Boston United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. The club participates in the National League, the fifth level of the English football league system.
The club is known as 'the Pilgrims' in reference to the Pilgrim Fathers, who left England and sailed to North America and settled near, though did not found, Boston, Massachusetts. The club's crest features the pilgrim fathers' ship, the Mayflower. The club's traditional colours are amber and black. They are rivals with Lincoln City, Scunthorpe United, Gainsborough Trinity and Grimsby Town. They play at the Boston Community Stadium, which was completed in 2020 with a capacity of 5,061 (2,155 seated) spectators.
The club was formed in 1933 as a successor to the short lived Boston Town. They initially competed in the Midland League, before joining the Southern League for a four-year spell in 1958. They returned to the Midland League and then joined then United Counties League, winning their first league title in 1965–66. Boston then switched to the West Midlands (Regional) League, winning the Premier Division in 1966–67 and 1967–68, before becoming founder members of the Northern Premier League in 1968. United won four Northern Premier League titles in the 1970s (1972–73, 1973–74, 1976–77 and 1977–78) and became founder members of Alliance Premier League in 1979. Boston returned to the Northern Premier League in 1993 and moved back to the Southern League Premier Division in 1998.
Boston United won the Southern League in 1999–2000 and the Conference in 2001–02 to secure a place in the Football League for the first time under the stewardship of controversial manager Steve Evans. They spent five years in the fourth tier, but entered administration in 2007 and were relegated down two divisions into the Conference North. Demoted to the Northern Premier League the next year, Boston won the Northern Premier League Premier Division play-offs in 2010 and had five unsuccessful play-off campaigns in the Conference and National League North before winning the National League North play-offs in 2024. They left their home ground York Street in the 2019 to 2020 season after dispute with the owners of York Street and a new stadium was built.
Contents
History
The club was founded in 1933 as a successor to a club called Boston Town. Their first game was a 3–1 defeat at home to Grimsby Reserves on 26 August 1933, when a crowd of 1,544 watched Boston's no.7, Blessed, score United's first ever goal. They then had a moderate amount of success in various leagues, including the Midland League and Southern League.
The club's FA cup run of 1955–56 included a 6–1 victory at Derby County, then playing in Third Division North, with Geoff Hazledine scoring a hat-trick. This was a record away win by a non-League team against League opponents in the FA Cup. This set up a Third round match against Tottenham Hotspur of the Football League First Division at White Hart Lane on 7 January 1956. The match against Tottenham Hotspur was played in front of a crowd of 46,185. The Pilgrims lost 4–0, but the match was more notable for the travelling support. Over 10,000 Boston supporters attended the game. A number of special train services from Boston to King's Cross were set up for the day.
They were founder members of the Northern Premier League in 1968, of which they were champions four times, and of the Alliance Premier League (now the National League) in 1979. However, their Northern Premier League title wins were not enough to gain them election to the Football League, and when they won the title in 1978 they surprisingly missed out on league status in favour of runners-up Wigan Athletic, who took the Football League place previously held by Southport.
In 1985, Boston United went to Wembley for the first and only time in their history for the FA Trophy Final of the 1984–85 season, after Bob Lee scored a winning last minute goal in the 2nd leg of the semi-final against Altrincham at York Street to put the Pilgrims through. Boston lost 2–1 to Wealdstone in front of 20,775, with Chris Cook scoring United's only goal.
Boston United finished third in the Conference in 1988–89, but were unable to build on this and were relegated to the NPL in 1993. They were transferred to the Southern League, winning the title in 2000, and went fully professional in 2001. In their first season as a professional club, Boston won the Conference and were promoted to the Football League.
However, in the wake of their promotion, Boston's manager, Steve Evans, and former chairman, Pat Malkinson, were charged with breaking the Football Association's rules over the registration of players. Both men received bans from the FA, and the club were fined and docked four points from their first season in the League. This angered some, especially the Conference runners up Dagenham & Redbridge, who believed that any points deduction should have applied to the previous season, which would have meant Dagenham being promoted instead.
Stadium
York Street
Boston United played at York Street until 2020, known as the Jakemans Stadium due to a sponsorship deal. There were four sides to the stadium: the main seated Mick George Stand; the Co-Operative York Street Stand; the Spayne Road Terrace; and the old away end—known as the Jakemans Stand and then turned into a home stand. The away fans sat in a section of the York Street Stand.
Former club chairman Jon Sotnick claimed it was not up to Football League standards and called for a new ground during the Pilgrims' time in the Football League. Planning applications were made to Boston Borough Council in June 2006, but the council turned down the application. The ground had a total capacity of 6,643.
Boston Community Stadium
The club built a new stadium outside the town, and on 10 April 2019 announced that the 2019–20 season was to be their last at York Street. The ground's capacity is 5,061.
For the beginning of the 2020–21 season, the club were granted permission to use Gainsborough Trinity's Northolme as their home ground temporarily whilst finishing touches were applied to their new stadium.
