Date: Tuesday 19th October 2021
Venue: Craik Park, Morpeth Common, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 1YX
Kick Off: 7.45pm
Competition: Emirates FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round Replay
Highlights: Highwaymen TV
The Highwaymen host York City at Craik Park on Tuesday evening as the sides lock horns again in the FA Cup.
History
The present club was formed in 1922 and prior to their election to Division Three North of the Football League in 1929 played in the Midland League. They remained in the Northern Section until 1958 when they became one of the original members of the Fourth Division. (During the Second World War when the League was suspended from1939 until 1946 the club operated in the various wartime competitions). Over the next 45 seasons (1958-2004) the club won promotion six times. In 1958/59 and 1964/65 they moved up to the third tier only to suffer immediate relegation.
City again gained promotion in 1970/71 and in 1974 reached the Second Division (Championship) for the first and to date only time in their 91 year old history. In two seasons in the second tier of English football the club competed with Manchester United, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Sunderland, West Bromwich Albion and Nottingham Forest amongst others and in 1974/75 achieved their highest ever League placing when they finished 15th. The following campaign, however, they were relegated and by 1977 were back in the Fourth.
In 1983/84 they won their first major honour when they finished runaway Fourth Division champions with 101 points becoming the first club in Football League history to reach three figures.
City’s last promotion success in the League was via the playoffs in 1992/93 when on the club’s first ever visit to Wembley Stadium they beat Crewe Alexandra in a penalty shoot out.
On the other side of the coin City suffered relegation six times and over the years had to make seven applications for re-election back to the League. In 2004 the club finished bottom of Division Three (League Two) and dropped down to the Conference bringing to an end 75 years membership of the Football League. During that time they had spent two seasons in the second tier and 16 in the third tier.
In eight years in the Conference City reached the promotion play offs three times. In 2006/07 they lost at the semi-final stage and in 2009/10 went down to Oxford United in the final and then, on May 20th 2012, promotion back to the Football League was achieved when Luton Town were beaten 2-1 at Wembley. This latter game marked the club’s 4th appearance at the national stadium in four years and completed a league and cup double that season.
After four years back in the Football League, York dropped back into the Conference finishing in 24th place in League 2 in 2015/16. The following season City suffered a second successive relegation, after finishing in the final relegation place in the National League and will compete in regional non-league football in 2017/18 for the first time since 1929.
Cup History
Over the years City have earned themselves the title of “giantkillers” and when in the Third Division North reached both the quarter finals and semi-finals of the FA Cup.
En route to the 6th round in 1937/38 they defeated First Division clubs West Bromwich Albion and Middlesbrough before bowing out to Huddersfield Town in a replay at Leeds Road. The game against Town at York attracted Bootham Crescent’s record crowd of 28,123.
In 1954/55 City beat top flight clubs Blackpool and Tottenham Hotspur and in the semi-final drew 1-1 at Hillsborough against Newcastle United to become the first Third Division side to appear in an FA Cup semi final replay which was lost 2-0 at Roker Park. In the mid 1980’s the club twice reached the 5th round of the competition losing on each occasion in a replay to Liverpool.
In the Football League Cup they reached the quarter finals in 1961/62 and in the mid 1990’s beat Premier clubs Manchester United and Everton in successive seasons.
Whilst in the Conference City won the FA Trophy in 2011/12 beating Newport County AFC 2-0 at Wembley to lift their first major cup competition and were runners up in 2008/09. The Minstermen repeated the feat in 2016/17 when they defeated Macclesfield Town 3-2 to win non-league’s premier cup competition for the second time under Gary Mills. The club have won the North Riding Senior Cup 11 times.
Last Match
The sides met at the LNER Community Stadium on Saturday and the sides drew 1-1. The Minstermen led through Mark Beck who was able to head home a freekick in the first half but the Highwaymen levelled things up with a quarter of an hour remaining when Ben Sayer was able to nod into the top corner. Both sides came close to winning the game with Clayton Donaldson having a goal chalked off for offside and Ryan Donaldson having an effort tipped onto the bar by Peter Jameson.
