Carlton Town F.C.

Arthur Clamp (pictured at Notts County) was key in the club's first campaigns

Carlton Town was founded as Sneinton Football Club in September 1904, beginning in the amateur Notts Alliance League.[2][3] In May 1905, the club found residence at the Earl Manvers’ Colwick Lawn Estate, the Sneinton Cricket Club and Ground, on Colwick Road.[4][5] The team enjoyed success in its first season. Finishing runners-up to Basford United, Sneinton moved to sign more “promising amateurs of the city”,[6] becoming champions in 1905–06.[7][2] Mixed fortunes followed as key players Arthur Clamp and Andrew Mosley joined Notts County, despite new tram infrastructure in the area promising improved attendance.[8]

Sneinton regained the League championship in 1907–08, also reaching the first round of the Notts Alliance Cup and the third round of the FA Amateur Cup, losing to Oxford City.[9][10] The club was subsequently granted membership of The Football Association (FA) on 2 November 1908.[11] The League title was defended in 1908–09, but Sutton Town eliminated Sneinton from both tournaments contested in the previous season.[12] Described by the Manchester Courier as "the leading amateur football club in Nottingham",[1] Sneinton won the 1909–10 League for an unprecedented third time consecutively.[13] This was complimented the following year by the team's Amateur Cup performance, again reaching the third round ahead of a 6–2 defeat at Bromley.[14] However, the club became frustrated by the end of the 1912–13 season, losing several players to injury and relocation.[4]

Sneinton as winners of the Notts Alliance Cup, 1925–26

After nine Sneinton players were killed in World War I, the club reformed on 29 April 1919.[15][16] The team initially indicated a resurgence over 1919–20, once more obtaining a place in the Amateur Cup's third round.[17] Losing 8–1 to Leytonstone, Sneinton, "by no manner of means", insisted the match be played in Nottingham, securing Notts County's Meadow Lane for the fixture.[17][14] Despite team rebuilding and widespread injuries, Sneinton finished an encouraging third in their 1920–21 League campaign.[18] Conversely, the 1922–23 season returned mediocre form and poor finances, a trend repeated in subsequent years, sparing the team's joint-holding of the 1925–26 Notts Alliance Cup.[19][20]

The club's struggles were temporarily alleviated in 1931 as it reached the Amateur Cup's third round for a fourth, and final, time.[9] Acknowledging Sneinton as a "nursery" for their professional squads, Notts County and Nottingham Forest paid for the team's travel to Stockton, where it was defeated 7–2.[14][9] In May 1932, Sneinton applied to join the Notts Spartan League's First Division,[21] securing the title on its first attempt before finishing third in the Senior Division in 1933–34 after turning an annual profit.[22][19] Given the absence of financial backers, moving leagues was intended to allow the team to play at a lower standard than that of the Notts Alliance.[19] Reviewing the 1936–37 and 1938–39 seasons, Sneinton was judged by its officials to be in good sporting and financial shape.[23][24]

Colwick Wood Park, site of the club's former home pitch

Following World War II, Sneinton was reformed in July 1947 and merged with local club Trent Rangers.[25] According to the Nottingham Evening Post, it was "realised that a lot of hard work will be necessary to restore the ... club to the old time high position".[25] In 1948, the team vacated to a pitch at Colwick Wood Park, returning to the Sneinton district after a season away.[26] The revived team also migrated to Division Three of the Notts Amateur League, finishing seventh in 1949–50 but with steady finances.[27] By 1965–66, Sneinton had achieved promotion into Division Two, yet experienced poor form in the 1967–68 season.[28][29] Avoiding relegation,[30] the club again transferred leagues ahead of 1969–70 to rejoin the Notts Alliance in its Division Two, being noted as "much-improved" in 1976–77.[31][32] Sneinton eventually won the 1984–85 campaign and ascended to Division One, also topping that level in 1992–93 to reach the Notts Alliance's pinnacle Senior Division.[33]

Eager "to progress beyond the confines of local parks football", the team settled at its current Stoke Lane location in Gedling, and, in 1995–96, joined the Central Midlands Football League.[34] Notwithstanding a "reasonable" first season, Sneinton was left with no manager and just three players for its 1996–97 campaign. "In a desperate quandary", chairman Bill Stokeld appointed former players Tommy Brookbanks and Neil Cooper into management.[34] Under their stewardship, promotion from the League's Premier to its pinnacle Supreme Division was achieved in 1997–98.[14][34] Sneinton's third-place finish in 2000–01 would ordinarily have secured entrance to the Northern Counties East Football League, if not for "ground grading issues" negating this opportunity.[34]

