Newmarket Town FC

Suffolk is a far more remarkable place than it gets credit for. In Felixstowe we have an incredible ancient history and today one of the largest ports in Europe. In Ipswich we have UEFA Cup Winners, a historic waterfront (and the highest concentration of insurance firms outside London 💁‍♂️). In Martlesham you have the invention of fibre optics and VOIP. In Framlingham you have that castle and some chap with a guitar. And a little further up the A14, you have... another national treasure...

A place unmatched in its field... a global centre with unrivalled talent, facilities, passion and prestige...

We are, of course, talking about Newmarket — the centre of world horse racing.

But while the gallops and racecourses dominate the headlines, operating under the radar are the other Jockeys... Newmarket Town Football Club 🏇

See, whilst on race day everyone's attention was on the horses and the nobility and the glamour, behind the scenes another sport was taking root. Spreading out from the big industrial cities and into the market towns and rural communities... football began to be played.

Football offered something that cut across class lines — in a place like Newmarket, where much of the economy revolved around the horse racing season and its wealthy patrons, the local football pitch became the preserve of grooms, stablehands, and working families as much as the local shopkeepers and clerks.

And so it came to be that in 1877 (making them one of the county's oldest clubs) Newmarket Town FC was founded. The nickname “The Jockeys” was inevitable, but the football club quickly established its own identity in the regional game. Playing at Cricket Field Road since 1885, they have been part of the Eastern Counties football scene for well over a century.

They’ve competed in Suffolk and Cambridgeshire leagues, lifted local cups, and built a reputation as a competitive non-league side. While the crowds may not match those at the Guineas, the club has been just as much a part of the town’s sporting calendar.

Newmarket’s identity as a sporting town began in the early 17th century. James I first visited in 1605 and quickly fell in love with the open heath, seeing it as perfect for hunting and racing. He established a royal palace here, ensuring the town became a regular stop for the Stuart court.

James was a busy man. Initially King of Scotland he was invited down to London to become King of England too after the death of the childless Elizabeth I.

This he did - and in so doing changed the nation's history. He was the first King of both nations - he created the Union Flag (Union Jack...), he had a new bible written to try and unite the realm (King James Bible - still in use today) and sent off settlers to the Americas (Jamestown...). Oh, and some feller called Guy Fawkes tried to blow him up.

So he had a lot going on. He needed a safe space. Some me time. A 17th century mancave. Somewhere to unwind and let down his perfectly rolled hair - Newmarket was to be the place.

Look again at the badge of the football club. See the Royal Lion? That's why.

James' grandson, Charles II, was even more influential. A keen rider, he rebuilt and expanded the palace, laid out formal racecourses, and personally took part in races - winning several. Under his reign in the mid-1600s, Newmarket was transformed into the recognised headquarters of English racing. The presence of the monarchy also drew aristocrats, trainers, and breeders from across the country, embedding racing deep into the town’s culture. It was a boom town built on bridles and thoroughbreds.

Centuries later, Time Team excavated parts of the old palace site. They uncovered the remains of the royal complex, revealing its scale and confirming just how important Newmarket was to the Stuart kings.

Key to its success was of course the surrounding plains and flatlands of the Suffolk countryside- which provided excellent pasture and room to run. That badge - it features the crown and crossed arrows of St Edmund - the county symbol of Suffolk.

So there have it. Newmarket Football Club.

From royal palaces to football pitches, from thoroughbreds to a through pass, the Jockeys are still chasing glory.