Hinckley Association Football Club, nicknamed “#wearehafc,” is a non-league football club based in Barwell, Leicestershire.
Established in 2014, they currently compete in the uhlsport UCL Premier Division South, which is part of the ninth tier of English football. The team calls Kirkby Road Sports Ground their home ground.
Established in January 2014 as a community-owned club after the liquidation of Hinckley United, the club operates on a one vote per member basis and reinvests all profits into community football programs. Hinckley has a long football history, starting with Hinckley Town in 1889, later renamed Hinckley Athletic. The two clubs merged in 1997 to form Hinckley United, which achieved promotion to the Southern League Premier Division in 2001 and joined the Conference North in 2003. Despite initial success, financial difficulties led to the club’s liquidation in 2013.
Hinckley AFC played their first match on July 5, 2014, under the management of Carl Abbott, achieving a 4-2 victory. In their inaugural season, they finished third in the Midland League First Division and set a new league record with a 27-match unbeaten streak. The club continued to build on their success, winning their first silverware in the 2015/16 season with a Senior Cup victory. The 2016/17 season saw them finish as league runners-up and achieve best-ever runs in the FA Vase and the Polymac Packaging League Cup.
Following several managerial changes, Courtney Belford took charge in the summer of 2021, leading the team to a second-place finish in the United Counties League and setting numerous records, including an 18-0 win in the FA Vase. However, a play-off final defeat to Belper United resulted in a return to the Midland League. Belford stepped down due to work commitments, and Joe Conneely became the new manager. The memory of Matt Gadsby, who tragically passed away in 2006, is honored by his wife Sarah and daughter Amelia, who hold membership Number One of Hinckley AFC.