Mansfield Town FC

The one major trophy sits from the 2012–13 season, when Mansfield Town finished top of the National League and returned to the Football League after five years outside it. Before that, in 1986–87, the club won the Football League Trophy, beating Bristol City on penalties after the final finished 1–1. Two promotions either side of the 1970s, from the fourth tier in 1974–75 and the third in 1976–77, round out a run that has otherwise brought more near-misses than silverware: a play-off final lost on penalties to Huddersfield Town in 2004, an FA Trophy final lost to Darlington on a goal in the 120th minute in 2011, and a League Two play-off final lost 0–3 to Port Vale in 2022.

The club began life in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans, formed under a local Methodist church. The church withdrew its backing in 1906, once the team turned professional in the Notts & District League, and the name changed to Mansfield Wesley before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910. It has played at the same Nottinghamshire ground since 1919, known for most of that history as Field Mill and now as One Call Stadium, named after the insurance firm founded by chairman John Radford, who bought the club in 2010; his wife Carolyn has run it as chief executive since 2011.

The fixture that matters most is against Chesterfield, a rivalry that goes back to 1933 but hardened during the 1984–85 miners' strike, when Nottinghamshire pits largely kept working while Derbyshire's went out — the two counties, and the two clubs, have carried the label "Miners' strike derby" ever since. In the record books, Ted Harston scored 85 goals in 75 league games before Liverpool paid a then record fee for a lower-division player to sign him in 1937. Harry Johnson stands above him for the club overall, with 114.