Newport Pagnell - more than just a motorway junction and service station

Newport Pagnell is best known to most people for its junction and service station on the M1. But now the town’s football team, who Littlehampton will play at Wembley, are adding to what the town is famous for.

NPTFC were founded in 1963 as Newport Pagnell Wanderers. In 1964 they entered the North Bucks League and won Division 3 in their first season. Soon after they won Division 2 then Division 1, in consecutive years.

In 1971-72 Wanderers joined the South Midlands League, moving soon after to the new facilities and changing their name to Newport Pagnell Town.

Why Golds star Hunt is no longer in the team.

In 1973-74 Town joined Division 2 of the United Counties League. Two years later they were promoted to Division 1 and they won the championship in 81-82 and were promoted to the Premier Division.

A few ups and downs followed and club won the Division 1 title again in 2001-02 and have been in the Premier Division since.

In 09-10 and 10-11 the club won the Berks & Bucks Senior Trophy. Their best FA Cup run got them into the second qualifying round in 2008-09.

In 2016-17 they reached the last eight of the FA Vase before losing to South Shields in front of more than 3,000 spectators on Tyneside.

Red card has cost me my Wembley chance and it hurts.

In recognition of this the club was presented with a Town Award by Newport Pagnell Town Council, and in the Milton Keynes Sports Achiever of the Year 2017 awards they received the Team of the Year award

In the season just finished, managed by Gary Flinn, they ended fourth in the table scoring exactly two points per game but finishing 18 points behind champions Leicester Road.

On the way to Wembley they’ve won three penalty shootouts and if there’s another this weekend watch out for their goalkeeper, Martin Conway.

Not only has he saved spot kicks in each shootout, he’s scored too. And he has gone on record as saying he’d love another shootout on Sunday.