Mansfield Town

Mansfield Town was originally formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans, and they were associated with the local Wesleyan church. The club was considered amatuer until 1906 when they joined the Notts and District League. The church dropped the club at this time and the name was changed to Mansfield Wesley. The club’s name was changed yet again in 1910 to Mansfield Town.

Following WWI, Mansfield Town moved into their current stadium Field Mill after local rivals Mansfield Mechanics failed to pay their rent. In 1921 the club joined the ​​Midland Counties League and 3 years later they won the league and were runners up the next season.

In 1931 Mansfield were elected to join the Third Division and following WWII, they began to have some success after going undefeated at home in 23 games during the 1951 season. During the rest of the 20th century, the club began to bounce between the Third and Fourth Divisions making them a yo-yo club.

Mansfield were promoted again to the Third Division in the early 2000s, but only two years later they were relegated again. Their poor luck continued in 2008 when they were relegated out of the Football League for the first time in 77 years. Mansfield struggled for several years in the Conference, but managed to climb back to the Football League in 2013 after winning 20 of their final 24 games to secure promotion.

They reached the playoffs on two separate occasions, failing to win both times, but in 2024, they finished third in League Two, getting them back to League One again without having to deal with the playoffs.

2024–25 SEASON: 17th in League One, 3rd Round FA Cup, 1st Round League Cup

2025–26 SEASON: League One (promoted in 2024)

Mansfield has several rivalries, with Notts County and Chesterfield being the main ones. The rivalry with Chesterfield can be traced back to the 1984-85 miners’ strikes, while games between Mansfield and Notts County are referred to as Nottinghamshire derbies.

Mansfield Town does have a women’s team called Mansfield Town Ladies FC. The club was founded in 1994 and currently plays in the East Midlands Ladies Premier League. They play their home games at both RH Academy and One Call Stadium. They won the FA Nottinghamshire County Cup last season.

I didn’t notice anything unique or special, but I enjoy when they sing about how “Super Mansfield” is “always putting on a show.”

Mansfield Town plays at Field Mill, currently known as One Call Stadium for sponsorship reasons. It has a capacity of just under 10,000. Field Mill is the oldest ground in the Football League and has been hosting games since 1861, although Mansfield Town did not start playing there until 1919.

It’s kind of a funny one because one side is out of use and just covered with advertising banners.

I do, however, have to give a hat-tip to their club shop for having an astounding variety of pin badges!

TOURS: None.

GETTING THERE: It’s just a 10-minute walk from Mansfield train station.

PUBS: There is a Fan Zone outside the main stand, with the usual food offerings, as well as a particularly nice bar just inside. The Railway Inn near the station looks a good option, and down in the nearby center you can find the large pubs The Byron and the Court House.

GRUB: The usual fare at the ground, and I didn’t notice anything special in town.

AROUND TOWN: I also didn’t notice anything particularly special about the town itself, although it’s a nice enough walk-around. You’ll probably be hitting this ground as a day trip from Nottingham, which makes sense.