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Mill Hill Football Club History
Bill Maynard6 Mar 2020 - 12:45
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How Mill Hill Football club started
Mill Hill Football History
Mill Hill Football club has well rooted traditions within the local community and has built strong relationships within the community, whilst the club itself has strong family connections built up over many years. ln the beginning the club was the centre of a thriving community run from the Kings lnn pub and developed this by building a junior and senior section the club took the Leasehold for Griffin Park football ground in 2001 this allowed the club to develop further as both the junior and senior sections expanded the club rapidly developed its links with the local community.
It is fair to say that the area in which the club is situated is in an area of social depravity with high unemployment and crime and other social issues the club by working with other local agencies and groups help to provide training and other health and fitness benefits, through working with other services such as Blackburn with Darwen CVS and Blackburn Rovers Community trust we have obtained funding to help get young people into full time employment as sports coaches and others have become part of a thriving group of volunteers helping with such things as community clean ups; it is fair to say that the club have become so successful within the Mill Hill and Griffin community the junior section grew so much that they needed their own facilities and with it their independent management structure although both sections still work closely together by building and developing links into the community in other areas. Griffin ground is a real attraction in the community and is regularly used to provide Social events catering for all sections and cultures of the community from sports and healthy activities for all genders and age groups to open days and Fetes for all to enjoy she Sunday team has three generations of one family who have played this season whilst we have father and son at the club in various capacity either as player, Manager or club volunteer. The club presently has two teams one Saturday and one Sunday as well as a very successful Diversity team.
The club which now has three senior teams and a Diversity team has been very successful but without question the Sunday side who play in the Blackburn Sunday football league have been very successful with L1 league titles, 7 league cups 3 Charity trophy and two LFA Sunday trophy winners in 2005 followed by 2072 when the team did the first treble in the leagues 47-year history of league and cup double and the LFA Sunday Trophy, the Saturday team have been successful although they have tended to live in the shadow ofthe Sunday league side although last season the club won the East Lancashire league division L title for the first time in the clubs 24 year history in the league although they have been division l runners up twice and division two champions inZAOT; the Saturday 1't team were President cup runners up in 2009/10,2A7O|L1, before winning the trophy in2Ot2/13 while the finishing runners up in Division l- in 2014/t5,and2O17/tB. The Diversityteam are an important part of the club providing an outlet for people with varying disabilities to engage in sport and other social activities but more importantly integrate with all sections of the club
It is fair to say that Graham Shackleton who has been involved in the club since 1988 as a player then manager and now club President while Pete Fryer has been club secretary since 1991 have been the foundations on which the club have been built it was their vision that has put the club where it is today. Graham Shackleton has served the community and Mill Hill Footballclub in particular for32years he came to our organisation in 1987 when we played underthe name of Kings lnn was a very well-known Local Hostelry in the community, (Shack) as he is known was also a very good and well respected player he started playing with the very successful Griffin Celtic in the Blackburn Combination. ln 1987 he set about his dream of building a footballclub that had community and family at its heart, the club needed a well organised and committed secretary and Graham brought Pete Fryer in to the club together they started to build their dream club in 2000 both Graham and Pete started talks with the council for acquiring Griffin Ground this would be the hub of the club and community with the help of other members they started the building of a now strong and successful community club, and its ability to its success was recently recognised by Blackburn with Darwen Council by giving the ground Asset of the Community status
the club's efficiency is also recognised by the Football Association by awarding the club its prestigious Community Charter Standard club award, which the club must demonstrate annually that it reaches the required standards of efficiency. This is all down to the vision of Graham and Pete with the help of many hardworking volunteers together their vision saw the club become an integral part of a real Community club with family values at its chore; The motto of our community and club is Pride - Loyalty - Passion we all have a pride in the work we do as volunteers Loyalty and passion in the club and Community we serve. lt is fair to say that these 3 words also sum up the Mill Hill Community as a whole.
To build and continue to allow such clubs to survive in the very difficult political cuts we have is indeed full testament to the work our volunteers do giving their time freely so that others can benefit.
