Historic Witney Town Football Club has risen again with a new ground and a new manager.
The non-league club, which dissolved in 2013, is one of Oxfordshire' oldest senior clubs formed in 1885.
It has been revived by chairman Paul Foster and will play home games at Witney ATP for the 2024/25 season under new manager Ben Reardon and coaches Ashley Edwards and Steve Potts.
Mr Foster said the club was standing "on the threshold of a new era".
He said: "The football club has known title successes, relegation, league founder member status, liquidation and football club name changes.
"The one constant that remained throughout its history was the high quality of players, officials and managers that graced the club.
"The club saw Brendan Rodgers play a short spell on loan, a former Busby Babe as their manager, players who then went on to represent their countries (Bahamas, Barbados & England C) and even Herbert Smith, who was part of the British Olympic football gold medal winning team.
"The club witnessed it all."
Mr Foster himself played for Witney Town reserves for a short period in 1996 aged 16 but he said "it was long enough to leave a lasting impression on me".
Steve Bott, chair of Witney Vikings Youth Football Club, said: "The reforming of WTFC was inevitable, considering how many people are invested in football locally."
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Oxford United legend 'Big Ron' Atkinson, who went on to manage Manchester United, Aston Villa, West Brom and Sheffield Wednesday, sent a message of support.
He said: “Witney Town has a special meaning in my life. They are the first football team I ever really coached."
He said [former Witney Town chairman and ex-Oxford United and City player] "Aubrey Oakey asked me to come out one night and help with the coaching of the team.
"He gave me a fiver for it actually and 12 months later I was still doing two nights a week for the same fiver.
"But I really enjoyed it. It was good experience from my point of view."
Atkinson brought several top-flight teams to Witney over the years - and his most memorable was when he was boss of West Bromwich Albion in 1979.
His side played a friendly against Brian Clough's European Cup winners Nottingham Forest at Marriotts Close - which drew record crowds to Witney.
He said it was "probably the most epic night in Witney Town’s history".
"Great great night for and certainly the club. The biggest gate they’d had for Witney was something like two and a half thousand - that night there was seven and a half thousand.
"People up trees watching the game which ended up a fiercely competitive no score draw."
He added: "Another little sideline to that – it was Trevor Francis first full game as a £1million player. He’d just signed for Forest. So great memories.
"I wish them and their new manager Ben Reardon all the best and hopefully things work out for them."
For fans, Witney were known as ‘The Blanketmen’ due to Witney having five major factories producing blankets at one time.
However, there was a troubled move from Marriotts Close in the centre of the town to a purpose-built new stadium on Downs Road on the edge of the town during the early 90s.
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Off-field problems surfaced, and in 2013 the club folded, seemingly for ever.
Mr Foster said: "I’ve always kept my eye on Witney Town news and it was a crying shame when we as a town no longer had a senior club representing us on a footballing front."
He and brothers Stuart and Marc, who founded the Witney Music Festival and run businesses, first discussed resurrecting the club last year.
With Tania Kirby, Daniel Butterfield and former Oxford City financial director Paul Lyon they formed a new committee and business plan.
"Our vision is to build, grow and restore the football club back to its position as the flagship club of the town whilst recreating the positive affect it used to have on the wider community of Witney," said Mr Foster.
"We will begin with one adult men’s team and in time, have plans to provide a platform for all."
He thanked Witney Town Council, West Oxfordshire District Council, local sponsors and "all of the community that continue to share their positivity and passion for Witney Town FC".
Oxford Mail football columnist The Oxonian said: "For a town the size of Witney to have no senior football club for over 10 years is shocking.
"Be in at the start. Lay your blanket on the ground."
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