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Risborough Rangers
Football Club started in 1970 as a team of 12 year olds who wanted to play competitive football. The main motivators were
Life Presidents Tony Elsey and Derek Wallace. The latter of which is still active within the club, currently holding
the position of Fixtures Secretary. Derek was instramental in forming the Wycombe Star League that now provides football
for hundreds of youngsters in the Wycombe area, and Risborough Rangers currently have teams at all ages ranging from the Under
10 to Under 16 playing in this league.
In the 1975/76 season, the previous years Under 16's went into the Wycombe
& District League as a men's team, and in their second season in adult football won the 3rd Division. Unfortunately,
the team then folded, after which the club provided only boy's football until the Under 16's of 1979/80, having won
the United-Carr Cup, went into the Reading Youth League for two seasons, and then the Wycombe & District League.
They won promotion in successive seasons, and were followed two years later by the following years Under 16's as a reserve
team, who emulated the feats of their predecessor, ending up in the Ercol Senior League and the FA Walters Premier League
consecutively. At around this time, Rangers moved to 'Windsors', their current ground. 'Windsors' had been
the home of the now defunct Princes Risborough Town FC who used to play in the Hellenic league. Within several years, club
members had managed to improve the ground substantially by building the clubhouse.
In 1989 Risborough accepted
an invitation to join the South Midlands League Division 1. In the first two seasons the club found the level difficult and finished
second from the bottom and therefore had to apply for re-election. The 1991/92 season saw a great improvement when Risborough
finished in 8th position whilst also celebrating its 21st anniversary. In the 1994/95 season, they were promoted to the newly
formed Senior Division, after finishing 4th under the management of Frank Carter and they consolidated with a mid table position
in the next season. In the mid 90s, Bob Rayner became manager for the first time and saw the establishment of a sound
youth policy with an Under 18's team in the Wycombe & South Bucks Youth League. After a reasonably successful spell,
in which the club reached the semi-final of the Senior Division Cup and the quarter final of the Berks & Bucks Senior Trophy, Bob
was offered the job of Brackley Town manager in the Southern league and took the opportunity to test himself at a higher level.
After Bob left at the start of the 1998/99 season, former assistant Jon Franklyn took over as manager and
maintained a consistent level of football at the club. After Jons' departure, the club began to struggle and were eventually
relegated to Division two.
In 2005, chairman Richard Woodward pursuaded Bob Rayner to return to the club following
his departure from Thame United. Finishing fourth in his first two seasons back and just missing out on the runners up spot in
the final game in the second season, Bob has had to rebuild his side from the Rangers junior ranks. He has patiently
waited for his young side to blossom and the patience began to pay off in the 2010/11 season when Rangers achieved a
fifth place finish and also reached the semi final of the Challenge Trophy, losing 2-0 to the eventual winner and also
Premier Division champions, Chalfont St Peter. On route to the semi final, Rangers beat four teams from divisions above them
including division one champions Berkhamsted Town.
The club secured planning permission during 2010 for floodlights
and hope to have them in place by the end of the 2011/12 season to match the progression that is being made on the
pitch.
Sponsors
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MAIN CLUB SPONSORS
LLoyd Latchford Insurance Consultants Ltd |
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Risborough Rangers in The Community |
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