Boston United FC

Time to take a look, then, at the Pilgrims—not the Wayne Rooney’d hair plug Pilgrims, but the OG Pilgrims: Boston United @bostonunited.

They currently sit in the relegation zone of the National League and play host to table-toppers @FGRFC_Official at the weekend. However, as their history shows us, Boston can punch above their weight in more ways than one. So, let’s #GetTheBadgeIn.

Team-wise, they’ve mostly floated around the higher echelons of non-league football, with a 2002 appearance in League Two. They’ve had some great moments—most notably in 1955, when they beat Derby 6–1, and later achieved an unbeaten streak of 64 games, lasting two and a half years. They appointed Paul Hurst as joint manager in 2010, and he got them into the Conference North. Paul Hurst has a cracking record at this level and above—just not so much in the Championship...

Boston United stayed at this level until last year’s playoff final against Brackley Town, where they secured a 2–1 comeback victory to return to the National League after 14 years. This capped an incredible playoff run, with penalty shootout wins over Alfreton Town and Scunthorpe United.

So that’s the club. Let’s look a bit at Boston’s backstory before we get to the badge and the iconic name.

The land that is currently Boston was owned by the superbly named Ralph the Staller before the Norman invasion of 1066. Probably a handy guy to have around to block a solar farm or see out the game in extra time. Although, in reality, it just meant he literally looked after the King’s stall and was therefore a close advisor in the Royal Court.

Its strategic location, where freshwater rivers met tidewaters, made it an important port. It joined the Hanseatic League, just like Ipswich, benefiting from free and low-regulation trade with Europe. When King John levied a 7% tax on all ports in 1204, Boston returned the highest amount after London. Like Ipswich, it was a gateway for English wool: Ipswich took East Anglian wool; Boston took it from Lincolnshire/Yorkshire.

All was going well until Boston suffered its own "Hansexit" by arguing with foreign merchants and quitting the group. They timed this quarrel with the Haven silting. Trade collapsed, and the town shrunk. So, they quit a trading bloc, suffered a natural calamity, and endured an economic collapse. Who says history doesn’t repeat itself?

One successful industry that survived was fowling—hunting ducks and geese in the fens for meat and feathers. The Fogarty bedding company formed on the back of this trade, making luxury pillows and quilts known worldwide. Sadly, they closed in 2018, with Dunelm taking the brand name and manufacturing elsewhere.

Right then, now to the Pilgrim bit and that ship.

After Henry VIII’s break from Catholicism, there was debate about the direction of the new Church of England. In Boston, Lincolnshire, many favoured radical Puritan reforms, clashing with royal decrees. Many migrated to the Netherlands, and from there, in the early 1600s, to the Americas. Boston’s harbour acted as an exit point for Puritans across the Midlands seeking freedom of worship. Faith joined feathers in Boston's exports.

Among these reformers was John Cotton, a Puritan vicar at St Botolph’s Church, nicknamed "The Stump" because of its squat tower visible for miles - and also where the name Boston originated. A respected theologian from Cambridge, Cotton advocated for simpler worship practices and grew his congregation significantly, making him difficult to remove. However, after 20 years, he was forced out and fled to New England in 1633, joining Puritans who emigrated earlier, including those aboard the Mayflower.

In Massachusetts, Cotton became the first "Teacher" of Boston’s First Church. The city had already been named after Boston, Lincolnshire, by John Winthrop and others who shared ties to the English town. Cotton settled in the New World, and his grandson, Cotton Mather, became a key figure in American religious history.

So that’s Boston: Duties, Ducks, and Deacons; Feathers, Faith, and Football. For a small town, these guys have punched way above their weight.

Something Boston United FC need to relearn if they are to retain their National League status.