Vase performance: Winners, 2007–08 Record attendance: 3,858 vs Chorley, National League North, 26 December 2016 Biggest victory: 10–0 vs Droylsden, Northern Premier League Premier Division, 29 October 2013 Controversies and criticisms The rise of the club has been criticised by football traditionalists and fans of more established teams as the club's rise in fortunes has been strongly linked to bank-rolling the club to success by its chairman. The record low attendance of the 2019 National League play-off Final where AFC Fylde sold only a few hundred tickets at Wembley was used to highlight this point. In 2019, the club's ground had a pro-Brexit billboard encouraging the then prime minister Theresa May for a no-deal solution. The chairman David Haythornthwaite, publicly supports UKIP and fracking, is a prominent Brexiteer and endorses right-wing populist politician Nigel Farage. That same year the club hosted a Brexit Party rally led by Nigel Farage, with allegations of some participants encouraging violence against then Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. That same year the club's former accountant was jailed for 32 months for misappropriating £240,000 of the club's funds to spend on cocaine, cam-girls and gambling. In 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic the club was relegated from the National League after it suspended the season which was met with a legal threat from the club. In 2021 the club posted a job opening for the role of general manager, warning candidates, "don't apply if you are looking for 'a work life balance' or have to pick the kids up from school twice a week at 3.30". After being posted social media users branded it "discriminatory" and "disgusting", while others said the club should "change its attitude". The advertisement was shortly removed. It was announced on 28 September 2022 that manager James Rowe had been formally charged with sexual assault and would appear in court on 7 November. He had left Chesterfield FC by "mutual consent" following a suspension after allegations were made. Fylde had stated that due diligence had been done before his appointment. Rowe resigned one day later following a board meeting. See also AFC Fylde players AFC Fylde managers AFC Fylde Women References External links Football clubs in England AFC Fylde Association football clubs established in 1988 Football clubs in Lancashire 1988 establishments in England West Lancashire Football League North West Counties Football League clubs Northern Premier League clubs Fylde