Weston-super-Mare A.F.C.

Weston-super-Mare Association Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England. Nicknamed "The Seagulls",[1] the club is affiliated to the Somerset County Football Association and are competing in the National League South, the sixth tier of English football.

Weston-super-Mare
Full nameWeston-super-Mare Association Football Club
Nickname(s)The Seagulls
Founded1887 (1887)
GroundWoodspring Stadium
Capacity3,500 (350 seated)
ChairmanPaul Bliss
ManagerScott Bartlett
LeagueNational League South
2022–23Southern League Premier Division South, 1st of 22 (promoted)
WebsiteClub website

The club was founded in 1887 but disbanded twice (for the two World Wars); the current club was established in 1948. Their claim to fame was that they have had never been relegated in their history, although after their promotion to the sixth tier in 2004 they had been reprieved from relegation three times (in 2007, 2008, and 2010), they were eventually relegated for the first time in 132 years in the 2018/19 season. The team's best performance in the FA Cup came in 2003–04 when they reached the second round of the competition.

Weston-super-Mare has a modest fan base and a fierce rivalry with fellow Somerset club Clevedon Town. However, the two clubs have not played in the same league or cup (excluding pre season) since Weston-super-Mare gained promotion to the Southern League Premier Division in 2003.

History

Formation, reformation, and early history

Weston-super-Mare A.F.C. was formed in 1887.[2] The team's first record of a competitive match being against near-neighbours Clevedon Town in a "Medal Competition" organised by the Somerset FA.[3] In 1900, they joined Division two of the Western Football League but left after two years.[4] In 1910, they rejoined this league and played there until World War I.[5]

Between the wars, the club played in the local Bristol and District Football League and then the Somerset County League but the club disbanded upon the outbreak of hostilities in 1939.[3] The club reformed in 1948 and immediately rejoined the Western League, initially in Division Two.[6] At this time the team played at the Great Ground in Locking Road, where initially there was no cover for spectators and the players had to change in a marquee.[3] A season after the club joined rejoined the Western league they made their debut in the FA Cup in the 1949–50 season losing to Gloucester City in the preliminary qualifying round.[5] The team remained in the Second Division until the league consolidated to a single division in 1960.[6] During this time they moved to the Langford Road Ground.[3] In 1976, they were placed into the Western League Premier Division upon the creation of a second tier, meaning that by their centenary in 1987 they had never been promoted or relegated in their history.[3][7]

Paul Bliss era

In early 1986, Paul Bliss was approached by Weston-super-Mare and he was named as the club's chairman roughly six months later.[8][9] In 1989, John Ellener was appointed manager and led the club to the Western League championship in 1991–92 and with it promotion to the Southern League Midland Division.[5] They remained at this level, playing successively in the Midland, Southern, Midland (again) and Western Divisions due to the Southern League's regular reorganisations, until 2002–03 when they finished in second place and were promoted to the Premier Division, clinching promotion with a win away to rivals Clevedon Town.[3][10] In their first Premier Division season they finished in 10th place, enough to clinch a place in the newly formed Conference South.[10]

The club's most successful FA Cup run came in the 2003–04 season, when the Seagulls reached the second round. After defeating Dorchester Town, Chesham United (via a replay) and Welling United in the qualifying rounds, Weston secured a 1–0 away win against Farnborough Town to progress from the first round. They were awarded with an away tie against Third Division side, Northampton Town where they were eventually beaten 4–1. In the same season, Weston would equal their best performance in the FA Trophy, reaching the Fourth Round of the competition.

