The History of Long Melford Football Club: 2000-2019
The club joined the Eastern Counties League in the summer of 2002 following promotion from the Essex & Suffolk Border League.
2002/03 saw further progress for the Stoneylands club as they not only consolidated their place in the First Division, by finishing in a creditable final sixth position, but also won the Suffolk Senior Cup for the eighth time in their history, but for the first time in forty-eight years!
The summer of 2002 saw the then members club vote for the club’s management and assets to be transferred to a Limited Company.
From the 1st August 2002, the Club has been owned and managed by Long Melford Football Club (2002) Limited. The club enjoyed an excellent FA Cup run in 2004 in which Melford were eventually knocked out by Yeading (who went on to entertain Newcastle United) and in the same year reached the last 64 of the FA Vase.
The period between 2005 and 2011 was undeniably tough for the club, with Melford consistently finishing in the bottom half of the table and failing to achieve any tangible success in the cup competitions.
Since the halcyon days of the 1950s Suffolk Senior Cup successes, the Villagers have returned to Portman Road on three further occasions in an effort to regain the cup without success, but it was to be fourth-time lucky in 2003.
The final was the icing on the cake for Long Melford and a fitting reward for co-managers Darren Pratt, Jason Stalker and their hard-working squad as they fired their way to a five-goal win over Suffolk & Ipswich League side Stanton in front of over twelve hundred.
In recent times Melford despite being a Village Club, with very limited resources, have progressed to step FIVE of the football pyramid and currently play in the Premier Division of the Thurlow Nunn League.
2011/12 saw Melford finish in 9th position (their highest league finish in nearly a decade) and a return to Ipswich Town to contest the Suffolk Senior Cup Final in front of just under 900 spectators.
Melford took the lead in the final but eventually lost 2-1 to holders Whitton United.
The 2014/15 season was one of the greatest in the club’s history as Melford achieved promotion and were crowned Thurlow Nunn First Division champions in front of 300 supporters after beating Downham Town on the final day.
In 2015/16 the club’s first ever season in the Premier Division (Step 5) exceeded expectations as Melford not only avoided a relegation battle but secured a top half finish (9th).
Much hard work, by some very loyal stalwarts has been the foundation for that success. Long Melford now has a first team, reserve team, an under-18s team, while the Colts and Fillies set-up runs various sides for local youngsters.
With costs escalating, it is only through good sponsorship and hard work by a few that this club still exists after 150 years.
