AFC Fylde

AFC Fylde plays in the National League, which is the fifth tier of English football behind the Premier League, Championship, League One and League Two and is the top level of the non-league pyramid. The club was founded in 1988 as Kirkham and Wesham following a merger between Kirkham Town and Wesham before adopting its current name in 2008.

AFC Fylde Updates

AFC Fylde currently ply their trade in the National League having moved between the division and the National League North over the last few seasons.  

The club are currently in the middle of a relegation fight in the National League finding themselves three points from safety with 15 games to go. The club recently relieved manager Kevin Phillips of his duties after just five wins in 20 matches. Phillips had been in charge at the Mill Farm Stadium for four months after taking charge in October.

Interim boss David Longwell will remain in charge for the remainder of the season and will be assisted by goalkeeping coach Chris Neal.

The Coasters’ squad is a youthful one with an average age of below 25 years of age. One of the more experienced members of the squad is 30-year-old Nick Haughton who has been with the club since the 2018-19 season.

Haughton has consistently produced the goods for Fylde and is performing admirably again despite the club’s struggles. The former Salford City attacker has scored 18 times and assisted a further eight goals so far this term.

AFC Fylde Transfer News & Rumours

AFC Fylde was incredibly active in the transfer market and had to rebuild their squad completely, with as many players leaving as coming through the door.

Experienced defender Chris Stokes joined the club from Barrow during the winter transfer window while Offrande Zanzala was released from his contract in February.

The Coasters used free transfers and the loan market to build their squad, with one of the out-of-contract players joining being the former Wigan Athletic and Port Vale man Gavin Massey.

Rumours will begin to circulate as to who will take over from departed boss Kevin Phillips and be given the task of turning around the club’s fortunes.

AFC Fylde Signings

AFC Fylde was busy in the summer transfer window under former boss Chris Beech. Goalkeeper Ben Winterbottom is on loan from Premier League side Brentford while Tom Tweedy and Will Hugill are both at Mill Farm on temporary transfers from Burnley.

Former Manchester United youngster Joe Riley left Walsall for the Fylde coast with Corey Whelan and Charlie Jolley joining him from Carlisle United and Tranmere Rovers.

Luke Brennan, Lincoln McFayden and Tyler Roberts all joined the club on free transfers from the reserve teams of Wigan Athletic, Swansea City and Wolverhampton Wanderers to add to the youthfulness of this Fylde squad.

Player	Age	Nationality	Left	Fee	Contract Duration
Offrande Zanzala	27	Congo	Newport County League Two	Free	N/A
Corey Whelan	26	Republic of Ireland	Carlisle United League Two	Free	2 Years
Charlie Jolley	23	England	Tranmere Rovers League Two	Free	2 Years
Chris Stokes	33	England	Barrow League Two	Free	18 Months
Luke Brennan	22	England	Wigan Athletic League One	Free	1 Year
Lincoln McFayden	22	England	Swansea City Championship	Free	1 Year
Joe Riley	27	England	Walsall League Two	Free	1 year
Tyler Roberts	21	Jamaica	Wolverhampton Wanderers U21 Premier League 2	Free	18 Months
Ethan Mitchell	21	England	Wigan Athletic League One	Free	2 Years
Patrick Gamble	20	England	Blackburn Rovers U21 Premier League 2	Loan	6 Months
Max Bardell	21	England	Derby County U21 Premier League 2	Loan	1 Year
Dan Sassi	21	England	Blackpool League One	Loan	1 Year
Tom Tweedy	20	Wales	Burnley  Championship	Loan	1 Year
Ben Winterbottom	23	England	Brentford Premier League	Loan	1 Year
Kain Adom	23	England	Gateshead National League	Loan	1 Year
Will Hugill	21	England	Burnley Championship	Loan	1 Year
Ashley Boatswain	19	Montserrat	Ipswich Town Premier League	Loan	1 Year
Gavin Massey	31	England	Without Club	Free	N/A

AFC Fylde Key Matches Of The Season

AFC Fylde faces a tense run-in as they look to maintain their National League status. The Coasters have huge relegation fights against fellow strugglers Braintree Town and Aldershot Town as well as tough matches against promotion-chasing sides like York City, and Forest Green Rovers and a final match of the season against current league leaders Barnet.

