Truro City F.C.

Truro City
Full name Truro City Football Club
Nickname(s) City, White Tigers, The Tinners
Founded 1889
Ground Treyew Road, Truro
Ground Capacity 3,800 (1,675 seats)
Chairman Peter Masters
Manager Lee Hodges
League National League South
2015–16 National League South, 4th

Truro City Football Club (Cornish: Klub Peldroes Truru) is an English football club based in Truro, Cornwall. They currently play in the National League South, the sixth tier of the English football league system, following promotion from the Southern League at the end of the 2014–15 season. They are the highest ranked club in their county.

The club had reached the same level in 2011, following five promotions in six seasons. However, they were relegated from the Conference South at the end of the 2012–13 season after going into administration. They were founding members of the South Western League in 1951 and won the title five times in their history. Apart from a three-season spell in the 1970s, when they played in the Cornwall Combination after losing their ground as part of a by-pass development, they remained in the South Western League until 2006, when they joined the Western Football League, achieving promotion from Division One to the Premier Division in their first season.

Truro were FA Cup regulars throughout the 1950s, but subsequently they were sporadic entrants until a permanent return to the competition in the 2006–07 season, their first appearance in 13 years. They won the FA Vase in 2006–07.

Their current manager is Lee Hodges who replaced Steve Tully in 2016.

History

In 1889 Truro City became one of the founding members of the Cornwall County Football Association (CCFA). Later in 1889, they played their first game at Truro School against Penzance, winning 7–1. They then switched to Tolgarrick for their future games. Six years later in 1895, they won their first trophy, the Cornwall Senior Cup, beating Launceston 5–0.

In the 1930s Truro left Cornish football for a time, joining the Plymouth and District League, which they went on to win in 1936–37. However, as a result of this switch, they were barred from competing the Cornwall Senior Cup, although they were re-admitted again in 1938.

They were founding members of the South Western League in 1951, but stumbled in the initial years, requiring re-election in both of their first two seasons to remain in the league. However, they won the championship five times since, and were only out of the division for three seasons when they lost their ground due to road widening.

In the 2005–06 season, they finished runners-up in the South Western League and were promoted to the Western League Division One, becoming champions at the first attempt. They also won the 2006–07 FA Vase, beating AFC Totton 3–1 in the final, held at the new Wembley Stadium in front of an FA Vase record crowd of 36,232 fans,[1] becoming the first Cornish football club to win a national trophy.

In their first season in the Western League Premier Division, Truro gained promotion to the Southern League at the first attempt, and became the first Cornish side ever to play in the Southern League, only three promotions from the Football League. They were faced with the longest travelling mileage of any club at their level due to the prevalence of Wiltshire-based clubs in the Western League. Truro is currently the only Cornish club playing in the top ten levels of the English football league system.

Towards the end of the 2007–08 season, after the club's promotion to the Southern League was earned, chairman Kevin Heaney issued a statement reversing an earlier decision to turn the club fully professional for the following season,[2] which led to the resignation of boss Dave Leonard.[3] For the remainder of the season, Director of Football Chris Webb took charge, assisted by former boss Dave Newton.[4]

Heaney owned a housing company[5] and despite a recent slump in the housing market has continued to attract many players from higher leagues. Heaney had stated he believed that long term, due to the large population catchment area, that Truro City could support a Football League Two club, but he also stated that he was looking to sell the club before they achieve this level.[6] Despite his housing company having gone into liquidation owing £4.5m, he categorically denied claims that his money was drying up and said that he would continue to fund the club's success.[7]

In May 2008 former Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City striker Sean McCarthy was appointed the new Truro manager and the club appointed Dave Newton as his assistant. On 7 December 2009 Sean McCarthy left the club by mutual consent following a 7–2 away defeat to Stourbridge.[8] On 22 December 2009 Truro signed Mangotsfield United midfielder Kyle Tooze, for an undisclosed fee, thought to be in the region of £5,000.[9] On 29 December 2009 Steven Thompson was announced as the new manager with immediate effect,[10] but on 29 March 2010 he left the club by mutual consent after only winning five out of his 18 games in charge, with the chance of reaching the play-offs unrealistic.[11]

Badge of Truro City from 2004 until June 2013.