In the 2006–07 season of the Conference South, the club finished in 20th position and were set to be relegated.[11] However, Farnborough Town were relegated due to going into liquidation and Hayes and Yeading merged to form Hayes & Yeading United, leaving the Conference South one team short, earning a reprieve for Weston.[12] The 2007–08 season ended in similar fashion for Weston. A 20th-place finish meant the club was eligible for relegation, only to be spared by the enforced demotion of Cambridge City, who failed a ground inspection.[13] The 2009–10 campaign again saw the club finish in the relegation zone again when they finished 21st, however as before the club was saved by the FA, this time when Salisbury City were demoted twice to the Southern league.[14]

The 2010–11 season saw the club win the Somerset Premier Cup for the first time, when they defeated Yeovil Town in the final.[15] The club retained the cup the following season (2011–12) when they beat local rivals Clevedon Town 2–1.[16]

In 2012–13, the club finished the season with their highest ever placing in the Conference South in 7th place with 67 points and narrowly missing out on a place in the playoffs. The 2014–15 season brought a relatively successful cup campaign as the Seagulls won three qualifying matches in the FA Cup and reached the First Round Proper of the FA Cup, where they lost 4–1 at home to Doncaster Rovers in front of a record attendance of 2,949.

After a string of poor results, Micky Bell was replaced by Director of Football, Ryan Northmore at the end of November 2014 with the Seagulls at the bottom of the table. Northmore took the team on a string of unbeaten games, taking them to promotion challenging form. Unfortunately this didn't continue and after defeating Bath City at home 4–1 in a rearranged fixture the rejuvenated Seagulls didn't win another league game, which saw them finish 17th.

The 2015–16 season saw the side struggle to gain a win throughout August in the League, winning just 1 point from 18, with that point coming at home in the Somerset Derby against Bath City.

Through September and October, the side couldn't maintain a consistent run of form going and continued to lay low in the dreaded depths of the relegation zone.

However, toward the end of November, Ryan Northmore's troops managed to pull themselves up to 2nd in the league's form table by going 10 games unbeaten in the Nation League South from 21 November until 16 February. It came to an end when Weston couldn't maintain the run, eventually losing 2–0 to Hayes & Yeading at the Woodspring.

The side momentarily lost form with losses coming against St. Albans and Wealdstone however, over the Easter weekend, the side bagged an important 3 points over Ebbsfleet thanks to Captain Dayle Grubb's impressive strikes.

This was followed by a tough defeat to relegation rivals Bath City, with Scott Wilson firing in during the 91st minute, but Bath hit back with a penalty in the 92nd minute and the winner from half-way in the 94th minute.

During the last month of the season, the Seagulls once again turned on the style and ended the season with 6 unbeaten games from 7, with Scott Wilson and Dayle Grubb netting in a 2–0 win over Maidstone to spark manic celebrations from the home fans at The Woodspring knowing that the Seagulls had avoided relegation.

With the season ending in a party atmosphere in Havant on 30 April, with fan favourite Scott Wilson sliding home at the far post to ultimately send Havant down and keep Margate down.

The club revealed a new crest after the end of the 2015–16 season.[17] Manager Ryan Northmore was sacked by the club on 18 September 2016 after a run of seven league losses and an FA Cup exit to North Leigh[18] Northmore was replaced by former Weston-super-Mare player and Forest Green Rovers caretaker manager Scott Bartlett on 3 October 2016.[19] Bartlett left the club at the end of the 2016–17 season after having led the Seagulls to 15th in the National League South.[20] Former player Marc McGregor was his replacement for the new season.[21]

McGregor's first season in charge saw the club finish in a credible 12th place[22] with McGregor being named Manager of the Month for November.[23] The 2018–19 season saw the club struggle for form, only picking up their first league win three months into the season[24] with their first home league win coming nearly three months later.[25] McGregor's time in charge came to an end in March 2019[26] with the club ultimately suffering the first relegation in their 137-year history finishing bottom of the National League South.[27] Scott Bartlett returned as the club's new manager ahead of the 2019–20 season.[28]

The club's first two seasons (2019–20 and 2020–21) back in the Southern Football League were abandoned prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[29][30] The 2021–22 season saw Weston finish the season in fifth place, qualifying for the end of season playoffs but the Seagulls lost their semi-final 2–1 against Hayes and Yeading United to confirm their continued participation in the Southern League.[31]

The 2022–23 season saw Weston immediately challenging at the top of the table, spending much of the season battling with Truro City for the top spot. Despite a late challenge from Bracknell Town, Weston were crowned champions following an emphatic 4–1 win against Hendon securing a return to the National League South after four years.[32]

