Latest news with #Brackley
BBC News
26-05-2025
- BBC News
Brackley and Montabaur celebrate 50 years of town twinning
Two communities have celebrated 50 years of friendship with a ceremony marking their town twinning partnership from the in Northamptonshire and Montabaur in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, were officially twinned in 50th anniversary was commemorated in the English town last week, with cultural events, gift exchanges, and a five-course Phipps, 77, who attended both the original twinning and the milestone event, said the occasion was "very enjoyable". "We've made so many friends over the years. It's become an international friendship," he said. Brackley has also been twinned with Pavillons-sous-Bois in France since 1972. Each year, members of the Brackley European Association (BEA) either visit their partner towns or host incoming guests in year's exchange saw Montabaur present Brackley with a slate stand made from local return, Brackley gifted a wooden plaque that will hang in Montabaur Town Phipps, who has attended "at least 20" of these events, recalled his favourite moment - Montabaur's 1,000-year carnival celebration. "It's so different to England… the bands were so professional even though it's a small town," he said. Delegates began their visit by laying a wreath at Brackley's war memorial to mark VE were later treated to a performance by a local woodwind band during the celebratory the weekend, guests also visited the Silverstone Circuit Museum and Stoke Robbins, 80, chairwoman of the BEA, said: "You learn things about [German] culture you wouldn't learn on holiday. It's extremely enjoyable." 'Unfailing goodwill' German-born Elizabeth Flikschuh, 97, played a key role in the twinning, taking part in official visits and former Montabaur local said: "Every visit had its moments, but my main memory is of the unfailing goodwill and even affection which colours every visit."One of my dearest memories is of the first tentative meeting of the small delegation from Brackley with the members of the Montabaur Statdrat. "It ended with a very hearty evening in the wood cabin in the forest near the town and a walk back in the dark!" Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Irish Sun
16-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
We've been to every FA Cup round – and now we've bagged Wembley final tickets thanks to The Sun
A FOOTIE-mad family have been to every round of this year's FA Cup — and will be at today's final thanks to The Sun. Phil Hart, 46, and sons Fin, ten, and Will, 13 — all 4 Phil Hart and sons Fin, 10, and Will, 13, set off on a 2,000-mile FA Cup adventure from the first round to the final at Wembley - with a little help from The Sun Credit: Paul Edwards 4 Fin and Will pictured at the start of their cup run - with a tin-foil trophy - as Cornard United beat Fakenham Town 3-0 Credit: Facebook 4 The 3rd round saw the family watching Stockport County beat Brackley Town 3-1 Credit: Facebook Vowing to support whichever team won, they took in Stowmarket, Bishop's Stortford, Braintree, Brackley and Stockport. In the Third Round, Stockport lost to After The Sun contacted the FA, teacher Phil secured three tickets for the big game. Phil said: 'I've watched my boys fall in love with football all over again.' READ MORE FA CUP FINAL NEWS Phil, from Great Horkesley, near Colchester, said: 'As Colchester United season ticket holders I knew my sons and I are unlikely to see our team win the FA Cup. 'So this year we decided to create our own road to Wembley with just one rule - we had to pick a team at random and follow the winner, wherever that may be and whenever the game was - all the way to the final. 'It was pure grassroots — dodgy refs, questionable chips, but brilliant football. We were hooked . 4 At the semi-final, to see Crystal Palace beat Aston Villa 3-0 - still with the tin-foil trophy in hand Credit: Phil Hart 'We stood on terraces in the rain at Braintree, Googled where Brackley was, and queued for pies in Stockport. Most read in Football 'We cheered for unknown heroes and mourned for clubs we'd only met that day. The passion was real, raw and more fun than anything on TV. Fin said: "It's been really fun visiting new stadiums and getting to meet some famous players.' Diehard Crystal Palace fan with arm in sling goes viral after using his HEAD to clap FA Cup heroes at Wembley FAMILY'S ROAD TO WEMBLEY Here's how Phil Hart, 46, and sons Fin, ten, and Will, 13 made their way to Wembley, Colchester to… 3 Aug Cornard 3 v 0 Fakenham 26 miles 1hr drive 17 Aug Stowmarket 1 v 5 Cornard 60 miles 1hr 30 mins drive 31 Aug Bishop's Stortford 5 v 0 Cornard 75 miles 2hrs drive 14 Sept FA Cup 2nd qualifying round Hemel Hempstead 0 v 1 Bishop's Stortford 150 miles 3hrs 28 Sept 3rd qualifying round Bishop's Stortford 3 v 2 Hereford 75 miles 2hrs drive 12 Oct 4th qualifying round Braintree 1 v 0 Bishop's Stortford 35 miles 1hr 2 Nov 1st round Brackley 0 v 0 Braintree (Brackley won 5-4 on pens) 240 miles 5hr 30 Nov 2nd round Stockport 3 v 1 Brackley 460 miles 8 hrs 12 Jan 3rd round Crystal Palace 1 v 0 Stockport 150 miles 4hrs 10 Feb 4th round Doncaster Rovers 0 v 2 Palace 344 miles 6hrs 45 1 March 5th round Palace 3 v 1 Millwall 140 miles 4hrs 29 March Quarter final Fulham 0 v 3 Palace 145 miles 4 hrs 26 April Semi-final Palace 3 v 0 Aston Villa 145 miles 3.5hrs 17 May Final Palace v Manchester City 145 miles 3.5hrs Total miles round trip 2,190 Total travel time 45 hrs 15 mins
BBC News
28-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Brackley Town 'never lost faith' in promotion to National League