June 2010 saw the appointment of yet another manager when Lee Hodges was appointed.[12] On 23 April 2011, Truro were promoted as champions to the Conference South for the 2011–12 season with one league game remaining after a 3–0 win at Banbury United.[13] After the troubled 2012–13 relegation season in which City nearly went out of business, Hodges was relieved of his duties as the club were no longer able to afford his wages.[14] He was replaced in June 2013 by Steve Massey, returning for his third spell as manager, having been in the post previously between 1992–94 and 2005–06. Massey was sacked on 12 March 2014 with City struggling in 19th place in the Southern Premier.[15] The following day, Steve Tully was appointed player-manager at least until the end of the season.[16]

With Tully still at the helm, Truro were promoted back to the Conference South, renamed the National League South, after winning the 2014–15 Southern Football League play-off final 1–0 at home to St Neots Town on 4 May 2015.[17]

Financial trouble

On 25 August 2011, HM Revenue and Customs presented a winding-up petition to the club due to unpaid taxes of over £100,000.[18] Prior to this, chairman Kevin Heaney had to quell rumours of the club being sold.[19] A meeting on 31 October 2011 between the club and HMRC resulted in a postponement of the winding-up process to allow the club until 16 January 2012 to pay their taxes.[20] However, when the case was called, the Registrar was told that two hours before the hearing the tax debt had been "paid in full."[21]

A further winding-up petition was lodged by HMRC in the High Court of Justice (Chancery Division) on 30 March 2012, with a hearing on 30 April 2012[22] when the club was expected to pay £51,000 to HM Revenue and Customs.[23] When this was not paid, a further extension to 25 June 2012 was granted,[24] but the petition was dismissed when the bill was ultimately settled.[25] Four other parties were also claiming monies amounting to around £700,000, but the club disputed these claims.[25]

Chairman Kevin Heaney stepped down on 24 August 2012 after being declared bankrupt, and he was replaced by vice-chairman Chris Webb.[26] On 31 August, Truro City F.C. filed for administration after the first-team players, who had not been paid during August, informed the club that they would not play against Boreham Wood on 1 September unless this course of action was taken.[27] On 3 September, a further HMRC winding-up order over a tax bill of £15,000 was postponed until 17 September, but this order would be dismissed if the club went into administration,[28] which it did the following day. Ten points were deducted from Truro's total, leaving them bottom of the Conference South table.[29]

On 11 October 2012, Truro City's administrators failed to meet the deadline for the Football Conference's requirement of a £50,000 bond that would enable the club to continue in the Conference South. This bond was to cover the costs of visiting clubs should Truro be liquidated during the season and their results be expunged from the record. A reduced amount was offered by the club, and was refused by the Conference. The match at home to Dover Athletic on 13 October was called off, and the club was expected to be expelled from the league with liquidation probably following such an expulsion.[30] However, on 12 October the Conference gave the club another week to pay the bond, in the light of "encouraging" information from the administrator. Membership of the Conference was to be reviewed again on 18 October if the bond was not paid.[31] After a preferred bidder pulled out on the morning of 19 October, the bond remained unpaid and the club was set to be expelled from the Football Conference,[32] but discussions continued and City were reprieved later the same day when two businessmen, Pete Masters and Philip Perryman, paid the £50,000 bond.[33] The pair completed a deal to purchase the club on 14 December 2012,[34] but were unable to prevent relegation from the Conference South. On 5 June 2013, a CVA was agreed with the club's creditors, reducing the debt to £80,000 to be paid over three years. This agreement allowed City to begin the 2013–14 season in the Premier Division of the Southern League.[14]

Stadium

Truro City currently play their home games at Treyew Road, Truro, TR1 2TH. This ground has been their home since the mid-1900s. A covered terrace was in place behind one of the goals until the mid-1970s when a road widening scheme resulted in it being removed. Only in recent years have they added to their old stand and erected two new stands on opposite sides of the ground lifting the capacity to approximately 3,000.

In 2005 the club announced plans to build a new 16,000-seater stadium in Truro as a new home for the city's football club.[35] However, the £12m plans were opposed by some residents who live near the proposed site at Treyew Road.[36] In 2006, the club revealed plans for a £7m football training complex. The club wanted to build two new pitches and a club house on land in Kenwyn, Truro with a 60-bed hotel and offices at its present Treyew Road base.[37] However, in 2007, Carrick District Council rejected the plans for the new 16,000-seater stadium, a decision which club chairman Kevin Heaney described as a 'major blow'.[38] Cornwall Council is currently developing a business plan for a proposed Stadium for Cornwall, which could host both Truro City and the Cornish Pirates rugby union team.[39]

