Redditch United Football Club

(The Reds) are one of the longest established football clubs in the Midlands, starting out in the Birmingham Combination League in 1891. In 1971, the club reached the first round of the FA Cup. A record crowd of 4,500 in the Valley Stadium saw a draw with Peterborough United. The team joined the Southern League and were promoted to the Premier Division in 1975/76. The Reds were founder members of the Alliance Premier League in 1979/80 which became the Football Conference. The club joined the Southern League and another FA Cup run in 1989 ended against Conference side Merthyr Tydfil. In 2003/04 they clinched an historic double promotion- the Southern League Western Division and a place in the Conference North. Chris Swan took control of the club in March 2011, clearing all outstanding debts to guarantee its continued survival. He and his wife Sallie began a strategy of developing the clubs community links with schools and other organisations across the towns surrounding area. The Ju...