Unreliable History
| When Shaddongate United and Carlisle Red Rose merged, their fans heaved a huge sigh of relief. The 1903 union of the two sides saved a lot of shouting for each set of supporters and Brunton Park saw Division 3 (North) action for the first time in 1928, after a number of years playing in the Lancashire Combination – even though the club did not reside in that county !! There was little to celebrate in those early years, except the fact that almost every club complained about travelling to the remote Northern ground. Even their nearest rivals – Newcastle United – moaned about making the 58 mile trip. Some reporters felt that if the ball had been kicked over the wall, that it would drop off the edge of the world. Well, it was nearly Scotland !! But for all the complaints, the ground was the first outside London to have floodlights and they were needed as most games would have been played in pitch darkness even on a Saturday afternoon.
Even Bill Shankly, who managed the club from 1949 to 1951 could not rouse the sleeping beast within Carlisle and it took until 1965 for the Cumbrians to win their first trophy and the Division Three championship helped them up the League, until in 1974-75 they stood proudly at the top of Div. 1 for a couple of weeks. This didn’t last and they were relegated at the end of that season. By 1984, they were back in the League basement. It was in 1995 that they won the Division Three title again, but their rise only lasted a season. Indeed it was only the famous Glass incident in the last kick of the last game that their on loan keeper kept them in the League. Recently the club have been more famous for off the field activities. Chairman Michael Knighton has ruled the roost and has tried to raise money for the club by trying to attract UFO’s to land there. Sponsors – Eddie Stobart, the haulage firm – have brought notoriety to the side by changing their away strip to their livery of gold, green and red. The most recent furore has sprung up around the plan to merge with Clydebank and take their place in the Scottish League. Most English clubs have endorsed this plan as it would be cheaper for the Scottish sides to travel to Carlisle than those in the English League. Other schemes have been a renaming of the side to be Carlisle North End, to reflect their position in the country, but it was thought this would be unnecessary. The 1999-2000 season has seen Carlisle sink to near the bottom of Division Three and in a repeat of last term, they managed to stay in the League by two goals from Chester who went into the Conference on goal difference after the results on last day of the season. 2000-01 was a little easier for them as they were safe coming into the last day and there were no need for last minute heroics. Their league status was lost in 2004 and the side are now buoyant again, pushing for promotion back to League 2 and make a comeback after nearly floating away in the floods of early 2005 that put Brunton Park under water. Famous Players : – Alan Ashman, Norman Scott, Peter Beardsley, Alan Ross, Harry Shepherd, Matt Jansen. |
Club Records
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| Formed | 1903 |
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| Turned Professional | 1903 |
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| Became a Limited Company | 1921 |
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| Previous names | 1903-1904 = Shaddongate United |
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| Previous grounds | 1903-1905 = Milhome Bank 1905-1909 = Devonshire Park |
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| Nickname | “THE CUMBRIANS” or “THE BLUES” |
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| Club Colours | HOME : 
AWAY : |
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| Record Football League Win | 8-0 v Hartlepools United (Division Three North) 01.09.1928 8-0 v Scunthorpe United (Division Three North) 25.12.1952 |
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| Record Football League Defeat | 1-11 v Hull City (Division Three North) 14.01.1939 |
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| Record Cup Win | 6-0 v Shepshed Dynamo (FA Cup First Round) 16.11.1996 |
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| Record Fee Paid | £140,000 to Blackburn Rovers for Joe GARNER (August 2007) |
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| Record Fee Received | £1.5 million from Crystal Palace for Matt JANSEN (February 1999) |
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| Record Appearances | ?? |
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| Record League Appearances | 466 – Alan ROSS (1963-1979) |
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| Record League goal-scorer | 126 – Jimmy McCONNELL (1928-1932) |
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| Record all-time goal-scorer | ?? |
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| Record goal-scorer in a League season | 42 – Jimmy McCONNELL Division Three North (1928-1929) |
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| Most goals scored in a League match | 5 – Hugh MILLS v Halifax Town Division Three North 11.09.1937 5 – Jim WHITEHOUSE v Scunthorpe United Division Three North 25.12.1952 |
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| Record Home Attendance | 27,500 v Birmingham City (FA Cup Third Round) 08.01.1957 27,500 v Middlesbrough (FA Cup Fifth Round) 07.02.1970 |
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| Record total of goals in a League season | 113 – Division Four (1963-1964) |
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| Record League points total | 2 points for a win : 62 – (1950-1951) Three Division North (46 games) 3 points for a win : 91 – (1994-1995) Division Three (42 games) |
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| Most Capped Player while at club | 4 – Eric WALSH (Northern Ireland) |
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| Youngest Player | John SLAVEN – 16 years and 162 days v Scunthorpe United (Third Division) 16.03.2002 |
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| Oldest Player | – |
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Stadium details
Address : Brunton Park, Warwick Road, Carlisle, Cumbria CA1 1LL
Telephone : 0330 094 5930
Ticket Office : 0330 094 5930 (Option 1)
Capacity : 17,300
Pitch size : 104m x 68m (114 yards x 74 yards)
Official website : carlisleunited.co.uk
Directions
There are good directions to the Brunton Park Stadium on the Carlisle United website.