Their inspiration in our club and the community as a whole is there for all to see through Graham Shackleton's and Pete Fryers vision a club and a community came together he alongside all the clubs hard working volunteers have built a legacy for the future for people of all cultures age and gender. Many of the players have come through the clubs junior system into the senior ranks forging unbreakable family links and traditions within our club last season saw the club have 3 generations of their family playing in the team at the same time while we presently have families still serving the club in various capacities this only helps to forge more links with a thriving social community whether it be with a soccer school on the ground, trip through Blackpool illuminations, fireworks display and many other social activities we help to organise. lndeed, many people involved in ourgreat club have gone on to play, coach, and manage clubs at a much higher level.
The club and its volunteers have been recognised for their hard work and dedication for their work and dedication in the community 2 members have long service awards from the football association in 2018 and 2019 both Pete Fryer and Graham Shackleton received Life time achievement awards from Blackburn with Darwen Community service volunteers awards evening Pete Fryer has also been recognised by the Lancashire FootballAssociation for his service to the club and its community.
The club and its facilities are also used for many charity events including football tournaments and other events raising money to help charities and people of all ages and gender to help fund much needed equipment or treatment of illness. The club's ground and facilities are used by local leagues for their important games and cup finals one local league uses the ground for its Charity trophy which recently raised over f 1000 for the East Lancashire Hospice. As a club we are proud to play our part and help put back into the community we are proud of and love we are more than a club the commuTnity has become part of our large extended family.
Since the club took overthe ground lease in 2001 much improvement has been made by our hard working volunteers and using the skills of many of the people who use our facilities to keep cost down and help with small grants from sponsorship various organisations including Police commission and a grow the game grant f750 from Football foundation the club have recently applied for f l-0,000 funding for equipment identified by a report funded by the Lancashire football association needed to improve and upkeep the playing pitch, we also want to be able to update changing and shower facilities however until such time as we have secured an extension on our present lease we cannot get approval for the bigger grants available to do this work.
Griffin ground has been part of the local sports and recreation of this town going back over a hundred years please find attached copies of the Land registry and Asset Value to the community,
Mill Hill Football club has well rooted traditions within the local community and has built strong relationships within the community, whilst the club itself has strong family connections built up over many years. ln the beginning the club was the centre of a thriving community run from the Kings lnn pub and developed this by building a junior and senior section the club took the Leasehold for Griffin Park football ground in 2001 this allowed the club to develop further as both the junior and senior sections expanded the club rapidly developed its links with the local community.
It is fair to say that the area in which the club is situated is in an area of social depravity with high unemployment and crime and other social issues the club by working with other local agencies and groups help to provide training and other health and fitness benefits, through working with other services such as Blackburn with Darwen CVS and Blackburn Rovers Community trust we have obtained funding to help get young people into full time employment as sports coaches and others have become part of a thriving group of volunteers helping with such things as community clean ups; it is fair to say that the club have become so successful within the Mill Hill and Griffin community the junior section grew so much that they needed their own facilities and with it their independent management structure although both sections still work closely together by building and developing links into the community in other areas. Griffin ground is a real attraction in the community and is regularly used to provide Social events catering for all sections and cultures of the community from sports and healthy activities for all genders and age groups to open days and Fetes for all to enjoy she Sunday team has three generations of one family who have played this season whilst we have father and son at the club in various capacity either as player, Manager or club volunteer. The club presently has two teams one Saturday and one Sunday as well as a very successful Diversity team.
