Taunton Town

 

Taunton Town FC is a non-league football club from the town of the same name in Somerset, which was founded in December 1947 as Taunton FC by a group of local businessmen, initially joining the Somerset County League.

The town had previously been represented by a club called Taunton United, which changed its title to Taunton Town in 1927 before disappearing before World War II. The new club progressed to Division Two of the Western League for the 1954-55 season.

By this time, the club had played home matches at Mountfields, French Weir, Victoria Park and Huish Old Boys. They then moved to Denman's Park, Haines Hill, where they remained until 1953, when they moved into a new ground at Wordsworth Drive.

The following season, the side finished as runners-up and won promotion to Division One. 1968 saw the club take up their present title, with the change immediately paying dividends as ‘The Peacocks’ were crowned as Western League champions.

The early part of the 1970’s saw Town finish as Western League runners-up in four consecutive seasons: 1972-73, 1973-74, 1974-75 and 1975-76. This eventually led to promotion to the Southern League Division One South for the 1977-78 campaign.

The league was reorganised in the summer of 1979, with Taunton being placed in the Midland Division. A fine run in the FA Cup in 1981-82 saw the team reach the First Round for the first time before going down 2-1 to Swindon Town, after the game was moved to The County Ground.

Owing to financial reasons, the club dropped back down to the Western League at the end of the 1982-83 season, where Town lifted the league crown for a second time in 1989-90 under manager Keith Bowker. 1993-94 ended in disappointment after finishing second in the league.

Town, managed by Terry Rowles, also reached Wembley in the final of the FA Vase after victories over Moreton Town, Keynsham Town, Melksham Town, Barnstaple Town, Banstead Athletic, Belper Town, Newbury Town and Boston.

In the final, Taunton were defeated 2-1 by Diss Town after extra time. Consolation came with a third league title in 1995-96 before another second-place finish in 1997-98, which was coupled in a FA Vase semi-final defeat to Tow Law Town.

In 1998-99, Town won the Western League for a fourth time and again reached the last four of the FA Vase; this time going out to Tiverton Town. A fifth league championship was celebrated in 1999-00.

The title was retained the following season, which also saw another great run in the FA Vase with wins against Street, Diss Town, Brockenhurst, Arlesey Town, Tooting & Mitcham United and Clitheroe as Russell Musker led the team.

The final was held at Villa Park as Wembley was being rebuilt, and ended in a 2-1 win as the Peacocks finally got their hands on the trophy. 2001-02 ended with Town as league runners-up before they decided to have another bash at Southern League football.

The club were placed in the Western Division, with Pete Beadle in charge for a few games in 2005 before Gary Domone took over team affairs. A restructuring placed Town in Division One South West in 2006-07. Ian Jones was appointed as manager in December 2007.

Former Vase winner Paul West replaced Jones in April 2009, building a side including plenty of local talent. Former reserve player Kevin Turmey became club chairman in 2010, while Leigh Robinson took over as manager in May 2012. The club began a period of growth as local interest began to grow. Facilities were improved, and investment was made in the squad. 

The team reached round one of the FA Cup for the second time in 2016-17, going out to Barrow after a draw in front of 2,300 fans at home. The team finished in the playoffs in 2014-15, losing to Stratford Town. The following season, Taunton were defeated by Banbury Town in the final, having disposed of Swindon Supermarine in the semifinal.

In 2016-17, the Peacocks were denied any chance of promotion by Tiverton Town in the semifinal. Robinson’s side were not to be denied in 2017-18 as further investment in the squad paid dividends as the Southern League West Division title was lifted in style.

2018-19 saw a playoff semifinal defeat to Poole Town after Robinson departed to Truro City, to be replaced by Rob Dray. His side lifted the Premier Division South title in 2021-22 to reach the National League South. In their second division in the competition, serious financial issues were unveiled.

Players were released as the Peacocks were relegated in May 2024, with Richard Luffman becoming manager of Taunton Town, who in turn was replaced by Gary Johnson during December of the same year.

Taunton Town FC will play in the Southern League Premier Division South in the 2026-27 season.

My visits

Wednesday 15th August 2012

I’d been to the League Cup tie between Exeter City and Crystal Palace the previous evening before gradually making my way back towards London. It was a filthy day weather-wise, but I was undaunted in trying to visit some new venues. I’d got off the train at Tiverton Parkway and taken the bus to visit the homes of Elmore and then Tiverton Town before catching a bus to Taunton, 

By this point, the heavy rain had abated. However, I was saturated but partly resolved the situation by heading to Sports Direct to purchase a t-shirt, hoodie and an Olympics baseball cap. The town was far bigger than I thought, but I still took the walk to an open Wordsworth Drive.

