Club Background
Carlisle United was formed in 1904 following the controversial merger of two local clubs, Carlisle Red Rose and Shaddongate United. The merged side initially competed in the Lancashire Combination League after agreeing to pay the travelling expenses of visiting teams after it was pointed out that Cumberland was as far from Lancashire as London is, well, almost. The club moved into a new, purpose built ground at Brunton Park in 1909 – still their home today – and transferred to the North-Eastern League a year later, where they remained until elected into the Football League in 1928, at the expense of Durham.
Many seasons followed of what can only be described as complete mediocrity, with the club a permanent fixture in the basement of the Football League, until, in 1962, United were promoted to Division 3. They were relegated back down to the basement a year later, but the smell of success was in the club’s nostrils. Alan Ashman was appointed as manager and Carlisle were again promoted back to Division 3 in the 63-64 season. The rise of the club under Ashman was now well underway and the Division 3 Championship was won the following season.
Ashman left the club in 1967 and some years of consolidation in the Second Division followed under new manager Bob Stokoe, including reaching the semi-finals of the League Cup in 1969. Alan Ashman returned as manager in 1972 after Stokoe moved to Sunderland, and two years later Carlisle enjoyed their one and only season in the top flight of English football, even heading the Division One table for a brief period in the early season. That was as good as it got for the Cumbrians however and by the end of the 74-75 season they were relegated back down to Division Two.
There followed a long and gradual decline for the club, apart from a brief revival under the returning Bob Stokoe in 1982 when United were promoted into the Second Division, where they remained for four more years before slipping back down the leagues again. The nadir seemed to have been reached in 1992 when the club finished bottom of Division Four and broke, only surviving the drop into the Conference because Aldershot went bust themselves and dropped out of the league. Carlisle’s finances weren’t in a much better state, and the club seriously considered going part-time to save money when what appeared to be a white knight rode into view to save the day…..
Former Manchester United director, UFO spotter and famous self-publicist Michael Knighton took over at Carlisle and for a while Blues fans thought that they were in heaven. Money was invested in the club and performances on the field improved with the 3rd Division play-offs being reached in the 93-94 season and the title itself being won the year after, as well as the club reaching the Auto-Windscreens Shield Final at Wembley, where they lost 1-0 to Birmingham. Instead of 2nd Division consolidation the following season the club found itself relegated back to Division 3 after a desperately disappointing campaign; but their impression of a yo-yo continued apace when in the 96-97 season they not only won automatic promotion to Division 2, but also returned to Wembley for the Auto-Windscreens Shield final which this time they won, beating Colchester 4-3 on penalties.
It was around now that Carlisle fans realised that the man they initially thought was the club’s saviour was, in fact, losing the plot. Chairman Knighton appointed a new 3-man coaching team to guide the club through the 2nd Division, including someone called Michael Knighton. Are you Terry Smith in disguise? Inevitably the club were relegated back down to Division Three at the end of the 97-98 season, escaping relegation to the Conference by the skin of their teeth at times, most famously in the final match of the 98-99 season when on-loan keeper Jimmy Glass saved the Cumbrians by scoring an injury-time goal in the final game of the season which kept Carlisle in the Football League at the expense of Scarborough.
Off the field the club remained in turmoil with fans protesting about Knighton’s continuing reign and organising boycotts and protests. Eventually, after several false starts, including a farcical episode when a feted supposed purchaser turned out to be a waiter in an Indian restaurant, and amidst talk of receivership, administration and even possible liquidation, a credible buyer for the club emerged and in 2002 John Courteney bought out Knighton. On the field United continued to struggle in the league but in 2003 under manager Roddy Collins once again reached the final of the LDV Vans Trophy (formerly the Auto-Windscreens Shield), losing to Bristol City.
You’ll be shocked to hear it’s rarely used.
Photo © 2004 Ciderspace
In recent years, it certainly hasn’t been boring at Brunton Park. They have been relegated to the Conference, bounced straight back into the Football League through the play-offs, and then immediately followed that with promotion to League One as Champions. There was another failure in the Football League Trophy Final as well, in 2006. Whilst that was going on they also changed owner again. A finish in the top half of the table in their first season back in League One was also an impressive return.
They have gone from strength to strength, although taking a strange route, with managers coming and going. Paul Simpson, who had been part of their successful leap from the Conference to League One, disappeared off to Preston North End. His replacement, Neil McDonald, appeared to have done well enough during the 2006-07 season and so there was shock … no wait let’s call that total astonishment….. when on August 13th 2007 he became the earliest sacking of the season, with the Carlisle board saying they’d lost confidence in their manager.