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AFC Fylde Key Achievements

Since their formation in 1988, AFC Fylde has risen through the levels of non-league, going from the West Lancashire League to the National League.

They were even relegated to Division Two of the West Lancashire League before gaining promotion and then winning the West Lancashire League Premier Division seven years out of eight from 1999 - 2000 to 2006 - 2007.

The final success saw the club accepted into Division Two of the North West Counties League and they went on to secure promotion in their first season to Division One of the Northern Premier League.

Fylde's first campaign at that level saw a playoff place earned but they were denied a successive promotion as they were beaten 1-0 in the playoff final by Chorley.

Dave Challinor's appointment in 2011 saw the club kick start their drives up the leagues as he took the Coasters from 16 points off the top to league title winners with a win over Salford City.

Another playoff place was earned in their first season in the Northern Premier League Premier Division but lost out to Hednesford Town in the semi-finals. They would go one better the following season and win the playoffs to achieve National League North status for the very first time.

Two failed playoff campaigns followed before winning the National League North title in 2016-17 and were elevated to the National League and would suffer yet more playoff heartbreak at the hands of Boreham Wood.

Yet more playoff disappointment followed in 2018-19 with a defeat at Wembley to Salford City but would add a trophy to the cabinet in the shape of the FA Trophy with a win over Leyton Orient.

Challinor was sacked after eight years with the club and they succumbed to relegation back to the National League North but had a great run in the FA Cup, losing to Sheffield United in the 3rd round. Their first season back in the regional division saw yet another playoff defeat before winning the league in the 2022-23 season.

• National League North Champions 2016-17, 2022-23
• Northern Premier League Division One North Champions 2011-12
• North West Counties Premier Division Champions 2008-09
• West Lancashire League Premier Division Champions 1999-00, 2000-01, 2001-02, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07
• FA Trophy Winners 2018-19
• FA Vase Winners 2007-08

AFC Fylde Current Squad

AFC Fylde's squad underwent a serious overhaul during the summer and the club's precarious league position saw them delve back into the market during the winter window.

The Coaster's squad has an average age of just below 25 years of age, with defenders Chris Stokes and Harry Davis two of the elder statesmen in the squad at 33 years old.

The squad has been put together using free transfers and the loan market with players heading to the Fylde Coast from the Premier League, Championship and Leagues One and Two.

Goalkeeper Ben Winterbottom joined on a temporary transfer from Brentford and defender Max Bardell has left Championship outfit Derby County for a loan spell.  

The top scorer in the current squad is attacker Nick Haughton, who continues to impress at Mill Farm with 17 goals and nine assists so far this season. That is on the back of 18 goals last season and 55 across the two seasons prior and over 100 in his time at the club.

AFC Fylde Attackers

Nick Haughton is the main man in the AFC Fylde attack and has been supported this season by Charlie Jolley and Danny Ormerod, with the latter returning from a loan spell at National League North side Chorley.

New additions to the striking options include Montserrat international Ashley Boatswain and Welshman Tom Tweedy who have joined the club on loan from Ipswich Town and Burnley respectively.

AFC Fylde Midfielders

Joe Riley and Ethan Mitchell lead the midfield and have been ably supported by on-loan Burnley man Will Hugill. In the wide areas, Jonathan Ustabasi and Tyler Roberts have contributed six goals between them so far this term.

AFC Fylde Defenders

Corey Whelan has been a mainstay in the Fylde defence this season and has made 34 National League appearances so far and has played alongside captain Harry Davis.

On loan Derby County right-back Max Bardell and left-back Lincoln McFayden are the pair who completed the defence last time out.

Chris Stokes joined the club in January from Barrow and provides central defensive cover along with Emeka Obi and Adam Long. Owen Evans and Bryce Hosannah add depth to the full-back departments.