The ground was decent enough from memory without having any outstanding features. For some reason, I failed to put together a page for this blog at the time and have consequently lost the photos when I had an issue with my PC storage.

Following a look at the ground, I headed to do more of the same at Somerset County Cricket Ground, which was most impressive. I really needed to head down for a game. After a couple of pints in the excellent Plough Inn, I took the train to Swindon.

Taunton Town 3 Hendon 3 (Saturday 25th August 2018) Southern League Premier Division South (att: 523)

When I previously visited Wordsworth Drive, I had absolutely no idea I’d return a few years later for a match as a supporter of Hendon FC. However, the club had offered me a home to get involved with a lovely football club, and I was thoroughly enjoying the ride. The Dons had been switched to the Southern League at the beginning of the season, with plenty of long trips. 

It provided great opportunities for groundhoppers along the way. I wasn’t going to miss out on such opportunities. There hadn’t been enough fans wanting to travel to justify a dedicated coach, as with Frome a fortnight previously. Once again, we were permitted to travel with the team. This time the fare was a very reasonable £25.

It was never going to be the quickest of journeys, and we weren’t helped with the game being scheduled on a Bank Holiday. It necessitated an 8am departure from Silver Jubilee Park on a pleasant, if cooler day.

Thankfully, I was in better order than the previous excursion, having curtailed my Friday evening activities shortly after going to watch the London Skolars v Keighley Cougars Rugby League clash at Wood Green.

The journey actually went better than we’d anticipated; even allowing for our driver to get into a right muddle trying to access the coach area at the M5 Gordano Services, around the only section where we encountered any heavy traffic.

We pulled into the car park at the sponsored title Viridor Stadium before 1pm, with the fans heading off down the road to The Master Thatcher five minutes away on Lisieux Way, trusting my judgement. The pub was a cracker, but it was primarily a food establishment. The Palmers range of beers looked promising, but was a bit of a let-down if truth be told. 

We headed back to the ground at 2pm, where admission was £10 and the programme an extra couple of quid. The ground certainly seemed better than on my previous brief visit. There was terracing behind both goals with the centre section covered. The players' entrance was in the near corner, with a long, low seated stand filling the touchline.

The far side had a club shop, refreshments, a clubhouse, club offices and a small seated stand before giving way to some open terracing. The two dugouts were on that side, and I was certain that I’d never seen a set positioned so far apart. The best option at the bar at the venue was Quantock Pale Ale on keg. An excellent pastie was a fine accompaniment. 

It was apparent that Hendon would have a decent following at the game, which probably amounted to around 40 by kick-off. I was most impressed with the playing surface and surroundings of The Viridor Stadium. A decent-sized crowd had assembled. Hopefully, they weren’t too confused with the team list on the back of the programme, quoting Staines Town as the visitors.

We anticipated a tough game for Hendon, so we were most enthused when Ricky German tapped into an empty net after great work from Marvin Morgan, who used all his years of experience after seven minutes. Dan Boness in goal at the other end was being kept busy along with his defence before German finished neatly to double the lead on thirty-four minutes. 

Town halved the deficit when the impressive Matt Wright powered a header home at the back post as the interval approached. Both sides could easily have been reduced to ten men after a bout of handbags got a little heated. Morgan did Laste Dombaxe a real favour by dragging him away, although the midfielder didn’t appreciate it at the time. The home bench was particularly vocal, trying to influence the officials.

I enjoyed a good cheeseburger at the break before the second period carried on as before, with the Peacocks going for the more direct approach. I celebrated a German hat trick for the first time as the powerful front man powered his way past a couple of challenges to smash home from the edge of the box to make it 3-1 on fifty six minutes.

Host custodian Lloyd Irish pulled off a top stop from Dombaxe as Hendon continued to cause problems while Taunton ramped up the pressure in attack. Dan Sullivan dragged a goal back on 66 minutes with a powerful angled shot. Chances were coming thick and fast. Predicting the full-time score was hazardous at that stage.

Again, referee Lee Roberts did well to keep discipline down to a pair of yellow cards after an altercation by the home bench, where some of the conduct and continued complaining was over the top. Hendon could well have been awarded a penalty as sub Dylan Kearney appeared to be dragged back.

