Rejoicing in Ripon: Ripon City AFC’s star in the ascendent as it looks to a bright future
⭐⚽ The final home game for Ripon City AFC’s first team saw a resounding result as they pulverised Pool AFC with an 11–0 victory – one of the biggest in the club’s 128‑year history 🎉💥
Now guaranteed third position in the premier division of the West Yorkshire Association Football League, officials can look back with great pride on a more than satisfactory season, while reflecting on a decade of rebuilding in which the Mallorie Park club has risen phoenix‑like from the ashes 🔥🕊️
In 2016, Peter Freeman (Chairman), Dan Metcalfe (Secretary) and Gary Camplejohn (Treasurer) took over the running of the club following decades of committed stewardship on and off the field from former officials and stalwart supporters.
Gary told Tim Flanagan of the Rejoicing in Ripon blog:
“At the time we were in a difficult spot both on and off the field and it was difficult to see how the club could be sustainable going forward. However, with fresh ideas we pulled a plan together to clear the debt via some targeted fundraising and attempt to improve our facilities.
“Unfortunately, we realised that on the field we couldn’t attract the players so had to accept the inevitable relegations which occurred pretty quickly and the first team tumbled down to division 2.
“At one stage we reduced our teams down to one which was a challenge but with plenty of new energy we managed to get up to seven teams including two fantastic ladies’ squads.
“However, having so many teams using one pitch and a national COVID emergency proved too much for us and we have now settled to four teams.
We don’t currently have any ladies’ teams at Mallorie Park due to low player availability but we are hopeful that might be resurrected.”
Club secretary Dan said:
“Off the field, we have completely transformed the outlook of the club, investing in clubhouse repairs, new machinery etc which couldn’t have been done without the dogged commitment from Gary in grant applications but also forging relationships with our fantastic local businesses and sponsors which has helped to offset the annual costs of running the club and ensures we can provide a top‑class environment for our community.” 🛠️🤝
Looking to the future 🚀
Chairman Peter added:
“We have a great set of lads who have stuck by us over the last ten years including Foxy, Elliot, Hazzy, Bradon and Stevo who stuck by us through the hard times, and with the introduction of a player pathway at U18s and a competitive reserve team we now have a competitive squad of players who can compete in the West Yorkshire Premier Division. That is an amazing achievement and testament to the hard work of our coaches, volunteers and players.
“On the field, our short‑term objectives are still clear: try and win the West Yorkshire Premier Division, and our medium‑ to long‑term aspirations are to gain promotion to the Northern Counties East League.
“To do this we need to meet the eligible ground criteria such as a secure site and floodlights. After previous failed planning attempts at our current site, we are looking at moving to a new purpose‑built facility which would meet the club’s needs for the next century and beyond!” 🌟🏟️
A community‑minded club 💙
Ripon BID manager Lilla Bathurst said:
“It is great to see that BID members have, through their sponsorship, played a part in putting Ripon City AFC back on an upward trajectory.
“They have shown that they are a community‑minded club and I’m sure that all football fans will hope that they receive the spotlight that they deserve through providing the pitch and facilities free of charge for staging of the Portly Pig‑sponsored Pig Cup six‑a‑side tournament at Mallorie Park on July 12.” 🐷⚽✨
Further information about the club can be found at Ripon AFC
- Ripon AFC first team, pictured on Saturday before they Pool AFC 11-0. Back row, from the left: Manager Tom Lowry, assistant manager John Underwood, Kyle Fox, Alex Cassells, Gareth Dight, club captain Elliot Gracey, Adam Haswell, and Oscar Geldart. Front row, from the left: Alex Myers, Reece Graham, Olly Washbrook, Callum Puttock, Louis Jarvis, Zack Gallimore, Harry Washbrook and Olly Lang-Burns.
- The stand at Mallorie Park
- The club has invested in a number of improvments, including in the clubhouse.
All photos taken by Tim Flanagan of the Rejoicing in Ripon Blog for Ripon BID.
