Airbus UK Broughton F.C.

2025-10-17T17:19:30Z

2A02:3100:5A9D:A800:9924:2C6F:9386:9C62: link added

{{Short description|Association football club in Wales}}
{{EngvarB|date=April 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox football club
| clubname = Airbus UK Broughton
| image = Airbus UK Broughton FC logo.png
| upright = 0.75
| fullname = Airbus UK Broughton Football Club
| nickname = The Wingmakers
| founded = {{Start date and years ago|df=y|1946}} (as Vickers-Armstrong)
| ground = [[The Airfield|Hollingsworth Group Stadium]]<br />[[Broughton, Flintshire|Broughton]]
| capacity = 1,600 (500 seated)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://airbusfc.com/index.php/club/stadium |title=Stadium |access-date=1 March 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140301235701/http://airbusfc.com/index.php/club/stadium |archive-date=1 March 2014 }}</ref>
| owner = Broughton Wings Sports and Social Club
| chairman = Michael Mayfield
| manager = Mark Allen
| league = {{Welsh football updater|AirbusB}}
| season = {{Welsh football updater|AirbusB2}}
| position = {{Welsh football updater|AirbusB3}}
| website = https://www.airbusukfc.com/
| pattern_la1 = _blueborder
| pattern_b1 = _whitecollar
| pattern_ra1 = _blueborder|
| pattern_b2 =
| leftarm1 = FFFFFF
| body1 = 0000FF
| rightarm1 = FFFFFF
| shorts1 = 0000ff
| socks1 = 0000ff
| leftarm2 = 8D0730
| body2 = 8D0730
| rightarm2 = 8D0730
| shorts2 = 8D0730
| socks2 = 8D0730
}}

'''Airbus UK Broughton Football Club''' is a semi-professional [[association football|football]] club based in [[Broughton, Flintshire]], [[Wales]]. They had their origins as the [[works team]] of the [[Airbus UK]] aerospace factory where the wings of the [[Airbus]] airliner are produced, and are consequently nicknamed ''The Wingmakers'' or ''The Planemakers''. They play in the {{Welsh football updater|AirbusB}}.

The club was promoted to the [[Cymru Premier]] for the first time in 2004, and play at [[The Airfield|The Hollingsworth Group Stadium]] (previously known as [[The Airfield]]), [[Broughton, Flintshire|Broughton]] (capacity 1,600, of which 500 are seated); however as their pitch could not be brought up to Cymru Premier standards in time following their promotion, for their first two games they shared [[Conwy United F.C.|Conwy United]]'s ground. The Airfield features three unusual retracting floodlights as it is adjacent to an operational runway. In 2014, the grass surface was replaced with a 3G synthetic pitch. At the end of the 2016–17 season the club were relegated to the [[Cymru Alliance]] having finished bottom of the league.

In the 2022–23 season, the club finished with -4 points after being deducted 6 points and losing all but two matches. As a result, they were relegated back to the [[Cymru North]] after having been promoted in the 2021–22 season.

==History==
Formed in 1946, the club has known several different names as the ownership of the factory has changed over the years. Originally called '''Vickers-Armstrong''', it has variously been named '''de Havillands''', '''Hawker Siddeley''', '''British Aerospace''', and '''BAE Systems'''.<ref name="history">{{cite web |url=https://airbusfc.com/index.php/history |title=History |publisher=Airbus UK Broughton F.C. |access-date=11 December 2018}}</ref>

The club's early years were spent in the Chester & District League and the Wrexham area leagues. The club won the [[Welsh National League (Wrexham Area)]] Division Two title during the 1991–92 season, when they won 28 of their 34 matches and scored 130 goals to finish 19 points ahead of their nearest rival.<ref name="history"/> They then spent four years making steady improvements in their position in the Welsh National League (Wrexham Area) Division One before being promoted to the Welsh National League Premier Division at the end of the 1995–96 season when they were runners-up in Division One. They spent four years in the Premier Division before winning promotion to the [[Cymru Alliance]] at the end of the 1999–00 season, when they won 21 of their 30 matches. To coincide with this promotion the club changed its name to '''Airbus UK'''.<ref name="history"/>

Once again they spent four seasons in their new league, successively finishing in 11th, 8th, and 5th positions before winning the league title by 19 points in 2003–04 to earn promotion to the top level of Welsh domestic football for the first time.<ref name="history"/>

Airbus' first season in the Premier League was a torrid time, with the team acquiring only 21 points in the first 32 matches and being in next-to-last position with only a few matches remaining. Their manager, Rob Lythe, who had led them to promotion, resigned in February 2005, citing "not having enough time" to do the job. The Wingmakers eventually avoided relegation in their debut season after a victory over local rivals [[Connah's Quay Nomads F.C.|Connah's Quay Nomads]] and a 1–0 defeat at [[Caersws F.C.|Caersws]] on the last day.