Honours
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| Division Three Champions (Third Tier) | 1964-1965 |
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| Division Three Runners-up (Third Tier) | 1981-1982 |
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| Division Three Champions (Fourth Tier) | 1994-1995 |
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| League Two Champions (Fourth Tier) | 2005-2006 |
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| Division Four Runners-up (Fourth Tier) | 1963-1964 |
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| Football League Trophy Winners | 1996-1997, 2010-2011 |
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| Football League Trophy Finalists | 1994-1995, 2002-2003, 2005-2006, 2009-2010 |
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Managers
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| Harry KIRKBRIDE (Secretary-Manager) | 1904 – 1905 |
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| McCUMISKEY (Secretary-Manager) | 1905 – 1906 |
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| Jack HOUSTON (Secretary-Manager) | 1906 – 1908 |
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| Bert STANSFIELD | 1908 – 1910 |
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| Jack HOUSTON | 1910 – 1912 |
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| Dave GRAHAM | 1912 – 1913 |
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| George BISTOW | 1913 – 1930 |
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| Billy HAMPSON | 1930 – 1933 |
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| Bill CLARKE | 1933 – 1935 |
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| Bob KELLY | 1935 – 1936 |
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| Fred WESTGARTH | 1936 – 1938 |
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| David TAYLOR | 1938 – 1940 |
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| Howard HARKNESS | 1940 – 1945 |
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| Bill CLARKE (Secretary-Manager) | 1945 – 1946 |
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| Ivor BROADIS | 1946 – 1949 |
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| Bill SHANKLY | 1949 – 1951 |
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| Fred EMERY | 1951 – 1958 |
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| Andy BEATTIE | 1958 – 1960 |
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| Ivor POWELL | 1960 – 1963 |
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| Alan ASHMAN | 1963 – 1967 |
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| Tim WARD | 1967 – 1968 |
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| Bob STOKOE | 1968 – 1970 |
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| Ian MacFARLANE | 1970 – 1972 |
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| Alan ASHMAN | 1972 – 1975 |
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| Dick YOUNG | 1975 – 1976 |
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| Bobby MONCUR | 1976 – 1980 |
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| Martin HARVEY | 1980 |
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| Bob STOKOE | 1980 – 1985 |
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| Pop ROBSON | 1985 |
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| Bob STOKOE | 1985 – 1986 |
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| Harry GREGG | 1986 – 1987 |
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| Clive MIDDLEMASS | 1987 – 1991 |
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| Aidan McCAFFREY | 1991 – 1992 |
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| David McCREERY | 1992 – 1994 |
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| Mick WADSWORTH | 1994 – 1996 |
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| Mervyn DAY | 1996 – 1997 |
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| Dave WILKES (Caretaker) | 1997 |
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| Michael KNIGHTON/Dave WILKES/John HALPIN | 11 September 1997 – 17 December1998 |
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| Nigel PEARSON | 17 December 1998 – 17 May 1999 |
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| Keith MINCHER | 18 June 1999 – 25 June 1999 |
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| Martin WILKINSON | 25 June 1999 – 10 May 2000 |
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| Ian ATKINS | 10 May 2000 – 12 July 2001 |
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| Roddy COLLINS | 1 August 2001 – April 2002 |
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| Billy BARR (Caretaker) | 6 April 2002 – 1 August 2002 |
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| Roddy COLLINS | 1 August 2002 – 29 August 2003 |
