Bridgwater Town F.C.

Bridgwater Town

Full name

Bridgwater Town (1984) Football Club

Nickname(s)

The Robins

Founded

1984

Ground

Fairfax Park, Bridgwater

Capacity

2,500 (318 seated)

Chairman

Clive Kemmish, Vice Chairman Jason Depledge

Manager

Paul West

League

Southern League
Division One South & West

2014–15

Southern League
Division One South and West, 12th

Home colours

Away colours

Bridgwater Town Football Club are a football club from Bridgwater, Somerset, England. The original version of the club was founded in 1898.^[1] They currently play in the Southern League Division One South and West. The club plays their home games at Fairfax Park. The club is affiliated to the Somerset County FA.

History

Early years

The first club to bear the name of the town was formed in 1898 and played in the grounds of Sydenham House off Bath Road. BRIDGWATER AFC won the Somerset Senior Cup in its first season beating Yeovil Casuals in the final played at Wells. They were finalist once more the following season but this time ended as runners-up, and only two years later they were forced to disband due to lack of support and financial difficulties - which was a theme that carries on to this day.

In 1903 a second attempt was made to establish senior football in the town and a completely different set of people formed another BRIDGWATER AFC - playing in the Westonzoyland Road area of the town. This club played in local leagues and lasted until the outbreak of World War One.

In 1919, local works side WILLS ATHLETIC were formed, but just two years later changed their name to BRIDGWATER TOWN FC. Initially they played in the Highbridge & District League for a few years, but ended up bouncing around several local leagues in this period. Eventually the club dropped down into junior football and faded away during the early 1930s.

There was one further club bearing the name of the town during the pre Second World War period (possibly Bridgwater UNited) but no information on this club is available.

A new town club

Local side CROWN DYNAMOS were formed in 1946 playing at Eastover Park but two years later changed their name to BRIDGWATER TOWN AFC LTD and moved to a new ground Castle Field. Originally playing in the Somerset Senior League but soon successfully applied for promotion to the Western Football League and reached the top division after three seasons. They remained at that level for the next 30 years, winning the title in 1967/68 and 1980/81. After a 3rd-place finish in 1981/82, they were accepted into the Southern League, but increased costs, plus a large debt incurred in enlarging the Robins Social Club) forced the club into liquidation after only two years at the higher level. The end of an era...

Re-formed once again

In 1984, Bridgwater Town (1984) FC was formed and joined the Somerset Senior League. The club advanced to the Premier Division and finished in the top three for six years in a row from 1988–94 (including a hat-trick of successive league titles) culminating in a promotion to the Western League. A second-place finish in the Western League Premier Division in 2006–07 was enough to see the club promoted once more and the name Bridgwater appeared back to the Southern League after a 23-year absence.

In the 2009–10 season Bridgwater recorded the most successful season in the club's history, reaching 3rd place and runners up in the Southern League Division 1 South and West Play offs and also a runners-up position in the Somerset Premier Cup. During the close season, manager Craig Laird left his post to take up the job as manager of Weston-Super-Mare, taking the majority of the Bridgwater squad with him. Rob Dray took the helm in July 2010 and has worked on rebuilding the side since then.^[1]

Ground

Bridgwater Town play their home games at Fairfax Park, College Way, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA6 4YQ.

Cup exploits

Bridgwater Town has reached the 2nd round of the FA Cup twice, in 1960–61 and 1961–62, losing 2–1 to Oxford United and 3–0 to Crystal Palace respectively. They also reached the first round in 1963–64 and in 1971–72. In the FA Vase, the club reached the 5th round in 2004–05, eventually falling at home to AFC Sudbury.^[2]

Honours

Western Football League Cup:^[3]^[4]
- Winners (4): 1957–58, 1981–82, 2002–03, 2004–05
Western Football League Alan Young Cup:^[5]
- Winners (2): 1968–69 (Shared with Glastonbury Town), 1971–72
Somerset Senior Cup^[6]
- Winners (3): 1898–99, 1993–94, 1995–96

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.		Position	Player
		GK	Jake Viney
		GK	James Annison
		DF	Conor O'Sullivan
		DF	Jay Adams
		MF	Kye Mountford
		DF	Josh White
		DF	Conor O'Neill
		FW	Josh Wadham
		MF	James Byrne
		FW	Shaun Anthony
		FW	Reeko Best
		MF	Ben Palmer
		MF	Charlie White
		MF	George Sinnott
		DF	Tom Hopkins
		FW	Matt Connick
		FW	Josh Klein-Davis

Notable former players

Bobby Black

References

1 2 "Club History". Bridgwater Town FC. Retrieved 13 November 2010.
↑ "Bridgwater Town". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 13 November 2010.
↑ "Western Football League Cup 1955–1988" (PDF). Western Football League. Retrieved 2013-01-06.
↑ "Western Football League Cup – Les Phillips cup 1989–present" (PDF). Western Football League. Retrieved 2013-01-06.
↑ "Western Football League Alan Young Cup Winners" (PDF). Western Football League. Retrieved 2013-01-07.
↑ "Senior Cup". SomersetFA. 2012-04-19. Retrieved 2013-04-04.

Club History

External links

(Not currently Available)

Southern League

Premier Division	Bedworth United Bideford Biggleswade Town Cambridge City Chesham United Chippenham Town Cirencester Town Dorchester Town Dunstable Town Frome Town Histon Hitchin Town Hungerford Town Kettering Town King's Lynn Town Leamington Merthyr Town Paulton Rovers Poole Town Redditch United Slough Town St Neots Town Stratford Town Weymouth

Division One Central	AFC Rushden & Diamonds Arlesey Town Aylesbury Aylesbury United Barton Rovers Beaconsfield SYCOB Bedford Town Chalfont St. Peter Egham Town Fleet Town Godalming Town Hanwell Town Kings Langley Leighton Town North Greenford United Northwood Petersfield Town Potters Bar Town Royston Town St Ives Town Uxbridge Ware

Division One South & West	AFC Totton Banbury United Bashley Bishop's Cleeve Bridgwater Town Burnham Cinderford Town Didcot Town Evesham United Larkhall Athletic Mangotsfield United Marlow North Leigh Shortwood United Slimbridge Swindon Supermarine Taunton Town Tiverton Town Wantage Town Wimborne Town Winchester City Yate Town

Seasons	1894–95 1895–96 1896–97 1897–98 1898–99 1899–1900 1900–01 1901–02 1902–03 1903–04 1904–05 1905–06 1906–07 1907–08 1908–09 1909–10 1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16

Coordinates: 51°7′54.682″N 2°59′21.739″W / 51.13185611°N 2.98937194°W / 51.13185611; -2.98937194

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