Airbus made a promising start to their second season in the WPL, reaching the semi-final of the League Cup eventually losing out to [[The New Saints F.C.|TNS Llansantffraid]] over two legs.

For the start of the 2007–08 season, the club changed its name once more, adding the village name to become "Airbus UK Broughton F.C.". Owing to UEFA's rules over sponsorship, when competing in European competition the club is known as "AUK Broughton".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/23113082 |title=Europa League: Bala Town, Airbus UK and Prestatyn Town's hopes |last1=Williams |first1=Aled |date=1 July 2013 |work=BBC Sport |access-date=1 July 2013}}</ref>

During their time in the Cymru Premier, Airbus UK Broughton went from relegation strugglers to a club that challenged regularly for honours. They qualified for Europe for the first time in 2013 as Cymru Premier runners-up, repeating the feat the following season and appearing in the Europa League for a third consecutive time as third-place finishers in 2015.

In May 2016 the club reached the Welsh Cup final for the first time, losing 2–0 to The New Saints at Wrexham's Racecourse Ground. They just failed to qualify for Europe again, losing 1–0 in the Play-off final to neighbours Gap Connah's Quay.
A difficult summer saw the majority of players recruited by other Welsh Premier clubs and director of football Andy Preece leaving the club by mutual consent three days before the start of the next campaign, to be replaced by former player Andrew Thomas.

The [[2016-17 Welsh Premier League|2016–17]] season produced only five wins and saw first round exits from both the League Cup and Welsh Cup, ending with the Wingmakers finishing in bottom place and being relegated back to the [[Cymru Alliance]] ending 13 seasons in the Welsh top flight. In the [[2018-19 Cymru Alliance|2018-19]] season, Airbus won the Cymru Alliance title for a second time after a 4-0 victory over [[Holywell Town F.C.|Holywell Town]] and won promotion back to the Cymru Premier as well as completing a double by defeating Holyhead Hotspur 5-1 in the League Cup final.

==Honours==
*'''Welsh National League (Wrexham Area) Division Two:'''
:Winners: 1991–92<ref name="fchdba">{{cite web |url=http://fchd.info/BAE-BROU.HTM |title=British Aerospace (Broughton) |publisher=Football Club History Database |access-date=11 December 2018}}</ref>
*'''Welsh National League (Wrexham Area) Division One:'''
:''Runners-up:'' 1995–96<ref name="fchdba"/>
*'''Welsh National League (Wrexham Area) Premier Division:'''
:Winners: 1999–00<ref name="fchdba"/>
*'''[[Cymru Alliance]]:'''
:Winners: 2003–04, 2018-19<ref name="fchdauk">{{cite web |url=http://fchd.info/AIRBUSUK.HTM |title=Airbus UK |publisher=Football Club History Database |access-date=11 December 2018}}</ref>
*'''[[Cymru Alliance League Cup]]:'''
:Winners: 2018-19
*'''[[Cymru North]]:'''
:Winners: [[2021–22 Cymru North|2021–22]]
:Runners-up: [[2024–25 Cymru North|2024–25]]
*'''[[Cymru Premier]]:'''
:''Runners-up:'' [[2012–13 Welsh Premier League|2012–13]], [[2013–14 Welsh Premier League|2013–14]]<ref name="fchdaukb">{{cite web |url=http://fchd.info/AIRBUUKB.HTM |title=Airbus UK Broughton |publisher=Football Club History Database |access-date=11 December 2018}}</ref>
*'''[[Welsh Cup]]:'''
:''Finalists:'' [[2015-16 Welsh Cup|2015–16]]<ref name="fchdaukb"/>
*'''[[Welsh Blood Service League Cup]] - National'''
**Winners: 2024-25
*'''[[Welsh Blood Service League Cup]] - Northern'''
**Winners: 2024-25
*'''[[NEWFA Challenge Cup]]'''
**Winners: 2024-25<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jones |first1=Dave |title=NEWFA Challenge Cup: Airbus lift trophy for the first time in their history |url=https://nwsport.co.uk/2025/05/11/newfa-challenge-cup-airbus-lift-trophy-for-the-first-time-in-their-history/ |publisher=Grassrooots North Wales |access-date=13 May 2025 |date=11 May 2025}}</ref>

