The Bootiful Game Issue 2 The Bootiful Game Issue 2 | Page 9

to Sutton Town who went on to lift
the trophy. 
! The 2009-10 season proved to
be even more successful than the
season before as the first team
won the Supreme Division by 8
clear points, won the CMFL
Floodlit Cup and were finalists in
both the CMFL Challenge Cup and
the Lincs FA Senior Trophy. By
winning the league, promotion to
the Northern Counties East
League was gained. They were
also awarded the CMFL “Team of
the Season” for the second year
running. 
! Louth settled immediately into
the Northern Counties East
League but half way through the
2010-11 season, manager Paul
Walden announced that he would
be leaving at the end of the
season, but then decided to go at
the beginning of March. The club
acted swiftly and brought in former
Selby Town duo Mick Gray and
John Steeples who steadied the
ship and guided the team through
to the end of the season and a
more than creditable 6th place
finish in the White Wolves first ever
season in the NCEL. 
! There was a further twist to the
Louth Town story in May 2011 as
Gray and Steeples left the club by
mutual consent. They were
surprisingly replaced by Paul
Walden,
who agreed
to return for
a second
spell in
charge. 
There was
great
excitement
at Park
Avenue in
July 2011
when it was announced that as
well as securing a further lease on
the stadium the club had also been
accepted into the 2011-12 FA Cup
for the first time in their history. 
! The team’s first run in the FA
Cup brought some excitement as
both Gedling Miners Welfare and
Holbrook Sports were beaten
before the White Wolves bowed
out with a 2-0 defeat to  Evo-stik
League side Buxton in front of 335
supporters at Park Avenue. In the
league, Louth were somewhat
inconsistent and finished the
season in 12th place in the NCEL
Division 1. There were emotional
scenes at the end of the season as
manager Paul Walden left the club
for a second time, deciding to
retire from football management
altogether. 
! Walden was replaced at the
helm by former pro Daryl Clare for
season 2012-13 and Clare led the
Year League Pld W D L F A Pts +/- Pos
2007-08 Central Midlands Premier 38 15 8 15 74 74 53 0 (10/20)
(1/15)
2008-09 Central Midlands Premier 28 25 1 2 87 28 76 59 2009-10 Central Midlands League
Supreme 34 26 5 3 95 30 83 65 (1/18)
2010-11 NCEL Division One 38 18 8 12 76 59 62 17 (6/20)
(12/20)
2011-12 NCEL Division One 38 16 7 15 61 64 55 -3 2012-13 NCEL Division One 42 24 8 10 91 62 80 29 (3/22)
2013-14 NCEL Division One 42 6 2 34 49 136 20 -87 (21/22)
2014-15 NCEL Division One 42 26 5 11 113 67 83 46 (6/22)
team to their
highest ever
finish in the
football
pyramid,
finishing 3rd
in the
Division 1
table and
also reaching
the final of the NCEL League Cup. 
! Season 2013-14 proved to be a
major disappointment as the team
struggled at the bottom end of the
NCEL league table for the whole
campaign, winning just 6 league
matches out of a possible 42 and
ending the season with just 20
points. Clare left the club by
mutual consent midway through
the season, to be replaced once
more by “Mr Louth Town”, Paul
Walden who was coaxed out of
retirement for a third spell in
charge. 
! Although the White Wolves
ended the season in an automatic
relegation place, the team were
reprieved after the unfortunate
demise of Dinnington Town and
once again competed in the NCEL
in season 2014-15, finishing the
season in a creditable 6th place.
! Sadly, this proved to be Town’s
last season in the NCEL as, with
the future of Park Avenue
uncertain and the planned new
stadium some way off the White
Wolves resigned from the league
at the end of the campaign. 
! Although Louth had no senior
football team in season 2015-16
the stadium continued to be used
throughout the campaign, playing
host to matches for the clubs junior
section. The venue closed for
football in May 2016 but was still
proudly standing until its fate was
sealed by the events of 1st August.
! Fans will be left with some
fantastic memories of a great
venue. R.I.P. Park Avenue 
Issue 02 @TheBootifulGame 09