Airbus UK Broughton Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Broughton, Flintshire, Wales. They had their origins as the works team of the Airbus UK factory in Broughton where the wings of Airbus aircraft are produced, and are consequently nicknamed The Wingmakers or The Planemakers. They play in the Cymru Premier.
The club was promoted to the Cymru Premier for the first time in 2004, and play at The Hollingsworth Group Stadium (previously known as The Airfield), Broughton (capacity 1,600, of which 500 are seated); however as their pitch could not be brought up to Cymru Premier standards in time following their promotion, for their first two games they shared Conwy United's ground. The Airfield features three unusual retracting floodlights as it is adjacent to an operational runway. In 2014, the grass surface was replaced with a 3G synthetic pitch. At the end of the 2016–17 season the club were relegated to the Cymru Alliance having finished bottom of the league.
In the 2022–23 season, the club finished with -4 points after being deducted 6 points and losing all but two matches. As a result, they were relegated back to the Cymru North after having been promoted in the 2021–22 season.
Contents
History
Formed in 1946, the club has known several different names as the ownership of the factory has changed over the years. Originally called Vickers-Armstrong, it has variously been named de Havillands, Hawker Siddeley, British Aerospace, and BAE Systems.
The club's early years were spent in the Chester & District League and the Wrexham area leagues. The club won the Welsh National League (Wrexham Area) Division Two title during the 1991–92 season, when they won 28 of their 34 matches and scored 130 goals to finish 19 points ahead of their nearest rival. They then spent four years making steady improvements in their position in the Welsh National League (Wrexham Area) Division One before being promoted to the Welsh National League Premier Division at the end of the 1995–96 season when they were runners-up in Division One. They spent four years in the Premier Division before winning promotion to the Cymru Alliance at the end of the 1999–2000 season, when they won 21 of their 30 matches. To coincide with this promotion the club changed its name to Airbus UK.
Once again they spent four seasons in their new league, successively finishing in 11th, 8th, and 5th positions before winning the league title by 19 points in 2003–04 to earn promotion to the top level of Welsh domestic football for the first time.
Airbus' first season in the Premier League was a torrid time, with the team acquiring only 21 points in the first 32 matches and being in next-to-last position with only a few matches remaining. Their manager, Rob Lythe, who had led them to promotion, resigned in February 2005, citing "not having enough time" to do the job. The Wingmakers eventually avoided relegation in their debut season after a victory over local rivals Connah's Quay Nomads and a 1–0 defeat at Caersws on the last day.
Airbus made a promising start to their second season in the WPL, reaching the semi-final of the League Cup eventually losing out to TNS Llansantffraid over two legs.
For the start of the 2007–08 season, the club changed its name once more, adding the village name to become "Airbus UK Broughton F.C.". Owing to UEFA's rules over sponsorship, when competing in European competition the club is known as "AUK Broughton".
Honours
Welsh National League (Wrexham Area) Division Two:
Winners: 1991–92
Welsh National League (Wrexham Area) Division One:
Runners-up: 1995–96
Welsh National League (Wrexham Area) Premier Division:
Winners: 1999–00
Cymru Alliance:
Winners: 2003–04, 2018-19
Cymru Alliance League Cup:
Winners: 2018-19
Cymru North:
Winners: 2021–22
Runners-up: 2024–25, 2025–26
Cymru Premier:
Runners-up: 2012–13, 2013–14
Welsh Cup:
Finalists: 2015–16
Welsh Blood Service League Cup - National
Winners: 2024-25, 2025-26
Welsh Blood Service League Cup - Northern
Winners: 2024-25
NEWFA Challenge Cup
Winners: 2024-25, 2025–26
Current squad
As of 4 September 2026
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Staff
As of 27 July 2025
Manager: Mark Allen
Assistant Manager: Richard Chapman
First Team Goalkeeping Coach: Chris Vales
Physiotherapist: Ritson Lloyd
Sports Therapists: Emily Luke & Ryan Evans
Managers
Rob Lythe (? – Feb 2005)
Garry Wynne (Feb 2005 – June 2005)
Gareth Owen (June 2005 – June 2008)
Craig Harrison (July 2008 – 2011)
Gareth Owen (Dec 2011 – Jan 2012)
Andy Preece (Jan 2012 – Aug 2016)
Andrew Thomas (Aug 2016 – Nov 2017)
Steve O'Shaughnessy (Nov 2017 – Sep 2022)
Jamie Reed (Oct 2022–2023)