Entrance to the Bill Stokeld Stadium, Carlton's current home ground

Reflecting its new home,[lower-alpha 1] Sneinton became Carlton Town Football Club in 2002.[14] The same year saw the installation of chairman Mick Garton, whose investment of nearly £200,000 in the team's facilities ahead of the 2002–03 campaign would guarantee a valid promotion should it be achieved.[34] That season, it duly topped the Central Midlands League Supreme Division. Carlton spent three campaigns in the Northern Counties East Football League's Division One, finishing third in 2004–05.[34] These years also saw the team reach the second and second qualifying round, respectively, of the FA Vase and FA Cup.[3] "Improved year on year", the team placed comfortable champions in 2005–06, also establishing a record in the FA Vase by entering its third round.[3][34] 2006–07 saw Carlton promoted once again, this time to the Northern Premier League Division One South.[34] Finishing tenth out of 22 in its first season,[3] further advancement up the divisions was scuppered in the league's 2008–09 playoff semi-final, losing 5–2 to Stocksbridge Park Steels; Jamie Vardy scored a hat-trick.[34]

Finishing ninth in 2009–10, Brookbanks departed and Les McJannet was appointed manager.[34] Despite initial relegation fears, a positive campaign saw Carlton place eighth in 2010–11.[3][34] Runners-up and playoff semi-finalists in the division's 2011–12 contest,[34] League form dipped in the following three seasons, finishing twelfth, tenth and eighteenth respectively.[3] Combined with poor tournament results in 2014–15—contrary to the previous two seasons, which saw Carlton twice win the Notts Senior Cup and twice reach the FA Cup's third qualifying round—McJannet resigned.[34][3] His assistant Wayne Scott took charge for the following season.[34] Scott's tenure saw unimpressive League finishes, not rising above eighteenth.[3] This was despite his taking Carlton to the second qualifying round of the FA Trophy in 2015–16 and 2018–19, matching the team's 2009–10 record, as well as to securing the 2016–17 Notts Senior Cup.[37][3]

Brookbanks, alongside Mark Harvey, returned to replace Scott in May 2019; their first full season was abandoned owing to COVID-19.[37] Geographical re-organisation of the Northern Premier League has seen Carlton play in Division One East in 2018–19, Division One South East in 2019–20, and Division One Midlands from 2021–22.[3][37] Early 2020 presented significant financial challenges, firstly due to ground damage caused by Storm Ciara, and subsequently a lack of revenue induced by the curtailment of the season caused by the coronavirus pandemic.[38][39] Nevertheless, Carlton was still able to match its FA Trophy record by reaching the second qualifying round of the 2020–21 competition.[3]

Though the club sought away matches as early as October 1904, May 1905 saw Sneinton reside at the Sneinton Cricket Club and Ground on Colwick Road.[5][40] Located on the Colwick Lawn Estate and owned by the Earl Manvers, he led the Sneinton Improvement Committee in providing "a ground possessing many natural and distinct advantages".[5] Primarily intended for cricket, its eight-and-a-half acres, including four pitches, satisfied both activities of the Sneinton Cricket and Football Club.[5] A "fine new enclosed ground" was reserved for football.[6] Featuring a pavilion and accommodation for players, the facilities cost £300 and were opened by the Sheriff of Nottingham.[5] However, by July 1913, the Improvement Committee moved to privately sub-let the team's ground, leading to the appointment of a deputation in protest.[4]

Sneinton was without a venue in the aftermath of World War I.[15] Refusing their opponent's request to the contrary, the team remained in Nottingham to play the 1919–20 FA Amateur Cup fixture against Leytonstone, using Notts County's Meadow Lane.[17] It was back at Colwick Road by February 1927 but faced frequent trespass and vandalism.[41][42] Conversely, 1935 saw the addition of another pitch and modifications to the pavilion, permitting increased youth engagement.[19] Sneinton's ground changed hands during World War II, becoming the home of Parliament Street Methodists.[25] This forced the club to relocate after the second reformation in 1947 to one of two public pitches at Colwick Wood Park, having returned to its former district in 1948 after contesting a season remotely.[26]

In the early 1990s, the team moved to its current location on Stoke Lane in Gedling, dovetailing with Sneinton's competitive ambition to enter the English football pyramid.[34] Carlton's chairman Mick Garton invested £200,000 in upgrading the club's site and facilities in 2002, which, two years later, were named in remembrance of his predecessor Bill Stokeld.[34] Disruption occurred early in the 2006–07 season when a link road was built through the ground, requiring another migration of the pitch so as to be adjacent to the new infrastructure.[37][34] This precluded Carlton playing at home for the first month of the campaign.[37] Ahead of the team's promotion at the end of that season, League requirements inspired the addition of changing areas, a hospitality venue, toilets, and a tea bar.[34] As of 2022, an academy suite, disabled access provision, and 30 carparking spaces are also features of the stadium.[43][44]

Storm Ciara caused £3,000 worth of damage to the ground in February 2020, which impacted its fencing, floodlights, goals, and dugouts.[39] However, in the following month, the site passed a safety inspection which allowed Carlton to raise its spectator capacity from 1,500 to 1,968.[45] That said, the record gate is reported by the club as only being "over 800" during a pre-season friendly against Notts County.[45]