Ground
Woodspring stadium

Weston-super-Mare A.F.C. play their home games at the Woodspring Stadium, currently known as the Optima Stadium for sponsorship reasons, on Winterstoke Road, where the club moved to in August 2004. They previously played at Woodspring Park a short distance away. The move marked the third time in the past 40 years that Weston-super-Mare have changed venues. The capacity of the ground is 3,500 in which 2,000 is covered and 350 are seated.[33]

Woodspring Park had been built almost entirely by supporters and boasted a clubhouse costing £100,000.[3] The Park had been the home of Weston-super-Mare since 1983 and had floodlights installed in 1986.[3] The ground nearly had a greyhound track around the pitch, an idea which chairman Paul Bliss shot down.[8] Weston-super-Mare sold this ground to a residential home builder when it became apparent the club was going to move the short distance to the Woodspring Stadium. The last home fixture was played in April 2004.[33]

The ground for what is now Woodspring Stadium was formerly a sporting complex owned by Westland Aircraft known as Westland Sports Ground. It was home to cricket and football in addition to social buildings. Difficult financial times forced Westland to reconsider their place in town and put the ground up for sale. The club purchased it for £270,000 in 2001.[33] The Stadium opened 14 August 2004, with its first match against Conference South opponents Hornchurch drawing 500 people to the game.

In April 2021, the club announced plans to redevelop the stadium to include 750 additional seats and new terracing plus new club facilities and hospitality areas. The redevelopment would also allow the club to further increase capacity at the ground to 5,000 with 2,000 seats in the future. This would allow the ground to host EFL League Two matches should the club ever be promoted to that level.[34]

The record attendance for this ground 2,949 in a match in the FA Cup against Doncaster Rovers on 18 November 2014.

Current squad

Updated 20 October 2023

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK England ENG Harry Lee (on loan from Exeter City)
— GK England ENG Luke Purnell
— DF England ENG Sam Avery
— DF Wales WAL Lloyd Humphries
— DF England ENG Jason Pope
— DF England ENG Jacob Roddy (on loan from Charlton Athletic)
— DF England ENG Keiran Thomas
— MF England ENG Jordan Bastin
— MF England ENG James Dodd
— MF Ghana GHA Opi Edwards
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF England ENG Dayle Grubb (captain)
— MF England ENG Jacob Jagger-Cane
— MF England ENG Rex Mannings
— MF England ENG James Morton
— MF England ENG Robbie Willmott (on loan from Woking)
— FW England ENG Marlon Jackson
— FW Republic of Ireland IRL Luke Pearce (on loan from Southampton)
— FW England ENG Reuben Reid
— FW England ENG Jamie Soule

Out on loan

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
— DF England ENG Bailey Kempster (on loan at Tiverton Town)

Non-playing staff

Board members
Updated 23 July 2023.[35]
Position Name
Chairman Paul Bliss
President Dennis Usher
Managing director Oli Bliss
Director Lach Geddes
Alex Crowther
Ed Bliss
Academy Director Simon Panes

First team staff
Updated 18 July 2023.[36]
Position Name
Manager Scott Bartlett
Assistant manager Scott Rogers
Goalkeeper Coach Steve Laker
Opposition Analyst Richard Joyce
Sport Therapist Taylor Cornish
Kitman Gordon Mackay
Groundsman Bob Flaskett

Honours
2022–23
1991–92
2010–11, 2011–12, 2017–18, 2018–19

Other
  • Clevedon and District Charity Cup
1922–23
  • Western Senior Cup[3]
1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1977–78
1976–77
  • Western Merit Cup[3]
1976–77, 1977–78
  • Somerset Senior Cup[39]
1926–27
  • Bristol Charity Cup[3]
1922–23
  • Weston Charity Cup[3]
1910–11

Records

Former players
  1. Players that have played/managed at least 40 games in the football league or any foreign equivalent to this level (i.e. fully professional league).
  2. Players with full international caps.
  3. Players that have played/managed in another professional sport.

For those players that also played for the club but did not meet the criteria above:

Former coaches
  1. Managers/Coaches that have played/managed in the football league or any foreign equivalent to this level (i.e. fully professional league).
  2. Managers/Coaches with full international caps.