Somewhere in that boardroom madness though, Carlisle must have known what they were doing – perhaps. Greg Abbott became a pseudo-caretaker for a couple of months, and then Carlisle made their big move, nobbling Cheltenham Town manager John Ward. From that the Cumbrians built and progressed although failing at the last, just missing out on automatic promotion and then losing in the play-offs. However they then lost patience again a few months into the 2008-09 season and sacked Ward, who they’d taken so much trouble, and expense in the form of compensation, to secure hardly more than a year earlier. Abbott was made caretaker again, but this time went on to take the position on a permanent basis. They finally finished in 20th.
During the 2009-10 season, Abbott continued Carlisle’s slight improvement – gaining a 14th placed finish, but also reaching the Football League Trophy final – eventually being defeated by Southampton. Then during the 2010-11 season they reached the same final – the sixth time the Cumbrians have done so in a decade and a half. This time they put Brentford to the sword meaning that Abbott was able to claim silverware for the first time. They also slightly improved their league position that season, finishing 12th in 2010-11, and betting that a year later in 2011-12 with an 8th place finish. But then the wheels began to wobble – the 17th place in 2012-13, was followed by relegation a year later, with Abbott losing his job early on in that season. Graham Kavanagh took over for a year, but in being the man who took Carlisle down, he didn’t last too long after that.
They then appointed Keith Curle in September 2014 and although he only managed 20th in that partial season, he gained them a solid 10th place during his first full season, along with an EFL Cup third round trip to Liverpool where the Cumbrians lost on penalties, and then improved that with a play-off spot as they finished in sixth place, missing out to Exeter City in the semi-finals. That proved the end of Curle as the 2017-18 season came to an end and he was followed by a procession of four managers in the next year-and-a-half with John Sheridan, Steven Pressley, Chris Beech and Gavin Skelton taking charge.
It was not until the return of Simpson in February 2022 that the good times returned. The former midfielder arrived in Cumbria with the club 23rd in League Two and guided them to safety before reaching the play-offs in his second season. They defeated Stockport County on penalties at Wembley to return to League One after nine years in League Two. Their time there lasted only a season as they managed just seven wins all season and finished 16 points adrift of safety. Simpson lasted until late August 2024, replaced by Mike Williamson, who had impressed at non-League Gateshead and led MK Dons to a play-off place. He ensured League status but was sacked in February 2025 with the club in the League Two relegation places. Former Manchester United legendary striker Mark Hughes was his replacement, but ‘Sparky’ could not save them from losing their League status after a 21-year stay last season,
We’ve Met Before
Previous Results for Yeovil Town First Team vs Carlisle United
| 16/08/2003 | Home | EFL3 | W | 3-0 | 6347 | Gall 4, 18, Jackson 79 | |
| 17/01/2004 | Away | EFL3 | L | 0-2 | 5455 | ||
| 12/08/2006 | Home | EFL1 | W | 2-1 | 4709 | Cohen 16, Welsh 42 | |
| 10/02/2007 | Away | EFL1 | W | 4-1 | 7112 | Gray 49, Best 72, 90, Cohen 90 | |
| 13/10/2007 | Home | EFL1 | W | 2-1 | 4757 | Owusu 54, Jones 65 | |
| 05/04/2008 | Away | EFL1 | L | 1-2 | 6843 | Stewart 38 | |
| 30/08/2008 | Away | EFL1 | L | 1-4 | 6286 | Tomlin 16 | |
| 07/03/2009 | Home | EFL1 | D | 1-1 | 3892 | Roberts 31 | |
| 17/10/2009 | Home | EFL1 | W | 3-1 | 4333 | Mason 13, 43, Murtagh 87 | |
| 16/03/2010 | Away | EFL1 | L | 0-1 | 3731 | ||
| 29/03/2011 | Home | EFL1 | W | 1-0 | 3331 | Obika 59 | |
| 07/05/2011 | Away | EFL1 | W | 2-0 | 6473 | Obika 26, Bowditch 69 | |
| 15/10/2011 | Home | EFL1 | L | 0-3 | 3673 | ||
| 25/02/2012 | Away | EFL1 | L | 2-3 | 4265 | Obika 46, Blizzard 82 | |
| 24/11/2012 | Home | EFL1 | L | 1-3 | 3394 | Reid 65 | |
| 23/03/2013 | Away | EFL1 | D | 3-3 | 3809 | Dawson 25, Madden 51, Hayter 78 | |
