in the Derbyshire County Junior Cup South final over Inter Belper at Ilkeston’s Microlise New Manor Ground.

The adults' success was followed up by the juniors section.
The under 17’s won the MJPL u18’s cup and finished fourth in the league on a Saturday, while finishing runners up in the winter league, winners of the summer league and runners up in the cup in the Burton Junior League u18’s section.
The under 16’s Panthers won their winter league and finished runners up in both the summer league and the cup in the Burton Junior League u16’s section.
The under 11’s finished runners up in the Derby Junior League cup

Milestones

1969/70 Derby Senior League Premier Division Champions
League Cup Winners
1976/77 East Midlands Regional League Division One Champions
1977/78 East Midlands Regional League Premier Division Champions
League Cup Winners
1978/79 East Midlands Regional League Premier Division Champions
League Cup Winners
1980/81 East Midlands Regional League Premier Division Champions
Derbyshire Divisional Cup South Winners
1982-83 Founder members of Central Midlands League
1988-89 Central Midlands League Premier Division runners up
League Cup Winners
1989-90 Central Midlands League Premier Division Champions
League Cup runners up
1990-91 Central Midlands League Premier Division Champions - Promoted to
Supreme Division
1992-93 Relegated to Premier Division, despite finishing 5th, due to ground
grading
1999-00 Promoted to Supreme Division
2001 Left Central Midlands League
2007-08 Midlands Regional Alliance Division Two runners up
2010-11 Midlands Regional Alliance Division One Champions
2013-14 Rejoined Central Midlands League (from Midlands Regional Alliance)
2020 Folded all senior teams due to Covid-19
2021-22 Rejoined Central Midlands League and entered a reserves team in
Midland Regional Alliance
2022-23 Central Midlands League South Division runner-up
League Cup Winners
Reserves are DCFA Junior Cup South Winners

SEASON LEAGUE P W D L F A P POS

1983-84 CML-P 34 11 6 17 58 72 39 13/18
1984-85 CML-P 30 12 11 7 47 36 47 7/16
1985-86 CML-P 30 19 8 3 70 31 65 3/16
1986-87 CML-P 32 17 7 8 49 31 58 3/17
1987-88 CML-P 32 15 4 13 58 56 49 5/17
1988-89 CML-P 36 24 8 4 91 27 80 2/19
1989-90 CML-P 38 28 7 3 122 29 91 1/20
1990-91 CML-P 34 25 3 6 104 42 78 1/18
1991-92 CML-Su 34 19 3 12 77 54 60 6/18
1992-93 CML-Su 30 14 4 12 51 48 46 6/16
1993-94 CML-P 28 8 6 14 28 40 30 12/15
1994-95 CML-P 32 4 9 19 33 82 21 16/17
1995-96 CML-P 34 9 4 21 42 86 31 16/18
1996-97 CML-P 34 3 4 27 22 104 13 18/18
1997-98 CML-P 32 6 10 16 46 76 28 14/17
1998-99 CML-P 28 4 2 22 34 87 14 15/15
1999-00 CML-P 30 16 10 4 69 28 58 3/16
2000-01 CML-Su 38 7 5 26 50 103 26 18/20

2013-14 CML-S 32 16 3 13 66 52 51 9/17
2014-15 CML-S 28 10 2 16 53 56 32 12/15
2015-16 CML-S 34 8 3 23 64 109 27 15/18
2016-17 CML-S 28 12 2 14 62 56 38 8/15
2017-18 CML-S 28 8 6 14 45 55 30 9/15
2018-19 CML-S 26 15 6 5 62 36 53 * 4/14
2019-20 CML-S 17 2 2 13 23 54 8 ABAND
2021-22 CML-S 32 22 5 5 88 36 71 3/17
2022-23 CML-S 30 21 3 6 81 40 66 2/16

F.A. CUP

1992-93 PRE BELPER TOWN H 0-2 @ Belper Town

F.A. VASE

1986-87 EP JOHN PLAYER H 2-0
PRE EMLEY H 0-1
1987-88 EP BELPER TOWN H 0-1
1988-89 EP MALTBY MINERS WELFARE A 2-5
1989-90 EP PONTEFRACT COLLIERIES A 0-5
1990-91 EP MALTBY MINERS WELFARE H 1-5
1991-92 EP MALTBY MINERS WELFARE H 2-1 @ Gresley Rovers
PRE NETTLEHAM H 3-2
1 BORROWASH VICTORIA H 3-4
1992-93 EP BLIDWORTH MINERS WELFARE A 1-3
1993-94 EP NORTH TRAFFORD H 0-5