Club History

THE HISTORY OF RISBOROUGH RANGERS F.C

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. Derek was instrumental 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 were one of the founder members of the Hellenic league in 1953. 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 Franklin took over as manager and maintained a consistent level of football at the club. After Jon’s' departure, the club began to struggle and were eventually relegated to Division Two.
In 2005, chairman Richard Woodward persuaded 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 reached the semi-final of the Challenge Trophy, losing 2-0 to the eventual winner and 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 2011/12 season was Risborough's best season of late with a late charge securing runners up spot in the league, and a first cup final reached in over 20 years, losing the Anagram Records Trophy final 1-0 to Baldock Town of the Hertfordshire County Senior League. The next season brought two good cup runs.
 
Risborough's progress in the Anagram Record's Trophy was halted in the Semi Final by Baldock Town. The rematch of the previous season’s final ended up with the same score line as Baldock went on to defend the trophy. A second cup final in two years was achieved via the Division 2 cup, although the prospect of lifting the cup once again alluded Rangers, this time losing 2 nil to Aston Clinton. A league finish of fourth was achieved, and with the hard work off the pitch, including securing the funding for floodlights which were erected in time for the 2012/13 season.

In 2016 Risborough finally won some silverware, after several near misses over the last few years. The Berks & Bucks Intermediate Cup was claimed after a 2-1 AET win over United Counties League Olney Town. 2016/17 season saw Bob Rayner retire and his son Jamie take charge saw the club finish in a creditable 6th position and reach the semi-finals of the Berks & Bucks Intermediate Cup before losing on penalties to eventual winners Woodley United. The 2017/8 season started with some promise but sadly this didn’t last with the club finishing in 8th place, the highlight of the campaign, however, was a run in the Challenge Trophy which included victories over Premier Division sides Leighton Town, Oxhey Jets, Edgware Town and London Colney, but alas were beaten 3-1 in the Final by fellow Division One side Broadfields United at Colney Heath.

In October 2018 then current manager Jamie Rayner decided to step down from his position because of work commitments. The Club advertised the position and after a healthy response, the Board appointed the former Hemel Hempstead Town, Arlesey Town, Leighton Town Aylesbury United, Aylesbury FC boss Mark Eaton as their new man. When Eaton took over the club were 19th in Division One and a massive negative goal difference but come the end of the season Rangers finished in 7th spot with a positive goal difference as the season was turn on its head. The season ended though with some silverware when London Lions were defeated 2-0 in the final of the Spartan South Midlands League Division One Cup, which was played at Leverstock Green.

Because of the ongoing re-construction of the non-league system the club made a lateral movement to the Hellenic League Division One East from the Spartan for the start of the 2019/20 season. The 2019/20 season saw Rangers unbeaten and top the league by 14 points with a game in hand over 2nd place Abingdon United after playing 23 games out of the full 32.

Season 2021/22 saw the club promoted to the Premier Division of the Spartan South Midlands Football League by the FA based on their results in the abandoned 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons. On the whole it was a very strong debut season at Step 5 with the Club never being outside the top two from the start of October. In a exciting two horse race with New Salamis which culminated in a last day shootout at the B.E.P. Stadium between the teams. New Salamis won the game 2-0 to become Champions and Rangers had to settle for second place, 10 points clear of 3rd placed Hadley. Further disappointment was to follow with the Ground Grading which the Club failed with Hadley taking Rangers place at Step 4.

Season 2022/23 was a season of two halves, early exits from all cup competitions and mediocre league form meant the club was languishing in mid-table but following a lengthy period of inactivity due to the inclement weather, Rangers were able to reset and go again. This meant that the team were to go on a strong second half of the season which
resulted in 3rd position, three points behind 2nd place Stotfold.

Season 2023/24 will see the club laterally move to the Cherry Red Records Combined Counties League Premier Division North.