Chronological History of Morecambe Football Club
Click On Decades
The 2000's
1999-2000 ~ The club record highest league finish of 3rd. The investment in the youth programme pays dividends, with several making first team breakthroughs. The returned Jackson becomes the first Morecambe player to win the Conference "Golden Boot" with 29 goals (he is later sold for a new club record fee of £180,000) and Stewart Drummond plays for England during the season. No cup successes are gained, although the club again reaches the FA Cup 1st Round, losing 2-3 at Oxford United (the winner coming in the last minute).
2000-01 ~
A rollercoaster of a season after a finishing 3rd, the club finished
the lowest it had in the Conference at 19th, due to numerous
postponements because of bad weather and cup runs. The season ended
on a demanding run in of 13 league games in the final month, which
proved to be punishing on players, management and supporters alike,
both physically and mentally. Conference safety came away at Hereford
United with a 2-2 draw. The high point of the season was the club's
F. A. Cup run, beating Cambridge United 2-1, at home in the 2nd round
and playing Premiership side Ipswich Town, at home in the
3rd round losing 3-0. Both games were shown on BBC's Match of the
Day. Andy Fensome won both the Players & Supporter's awards
for player of the season.
2001-2002
~ A season of notable downs and yes ups. Twice the team gave
away good leads to lose 4-3 (at Stalybridge and Northwich). At home
we lost 5-1 to classy Yeovil, who should have won the Conference but
had an atrocious home record. Then we lost to lowly Darwen 4-2
in the Lancashire Marsdin Trophy, fielding what looked like a strong
squad! Conversely, in cups we suggested the class
difference of the Conference by beating Kings Lynn 2-0 and Gresley
Rovers 5-0, with thoroughly professional performances in the F.A.
Trophy before bowing out in the semi-finals to Stevenage
Borough. We did though struggle to beat Harrogate Railway 3-2
in the F.A. Cup and went onto meet, Football League side,
Brentford,away, in the 1st Round loosing in a close game 0-1. Was our
best performance in fact drawing competently 0-0 with eventual
champions Boston United at home late in the
season? Overall, 6th. place and getting to a major
semi-final ain't actually that bad, really.
2002-2003 ~ One
of the best seasons Morecambe FC has ever had in it history,
finishing runners-up in the Conference, the highest position ever.
May 2003 saw the club for the first time in the play-offs, sadly
after two exciting games against Dagenham & Redbridge the team
lost in a penalty shoot-out. The FA Cup, again, saw the club play
Ipswich Town in the 3rd round, away, loosing 0-4, this was
after beating Chesterfield away, 2-1 in the 1st round and Chester
City 3-2 in the 2nd round at home. The FA Trophy saw the club beating
local rivals Lancaster City, away, 1-0 and bowing out to Conference
champions Yeovil Town, away, 2-1.The team may not have won any
silverware but following season looks bright. Craig Mawason won the
Supporters' Player of the Season , with Danny Carlton winning the
Junior Reds' Player of the Season.
2003-2004
~ With the high level of success over recent seasons, expectations
were running high for season, however the one flaw of the past season
an indifferent away performance continue, to many slack games loosing
or drawing against lower teams in the end was to proved to be costly
with the team finishing 7th in the Conference and missing out on the
play-offs. The team did finish the season with a good run of success,
largely due to the increasing emergence of younger players from the
reserve team breaking into the 1st team. Fortunes in the
FA Cup and FA Trophy were poor with the club bowing both times to
defeats (2-4 & 0-2) at hands of Shrewsbury Town. Sliver ware did
grace the club once again with the team winning the Lancashire
Marsden Cup beating (agg 3-1) Conference rivals Accrington Stanley in
the first ever 2 legged final. David Perkins won both the
Players' & Supporters' Player of the Season, with Danny Carlton
runner-up and Junior Reds' Player of the Season once again.
2004-2005 ~
Expectations were
once again high with the success of the team at the end of the last
season and manager Jim Harvey had signed new players to further
strengthen the side. However sadly his three signings of Carl Ruffer,
Jimmy Kelly and Sean O'Connor did not feature in the team often due
to injuries. These missing players did not help the side to a good
start of the season and the side was somewhat indifferent for first
half of the season; drawing games which should have been won. The
play-off's looked to some a far off distant dream and hope. The
second half of the season saw the team starting to gel together with
the more experience players supporting the younger new players.
Confidence grew in the team and the quality of football ball played.
