Founded in 1884, Nantwich has a long and proud football tradition. Early years were spent playing friendly and cup matches but in 1891 the club joined the Shropshire & District League, finishing as runners-up in the first season.

Nantwich moved into the stronger Combination the following season and on 15th October 1892 hosted Liverpool in the Merseysiders’ first ever FA Cup match (Liverpool won 4-0). Before World War 1, Nantwich also had spells in a variety of leagues including the North Staffs & District, the Crewe & District, Manchester and Lancashire Combination leagues.

In those early years, the club were honoured to have A.N.Hornby as President. Hornby captained England at rugby and cricket and, as well as being President, turned out for the club on a number of occasions.

After the war, the club became founder members of the Cheshire County League in which they were perennial strugglers, though they did finish 6th in 1921/22. The season before, a record home attendance of 5121 watched the Dabbers play Winsford in the Cheshire Senior Cup at their temporary home at Kingsley Fields. Ironically, this is the location where the club is now looking to build a new modern stadium and move to for the 2005/06 season.

Success, though, came in the Cheshire Senior Cup in 1933 when the Dabbers lifted the trophy after beating ICI (Alkali) at the Drill Field, Northwich in front of 8,000 fans. After the Second World War, the Dabbers joined the newly-founded Mid Cheshire League and in 1952, the club entered the inaugural FA Youth Cup competition. Drawn against Manchester United in the second round, the young Dabbers crashed 23-0 on a November evening at the Cliff training ground to a United youth line up including names such as Duncan Edwards, David Pegg, Albert Scanlon and Ron Cope (who, ironically, joined Nantwich in the twilight of his career).

However, the mid-1960s saw considerable success and in the 1963/64 season the club completed a treble, winning the Mid Cheshire League, League Cup and Cheshire Amateur Cup under Manager Alan Ball (senior).

According to former player the late Mike Brookes: “Mr Ball trained us very hard and taught us techniques that were new to us - or were rusty. He made us think ‘the game’ more. “One ploy was when we were attacking – for me as centre forward to mark the centre half out of the game. The other forwards could still use me for the one-two wall pass to break through. I could still spin off the centre forward to join the attack. I did get a few bruises this way ! “At a corner – the other forwards would move away from the penalty spot, thus taking markers with them. I would be way out on the edge of the penalty box – running in at speed when the corner was taken – hoping the kick (as planned) ended up at head height on the penalty spot. “Mr Ball used the fear factor to keep us ‘on the ball’. He would bring along ‘reputation’ players to training or ‘sign them on’ and have them turn up for matches; so we thought we could be dropped and sometimes we were.”

Nantwich rejoined the Cheshire League in 1968 and in 1976 the Dabbers beat NPL champions Runcorn 5-4in the Cheshire Senior Cup Final at Crewe in front of 2237. Five years later in May 1981 a crowd of 1078 saw Nantwich clinch the Cheshire League by beating eventual runners up Hyde United in the penultimate game of the season 2-1.

1982 saw Nantwich become founder members of the North West Counties Football League. Unfortunately Nantwich had the unenviable honour of finishing bottom and were relegated to Division 2 where the club remained (except for one season in Division 3 in 1986) until 1989 when the Dabbers were promoted to Division One. Since then, Town have maintained consistent mid-table form. The one exception was in 1993/94 season when they finished in their highest ever NWCFL placing of fourth. However the honours were to come on the cup front in 1994/95 when Nantwich defeated Trafford 1-0 in the League Cup Final on a memorable April evening at Gigg Lane Bury. This success atoned for the disappointment in 1993 when at the same venue Nantwich lost 2-1 to Burscough in another tight final. Ex-Stoke City player Nigel Gleghorn was appointed Manager in November 2001 and he helped steer Nantwich to a top six finish in 2003, when the club also attained the prestigious FA Charter Standard Community Club award. Gleghorn left the club in the 2004 close season and former Crewe, Burnley and Barnsley defender Steve Davis was appointed as Head Coach.

Davis has proved to be the most successful manager in the club’s history.  Ably assisted by former Nantwich and Macclesfield striker Peter Hall, Davis led Nantwich to FA Vase glory in 2005/06 when the Dabbers beat Hillingdon Borough 3-1 in the Final at Birmingham City’s St Andrews stadium.  En route to the final, Nantwich kept a clean sheet in 8 out of 9 ties including impressive victories over Buxton (1-0) and Cammell Laird (5-0 in the two-legged semi-final).  Andy Kinsey hit two goals in the Final – and hit the headlines when he dislocated his shoulder celebrating the second !

In the league, Nantwich equalled their highest ever finish (4th) but the Dabbers bettered that last season when they finished third and secured promotion.  Along, the way, Nantwich recorded their highest post-war league attendance (1536) when FC United of Manchester came to town.  To sign off the home campaign, a crowd of 1071 saidfarewell to their 123 year old Jackson Avenue ground when Nantwich crushed Squires Gate 5-2 on 28 April 2007.

So, exactly 25 years after being founder members of the North West Counties League, Nantwich started the 2007/08 season as founder members of the UniBond League Division One (South) in their brand new £4m Weaver Stadium located in the Kingsley Fields area of Nantwich.

  League Summary

• 1891-92 Joined Shropshire & District League Shropshire & District League runner-up
• 1892-93 Joined The Combination
• 1894-95 Joined Cheshire Junior League
• 1895-96 Joined Crewe & District Junior League
• 1897-98 Joined North Staffordshire & District League
• 1900-01 Joined Cheshire League Division One Cheshire League Division One runner-up
• 1901-02 Rejoined The Combination
• 1902-03 The Combination runner-up (on goal average)
• 1910-11 Joined Manchester League
• 1912-13 Joined Lancashire Combination Division Two
• 1919-20 Founder member of Cheshire County League
• 1938 Joined Crewe & District League
• 1946-47 Joined Crewe Amateur Combination Crewe Amateur Combination League Champions
• 1947-48 Joined Crewe & District League
• 1948-49 Founder members of Mid-Cheshire League
• 1950-51 Mid-Cheshire League runner-up
• 1961-62 Mid-Cheshire League runner-up
• 1963-64 Mid-Cheshire League Champions
• 1964-65 Mid-Cheshire League runner-up
• 1965-66 Joined Manchester League Division One
• 1966-67 Division One renamed Premier Division Manchester League runner-up
• 1968-69 Rejoined Cheshire County League
• 1973 Changed name to Nantwich Town
• 1980-81 Cheshire County League Champions
• 1982-83 Founder members of North West Counties League (Division One) Relegated to Division Two
• 1986 Relegated to Division Three
• 1987-88 Division Three absorbed into Division Two
• 1988-89 Promoted to Division One
• 2006-07 Finished third – promoted to UniBond League Division One (South)