Having reached the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup for the first time in their history, the Northern Premier League side failed to reach the first round proper with a 6-0 defeat to National League outfit Hartlepool United.
It was always going to be an uphill task for the hosts, who currently sit ninth in the eighth tier of English football whilst their opponent is currently knocking on the door of a return to the Football League three divisions above.
However, three years ago playing for a place in the FA Cup 1st round would’ve been a dream for Ilkeston, who were only formed back in July 2017.
The Derbyshire club was formed after Ilkeston FC were wound up for the second time in a decade after Ilkeston Town had their records erased in 2010. The liquidated Ilkeston FC were now Ilkeston Town FC.
The club saw back-to-back promotions to gain entry into the eighth tier of English football and have been playing in the Northern Premier League since 2019, with last season abandoned due to the outbreak of COVID-19.
The Robins were taken over in late 2019 as the then manager Mark Clifford bought the club and appointed Martin Carruthers as the new manager as part of a complete restructure of the club.
As is the case every season, there’s a great story about a non-league club in the FA Cup and Ilkeston Town is certainly one of them. Defying the odds to have a chance at playing the big dogs.
Furthermore, having the BBC televise the fixture will provide the club with extra much-needed funds as it attempts to stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic. As well as this, hopefully more people will be aware of Ilkeston and their story as the club looks to climb the English footballing ladder.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t their day against Hartlepool, but the Robins should be proud of their cup run and all those involved with the club, particularly it’s reform, will remember the day for the rest of their lives.