Easter came the side was slowly moving into a play-off position and
the final day the side need to win to cemented a place in the
play-off's. It was not to be, the side draw against a resilient
Tamworth away and the sides we need to loose all won. Morecambe again
finished 7th. Other notable events were Sky TV showing a Morecambe
Conference game live from Christie Park for the fist time, the side
beating York City 2-1. The FA Cup saw Morecambe loose to Hull City
away in the 1st round and Burton Albion beat Morecambe in the FA
Trophy 5th round (away). Michael
Twiss was named Junior Reds, Player's and Supporter's Player of the
Season, with Gary Hunter being the Supporter's runner-up.
2005-2006 ~
This was to prove to be a roller-coaster of a season. The
LDV Trophy saw the team beat league side Grimby Town away after a
penalty shoot out, in the second round at home saw the team defeated
0-1 after a close tight game.against Bradford City. The
team got to the 1st round of the FA Cup, being drawed to
Northwich Victoria ,at home, hopes were high that the club could
progress to the next round; however on the day a below par Morecambe
were beaten 1-3. One week later the team were due to play
Cambridge United in the Conference, at Christie Park, but before the
game manager Jim Harvey suffered a heart attack and was taken to
hospital. In the coming week the board quickly acted in appointing
Sammy McIlroy as caretaker manager , along with his appointed was
Mark Lillis as his assistant. In the new year the team got to
the 2nd round of the FA Trophy playing Stafford Rangers, away, they
loss the game 0-1. Toward the end of the league season, saw the team
play some excellent football, pushing for a play-off spot, in the end
the team ended a clear 5th in the league. In the play-off 's,
Morecambe played Hereford United. At home the sides draw at 1-1 and
set up an exciting 2nd leg at Hereford. The game went into extra time
with the sides level at 2-2, but sadly in the 107 mintue Hereford got
the goal they needed and once again the dreams of league were laid to
rest until the next season. The next night it was the awards for
the season, Chris Blackburn won both the Players' & Supporters'
Player of the Year and the Junior Reds' award went to Michael Howard.
However there was still some drama left in the season, on Tuesday 16
May 2006 the board of Morecambe FC announced that they had released
Jim Harvey form his contact has manager.
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2006-2007 ~
Before the season began confirmation in the appointment of Sammy
McIlroy as manager and Mark Lillis as his assistant was made by the
board of directors of Morecambe FC. Expectation was high around the
club and all supporters. The Football Conference had expanded by two
extra teams and team would have play four extra game in the league.
The FA Cup saw the club drawn away to Moor Green, in what was not an
easy match but in the end saw Morecambe winners with late 90 minute
goal form Craig Stanley. The reward the club was again drawn away but
this time to Football League Swindon Town in the 1st round, however
the team lost in what was an evenly fought game 0-1. With both the
club and supporters pressing for a play-off place the league gained
more importance. The FA Trophy saw club play York City in 1st round,
at Christie Park, the 2nd round again we played another Conference
National team, this time Stevenage Borough. The home game end 1-1
when a late Gary Thompson penalty in the 90 minute, in the replay the
team lost 0-2 after extra time. With injuries to the team and
practically to striker Michael Twiss and likelihood of the pending
transfer of striker Danny Carlton, Sammy McIlroy looked to strengthen
the team. With the transfer window about to close the club brought in
a loan signing of a striker, from Blackpool FC, Mathew Blinkhorn.
This signing proved to be successful as Blinkhorn made an immediate
impact with 7 goals before being recalled to Blackpool. The team was
playing with renewed spirited and in final push saw club finish in
3rd place. We were once again in the play-offs. In the semi-final we
played York City, the 1st leg at Kit-Kat Crescent ended 0-0,
everything was to play for at Christie Park. In 2nd legs started with
a major blow to team keeper Steven Drench had go of with a injury and
second keeper Scot Davies first act was to face a penalty, 1-0 too
York City. The new spirit of the team saw the teams go in level with
a goal from Wayne Curtis and go ahead with another from him the 2nd
half. The team won 2-1 and had a date at Wembley. Sunday 20th May saw
Wembley host its 1st Conference play- off final. Our opponents were
Exeter City. Morecambe went down to an early goal and
furthermore Curtis missed a penalty. This only spurred the team even
more and the breakthrough came in 42 minute with a strike from Gary
Thompson. The 2nd half saw Morecambe controlling the game and
pressing for the winner. It came from Danny Carlton in 82 minute. We won!
The club held an open top bus parade and where met by Mayor and local
councillors at Morecambe town hall before the end of season awards.
Steven Drench won both the supporters and players award. Officials
and supporters were readying themselves for new season. A major
chapter in the club history had been written while and pages of
non-league football a Christie Park had closed. The dream of
Morecambe FC in the Football League was reality. But now there is a
new dream - League One Football. Dreams don't die, they just
become different.