Six minutes of additional time was added, which was about right. In the final sixty seconds, the man in black pointed to the spot to award Taunton a penalty. Boness got to Wright’s kick, but the power took the ball in. A draw was a fair result on reflection of a tough encounter, not lacking incident, even if we were disappointed with the late award. 

One or two missed opportunities to take three points at what would undoubtedly prove to be a home fortress might be rued later. Referee Roberts proved most amiable in the bar after the game, explaining his decision-making to our table when asked politely. The game could do with more officials like that. Purely in my opinion, of course!

We were back in the car park at SJP at 9.45pm after a ride back of Skid Solo qualities, for readers of a certain age. I thought I was going to have to administer a heart massage to Dean Wheeler, the kit man! We were ‘entertained’ by some extreme black rap music on the return ride. I don’t think they knew what they were asking for when I requested a bit of Deacon Blue or Simply Red! 

The boys appeared to be bonding and were in good form, so we were all happy. It was a top day out, and although it felt like a defeat at the time, I feel we’d have settled for it upon departure. Jimmy Gray and his brand-new and ever-improving squad were continuing to make quite an impression.

Frome Town

Frome Town FC is a non-league football club from the Somerset town of Frome that was formed in 1904, initially competing in the Wiltshire Premier League at their home ground of Badgers Hill.

A move to the Somerset Senior League Championship proved fruitful as the team was crowned champions in 1906-07, 1908-09, and 1910-11. The club became members of the Western League in 1919-20, where they were placed in Division Two.

The debut campaign ended in triumph as the 'Robins’ were crowned as champions before leaving the competition for a two-year sabbatical in 1922. Once again, Town left the league in 1927 before returning for the 1931-32 season.

Following World War Two, Frome were placed in Division One but were relegated to Division Two after just one season. A runners-up berth in 1954-55 secured promotion back to the top flight. A young Tony Book spent the following year with the club before moving to Bath City and future glories.

The season also saw the team progress to the first round of the FA Cup. The tie against Leyton Orient saw the visitors run out 3-0 victors in front of a record 8,000 crowd at Badgers Hill, before the side suffered a return to Division Two at the end of the 1958-59 campaign.

The Western League became just one division from 1963-64, with Frome generally ending in mid-table. The club won the Premier Division title in 1978-79 after the league had expanded to two divisions, and then went on to lift the League Cup the following season.

The Robins finished as runners-up in 1982-83 before a period of decline set in, which would eventually result in relegation to Division One in 1995-96. The club was restructured for the final season of the old millennium as struggles on the field continued.

The club was saved from relegation owing to a restructuring of the Western League around the same time, before fortunes on the pitch returned. Town won the Division One title in 2001-02 to reclaim their Premier Division status.

In 2008-09, Frome ended as league runners-up after five seasons of high-end finishes and were promoted to the Southern League, where they were placed in Division One South West.

Derek Graham was manager in 2010-11 as Town qualified for the play-offs. Away wins against Mangotsfield Town and then Sholing took the club to the Southern League Premier Division, where the team stabilised.

Brian O’Donnell was appointed as the new team boss in the summer of 2013, lasting just a year before being replaced by Adrian Foster, who was in turn replaced by Nick Bunyard after another twelve months.

Bunyard was suspended for three years from all football activity, despite the club's support, after an enquiry into betting allegations in November 2016. His assistant Josh Jeffries took over as manager, leading the team to a best-ever eighth-place berth in 2016-17.

Jeffries resigned towards the end of the 2017-18 season, with former Bradford Town boss Danny Greaves appointed as his replacement, as he brought several of his players with him to replace those who departed.

The club was placed in the Southern League Premier Division South for the 2018-19 campaign as non-league football was restructured, going down at the end of the season to Division One South. After the abandoned seasons, the Robins reached the playoffs in 2021-22, going down to Bristol Manor Farm in the semifinal tie.

A runners-up berth in 2023-24 saw Frome promoted to Premier Division South once again. However, the rise in status proved too much once more as the Robins went back down twelve months later. The side regrouped and lifted the Division One South title to go back to the Premier Division in 2025-26.

Frome Town FC will play in the Southern League Premier Division South in the 2026-27 season.

My visit

Frome Town 1 Hendon 1 (Saturday 11th August 2018) Southern League Premier Division South (att: 245)

These were uncharted waters for Hendon as a new adventure began in the Southern League. The Supporters Association failed to get the required numbers for a coach, so we travelled at the front end of the player's vehicle for a very reasonable fare of £20.