==European record==
{| class="wikitable"
! Season
! Competition
! Round
! Club
! Home
! Away
! Aggregate
|-
| [[2013–14 UEFA Europa League|2013–14]]
| [[UEFA Europa League]]
| [[2013–14 UEFA Europa League#First qualifying round|First qualifying round]]
| {{Flagicon|LAT}} [[FK Ventspils|Ventspils]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 1–1
| style="text-align:center;"| 0–0
| style="text-align:center;"| '''1–1''' ([[Away goals rule|a]])<ref name="fchdaukb"/>
|-
| [[2014–15 UEFA Europa League|2014–15]]
| [[UEFA Europa League]]
| [[2014–15 UEFA Europa League#First qualifying round|First qualifying round]]
| {{Flagicon|NOR}} [[FK Haugesund|Haugesund]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 1–1
| style="text-align:center;"| 1–2
| style="text-align:center;"| '''2–3'''<ref name="fchdaukb"/>
|-
| [[2015–16 UEFA Europa League|2015–16]]
| [[UEFA Europa League]]
| [[2015–16 UEFA Europa League#First qualifying round|First qualifying round]]
| {{Flagicon|CRO}} [[NK Lokomotiva|Lokomotiva]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 1–3
| style="text-align:center;"| 2–2
| style="text-align:center;"| '''3–5'''<ref name="fchdaukb"/>
|-
|}

==Current squad==
{{updated|26 July 2025}}
{{Fs start}}
{{Fs player|no=1|nat=WAL|pos=GK|name=Samuel Fenney|other=}}
{{Fs player|no=2|nat=WAL|pos=MF|name=Tyler McManus|other=}}
{{Fs player|no=3|nat=WAL|pos=DF|name=Kieran Evans|other=}}
{{Fs player|no=4|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Joshua Stevenson|other=}}
{{Fs player|no=6|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Sam Rickett|other=}}
{{Fs player|no=7|nat=WAL|pos=MF|name=Ryan Edwards|other=}}
{{Fs player|no=9|nat=WAL|pos=MF|name=Jordan Evans|other=}}
{{Fs player|no=11|nat=WAL|pos=MF|name=George Peers|other=}}
{{Fs player|no=12|nat=WAL|pos=DF|name=Blaine Hudson|other=}}
{{Fs mid}}
{{Fs player|no=13|nat=ENG|pos=GK|name=Keighan Jones|other=}}
{{Fs player|no=14|nat=WAL|pos=MF|name=Mason Blackwell|other=}}
{{Fs player|no=15|nat=ENG|pos=|name=Louis Holden|other=}}
{{Fs player|no=16|nat=WAL|pos=MF|name=Ieuan Jones-Wellstead|other=}}
{{Fs player|no=17|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Cameron Meredith|other=}}
{{Fs player|no=18|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Sam Baker|other=}}
{{Fs player|no=20|nat=WAL|pos=FW|name=James Davies|other=}}
{{Fs player|no=23|nat=WAL|pos=DF|name=Nathan Williams|other=}}
{{Fs player|no=24|nat=ENG|pos=|name=James Allen|other=}}

{{Fs end}}


==Staff==
''{{As of|2025|7|27}}''
* Manager: Mark Allen
* Assistant Manager: Richard Chapman
* First Team Goalkeeping Coach: Chris Vales
* Physiotherapist: Ritson Lloyd
* Sports Therapists: Emily Luke & Ryan Evans

===Managers===
* Rob Lythe (? – Feb 2005)
* Garry Wynne (Feb 2005 – June 2005)
*{{flagicon|Wales}} [[Gareth Owen (footballer born 1971)|Gareth Owen]] (June 2005 – June 2008)
*{{flagicon|England}} [[Craig Harrison (footballer)|Craig Harrison]] (July 2008 – 2011)
*{{flagicon|Wales}} [[Gareth Owen (footballer born 1971)|Gareth Owen]] (Dec 2011 – Jan 2012)
*{{flagicon|England}} [[Andy Preece]] (Jan 2012 – Aug 2016)
*{{flagicon|Wales}} [[Andy Thomas (footballer, born 1977)|Andrew Thomas]] (Aug 2016 – Nov 2017)
*{{flagicon|Wales}} [[Steve O'Shaughnessy (footballer)|Steve O'Shaughnessy]] (Nov 2017 – Sep 2022)
*{{flagicon|Wales}} [[Jamie Reed (footballer)|Jamie Reed]] (Oct 2022–2023)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|http://www.airbusfc.com}}
* [http://www.airbusfc.com/index.php Photos of The Hollingsworth Group Stadium]

{{Cymru North}}
{{Welsh Premier League}}

[[Category:Airbus UK Broughton F.C.| ]]
[[Category:Sport in Flintshire]]
[[Category:Association football clubs established in 1946]]
[[Category:1946 establishments in Wales]]
[[Category:Airbus]]
[[Category:Cymru Premier clubs]]
[[Category:Cymru Alliance clubs]]
[[Category:Works football clubs in Wales]]
[[Category:Cymru North clubs]]
[[Category:Aviation association football clubs]]

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Airbus UK Broughton F.C.