| 31/10/2015 | Away | EFL2 | L | 2-3 | 4095 | Bird 5, Cornick 8 | |
| 10/01/2016 | Away | FAC3 | D | 2-2 | 3357 | Zoko 71, Jeffers 90 | |
| 19/01/2016 | Home | FAC3R | L | 1-1 | 4114 | Compton 31 (lost 4-5 on penalties) | |
| 25/03/2016 | Home | EFL2 | D | 0-0 | 4074 | ||
| 17/12/2016 | Away | EFL2 | L | 1-2 | 4636 | N Smith 48 | |
| 01/04/2017 | Home | EFL2 | L | 0-2 | 3145 | ||
| 11/11/2017 | Away | EFL2 | L | 0-4 | 4189 | ||
Results Summary For Yeovil Town First Team vs Carlisle United
| Home | Away | Overall | ||||||||||||
| W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A |
| 5 | 2 | 4 | 14 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 18 | 28 | 7 | 4 | 12 | 32 | 39 |
Club Statistics
RECENT RESULTS
| DD/MM/20YY | Opponent | H/A | NLP | WLD | X-X | Att | Scorers | |
LEAGUE ATTENDANCE STATISTICS
Highest League Attendance:
Lowest League Attendance:
Average League Attendance:
CURRENT LEAGUE SEQUENCE STATISTICS
| Games Without A Win: | Games Without A Home Win: | |||
| Games Without An Away Win: | Games Without Defeat: | |||
| Games Without A Home Defeat: | Games Without An Away Defeat: | |||
| Games Without A Draw: | Games Without A Score Draw: | |||
| Games Without A No-Score Draw: | Games Without Scoring: | |||
| Games Without Conceding: | Home Results Sequence: | |||
| Away Results Sequence: | Overall Results Sequence: |
Club Information
Address :
Brunton Park, Warwick Road, Carlisle, CA1 1LL (Click for map)
Telephone Number : 01228 526237
Fax : 01228 554141
Email: enquiries@carlisleunited.co.uk
Chairman: Tom Piatak
Head of Football Operations : Marc Tierney
Secretary: Sarah McKnight
Senior Safeguarding Officer: Nigel Cribbins
Head Coach: Mark Hughes
Capacity : 17949
Seated : 2000 (approx 2000 away supporters seating)
Covered Terrace : None for away supporters, open terrace available but rarely used
Surface : Grass
Record Attendance : 27,603 – vs Middlesbrough, FA Cup 5th Round, 07/02/1970
Colours : White, blue and red – but mostly white….and blue, with blue shorts and blue socks
Nickname : The Cumbrians
Programme : £2.50
Ticketing
Ticket details to be added when available
Official Away Travel
The Green & White Supporters’ Club is running away travel to Carlisle United on XXXX XXX XXXX, XXXp.m. kick-off.
Details are as follows:
Members: Adult £XX; Concession £XX
Non-Members: Adult £XX; Concession £XX
Coach departs Huish Park: XXX
To book, call Paul Hadlow on 07736 044570 (after 6.00 p.m. please).
You may be asked to pay a £5 deposit to reserve your seat.
Directions To The Ground
General
Head towards Scotland.
By Road
It’s a long old poke. Once you get on the M5 in Somerset, change for the M6 and then carry on until you reach Junction 43, take the first exit off the roundabout and follow signs for Carlisle City Centre on the A69. Keep going straight along Warwick Road (A69) for about a mile. After passing through the third set of traffic lights the club shop (Blues Store) and Hughie McIlmoyle statue on mark the main entrance to the ground on your right.
Parking
The supporters’ car park is situated on the east side of the ground, and will be open from 12:30pm on matchday. Car parking is £5 on a matchday and is CASH ONLY. There are approximately 400 available spaces in the car park, with a small number of disabled bays. Disabled bays are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and a valid disabled badge must be displayed in the car window.
By Rail
You can get to Carlisle from either Yeovil Pen Mill or Yeovil Junction. Yeovil Pen Mill takes you via Bristol Temple Meads and either Birmingham New Street or Manchester Piccadilly on the CrossCountry service and then direct services are available on TransPennine Express to Carlisle. If you are going via Yeovil Junction then you head to London Waterloo > London Euston and then it is West Coast Mainline to Carlisle. Brunton Park is 1.2 miles from Carlisle station. Head out of the train station, cross the road, and locate Nando’s Restaurant on the crescent shaped road adjacent to the first set of traffic lights. Walk straight down Warwick Road for about 1 mile and you will reach Brunton Park on the left-hand side. A taxi rank is located just outside the Railway Station.