It was a lovely morning when I arrived at Silver Jubilee Park in time for a cuppa. We departed at 9.30am and headed down Western Avenue, then M25 to the M4. It wouldn’t be for the last time!

It was lovely to chat with other fans who were becoming mates as time evolved. The journey was smooth and truncated at services near Swindon, where we came across a St Albans City fans bus and the Welling United team.

The Dons players seemed to be bonding well at the rear of the coach. New Manager Jimmy Gray and his backroom team of Mark Boyce and Rob Pattman were most amiable and created a good impression as they fitted into their roles.

Rain began to fall as we arrived in Frome and the Badgers Hill ground came into view. We were directed into the car park by a suited assistant. This was pointed out to me in relation to my car parking duties at SJP!

There was plenty of time, so several of us walked down the hill to The Vine, which could easily have been the set for a West Country version of Early Doors. The locals were friendly enough.

I’d overindulged on my free Friday off work but was now feeling ready for a ‘livener’. I decided to opt for a Doombar. I’d struggled with it in the past, but I decided to give it another go, just in case it had been simply in my mind, as not many gave it rave reviews.

Andy Boness, the Dad of a young on-loan goalkeeper, had travelled with us. He was on his own at the bar, so I went and ended up having a great chat. It was strange how opinions were very similar about one or two other keepers on the non-league circuit.

After a couple of pints, we returned and paid £12 for admission. Secretary Daz Bloor had sorted me a programme, which was getting attention from visiting fans. The programme editor had proclaimed that the hosts were up against Hendon Town on the cover.

Frome had arranged for a local country/folk singer to play pre-match in a gazebo outside to welcome in the new season. I’m not sure how big a success that was, especially when it started to rain.

Meanwhile, the bar also had Doombar on hand-pull at a reasonable price. Several more away fans had arrived, having travelled independently. Food was available inside, and my cheeseburger was OK for £3. We get spoiled with the quality at SJP!

I really liked Badgers Hill with its decent cover on all four sides. It was a proper non-league ground. The pitch was poor owing to the drought, with the substantial cross-pitch slope not helping, especially with rain on to,p making the surface slippery.

The first half was not dissimilar to a pre-season friendly as both sides fielded multiple debutants and looked to build some understanding. Hendon took the field with just one player, Luke Tingey, from the previous campaign, and two players in the squad signed the previous day.

There was little goalmouth action to speak of. I was quietly content with that. It could have been very easy for a new lineup to get caught out. It transpired that Frome found themselves in a similar position. Hendon’s centre-back partnership of Junior Osborne and Guri Demuria impressed, while keeper Dan Boness seemed very commanding for a youngster.

The second half saw a bit more fluidity. Taishan Griffith replaced Rene Howe, while Stephane Ngamvoulou came on for Prince Mbengui for Hendon. Ricky German should have put the visitors ahead when he was put through. Somehow, the linesman kept his flag down despite the player being a yard offside, much to the annoyance of a local standing alongside me.

German made amends when collecting a badly dealt with a low cross from Griffith to control and beautifully chip into the far top corner over keeper Darren Bechet and a couple of stranded defenders.

It looked like Hendon would hang on until Frome built up a bit of steam and equalised when a ball bagatelled across the six-yard box before a ricochet off a defender was scooped back from behind the line by Boness, according to the far side flagman.

A draw was probably a fair result, but it was a bit of a kick in the nuts after coming so close to three points. We returned to the bar and welcomed the players as they went for their food before heading off just before 6pm.

Andy and Daz were tickety-boo on the way back as their Leeds United side had won again. The atmosphere between the players seemed good, especially after a brief stop for them to refuel. I managed to grab some sleep in between being playfully prodded.

Tom Stockman gave me a ride up the hill after we arrived back around 9.15pm. All in all, it was a good, if long, day out, and I was looking forward to Taunton a couple of weeks later. It certainly gave fans hope going forward and relieved a few doubts and worries.

Heybridge Swifts

Heybridge Swifts FC is a non-league football club from the small town of Heybridge, near Maldon in Essex. The club was founded in 1880 as Heybridge FC and initially competed in the Mid-Essex League before progressing to the Essex & Suffolk Border League.

In 1890, the club moved to their new home of Bentall's Sports Ground. After success, including a league title win of Division Two (West) in 1929-30, the team moved up to Division One, being crowned champions in 1930-31 and winning promotion to the Senior Division.