The club which now has three senior teams and a Diversity team has been very successful but without question the Sunday side who play in the Blackburn Sunday football league have been very successful with L1 league titles, 7 league cups 3 Charity trophy and two LFA Sunday trophy winners in 2005 followed by 2072 when the team did the first treble in the leagues 47-year history of league and cup double and the LFA Sunday Trophy, the Saturday team have been successful although they have tended to live in the shadow ofthe Sunday league side although last season the club won the East Lancashire league division L title for the first time in the clubs 24 year history in the league although they have been division l runners up twice and division two champions inZAOT; the Saturday 1't team were President cup runners up in 2009/10,2A7O|L1, before winning the trophy in2Ot2/13 while the finishing runners up in Division l- in 2014/t5,and2O17/tB. The Diversityteam are an important part of the club providing an outlet for people with varying disabilities to engage in sport and other social activities but more importantly integrate with all sections of the club
It is fair to say that Graham Shackleton who has been involved in the club since 1988 as a player then manager and now club President while Pete Fryer has been club secretary since 1991 have been the foundations on which the club have been built it was their vision that has put the club where it is today. Graham Shackleton has served the community and Mill Hill Footballclub in particular for32years he came to our organisation in 1987 when we played underthe name of Kings lnn was a very well-known Local Hostelry in the community, (Shack) as he is known was also a very good and well respected player he started playing with the very successful Griffin Celtic in the Blackburn Combination. ln 1987 he set about his dream of building a footballclub that had community and family at its heart, the club needed a well organised and committed secretary and Graham brought Pete Fryer in to the club together they started to build their dream club in 2000 both Graham and Pete started talks with the council for acquiring Griffin Ground this would be the hub of the club and community with the help of other members they started the building of a now strong and successful community club, and its ability to its success was recently recognised by Blackburn with Darwen Council by giving the ground Asset of the Community status
the club's efficiency is also recognised by the Football Association by awarding the club its prestigious Community Charter Standard club award, which the club must demonstrate annually that it reaches the required standards of efficiency. This is all down to the vision of Graham and Pete with the help of many hardworking volunteers together their vision saw the club become an integral part of a real Community club with family values at its chore; The motto of our community and club is Pride - Loyalty - Passion we all have a pride in the work we do as volunteers Loyalty and passion in the club and Community we serve. lt is fair to say that these 3 words also sum up the Mill Hill Community as a whole.
To build and continue to allow such clubs to survive in the very difficult political cuts we have is indeed full testament to the work our volunteers do giving their time freely so that others can benefit.
Their inspiration in our club and the community as a whole is there for all to see through Graham Shackleton's and Pete Fryers vision a club and a community came together he alongside all the clubs hard working volunteers have built a legacy for the future for people of all cultures age and gender. Many of the players have come through the clubs junior system into the senior ranks forging unbreakable family links and traditions within our club last season saw the club have 3 generations of their family playing in the team at the same time while we presently have families still serving the club in various capacities this only helps to forge more links with a thriving social community whether it be with a soccer school on the ground, trip through Blackpool illuminations, fireworks display and many other social activities we help to organise. lndeed, many people involved in ourgreat club have gone on to play, coach, and manage clubs at a much higher level.
The club and its volunteers have been recognised for their hard work and dedication for their work and dedication in the community 2 members have long service awards from the football association in 2018 and 2019 both Pete Fryer and Graham Shackleton received Life time achievement awards from Blackburn with Darwen Community service volunteers awards evening Pete Fryer has also been recognised by the Lancashire FootballAssociation for his service to the club and its community.
The club and its facilities are also used for many charity events including football tournaments and other events raising money to help charities and people of all ages and gender to help fund much needed equipment or treatment of illness. The club's ground and facilities are used by local leagues for their important games and cup finals one local league uses the ground for its Charity trophy which recently raised over f 1000 for the East Lancashire Hospice. As a club we are proud to play our part and help put back into the community we are proud of and love we are more than a club the commuTnity has become part of our large extended family.
Since the club took overthe ground lease in 2001 much improvement has been made by our hard working volunteers and using the skills of many of the people who use our facilities to keep cost down and help with small grants from sponsorship various organisations including Police commission and a grow the game grant f750 from Football foundation the club have recently applied for f l-0,000 funding for equipment identified by a report funded by the Lancashire football association needed to improve and upkeep the playing pitch, we also want to be able to update changing and shower facilities however until such time as we have secured an extension on our present lease we cannot get approval for the bigger grants available to do this work.
Griffin ground has been part of the local sports and recreation of this town going back over a hundred years please find attached copies of the Land registry and Asset Value to the community,
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