By Bus
Take the Stagecoach number 63 bus from the city centre. Alight at the Lakeland Gate Inn. Head back a short distance from the direction you travelled on the bus and Brunton Park is on your right-hand side.
By Taxi
There are taxi services available in Carlisle – CLICK HERE for details.
Web Resources
Web Sites
Carlisle United – Official Site
Social Media
@officialcufc – Official X/Twitter account
Carlisle United FC – Official Facebook account
officialcufc – Official YouTube channel
The Brunton Bugle – X/Twitter account of fans’ podcast
Local Press
Carlisle News & Star
Jon Colman, Carlisle News & Star reporter – X/Twitter
Food & Drink
Located on the west side of the stadium, United’s main Fan Zone [Northern Competitions Fan Zone] which Carlisle say is “usually open to away fans” – can’t imagine they will have too many concerns about us. Food and drink will be available from our usual matchday vendors, who provide a plethora of outstanding catering options. Furthermore, our two container bars will be open for supporters to purchase their favourite pint ahead of the action on the pitch. The exciting addition of the big screen – which will show the early and late kick-off. The Warwick Road End Fan Zones [LG at Peter Tyson Fan Zones] will open at the same time as the turnstiles. Nachos, pulled pork sandwiches and draught beers will be available, and there will be a tuck shop for soft drinks and snacks. This area will remain open during the game.
Pubs close to the ground
Carlisle Rugby Union Football Club: Not our usual sort of recommendation, but this outlet is right next to the football ground, and is much frequented by Association fans as well as egg chasers. The bar is open from 12.00 p.m. to 11.00 p.m. on Saturdays in the rugby season. Beers are Theakston Best and Yates plus a guest at the weekends. Renovated and extended after the floods. There’s a patio area for smokers.
Address: Carlisle Rugby Union Football Club, Rugby Ground, Warwick Road, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA1 1LW. Tel: 01228 521300. Website: Click Here. Map: Click Here.
Club Britannia: This is described by Cumbria Police as the ‘designated away pub’ for supporters to use – although our experience of Carlisle is that there’s not too many pubs in the area that you shouldn’t use, apart from one or two that get over-crowded closer to the ground. This is situated south of the Lanes shopping centre and north of the railway station and used to be Carlisle Liberal Club, which was later renamed Club 35, until its current Club Britannia incarnation. Note there is no real ale served here. Listed opening hours are 10.00a.m. until 2.00a.m. Despite the name and its former incarnation, the venue is open as a normal pub.
Address: Club Britannia, 35 Lowther Street, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA3 8EJ. Tel: 01228-558510. Website: Click Here. Map: Click Here.
Cumberland Inn: Popular town centre outlet of the traditional drinking and pub games variety. Very convenient for those arriving and/or leaving by train. Opening times are 11.00 a.m. – 11.00 p.m. Note they have discontinued their real ale sales. Friendly welcoming landlady on our last visit. No children under 16 though.
Address: Cumberland Inn, 22, Botchergate, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA1 1QS. Tel: 01228 536900. Website – Click Here. Map – Click Here.
Town Centre
King’s Head: A traditionally styled town‑centre pub with a charm you would expect from its location in Carlisle’s historic centre. Expect beamed ceilings, snug seating areas (including a cosy upper level), and a laid‑back, unpretentious vibe. It’s not flashy, but it’s warm and inviting—classic pub comfort rather than hipster chic. Yates Bitter and at least two changing ales, often featuring local Cumbrian brews like Esthwaite Bitter or Carlisle Porter. Opening Hours: Saturday – 11am-Midnight, Tuesday: 10am-11pm.
Address: 31 Fisher Street, Carlisle, CA3 8RF. Website
Last Zebra: A stylish cafe/wine bar-style venue with exposed glazed ceilings and curated music set with a lively, modern tone. Clearly set up for a social crowd—day or night—and suits both casual drinkers and an evening crowd. Up to four cask ales range of craft beers, include local Cumbrian ales Loweswater Gold, plus a good range of cocktails – but who comes to these guides for those? One of only six pubs in Carlisle recommended in the 2025 CAMRA Good Pub Guide. It does food as well, expect Vietnamese pork belly, North Indian-spiced lamb chops, Japanese dumplings and more. Opening times: Saturday or Tuesday – 10.30am-Midnight.
