Runcorn Linnets F.C. are an English football club based in Runcorn, Cheshire. The club currently plays in the , and is a full member of the Cheshire County Football Association. The club is run by a trust which is a registered society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014, and is registered with the Financial Services Authority.
History
The club was formed on 28 April 2006 as a replacement for the town's previous club, Runcorn F.C. Halton, which had resigned from the Northern Premier League due to financial difficulties. The original Runcorn club's biggest success had been winning the 1981–82 Alliance Premier League title, although they failed to reach the Football League as the league's members had voted against them joining. The club is run by the Supporters Trust, which had been set up as "The Linnets Independent Supporters Trust", and the new club joined two levels further down the football pyramid, in the North West Counties Football League Division Two, having been accepted into the league on 17 June. A groundshare with Witton Albion was arranged at the start of the 2006–07 season, until a suitable ground could be found in Runcorn. This was achieved in 2010, when the club moved into a newly built ground on Murdishaw Avenue and named it the Millbank Linnets Stadium as part of a three-year sponsorship deal.
Steve Carragher who had played for and managed Runcorn FC Halton, joined the club as manager, with Mark Philips as his assistant player-manager. Several players from the old club also joined the Linnets. Their first game was a 4–0 away win against Ashton Town, followed by a 5–0 victory at home to Castleton Gabriels. Runcorn finished their inaugural season as runners-up, losing out on the league title to Winsford United on goal difference, and won promotion to the First Division. Thomas Lamb finished the season as the top scorer, with 22 goals in all competitions.
In the 2007–08 season, Linnets spent most of their time in mid-table. They won their first ever FA Vase game against Daisy Hill, before losing to Salford City in the First round. After a string of poor results, the board decided that a change of management was needed and Steve Wilkes was appointed as manager in January 2008. They finished the season twelfth out of 20 clubs. During the close season, the league was restructured with the First Division becoming the Premier Division. In the 2008–09 season Linnets entered the FA Cup for the first time, winning their first game 3–2 at home to Rossington Main on 17 August 2008. In the next round, they lost 4–0 to Curzon Ashton on 30 August. Recently the club has announced a youth team in every age group up to the under 16s. In 2011–12 they were the only team from the NWCFL to get to the Second Qualifying Round of the FA Cup.
After three consecutive seasons of finishing runners-up, Runcorn finished fourth in the 2016–17 season, which was their lowest in four years. In the 2017–18 season, Runcorn Linnets finished the season in first, four points ahead of second placed Widnes, who also gained promotion. Runcorn also went on to have the highest number of goals scored and the fewest goals conceded.
After two seasons being cancelled due to the Covid pandemic, Runcorn finished 4th in the 2021–22 season. They beat Leek 4–1 in the playoff semi final but lost 2–1 to Marine in the playoff final with a sellout crowd of 1,600 at the APEC Taxis Stadium. Calum McIntyre left his role as manager at the end of season to join Chester.
In the 2022–23 season Runcorn made it to the Liverpool Senior Cup final where they once again lost to Marine on penalties at the DCBL Stadium after a 0–0 draw in front of 2,651 fans. Runcorn finished 6th in this season with manager Dave Wild leaving the club before the play offs, with Billy Paynter taking over till the end of the season. The club went on to win away at Leek in the playoff semi final before losing their third final in a year against Workington 2–1 after extra time in the play off final, despite going 1–0 up early on. Billy then remained as Runcorn manager for the upcoming season.
In the 2023–24 season Runcorn once again qualified for the Northern Premier League West playoffs with a second-place finish. They lost 2–0 to City of Liverpool FC in the semi final. Following the loss, manager Billy Paynter stepped down from his position, after just over a year in charge. Antony Kay was announced as the new Runcorn manager ahead of the 2024–25 season, after appearing 41 times for the Yellows the previous season. On 2 January 2026 after a 5-0 defeat at home to Witton Albion FC, manager Brad Cooke stepped down and on January 5, Michael Ellison returned to the club as manager for a second stint after leading Widnes FC to the title the previous year.
Stadium The club used to groundshare with Witton Albion at the Wincham Park stadium in Northwich. However, they had a stated aim to move back to Runcorn with a new stadium project – R2R (Return 2 Runcorn). A working party was established to work towards the move. The club had been in discussion with Riverside College about leasing a plot of land at the Runcorn Campus, but this proposal was rejected. The next plan involved a move to Halton Sports in Murdishaw, Runcorn for the start of the 2010–11 season, and this has now been completed, largely due to the backing of the local council. The club's aims were to build a ground that would meet the Northern Premier League standard, together with a Community centre which would be used as the clubhouse on matchdays. The club also want to include an all-weather pitch on the site for use by local sporting organisations and groups. The opening match took place on 17 July 2010 and was a friendly against Witton Albion, partly as old rivals but mainly as an appreciation of their help in establishing a base for Runcorn Linnets F.C. in its foundation years.
