Spalding United Football Club is a football club based in Spalding, Lincolnshire, England. The club are currently members of the and play at the Sir Halley Stewart Field.
The club was established in 1905 when Fulney Institute and Victoria merged. Their first match was a 3âÂÂ1 defeat at Stamford. The club joined the Peterborough & District League and were champions in 1930âÂÂ31. They then stepped up to the Northamptonshire League, which became the United Counties League in 1934. Prior to World War I the club played under the name of Spalding United having merged in 1905/06 with Fulney Institute following a failed merger with then arch rivals Spalding Town, prior to this the club was known as Spalding Victoria.
After World War II they won the Lincolnshire Senior B Cup in 1950âÂÂ51 and the Senior A Cup in 1952âÂÂ53. In 1954 they applied to join the Eastern Counties League, but were rejected after a vote. However, the following season they won the UCL for the first time, also winning the League Cup and were accepted into the ECL. In 1960 they switched to the Central Alliance, before joining the Midland League the following season. After finishing bottom in 1967âÂÂ68 they returned to the UCL. During this period they twice reached the first round of the FA Cup, losing 3âÂÂ1 at Durham City in 1957âÂÂ58 and 5âÂÂ3 at Newport County in 1964âÂÂ65.
They won the UCL in 1974âÂÂ75 and after several successive top-four finishes, rejoined the Midland League in 1978. They finished fourth in 1981âÂÂ82, so were placed in the Premier Division of the Northern Counties East League when it was formed by a merger of the Midland League and the Yorkshire League in 1982. They won the first ever NCEL title with a 1âÂÂ0 win on the final day of the season. After internal disputes within the NCEL related to the miners' strike, Spalding rejoined the UCL in 1986 and were champions in 1987âÂÂ88, resulting in promotion to the Midland Division of the Southern League. After finishing bottom in 1990âÂÂ91 they returned to the UCL.
After a narrow escape from liquidation in the early 1990s the club won the UCL Cup in 1994âÂÂ95 and the Premier Division in 1998âÂÂ99. They were promoted back to the Southern League, but again struggled. Despite finishing bottom in 2000âÂÂ01 the club avoided relegation as other clubs resigned. However, they finished second from bottom in 2002âÂÂ03 and were relegated again. After a fifth UCL title in 2003âÂÂ04 they were promoted to Division One of the Northern Premier League. They were transferred to the Midland Division of the Southern League in 2006 but moved back to the NPL a year later to join Division One South. In 2009âÂÂ10 they finished in the relegation places but avoided demotion due to clubs transferring between leagues. However, they finished bottom of the following season and were relegated back to the UCL.
The club started the 2013âÂÂ14 season Premier Division season by winning seventeen consecutive games, a league record. The run ended on 14 December 2013 when they lost at home to AFC Rushden & Diamonds. The club went on to win the league, earning promotion to Division One South of the Northern Premier League. In 2016âÂÂ17 they finished third in Division One South, qualifying for the promotion playoffs. After beating Stocksbridge Park Steels 3âÂÂ2 in the semi-finals, the club lost 2âÂÂ1 to Witton Albion in the final. After another third-place finish in Division One Midlands in 2022âÂÂ23, they beat Sporting Khalsa 2âÂÂ1 in the play-off semi-finals before losing 2âÂÂ1 to Halesowen Town in the final. The following season saw the club win the division, earning promotion to the Premier Division Central of the Southern League.
The club initially played on several different pitches in Clay Lake, Fulney, Love Lane and Black Swan Field, with the latter eventually becoming the club's permanent home ground. In 1954 it was renamed after Halley Stewart, a local MP. After World War II the club spent a season playing at a temporary ground in nearby Low Fulney. The record attendance of 6,972 was set in 1952 for an FA Cup qualifying match against Peterborough United.