Corby Town Football Club played its first game against Wellingborough Town at Occupation Road - their home until 1985 - on Saturday, August 21, 1948 and began with an impressive 5-1 victory in front of a crowd of 2,300.
The United Counties League championship was then won in style in both 1950/1951 and 1951/1952. Those successes prompted a step up the Midland League in 1952 and in their first season Corby were pipped to the championship by Nottingham Forest Reserves in a last game decider. The Steelmen spent the next five seasons in the Midland League.
In 1954/1955 they reached the First Round Proper of the FA Cup for the first time losing 0-2 at home to Watford before a crowd of 6,763. The following season two products of the club's youth system - Andy McCabe and Len Chalmers - were transferred to Chesterfield and Leicester City respectively for fees totalling almost two thousand pounds. And in 1956/1957 Corby won their home league encounter Gainsborough Trinity (who turned up without a recognised goalkeeper) by a club record score of 14-0!
The year of 1958 was a momentous one for the club. In February floodlit football came to Corby when an All Star XI took on the Steelmen in the inaugural game under lights and in March it was announced that the club was leaving the Midland League in favour of the Southern League.
Promotion to the Premier Division was narrowly missed in 1963/1964 - when the capture of the Merit Cup as the Southern League's highest scoring team was some consolation - but the following year they did achieve promotion to the top flight. During this period the club made several applications for Football League membership and in 1966 actually picked up one vote!
In 1963/1964 Corby were knocked out ot the FA Cup in the First Round Proper by Bristol City and the following season they were defeated at the same stage by Hartlepool United. In 1965/1966 the Steelmen overcame that hurdle at home to fellow non-leaguers Burton Albion and in the Second Round faced Luton Town at Occupation Road. Hopes of an upset appeared to have been dashed when Luton earned a 2-2 draw with a late disputed penalty but on the most glorious night in a club's history a goal by local boy Maurice Goodall gave Corby victory over the Hatters at Kenilworth Road in the replay. In the Third Round a trip to Plymouth Argyle resulted in a 0-6 thrashing.
Corby were relegated from the Premier Division in 1968 and remained in various forms of Division One until earning a place in the new-look Premier Division in 1982. The Steelmen were relegated again in 1990 - by which time they had moved to a new home at the multi-purpose Rockingham Triangle sports complex - but bounced back after just one season as Midland Division runners up and Merit Cup winners.
In 1992/1993 they finished third in the Premier Division but just two seasons later following a cash crisis which had threatened the club's very existence they were relegated and ever since have struggled just to stay in the Southern League.
It appeared that the battle had been lost at the end of 1997/1998 but Corby were handed a late reprieve and switched to the Southern Division for the first time.
The 2000/01 season saw Corby finish in a respectable mid-table position but they struggled in their next season, and only managed to hold onto their Dr Martens league status by the skin of their teeth. On a very dramatic last day of the season, bottom of the table Corby, gained an unexpected home win over Eastbourne Borough to leapfrog Wisbeach Town and condemn the 'Fenmen' to relegation.
After a good start to the 2002/03 season things went downhill and a run of 21 games without a win left the club precariously placed. Following the arrival of former Nottingham Forest player Lee Glover as manager, Corby lost only three of their last fifteen matches, followed by a season of consolidation in 2003/04. Despite Lee Glover joining Grantham Town The Steelmen had an even better season in 2004/05, with new manager Rob Dunion at the helm, just missing out on a play-off place.
Corby did manage promotion under Dunion a year later finishing below Boreham Wood on goal difference at the top of the league.
A poor start to life in the Premier Division however resulted in Rob Dunion losing his job in December 2006, being replaced by former Steelmen captain Dougie Keast in the position. The current manager is Graham Drury.
Pictured right is the Corby Town programme from the 1977/78 season. Costing 10p for 12 pages, its a well put together edition.
This particular programme is for Corby's FA Cup tie with VS Rugby on 17th September 1977.
Best Performance in the FA Cup: 3rd Round Proper 1965/66
Best Performance in the FA Trophy: 3rd Round 1986/87
Find Corby Town memorabilia & programmes by following this link
Corby Town Football Club played its first game against Wellingborough Town at Occupation Road - their home until 1985 - on Saturday, August 21, 1948 and began with an impressive 5-1 victory in front of a crowd of 2,300. 
n 1963/1964 Corby were knocked out ot the FA Cup in the First Round Proper by Bristol City and the following season they were defeated at the same stage by Hartlepool United. In 1965/1966 the Steelmen overcame that hurdle at home to fellow non-leaguers Burton Albion and in the Second Round faced Luton Town at Occupation Road. Hopes of an upset appeared to have been dashed when Luton earned a 2-2 draw with a late disputed penalty but on the most glorious night in a club's history a goal by local boy Maurice Goodall gave Corby victory over the Hatters at Kenilworth Road in the replay. In the Third Round a trip to Plymouth Argyle resulted in a 0-6 thrashing.
Corby lost only three of their last fifteen matches, followed by a season of consolidation in 2003/04. Despite Lee Glover joining Grantham Town The Steelmen had an even better season in 2004/05, with new manager Rob Dunion at the helm, just missing out on a play-off place.
