User:Hofabooz/sandbox

Billinge Football Club is an English football club based in Billinge,_Merseyside, near St Helens, in Merseyside. The club are members of the Premier Division of the Cheshire League and play at Barrows Farm. The clubs first team plays in step 7 of the National League System, promotions to the North West Counties League Division One. The Cheshire League is fed by the Crewe & District League and the Warrington & District League.

History
Billinge Football Club in it current form was founded in 1988 By Phil Middlehurst, there has Billinge Football Clubs with various names over time dating back to 1900 photos of some of the early teams. The played then in the st_Helens_%26_District_Football_Combination  at the Eddleston Playing Fields until till they relocated to their current home at Barrows Farm. Improvements of the Club's faculties have been funded by the Lottery and Olympic Funding which enable a purpose build faculty to be constructed in line with requirements form the football association Bilinge has attained FA's Charter Standard Award Charter Standard Scheme sets standards for coaching, administration and child protection for all clubs outside the Premier League and Football League. As a benchmark for quality, it will improve the playing experience for all.

Geoff Maggs was the first manager to take the reins of the newly-formed club.
 * 1988-1989 to 1991-1992

Following Geoff Maggs departure to pastures new, Les Pilling was installed as the club manager.
 * 1992-1993 to 1996-1997

Billinge FC form a Reserve Team, Brian Collins is appointed First Team Manager and Les Pilling takes on the Manager's Job of the newly-created Reserve Team.
 * 1997-1998 and 1998-1999

Manager Keith Amato, replaces Brian Collins as First Team Manager. Les Pilling continues his sterling work with the Reserve Team. Amato enjoyed success with Billinge FC bringing silverware to the club and being the first manager to take a Billinge team into the prestigious Mid-Cheshire League.
 * 1999-2000 to 2004-2005

Paul Farrell is appointed as First Team Manager to replace Keith Amato, long time club stalwart Les Pilling is appointed as Farrell’s Assistant Manager and Colin Betts is appointed as Reserve Team Manager.
 * 2005-2006

Ex-Wigan Athletic legend Bryan Griffiths is appointed as First Team Manager, assisted by Andrew Clough. Dave Knowles is appointed as the Reserve Team Manager. Knowles is the first Billinge manager to take a team to a Mid-Cheshire Cup Final, losing narrowly to Poynton on a penalty shootout. Following the highs of the Cup Final, various on-going issues meant that Knowles was to leave the club at the end of the season.
 * 2007-2008

Griffiths and Clough get Billinge promoted to the top division in the Cheshire League. The club move grounds from Eddleston Fields to purpose-built facilities at Barrow Farm. Steve Dickson is appointed as Reserve Team Manager.
 * 2008-2009

Griffiths and Clough consolidate the First Team in the Cheshire League top division and Dickson looks to re-build the Reserves with strong links into the Billinge Youth system.
 * 2009-2010

Ex St Helens Town Manager Jimmy McBride comes out of retirement to take over the job of First Team Manager, Bryan Griffiths steps down to become assistant to McBride and Andrew Clough takes on the positionof club Chairman. High points include Neil McDermot, Gary Jones, Scott Tickle and Andy Ledger being named in the Cheshire League Inter-League Squad. Steve Dickson continues as Reserve Team Manager. At the end of the season McBride resigns after being offered his old job back at St Helens Town, McBride comes back for Andrew Clough as his Assistant Manager at Town.
 * 2010-2011

Steve Dickson is promoted from the Reserves to the First Team, he appoints a Management Team including Adam Lowry as Head Coach, Rob Dainty as Assistant Manager and Les Pilling as Match Day Secretary. Dickson is given the task of re-building the team to have a more youthful look. A new Reserve Team Management Team is appointed with Brian Mather, Chez Tideswell and Campbell Wilson coming in with a host of new players. The First Team had a really good run of results which lead to a mid-table finish considering the disastrous start this was a great achievement, they were the first Billinge Senior Team to get to the Cheshire League's prestigious League Cup Final and the average age has been reduced to 22 years. The Reserves have equalled Dave Knowles feat of getting the Reserves to the Reserve Cup Final, they also went on to a league and cup double, beating Farnworth 3-0 in the Northern Cup Final then to be crowned as Cheshire League Reserve Division Champions. Following the Reserve Team's success at Billinge the management accepted an approach from Daten F.C and left to form Daten's first team. Billinge moved quickly to appoint Paul Oakes as the Reserve team manager, Oakes had enjoyed success with St Helens Combination Premier outfit Greenfields FC. Dave Knowles returned to the club as Assistant Manager to Oakes, with Rob Dainty taking on an advisory/youth development role, this position is temporary as Dainty will return to First Team duties.
 * 2011-2012

Steve Dickson steered the First Team to safety in the top division while the Reserve Team, under Paul Oakes, finished a very respectable 7th. The Reserve Team became the first club to retain the Northern Cup when they beat Quarry Bank 3-1 in the final.
 * 2012-2013

Honours
1997-1998
 * St Helens Combination 2nd Division Champions and Tom Worrall Cup Winners

1998-1999
 * St. Helens Combination 1st Division Champions

2000-2001
 * St Helens Combination Premier Division Runners up

2001-2002
 * St Helens Combination Premier Division Champions and Finalists in the Hospital Cup and DH Griffiths Cup

2003-2004
 * Warrington League Division 1 Champions The Bill Grey Player of the year award, Andy Ledger

2005-2006

2008-2009
 * Promoted to Cheshire League 1st Division
 * The Bill Grey Player of the year award, Andy Ledger

2009-2010

2010-2011
 * Cheshire League Club of the Season

2011-2012
 * Cheshire League Cup Finalists

Reserve Record
1998-99
 * St Helens Comb Division 3 Winners and Rainford Potteries Cup Runners-up

1999-2000
 * St Helens Comb Division 2 Runners-up

2000-2001
 * Rainford Potteries Cup Winners

2001-2002
 * Tom Worrall Cup Winners

2003-2004
 * St Helens Star Premier League Runners-up

2007-2008
 * Cheshire League Reserve Cup Finalists

2011-2012
 * Cheshire League Reserve Cup Finalists

2011-2012
 * Northern Cup Winners
 * Cheshire League Reserve League Champions

2012-2013 Billinge Player goes to World Cup in Brazil
 * Northern Cup Winners

Adam Clair Billinge FC first ream Player was selected form over a 1000 hopefuls to represent the UK at the RIO World Cup in a special six a side tournament. Adam was successfully selected and flown to complete in the special Budweiser 6 a side completion at the World Cup Finals. England team video here.