Achievements

Records

Players

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
Brazil GK Adriano Basso
England GK Tom McHale
England DF Aaron Bentley
England DF Arran Pugh
England DF Jamie Richards
England MF Ben Adelsbury
England MF Les Afful
England MF River Allen
No. Position Player
England MF Ryan Brett
England MF Cody Cooke
England MF Ollie Knowles
England MF Niall Thompson
England MF Fletcher Williams
England FW Jack Crago
New Zealand FW Rory Fallon
England FW Andrew Neal
Northern Ireland FW Louis Rooney

References

  1. ↑ "Totton smash Vase record after FA admit blunder". Southern Daily Echo. 26 June 2008. Retrieved 4 December 2009.
  2. ↑ "TCFC OFFICIAL STATEMENT". trurocityfc.co.uk. 16 April 2008.
  3. ↑ "LEONARD QUITS". thisiscornwall.co.uk. 17 April 2008.
  4. ↑ "Truro City boss Leonard resigns". bbc.co.uk. 18 April 2008.
  5. ↑ "Exclusive: West Briton reports on liquidation of Kevin Heaney's development company". West Briton. 15 October 2008.
  6. ↑ Buckley, Will (13 May 2007). "Cornwall on the march". London: observer.guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  7. ↑ "Truro tycoon face to face with Cornish Homes creditors". West Briton. 10 October 2008.
  8. ↑ "McCarthy leaves City job". thisiscornwall.co.uk. 7 December 2009.
  9. ↑ . 2009-12-22 http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/sport/Mangotsfield-star-signs-Truro/article-1630366-detail/article.html. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. ↑ "Thompson named new Truro City boss". thisiscornwall.co.uk. 29 December 2009.
  11. ↑ "Thompson leaves City after 18 games as manager". 29 March 2010.
  12. ↑ "BBC Sport – Football – Truro City appoint Lee Hodges as manager". BBC News. 14 June 2010. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
  13. ↑ "BBC Sport – Truro City beat Banbury United to secure promotion". BBC News. 23 April 2011. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
  14. 1 2 "Truro City: Company Voluntary Arrangement agreed with creditors". BBC Sport. 5 June 2013. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  15. ↑ "Truro City sack manager Steve Massey with club in 19th". BBC Sport. 12 March 2014.
  16. ↑ "Truro City appoint Steve Tully as player/manager". BBC Sport. 13 March 2014.
  17. ↑ "St Neots lose to Truro City in Evo-Stik League Southern, Premier Division play-off final". Cambridge News. 4 May 2015.
  18. ↑ "Truro City face winding-up petition by HMRC". BBC Sport. 22 September 2011. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  19. ↑ "Chairman Kevin Heaney quells talk of Truro City sale". BBC Sport. 17 August 2011. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  20. ↑ "Truro City winding-up petition postponed until January". BBC Sport. 31 October 2011. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  21. ↑ Mitchell, Rhod (16 January 2012). "Truro City survive winding up order after tax bill paid". West Briton. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
  22. ↑ "London Gazette". Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  23. ↑ "Truro receive a winding up petition for second time". BBC. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  24. ↑ "High Court gives Truro City until June to pay tax debts". BBCNews. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  25. 1 2 "Truro City face debt claims of more than £700,000". BBC Sport. 25 June 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  26. ↑ "Kevin Heaney steps down as Truro City chairman". Falmouth Packet. 24 August 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  27. ↑ "Truro City go into administration". Falmouth Packet. 31 August 2012.
  28. ↑ "Truro City court hearing is put back for another two weeks". BBC Sport. 3 September 2012.
  29. ↑ "Truro City deducted ten points for going into administration". Falmouth Packet. 4 September 2012.
  30. ↑ "Truro City to be expelled from Football Conference". This is Cornwall. 12 October 2012.
  31. ↑ "Truro City given extra week to find Conference cash". BBC Sport. 12 October 2012.
  32. ↑ "Truro expelled from the Conference". Football Conference. 22 October 2012.
  33. ↑ "Truro City saved from expulsion from the Football Conference". BBC Sport. 19 October 2012.
  34. ↑ "Truro City: Peter Masters and Philip Perryman seal takeover". BBC Sport. 15 December 2012.
  35. ↑ Soccer club bids for new stadium BBC News, 2 June 2005
  36. ↑ Football stadium plans criticised BBC News, 22 June 2005
  37. ↑ Football complex plans go on show BBC News, 2 May 2006
  38. ↑ Cornish footballers stay semi-pro BBC News, 16 April 2008
  39. ↑ "Business plan for Cornwall sports stadium approved". BBC News. 16 March 2011. Retrieved 30 April 2011.

Coordinates: 50°15′33.27″N 5°03′57.36″W / 50.2592417°N 5.0659333°W / 50.2592417; -5.0659333

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