The captain of a non-league football club said they "never lost faith" they would win promotion to the National League, despite only securing it with the final game of the Town sealed their place in the National League for the first time with a 5-0 win over Farsley Celtic, while rivals Kidderminster Harriers lost 2-1 at Saints reached the play-offs in 2018, 2019, 2020 and again in 2022, 2023 and 2024 but were unable to finish the Gareth Dean told BBC Northampton: "We're over the moon, it's an incredible club with incredible people and so many people deserve it. The club has never lost faith, and we've got there in the end." Brackley was founded in 1890, and before winning the title, their greatest achievement came in 2018 when they were victorious in the FA Trophy win was Brackley's 27th of the season, more than any side in the National League North or supporter Will Grashoff, who has lived in the town his whole life and follows the team home and away, described the day as "phenomenal"."I think most of us went into Saturday wanting momentum for the playoffs," he said."When Southport went 2-0 up... I didn't allow myself to believe until I saw definitely that they'd beaten Kidderminster."We probably had a good five to six minutes of not knowing what was going to happen."Next season, Brackley will take on some of the bigger names in non-league football, including Gateshead, Truro, and recently relegated Carlisle United. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
17-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Brackley sights fixed on automatic promotion
Brackley Town defender Zak Lilly hopes they can take play-offs out of the equation and win automatic promotion this Saints reached the National League North play-offs in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024 without going are currently third in the table, but below Kidderminster Harriers on goal difference only and with just a single point to make up on leaders Scunthorpe United."It's what everyone at the club has been dreaming of for the past couple of years," Lilly told BBC Radio Northampton."I know it's been play-off after play-off and it would be a big relief if we just won it outright. That's what we want to do, everyone's got the common goal. "We just need to make sure that we win our games and then we'll see what happens."Lilly has made 37 appearances this season, scoring once, helping Brackley win 26 of their 43 games under boss Gavin are at home to Oxford City on Friday, followed by a trip to Leamington on Monday, and then finish the campaign by taking on bottom club Farsley Celtic in front of their own fans."We're going to try and win our last three games. We're going to focus on ourselves and if we don't manage to come top, at least we'll have some good form going into the play-offs," said Lilly."I've been playing in this league nine or 10 years and that's the main thing I want to achieve, get a promotion."It's a big achievement, there's some really good teams in the league and to come out on top would really say something." Lilly joined Brackley in the summer of 2023 following a spell with Hereford and was in the squad last season when they beat Scunthorpe in the play-off semi-finals, only to then lose 2-1 to Boston United, who were added: "If you don't step up, you're going to be left out. When you play with better players, you always play better. And that is the case (here) because everyone at Brackley is really good."
BBC News
11-02-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Lowe seeks to end Brackley promotion frustration
Midfielder Matt Lowe has set his sights on helping Brackley Town finally secure a place in the top flight of non-league football after returning to the club following two years in the professional Saints reached the National League North play-offs in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024 without being able to take the final shared in the disappointment on the first four occasions before jumping three tiers to join Accrington Stanley, then a League One club."It's instilled in all of us now, because we've been in and around it year on year, it just makes you want it even more," Lowe told BBC Radio Northampton's Non-League Scene."Although it's great to come back every season and be there or thereabouts, unfortunately at the minute we still haven't got what the aim has been from the get-go, which is to get promoted."Having reached the play-off final in the past two seasons and losing to Kidderminster Harriers and Boston United in the process, Brackley are going well again - in third place in the table, only three points behind leaders Chester with a game in hand."It couldn't be a much better written story if this is the season where I come back and we manage to get promoted, that would be massive," said Lowe, who has scored eight goals so far this season. A qualified teacher, he has found returning to semi-professional status after leaving Accrington last summer a far easier adjustment than going full-time."I always said it was going to take a special opportunity to make me leave teaching and being at Brackley, but sometimes you have to take a little bit of a risk. When the opportunity came to join a League One side, I definitely would have regretted not taking that decision (to move)," he said."Going to the polar opposite of full-time football, I found it difficult at the start transitioning with what to do in my free time - I was constantly trying to fill it by doing extras on the training pitch, or going to the gym and doing extra sessions, just because working hard was in my DNA."Sometimes the art of being a full-time footballer is knowing when your body needs to recover and (knowing that) sometimes you need to do nothing. I actually struggled with that at the start."Now I've got a job to focus on and other things going on besides football and it allows me just to get there on the Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and go and enjoy it."Brackley are away to fifth-placed Chorley on Tuesday evening, followed by a trip to bottom of the table Marine on Saturday."We've won our past two games so we're full of confidence. We know every game we play is going to be a tough one," Lowe added.
