Holbeach United F.C.

The club was established in 1929 and joined the King's Lynn League, before playing in the Spalding and Boston leagues. They joined Division Two of the Peterborough & District League in 1936,[2] and were promoted to Division One in 1938. They were Division One runners-up in 1945–46 and moved up to the United Counties League.[3] When the league gained a second division in 1950, Holbeach became members of Division One and were runners-up in 1953–54.[3]

In 1955 Holbeach were one of four clubs to apply for the three vacant places in the Eastern Counties League; although they were the one to miss out in the vote, another club resigned from the league and a further vote on Holbeach's candidacy saw member clubs vote 11 to 5 to accept them.[2] After seven seasons on the league the club joined the Midland League in 1962. However, after finishing second-from-bottom of the league in 1962–63, they were not re-elected in dropped back into Division One of the United Counties League.[4] The club were runners-up in their first season back in the league and won the League Cup in 1964–65.[4] They were runners-up again in 1968–69. Division One was renamed the Premier Division in 1972, and the club were runners-up again in 1973–74.[3]

The 1982–83 season saw Holbeach reach the first round of the FA Cup for the first time; drawn at home to Third Division Wrexham, the match was moved to London Road in Peterborough, with the visitors winning 4–0.[3] In 1989–90 they won the Premier Division for the first time, also winning the League Cup and Benevolent Cup, the first time a club had won all three UCL trophies in a single season.[2] However, only two seasons later they finished second-from-bottom of the division.[3] They were Premier Division runners-up in 2001–02 and won the division the following season.[3] The club won the Lincolnshire Senior Trophy in 2011–12,[1] and the following season saw them retain the Trophy and win the league for a third time. They won the Trophy again in 2017–18.[5]

Holbeach have played at Carters Park since their establishment. The site was bequeathed to the town in the mid-1920s by a man named Carter.[2] The ground was originally shared with the local cricket club, meaning that it only had three permanent sides. However, after the cricket club folded, the fourth side was fenced off. A stand was built in the late 1930s and a covered area to its left was also built and later became known as the "pig pen". Covered standing areas were built using Anderson shelters.[6] However, both were later demolished. A new seated stand was opened in 2005.[6] The ground currently has a capacity of 4,000, of which 200 is seated and 450 covered.[1]

The ground's record attendance of 4,094 was set on 28 September 1955 for an FA Cup first qualifying round replay against local rivals Wisbech Town.[2]

• United Counties League
  • Premier Division champions 1989–90, 2002–03, 2012–13
  • League Cup winners 1989–90
  • Benevolent Cup winners 1989–90
  • Division One Cup winners 1964–65
• Lincolnshire Senior A Cup
  • Winners 1983–84, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1994–95, 2002–03[4]
• Lincolnshire Senior B Cup
  • Winners 1957–58[1]
• Lincolnshire Senior Trophy
  • Winners 2011–12, 2012–13, 2017–18

• Best FA Cup performance: First round, 1982–83[3]
• Best FA Trophy performance: Second qualifying round, 1969–70, 1971–72[3]
• Best FA Vase performance: Fifth round, 1988–89, 2014–15[3]
• Record attendance: 4,094 vs Wisbech Town, FA Cup first qualifying round replay, 28 September 1955[2]

• Holbeach United F.C. players
• Holbeach United F.C. managers

• Official website