From the start of the 2020–21 season Runcorn Linnets will play on a state of the art hybrid grass pitch. The pitch will also enable the club to increase community engagement. From the 2025-26 season, Runcorn would be ground-sharing the APEC with Northwich Victoria.
Honours Updated 13 May 2025. NWCFL League Cup: Winners: 2012-13 NWCFL Premier Division: Champions: 2017-18 Cheshire Senior Cup: Winners: 2024-25
Players Current squad Updated 31 May 2026.
Non-playing staff Updated 31 May 2026. NameRole Peter Cartledge Chairman Jeff Jago Vice-chairman Paul Eastup Club Secretary David Bettley Trust Secretary Michael Ellison First Team Manager Chris Lawton First Team Assistant Manager Ryan Brookfield First Team Goalkeeper Coach Lee Bignall First Team Coach Darren Berrill Head Of Medical Daniel Jago Kit Manager Ron Corn Mascot
Attendances
League averages
Past averages: 2025-26: 653 2024-25: 533 2023–24: 701 2022–23: 640 2021–22: 732 2020–21: 275 Season Curtailed Due To COVID-19 pandemic. 2019–20: 346 Season Curtailed Due To COVID-19 pandemic. 2018–19: 393 2017–18: 387 2016–17: 332 2015–16: 324 2014–15: 363 2013–14: 323 2012–13: 244 2011–12: 276 2010–11: 284 2009–10: 138 2008–09: 136 2007–08: 170 2006–07: 200
Source: Tony Kempster's site Non-League Matters NW Counties Football League site
League history Updated 26 April 2026. Key to league record Pld = Games played W = Games won D = Games drawn L = Games lost F = Goals for A = Goals against Pts = Points Pos = Position in the final league table + League Joined the North West Counties Football League in 2006YearLeaguePldWDLFAPtsPosSignificant EventsTop Scorer (League)2006–07NW Counties Division Two3424467735762ndPromoted2007–08NW Counties Division One381461853644812thLeague Renamed to Premier Division2008–09 NW Counties Premier Division421671964845511th2009–10421761975785711th2010–11421681868775612th2011–12422210107062765thRob Whyte – 152012–1342219128258726thNWCFL League Cup: Winners: 2012–13Ross McDowell – 142013–1442298510339952ndAntony Hickey – 192014–154028848939922ndKevin Towey – 182015–164232289735982ndKyle Hamid – 192016–1742279610545904thMark Houghton – 222017–18443176122361001stNWCFL Premier Division: Champions: 2017–18Freddie Potter – 242018–19Northern Premier League38226106850726thFreddie Potter – 8League Renamed to North West Division2019–202710894140389thSeason Curtailed Due To COVID-19 pandemic.Louis Corrigan – 72020–2184311511158thSeason Curtailed Due To COVID-19 pandemic.Craig Linfield – 4League Renamed to West Division2021–223823787239764thLost in play-off finalRyan Brooke - 282022–2338189115838635thLost in play-off finalJamie Rainford - 142023–2438208106339682ndLost in play-off semi-finalOliver Molloy - 152024–254217101554706111thCheshire Senior Cup: Winners: 2024-25Ryan Brooke - 112025-2642231187645804thLost in play-off semi-finalScott Bakkor - 16
Source: FCHD Football Web Pages RLFC
FA competition history Updated 4 October 2025. Season FA Cup FA Trophy FA Vase 2006–07 – – – 2007–08 – – R1 2008–09 PRE – R3 2009–10 PRE – 2Q 2010–11 PRE – R1 2011–12 2Q – R1 2012–13 EPr – R1 2013–14 3Q – R1 2014–15 PRE – R1 2015–16 1Q – R2 2016–17 EP – R1 2017–18 PRE – R3 2018–19 PRE EP – 2019–20 PRE 3Q – 2020–21 2Q R1 – 2021–22 3Q 3Q – 2022–23 1Q R2 – 2023–24 2Qr 1Q – 2024-25 PREr 1Q - 2025-26 4Q 3Q -
Managerial history Updated 13 May 2025. Name From To Honours Steve Carragher 2006 2008 Steve Wilkes 2008 2010 Paul McNally 2010 2012 Joey Dunn 2012 2016 NWCFL League Cup: Winners: 2012–13 Michael Ellison 2016 2020 NWCFL Premier Division: Champions: 2017–18 Calum McIntyre 2020 2022 Dave Wild 2022 2023 Billy Paynter 2023 2024 Antony Kay 2024 2025 Brad Cooke 2025 2026 Cheshire Senior Cup Winners: 2024-25Michael Ellison 2026 present
References
External links