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| Paul SIMPSON | 29 August 2003 – 17 June 2006 |
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| Neil McDONALD | 17 June 2006 – 13 August 2007 |
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| Greg ABBOTT (Caretaker) | 13 August 2007 – 2 October 2007 |
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| John WARD | 2 October 2007 – 3 November 2008 |
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| Greg ABBOTT (Caretaker) | 3 November 2008 – 5 December 2008 |
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| Greg ABBOTT | 5 December 2008 – 9 September 2013 |
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| Graham KAVANAGH/Davie IRONS/Tony CAIG (Caretaker) | 9 September 2013 – 1 October 2013 |
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| Graham KAVANAGH | 1 October 2013 – 1 September 2014 |
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| Tony CAIG/Paul THIRWELL (Caretaker) | 1 September 2014 – 19 September 2014 |
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| Keith CURLE | 19 September 2014 – 8 May 2018 |
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| Colin WEST (Caretaker) | 8 May 2018 – 5 June 2018 |
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| John SHERIDAN | 5 June 2018 – 4 January 2019 |
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| Tommy WRIGHT/Paul MURRAY (Caretaker) | 4 January 2019 – 16 January 2019 |
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| Steven PRESSLEY | 16 January 2019 – 13 November 2019 |
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| Gavin SKELTON (Caretaker) | 13 November 2019 – 26 November 2019 |
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| Chris BEECH | 26 November 2019 – 10 October 2021 |
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| Gavin SKELTON (Caretaker) | 10 October 2021 – 26 October 2021 |
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| Keith MILLEN | 26 October 2021 – 23 February 2022 |
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| Paul SIMPSON | 23 February 2022 – |
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League Record
The Football League structure has historically been as follows …
| 1888-1892 | 1892-1920 | 1920-1921 | 1921-1958 | 1958-1992 | 1992-2004 | 2004 to date | |
| First tier | Football League | Division One | Division One | Division One | Division One | Premiership | Premier League |
| Second tier | Division Two | Division Two | Division Two | Division Two | Division One | Championship | |
| Third tier | Division Three | Division Three (North) and (South) |
Division Three | Division Two | League One | ||
| Fourth tier | Division Four | Division Three | League Two | ||||
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| Elected to Division Three (North) | 1928 |
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| Division Three (North) | 1928-1958 |
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| Division Four (Fourth Tier) | 1958-1962 |
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| Division Three (Third Tier) | 1962-1963 |
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| Division (Fourth Tier) | 1963-1964 |
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| Division Three (Third Tier) | 1964-1965 |
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| Division Two (Second Tier) | 1965-1974 |
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| Division One (Top Tier) | 1974-1975 |
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| Division Two (Second Tier) | 1975-1977 |
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| Division Three (Third Tier) | 1977-1982 |
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| Division Two (Second Tier) | 1982-1986 |
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| Division Three (Third Tier) | 1986-1987 |
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| Division Four (Fourth Tier) | 1987-1992 |
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| Division Three (Fourth Tier) | 1992-1995 |
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| Division Two (Third Tier) | 1995-1996 |
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| Division Three (Fourth Tier) | 1996-1997 |
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| Division Two (Third Tier) | 1997-1998 |
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| Division Three (Fourth Tier) | 1998-2004 |
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| Conference (Fifth Tier) | 2004-2005 |
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| League Two (Fourth Tier) | 2005-2006 |
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| League One (Third Tier) | 2006-2014 |
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| League Two (Fourth Tier) | 2014- |
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