The club played its first game at the Boston Community Stadium on 5 December 2020, resulting in a 2–0 home defeat to Chorley in the National League North. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, fans were not able to visit the new stadium until July 2021 for a friendly against Lincoln City which Boston won 5–0.
Financial problems
On 4 December 2006, Boston's plan to relocate to a new stadium on The Boardsides was unanimously rejected by Boston Borough Council. This plunged the club's future into serious doubt. Chairman James Rodwell said the club's future was "hanging in the balance" because York Street did not have the facilities to allow the club to operate at a profit, and a ground move was required to wipe out the club's debts. Rodwell confirmed that he would be meeting with shareholders over the next couple of days to determine the best course of action, but did admit that the club's future was ultimately now in the hands of HM Revenue and Customs, who were owed a sizeable six-figure sum by the club.
In a statement he released to the club's official website on 5 December he said: "The club's financial situation at the present moment is dire. I would urge all supporters and anybody interested in the future of the football club, be that investors or potential purchasers, to come forward immediately".
In November 2006, Boston manager Steve Evans and his former chairman Pat Malkinson pleaded guilty to "conspiring to cheat the public revenue between 1997 and 2002". Both were given suspended jail sentences.
In May 2007, Boston entered into a Company Voluntary Arrangement towards the end of their last game of the season when they knew they would be relegated to the Conference. This allowed them to avoid a points deduction in the next season, but has proved a controversial move.
On 10 June 2007, the Football Conference's annual general meeting voted in favour of demoting Boston United to the Conference North, stating that the terms of the Company Voluntary Agreement which Boston entered was behind the decision. Altrincham were subsequently spared relegation for the second season running. Chief executive John Moules released this statement:
"Because Boston United are in breach of certain rules, it was felt Blue Square North was the best place for them. HM Revenue and Customs put a caveat on that CVA that Boston could not pay football creditors. That breaks Football Association, Football League and Football Conference rules and regulations. We're giving Boston the opportunity to re-establish themselves as a leading club outside the Football League. They believe the decision we have made is fair and just, and they are not going to appeal. We had meetings all day on Friday with Boston United and then informed Altrincham that they were staying up."
Kit
When founded in 1933, Boston United inherited a kit of blue shirts, white shorts and black socks from the wound-up Boston Football Club. Later that year, these kits were changed to a black shirt with a large white 'V', a design maintained until 1937. After this, United switched to white shirts and black shorts and socks. After World War II, Boston United reverted to blue shirts of different shades with either black or white shorts and socks.
The currently colour scheme of amber and black has been in place since 1951, although the design has varied from season to season. In recent times, Boston United have had their kits supplied by Umbro (1988–90), Paulas Benara (1990–2005), Vandanel (2006–10), Errea (2010–2016), Nike (2016–2020), Adidas (2020–2023), and Umbro (2023–present).
Shirt sponsors and manufacturers
Table of kit suppliers and shirt sponsors appear below:
Players
Current squad
As of 25 August 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.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Coaching staff
As of 1 June 2026
Managerial history
Below is a list of Boston United managers in chronological order:
Records and statistics
Highest attendance: 11,000 vs. Derby County, FA Cup third round replay, 9 January 1974
Largest Football League victory: 6–0 vs. Shrewsbury Town, 21 December 2002
Heaviest defeat: 9–2 vs. AFC Fylde, 19 November 2016
Largest FA Cup win: 10–0 vs. Bilsthorpe Colliery, FA Cup preliminary round, 18 September 1937
FA Cup preliminary round – 10–0 vs Bilsthorpe Colliery (18 September 1937)
First club to start a Football League season on fewer than 0 points
Largest FA Cup away win for a non-League team against a Football League opponent
6–1 vs. Derby County, FA Cup second round, 10 December 1955
Cup runs
Best FA Cup performance: Third round, 1955–56, 1973–74, 2004–05
Best League Cup performance: Second round, 2004–05
Best League Trophy performance: Second round, 2002–03 (Southern section), 2003–04 (Southern section), 2005–06 (Northern section)
Best FA Trophy performance: Runners-up, 1984–85
Honours
Source:
League
Football Conference (level 5)
Champions: 2001–02
National League North (level 6)
Play-off winners: 2024
Southern League
Champions: 1999–2000
Runners-up: 1998–99
Northern Premier League
Champions: 1972–73, 1973–74, 1976–77, 1977–78
Runners-up: 1995–96, 1997–98
West Midlands League
Champions: 1966–67, 1967–68
United Counties League
Champions: 1965–66
Central Alliance League
Champions: 1961–62
Cup
FA Trophy
Runners-up: 1984–85
Northern Premier League Challenge Cup
Winners: 1973–74, 1975–76, 2009–10
Northern Premier League Challenge Shield
Winners: 1973–74, 1974–75, 1976–77, 1977–78