AFC Fylde Goalkeepers

On-loan Brentford goalkeeper Ben Winterbottom has been the man trusted with the role of first-choice goalkeeper for much of this season.

Former Buxton stopper Theo Richardson has tasted some action this season but is currently out on loan at Hereford United so the position of back-up keeper is left to youngsters Charlie Clark and Ewan Dodgson.

AFC Fylde Manager & Coaching Staff

David Longwell - Interim Manager

David Longwell began his coaching career in the academy at St Mirren as academy manager before heading 'across the pond' to take the same role at Orlando City and then New York Red Bulls.

Longwell headed back to England to take up the academy role before getting his opportunity to coach the first team at Shrewsbury Town before heading back to the academy at Burnley.

The 50-year-old initially joined Fylde as assistant to Kevin Phillips before being given the role of interim following the former England international's dismissal.

Chris Neal - Interim Assistant Manager

Chris Neal is a former goalkeeper who represented many clubs such as Port Vale and Salford City before ending his playing days with Fylde and taking on the role of goalkeeping coach.

Following the departure of Phillips, Neal has been promoted to interim manager to work alongside Longwell until the end of the season at least.

AFC Fylde Former Managers & Key Coaches

AFC Fylde has had many notable managers who have contributed to the club’s rise through non-league over the years.

• Jim Bentley (2019-22) was in charge as the club lost its National League status during the suspended Covid-19 season. He was in the Fylde dugout for 67 matches and won close to half of those.
• Adam Murray (2022-23) had been assistant manager at Turkish giants Besiktas before taking on the job at Fylde. He may have only taken charge of 47 matches but Murray led the club back to the National League as champions of the National League North.
• Chris Beech (2023-24) held a number of roles at Mill Farm before being appointed manager in December 2023. He oversaw 31 games and won 12 of those but only managed one victory in eight at the start of this term.
• Kevin Phillips (2024-25) spent only 18 games in charge of the Coasters, winning five times and losing 11 of those 18 National League games before he was dismissed.

AFC Fylde Legends

Danny Rowe (2014 - 2020 & 2022)

He was prolific in AFC Fylde colours and created history when he smashed 47 league goals during the 2016-17 National League North season. Rowe would score over 160 goals in a little over 260 games for the club.

Nick Haughton (2018 - present)

Nick has been at Mill Farm since January 2018 and has been the club's talisman since, smashing just shy of 100 goals and contributing almost 50 assists. Haughton scored 18 goals in the National League last season, following the 52 goals scored across the previous two National League North campaigns.

Danny Philliskirk (2018 - 2024)

He joined Fylde from League One outfit Blackpool and was part of the Fylde side that went close to achieving Football League status in 2019 and won the National League in 2023.

Danny Lloyd (2013 - 2016)

He was only at the club for a short time but contributed 20 goals as his side failed twice in the National League North playoffs. Lloyd is still playing at Southport.

AFC Fylde Team Metrics & Performance

AFC Fylde is embroiled in a relegation battle to avoid dropping into the National League North along with seven other sides.

The Coasters have picked up the majority of their points at home this season, winning seven times at Mil Farm compared to earning just 11 points on the road.

Nick Haughton again leads the scoring charts with 11 league goals and 17 in all competitions as well as contributing eight assists.

Charlie Jolley and Gavin Massey have each contributed six goals apiece in the club's battle to avoid the drop.

Fylde scores on average 1.2 goals per game in National League action but has conceded close to two goals every outing.

Watch AFC Fylde's Latest Highlights

AFC Fylde Pitch & Amenities

Mill Farm Stadium, inaugurated in August 2016, serves as the home ground for AFC Fylde. The stadium boasts a capacity of 6,000 spectators, featuring a main grandstand with 2,000 seats and hospitality areas, complimented by covered terracing in the east and south stands.

Mill Farm also offers:

• Bradley’s Sports Bar: A 290-seat venue equipped with over 20 large-screen TVs, providing an immersive sports viewing experience.