Address: 8 Lowther Street, Carlisle, CA3 8DA. Telephone: 01228 593600. Website.
Sportsman Inn: The oldest recorded pub in Carlisle—dating back to 1747—tucked behind Marks & Spencer near St Cuthbert’s Church. Its cosy interior, exposed beams, roaring fire (or realistic flame at least), and quiet garden seating makes it feel more like a village retreat in the city. With three rotating cask ales (regularly Wainwright plus changing guest brews), it’s CAMRA-endorsed and Cask Marque-accredited. Renowned for hearty, homemade pub fare: steak & ale pie (with dumpling topping), scampi baguettes, all-day breakfasts, curries, lasagne (you reading this Michael Cleverley?), and Sunday roasts featuring three meats plus homemade trifle. Opening times: Saturday – Midday-Midnight, Tuesdays – 12pm-9pm.
Address: 1 Heads Lane, Carlisle, CA3 8AQ. Telephone: 01228 533799. Website
Howard Arms: A Grade II‑listed historic pub with a splendid late‑19th‑century Doulton‑tiled façade—originally installed before the State Management Scheme and uncovered post‑1979. Inside, it’s delightfully snug, with multiple cosy rooms, Victorian features, a central bar, and a warm fireplace. Always pouring Theakston’s Best Bitter, alongside two rotating guest ales often Timothy Taylor’s. CAMRA recognized it for its real‑ale quality, and it carries Cask‑Marque accreditation, the bar also serves a wide range of lagers, bottled beers, wines, spirits, and classic pub drinks. Offers homemade and traditional pub fare: baguettes, jacket potatoes, small plates, pies, mash options, and Sunday roasts. Weekend food service runs Saturdays and Sundays noon–3 pm, with hearty portions and satisfactory midd
ay meals. Opening times: Saturday – 11am-11pm, Tuesday – 1pm-11pm. Website
Address: 107 Lowther St, Carlisle, CA3 8ED. Telephone: 01228 648398. Website
West Walls Brewing Co: An open plan brewery and taproom in a converted historic space (formerly Twisted Wheel nightclub), this open-plan taproom blends industrial charm with warm, reclaimed-w
ood decor and an on-site brewery view.Seating for around 70, including wheelchair accessibility and a dog-friendly vibe with water bowls provided. 12 craft taps mainly featuring house brews plus UK craft guest selections, plus four real ale hand pulls. Handmade pizzas by the slice (typically four rotating varieties each week), made with local ingredients. Opening hours: Saturday – 12pm-11pm, Tuesday – closed.
Address: West Walls, Carlisle, CA3 8UB. Telephone: 01228 938225. Website.
Woodrow Wilson: A Wetherspoons located in a former Co-op building and named after the 28th President of the United States whose mother, Janet, was born in Carlisle in 1826. The interior features artwork and quotes chronicling Wilson’s life and legacy, if you are interested. If you’re not, it claims to offer the largest selection of real ales in Carlisle, with 14 hand-pulls and a strong emphasis on regional “LocAle” options like Great Corby, Theakston, and Thornbridge Jaipur. Standard keg beers, bottled ales, cider, wines, and spirits are also available. Food – it’s a Spoons, you know the deal. Opening hours: Saturday – 8am-1am on Sunday, Tuesdays 8am-Midnight.
Address: 48 Botchergate, Carlisle, CA1 1QS. Telephone: 01228 819942. Website
Likelihood the Natives Will Understand You: Slim at best – unless you’re fluent in Gaelic? Perhaps you are.
Top-Tip : Do tell Carlisle fans that we had that Jimmy Glass at our club once. No need to mention that he was on trial for a week and then released for being rubbish.
Other Points Of Interest: Look, if you’re going up all that way then you might as well make a mini-break of it. Carlisle is the only city in Cumbria and boasts a cathedral and castle as well as a thriving town centre, and Hadrian’s Wall is nearby too. The city’s history is impressively bloody and worth investigating. The covered market is also well worth a visit. Nobody would call Carlisle pretty, but there’s plenty of grimmer places up North. If you’re staying, check out the Discover Carlisle website to……well, discover Carlisle.
[No responsibility is taken for any inaccuracies. This page is entirely the product of bias and prejudice. ]