Fun Fact: Basford is pronounced as “Base-fud”, and the “e” disappeared from the spelling sometime around the fifteenth century!

Promoted to the Northern Premier League, Premier Division in 2018, before moving laterally to the Southern League, Premier Division (Central) in 2022 and back again a year later, Basford United Football Club have been on a meteoric rise in recent history.

Having achieved five promotions in the last 13 years, United are now managed by former Eastwood Community manager James Jepson, assisted by Daniel Holmes, both of whom were hired in September 2023.

Prior, ex-Scarborough Athletic, Matlock Town, and AFC Telford boss Steve Kittrick briefly took charge, following the dismissal of Mark Clifford in January of the same year.

Clifford initially replaced Nottingham Forest legend Steve Chettle, who was promoted to director of football at Greenwich Avenue and oversaw the reputable Education Academy before eventually leaving the club in May 2023, with Andrew Danylyszyn taking over.

One of Nottingham’s oldest established football clubs, with a history stretching back to the turn of the 20th century, Basford United have had a very established existence.

Chairman and owner Chris Munroe initially joined the club in 2007 as manager for three years as the club entered the National League Pyramid for the first time, before handing the reigns over to Darren Saunders and heading up upstairs to his current position.

In winning the Central Midlands League at step 7 under Saunders, as well as the Floodlit Cup, United became the first side to achieve the league and cup double and gained promotion to the East Midlands Counties League for the 2012-13 season.

During that campaign, the club entered the FA Vase for the first time in their history but lost 5-3 to AFC Rushden & Diamonds, in front of a then-record Greenwich Avenue crowd of 600.

Competing in the Northern Counties League, Premier Division (East), United’s first venture at step 5 saw them finish fifth and return to the FA Cup under former Stoke City and Scunthorpe United striker Martin Carruthers, who was appointed manager earlier that year.

Another season later, they moved across to the newly created Midland Football League, Premier Division and went on to become champions in the inaugural campaign in 2015.

In as many seasons, they began playing in their sixth new league, competing in the Northern Premier League, South Division for the first time and finished a respectable fourth place.

Facing Coalville Town in the play-offs, they lost to the eventual winners but did win the Nottinghamshire FA Senior Cup for a second successive year, beating Clipstone Welfare at Eastwood Town’s Coronation Park.

United themselves missed out on the play-offs by a single point the following season, before eventually achieving promotion to the Northern Premier League, Premier Division as league champions in the 2017-18 season with a record 100 points and over 100 goals scored before Carruthers left for pastures new.

Chettle was then appointed but - after a successful first season at their highest-level finishing sixth - United’s time in the division was sadly impacted by two Coronavirus hit campaigns, despite finishing both seasons in a play-off berth before respective curtailments.

Part-way through the 2021-22 season, Chettle was promoted to the boardroom and vacated the managerial role for Clifford who was appointed as coach months earlier. Former striker Liam Hearn arrived as player-assistant and Wayne Scott re-joined the club in a coaching and scouting role.

However, ex-Frickley Athletic manager Dave Frecklington was later hired as Clifford’s assistant following the departure of Hearn, and the club played their football in the Southern League, Premier (Central) following a pre-season lateral move across.

In January 2023, however, Clifford, along with Frecklington and Scott, were all dismissed following a heavy defeat at home to Barwell and were replaced by Kittrick, initially on an interim basis.

Joining him in the dugout was former Barnsley defender and assistant Luke Potter, as well as Richard Lawrence, who joined the club as goalkeeping coach.

After securing the club’s step 3 status with wins over Ilkeston Town and play-off winners Rushall Olympic, Kittrick, Potter and Lawrence were announced permanently, before the club eventually finished its first Southern League season in 15th position.

In the summer of 2023, the FA announced United would be allocated back to the Northern Premier League, Premier Division, where they will compete the 2023-24 season after a year-long absence.

Following a poor start on the return to the NPL, Kittrick, Potts and Lawrence were relieved of their duties, and were replaced by the current management team of Jepson and Holmes.

Off the field, and under the leadership of Munroe, the club’s Greenwich Avenue home has been transformed into a state-of-the-art facility after a £3 million investment, offering room for further expansion.

In 2016, a £750,000 investment was backed by a £500,000 Football Foundation Stadia Improvement Grant that allowed for a complete re-design of the existing facilities, including the installation and re-levelling of an artificial 3G pitch. Recently, a brand-new clubhouse has also been erected.

With a high-quality playing surface and infrastructure in place, United formed their Football Education Academy which has become a huge success. They won the National League Under 19, Midland Division and made it to the national final three years later, narrowly losing to South Shields on penalties.

In March 2020, under the management of former Motherwell, Alfreton Town, and York City midfielder Josh Law, they reached the third round proper of the FA Youth Cup for the first time and were the lowest rank side left in the competition when they faced West Bromwich Albion.

During an impressive campaign, United scored wins over Alfreton Town, Mickleover, Lutterworth Athletic, Lincoln United, as well as Port Vale and Grimsby Town, before magnanimously losing 4-0 to Premier League Albion at Greenwich Avenue in 2021.

Two seasons ago, in Law’s last campaign before moving to League Two Harrogate Town, the academy would reach the first round, but were cruelly knocked out of the competition by Doncaster Rovers after a stoppage time winner.

Following Law’s departure, United moved quickly to hire the services of Andrew Danylyszyn, who now doubles up his current role of lead development phase coach with his head coach position at Nuneaton Borough.

In his first season with the academy, they again progressed in FA Youth Cup, but narrowly lost 2-1 to category one Derby County in the first round.

They finished third place in the National Youth Alliance (Division F) and reached the Youth Development League, National Cup final, losing 2-1 to Pro Direct Academy, Central London at Oxford City.

Basford United now have reachable targets of achieving National League football in their sights and are collectively working towards their objective, all ambitiously backed by the Munroe family.

Former Basford players who have gone on to play professionally include Bert Bowery (Nottingham Forest), Chris Freestone (Middlesbrough, Northampton Town, Hartlepool United), Will Hoskins (Brighton & Hove Albion), Shaun Derry (Notts County, Sheffield Utd, Leeds United, QPR), Paul Cox (Notts County), Adam Chapman (Newport County, Mansfield Town), Jordan Helliwell (Loan, Barnsley)

Kirmani Smith (Sheffield United), Colby Bishop (Accrington Stanley) and Kole Lambert (Norwich City) have all graduated from the club’s Education Academy.

Basford United Football Club

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