• Milano’s Mediterranean Restaurant: A 70-seat Italian restaurant featuring an ‘al fresco’ roof terrace, offering a diverse menu in a relaxed setting.

• Aroma Café: Serving Costa Coffee, this café offers a selection of beverages and light snacks.

• Churchill’s Conferencing and Events: A versatile space ideal for celebrations, weddings, meetings, and matchday hospitality, setting a new standard for entertainment on the Fylde Coast.

The complex also includes several 3G football and hockey pitches, catering to both community and professional sports activities.

Collectively, these facilities make Mill Farm a comprehensive sports and leisure destination, serving both the club and the wider community.

AFC Fylde Fan Base & Support

AFC Fylde enjoys robust support from its dedicated fan base, primarily organized through the AFC Fylde Supporters Group. This group aims to foster a close relationship with the club’s board, directors, and management, operating independently to represent the interests of its members.

Key Objectives of the Supporters Group:

1. Membership Expansion: Encouraging more fans to join, ensuring supporters feel integral to the club and welcoming new ideas and involvement.

2. Regular Meetings: Conduct meetings in line with the group’s constitution to discuss pertinent issues and updates.

3. Communication: Utilizing official social media platforms to keep members informed about events, news, and developments.

4. Fundraising Initiatives: Developing schemes to raise funds that contribute to the club’s future needs.

Membership Details:

Membership is open to all supporters of AFC Fylde teams, regardless of age. Prospective members must agree to abide by the group’s rules and constitution and should not be subject to any football-related bans or disciplinary actions. Annual subscription fees apply, with memberships renewable each year.

Activities and Initiatives:

• Away Travel: The group organizes coach travel for supporters to away matches, offering discounted rates for members and ensuring safe and convenient transportation.

• Mascot Packages: In collaboration with AFC Fylde, the Supporters Group offers mascot packages for young fans, allowing them to accompany players onto the pitch during home games.

• Fundraising Events: The group engages in various fundraising activities, such as hosting Easter Bingo events, to support their initiatives and contribute to the club’s community efforts.

The Supporters Group maintains regular communication with AFC Fylde’s management, holding meetings to discuss fan concerns and collaborate on enhancing the matchday experience. Annual General Meetings (AGMs) are convened to review activities, and financial standings, and to elect committee members, ensuring transparency and member involvement in decision-making processes.

Through these concerted efforts, the AFC Fylde Supporters Group plays a pivotal role in uniting fans, amplifying their voices, and strengthening the bond between the club and its supporters.

AFC Fylde Rivalries & Notable Matches

AFC Fylde’s primary local rivals are Fleetwood Town, with whom they contest the Fylde Coast derby. This rivalry stems from the geographical proximity of the two clubs, both situated on the Fylde Coast in Lancashire, England.

The Fylde Coast derby has been contested 15 times across various competitions, with Fleetwood Town holding the advantage with eight wins compared to AFC Fylde’s single victory.

The two rivals last met in the Lancashire FA Trophy in 2018 and Fleetwood Town came out on top in a 2-0 victory.

While AFC Fylde and Fleetwood Town have a geographical rivalry, their competitive encounters have been limited, primarily due to differences in league standings over the years.

In summary, although Fleetwood Town is considered AFC Fylde’s main local rival, the limited number of competitive matches between the two has led to a relatively subdued rivalry. AFC Fylde’s notable matches often involve other opponents, reflecting their own aspirations and challenges within their respective leagues.

AFC Fylde Facts

AFC Fylde History

AFC Fylde, originally established in 1988 as Kirkham & Wesham, is a professional football club based in Wesham, Lancashire, England. The club emerged from the merger of Kirkham Town and Wesham FC, adopting the name Kirkham & Wesham to honour a team that competed in the West Lancashire League before World War I. 

In their inaugural season, the club faced relegation to Division Two but rebounded by 1993, returning to Division One. A period of dominance ensued from 2000, with the team securing seven league titles over eight seasons, including a remarkable unbeaten run from January 2003 to October 2004.

