Chasetown gained national recognition in November 2005 when the BBC televised the club's FA Cup first round home tie with Oldham Athletic, in which the team held their Football League opponents to a 1–1 draw. They went on to finish the 2005–06 season as Midland Alliance champions and gain promotion. In the 2007–08 F.A Cup the Scholars defeated Port Vale 1–0 in a Second Round replay. In doing so, they became the lowest ranked club to reach as the Third Round Proper of the FA Cup.[1] before losing to eventual finalists Cardiff City.
History
The club was formed in 1954 as Chase Terrace Old Scholars Youth Club and initially played in the Cannock Youth League. At the start of the 1958–59 season the club joined the Lichfield and District League, where the club spent three seasons, finishing as runners-up in the league and Challenge Cup.
In eleven seasons in this division Chasetown never finished outside the top four, winning the championship in 1977–78, but were prevented from gaining promotion because they were playing on a park pitch at Burntwood Recreation Centre. In 1983 the club moved to a new ground, The Scholars Ground, and gained entry to the Premier Division. Although the Scholars initially struggled to finish outside the lower reaches of the table, the team won their first trophy in 1989–90, defeating Oldbury United to win the League Cup, soon followed by winning the Walsall Senior Cup. Chasetown beat Blakenall at the Bescot Stadium and retained the trophy in 1992–93, beating Pelsall Villa 3–1.
In the early 1990s, Chasetown won the West Midlands League Cup twice and finishing as runners-up in the twice. The Scholars were among the founder members of the newly formed Midland Football Alliance in 1994 but failed to make an impression in the early seasons.
In 2000–01 the club in a transitional period after the departure of long-serving manager Mervyn Rowe, and only escaped relegation due to the fact that no clubs were promoted from the lower division. Charlie Blakemore returned to the club in partnership with Michael Rowe, son of previous manager Mervyn, and the club's fortunes began to turn around, with two top-half finishes. In Blakemore's first full season in complete control of the first team, 2004–05, Chasetown won the Walsall Senior Cup for the third time and finished second to Rushall Olympic in the Midland Alliance.
Chasetown were placed the national spotlight in November 2005 when the club reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time in their history. After defeating Blyth Spartans the team took on Oldham Athletic in a match broadcast live on television. A peak audience of 3.2 million people watched the game live.[2] In front of 1,997 supporters, Chasetown took the lead through Nicky Harrison, only for veteran David Eyres to level the scores and send the game into a replay. Chasetown took 2,436 supporters to the replay but succumbed to a 0–4 defeat. As a result of this cup run the club was able to secure a shirt sponsorship deal with Richard Branson's Virgin Holidays for the 2006–07 season. Meanwhile, in the league, Chasetown rallied from 14th place at Christmas, 20 points behind leaders Malvern Town, to win the Midland Alliance championship and gain promotion to the Southern League Division One Midlands.
In 2007–08, Chasetown beat Team Bath 2–0 to reach the second round proper of the FA Cup for the first time in their history. This set up an away tie against Staffordshire rivals Port Vale, which they drew 1–1 before winning the replay 1–0 to set up a Third Round match at home to Championship side Cardiff City and making Chasetown the lowest ranked club ever to make the third round of the competition. While Chasetown lost the third round match to Cardiff City 3–1, they went ahead because of a Kevin McNaughton own goal, and held the lead until just before half-time.[3]
As a result of playing the F.A Cup tie in 2008, Cardiff City invited Chasetown to be the first official opponent at the Cardiff City Stadium, played on Friday 10 July, resulting in a 4–0 win for the Welsh side.[4]
On 16 November 2010 Chasetown won a £10,000 Makeover Competition from the Northern Premier League, winning a £10,000 voucher from Travis Perkins builders' merchants to improve facilities at the Scholars Ground. On 14 December 2010 Chasetown beat Kettering Town 2–1 in an FA Trophy replay, another cup upset as two divisions separated the sides and Kettering were at home. On 15 January 2011 Chasetown produced another upset by defeating Conference National side Grimsby Town to reach the last sixteen of the competition. In the last sixteen they defeated Eastleigh of Conference South to gain a place in the quarter-finals.
In the 2012–13 season they finished 5th to secure the last play-off spot on goal difference and went on to beat Coalville Town in the semi-finals of the 8th tier play-offs to go to the final where they lost to Stamford. In the 2017–18 season they again secured a play-off spot and went on to play Bedworth United in the semi-finals where they lost 2–1. In the 2021–22 season, they finished 4th and drew third-placed Halesowen Town in the semi-finals of the playoffs. They won 1–0 with an 89th-minute goal to reach the final where they played Belper Town but lost the game 1–0. After a poor start to the 22-23 Season, a late rally began for the play-offs where they fell short at the very end to Coleshill Town despite winning 4–0.
The Scholars Ground has been Chasetown's home since 1983. The ten highest official attendances recorded at the ground for competitive fixtures are as follows:
There are 4 sides at The Scholars Ground. A seated stand with a clubhouse and wooden seats is the oldest of them. There is also turnstiles on this side, with another seated stand behind the goal. In November 2022, a new 350 seated stand was put in place through the clubs twenty20 lottery funds of £13,000, 5 rows of metal terracing for away fans in league and cup games after a final end running across the far side of the pitch where the dugouts are.
In December 2023, Chasetown re-opened their ground to the public after months of work on the ground, including an artificial pitch for the first time as well as brand new facilities around the ground. A home league record crowd of 1,842 were in attendance as they watched Chasetown beat Witton Albion 3–2.