References
  1. "Weston-super-Mare FC 2012/13 Blue Square Bet South fixtures released". This is Somerset. 2 July 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  2. "Weston Super Mare FC – Fixtures, History and Club Information". Napit.co.uk. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  3. "History | Weston-super-Mare Football Club". Weston-s-mareafc.co.uk. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  4. "Western League 1892–1914". Nonleaguematters.net. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  5. Weston-super-Mare at the Football Club History Database
  6. "Western League 1945–1965". Nonleaguematters.net. 5 June 1947. Archived from the original on 12 May 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  7. "Western League 1965–1985". Nonleaguematters.net. Archived from the original on 14 November 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  8. Whitney, Steve (12 July 2016). "30 Years of Paul Bliss And Weston AFC". National League. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  9. Gammie, Walter (13 October 2003). "Weston miss chance to make converts". The Times. London. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  10. "Southern League 2001–2011". Nonleaguematters.net. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  11. "Website created using 350pages at www.350.com". Nonleaguematters.net. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  12. "NonLeagueDaily.com". NonLeagueDaily.com. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  13. "Cambridge City fail in FA appeal". BBC Sport Online. 28 May 2008. Retrieved 29 May 2008.
  14. "Salisbury City lose their appeal against demotion". BBC News. 10 June 2010. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  15. "Weston-super-Mare beat Yeovil Town to lift Somerset Cup". This is Bath. 4 May 2011. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  16. "Weston-super-Mare AFC defeat Clevedon Town to retain the Somerset Premier Cup – 09 May 2012 – Guide2Weston Super Mare News". Guide2westonsupermare.com. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  17. "New crest revealed". Weston-super-Mare AFC. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  18. "Northmore leaves the club". Weston-super-Mare AFC. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  19. "Weston-super-Mare appoint Forest Green Academy boss Scott Bartlett as new manager". Stroud News & Journal. 3 October 2016.
  20. Robins, Sheridan (14 June 2017). "Scott Bartlett leaves Weston-super-Mare after 7 months in charge with a 'heavy heart'". Weston Mercury. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  21. Robins, Sheridan (16 June 2017). "Weston-super-Mare appoint Marc McGregor as new manager". Weston Mercury. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  22. Frost, Sam (3 May 2018). "Seagulls show 'great character' to end season with win". Weston Mercury. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  23. Angear, Simon (1 December 2017). "Weston boss nets Manager Of The Month award". Weston Mercury. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  24. Frost, Sam (9 November 2018). "At last... Seagulls finally secure first league win". Weston Mercury. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  25. Frost, Sam (29 January 2019). "At last... Weston win at home as quickfire brace guns down Rebels". Weston Mercury. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  26. "Weston-super-Mare part company with Marc McGregor". The Non-League Paper. 15 March 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  27. Frost, Sam (20 April 2019). "BREAKING: Weston relegated from National League South". Weston Mercury. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  28. Frost, Sam (24 May 2019). "Scott Bartlett appointed Weston manager". Weston Mercury. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  29. "Coronavirus: All football below National League to end". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  30. "FA Update On Steps 3-6". 24 February 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  31. Thomas, Joshua (26 April 2022). "Weston AFC knocked out of Southern Premier South play-offs after defeat at Hayes & Yeading United". Weston Mercury. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  32. Thomas, Joshua (18 April 2023). "Weston AFC secure National League South promotion after Jackson treble". Weston Mercury. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  33. [Groundtastic – The Football Grounds Magazine. GT40 – Spring 2005. Published 1 March 2005. Pages 34–37.]
  34. "MAJOR OPTIMA STADIUM REDEVELOPMENT PLANS ANNOUNCED". Weston-super-Mare AFC. 7 April 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  35. "Board members". westonsmareafc.co.uk. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  36. "First team – Staff". westonsmareafc.co.uk. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  37. "Football Club History Database – Somerset County Cups Summary". Fchd.info. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  38. "Award Winners". Toolstation Western League. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  39. "Senior Cup". SomersetFA. 19 April 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
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