A landmark achievement came in the 2007–08 season when they clinched the FA Vase, defeating Lowestoft Town 2–1 at Wembley Stadium. This victory prompted the club to rebrand as AFC Fylde in 2008. 

The club’s trajectory shifted notably with the involvement of businessman David Haythornthwaite, chairman of the Tangerine Group, who outlined a 15-year plan aiming for Football League status by 2022. AFC Fylde’s ascent through the football pyramid was marked by several promotions:

AFC Fylde made significant strides in national competitions, notably reaching the second round of the FA Cup in the 2017–18 season, where they faced Wigan Athletic.

In May 2019, the club achieved a historic milestone by winning the FA Trophy, defeating Leyton Orient 1–0 at Wembley Stadium, becoming the first club to have won both the FA Vase and FA Trophy.

However, the club faced setbacks, including relegation from the National League in the 2019–20 season, which was curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Club Records

• FA Vase Victory: 2007–08 season.

• FA Trophy Triumph: 2018–19 season.

• Unbeaten Streak: Maintained an unbeaten run from January 2003 to October 2004 across all competitions.

AFC Fylde Social Media Links

You can stay up-to-date with everything AFC Fylde and all the latest updates from the club. Stay on top of all the information by following the club on X @AFCFylde or by logging on to www.afcfylde.co.uk.

AFC Fylde Outlook & Forecast

AFC Fylde has outlined several strategic objectives to strengthen the club’s infrastructure and performance:

1. Stadium Development: Plans include constructing a new North Stand with a capacity of 1,850 seats and an indoor training dome at Mill Farm Sports Village. These additions aim to enhance the matchday experience and provide state-of-the-art training facilities for players. 

2. Youth Academy Enhancement: The club emphasizes developing its youth academy to nurture local talent and ensure a sustainable pipeline of skilled players for the first team. 

3. Managerial Stability: Following recent managerial changes, including the departure of Kevin Phillips in February 2025, the club seeks to appoint a manager who aligns with its long-term vision and can guide the team towards achieving its competitive goals. 

4. Community Engagement: AFC Fylde aims to strengthen ties with the local community through various initiatives, fostering a strong supporter base and promoting football at the grassroots level. 

By focusing on these areas, AFC Fylde strives to build a robust foundation for future success, both on and off the pitch.

Frequently Asked Questions About AFC Fylde

How much would it cost to buy AFC Fylde?

Determining the exact cost to acquire AFC Fylde is challenging due to the lack of publicly available financial information specific to the club.

What does AFC Fylde stand for?

AFC Fylde stands for “Association Football Club Fylde.” The club was originally founded as Kirkham & Wesham FC in 1988 before rebranding to AFC Fylde in 2008 to better represent the wider Fylde region in Lancashire.

Who owns AFC Fylde FC?

AFC Fylde is owned by David Haythornthwaite, a businessman who has played a pivotal role in the club’s development and ambitions. A chairman, Haythornthwaite has been instrumental in setting and pursuing the club’s goals, including their aspirations to ascend the English football league system. 

Is AFC Fylde a big club?

AFC Fylde is not traditionally considered a “big club” in English football, but it is a well-structured and ambitious club within the non-league system.

Where to watch Fylde FC?

To watch AFC Fylde matches, you have several options:

National League TV: Many AFC Fylde games are streamed live on National League TV. To access these streams, visit the National League TV website, create an account, and purchase a match pass for the specific game you wish to watch.

DAZN: Some AFC Fylde matches are available for live streaming on DAZN. You can check DAZN’s schedule to see if upcoming AFC Fylde games will be broadcast.

Coasters Live: AFC Fylde offers live match commentary through their official platform, Coasters Live. This service provides live commentary for every first-team match and selected academy games.

Attending Matches: If you prefer to watch the games in person, you can attend AFC Fylde’s home matches at Mill Farm Stadium. Tickets can be purchased through the club’s official website or at the stadium on match days.