A return to the Mid-Essex League followed World War II, before Heybridge joined the Premier Division of the South Essex League for a solitary season in 1949-50, before heading back to the Mid-Essex League, winning the Division One title in 1955-56.

The Essex & Suffolk Border League was the club's next destination, as the club were evicted from their home in 1964 as it was designated to become a shopping centre. Heybridge shared with Sadds Athletic for a couple of seasons, where they ended as runners-up of the Premier Division in 1965-66.

A move to a new ground on Scraley Road followed, on what was previously a carrot field and 1969-70. Swifts became founder members of the Essex Senior League for the 1971-72 campaign.

After an early struggle, Swifts found their feet at senior level and went on to be crowned as Essex Senior League champions for three consecutive seasons: 1981-82, 1982-83 and 1983-84. The final title led to promotion to Division Two North of the Isthmian League.

The Division Two North title was won in 1989-90 as Swifts won promotion to Division One. Garry Hill arrived at Scraley Road as manager, taking the team to the FA Cup first round, where they went down 1-0 to Gillingham in a home fixture that was switched to Layer Road in Colchester in front of 4,614 spectators.

Hill led the side to promotion to the Premier Division after finishing as runners-up in 1995-96, with Swifts reaching the first round of the Cup once again the following season. On that occasion, the side were defeated 3-0 away to AFC Bournemouth.

Roy McDonagh took over from Hill, who departed for St Albans City, but he struggled to secure Swifts' Premier Division status and was replaced by local lad Robbie Nihill, who managed to turn fortunes around.

Former player Liam Cutbush was the next manager at the club before he was replaced for a short spell by Steve Dowman, who was quickly succeeded by another former Swifts player, Dave Greene.

The team once again reached the first round of the FA Cup in 2002-03. The game was covered for highlights by Match of the Day and ended in a 7-0 home defeat to Bristol City. The end of the 2003-04 season saw Heybridge lose 4-3 to St Albans City in a match to reach the newly formed Conference South.

Brian Statham was at the helm for the 2005-06 season, as Swifts finished as Premier Division runners-up. Their hopes of promotion were extinguished in the semi-final of the playoffs by way of defeat on penalties to Hampton & Richmond Borough.

Swifts remained in the Premier Division until the completion of the 2008-09 campaign, when they were demoted to Division One North of the Isthmian League. Statham departed and was replaced by reserve manager Wayne Bond.

Bond remained in place until January 2011, when he was succeeded by Mark Hawkes. Hawkes departed to take the Chelmsford City manager's job in December 2013, with Jody Brown replacing him.

Brown took Swifts to the play-offs in 2013-14, where they were defeated at home to Harlow Town in the semi-finals. Cliff Akurang took over from Brown, who headed off to Grays Athletic, before returning to the job in September 2015.

The 2017-18 campaign saw the Swifts’ fourth appearance at the first round stage of the FA Cup, where they were defeated 3-1 away to Exeter City. Sam Bantick scored the club's first-ever goal at that level of the competition. The team finished the season in the play-off places, but lost the semi-final tie to Haringey Borough.

Brown moved on to take the Grays Athletic job, with Karl Duguid taking over as manager in the 2018-19 season, assisted by West Ham legend Julian Dicks. Swifts defeated Aveley and then Maldon & Tiptree in the play-offs, but were denied promotion as the leagues were re-shuffled.

Dicks had a later spell as permanent manager after Duguid resigned, with Steve Tilson becoming Heybridge team boss in September 2021. The 2022-23 season saw the side reach the play-offs once again. Lowestoft Town were beaten before AFC Sudbury proved too strong in the final. Dicks returned for a third spell in charge of the team in May 2024.

Jason Maher was appointed as team manager in November 2025, before being replaced by Luke Wilson five months later. Former boss Mark Hawkes returned to the job in April 2026 as Swifts were relegated to the Essex Senior League.

Heybridge Swifts will play in the Essex Senior League in the 2026-27 season.

My visit

Heybridge Swifts 0 Potters Bar Town 0 (Thursday 12th April 2018) Isthmian League Division One North (att: 271)

It was my first day back after my annual cricketing holiday to Thailand, and I wanted some football action. The awful winter weather had led to a fixture backlog, so there was plenty for me to choose from.

A train ride to matches at either Kings Lynn or Banbury looked tempting, before my regular travelling pal, Tony Foster, gave me a shout. After having a think about it, he decided to drive to Heybridge. I wasn’t going to turn down such an opportunity.

Getting to Swifts looked like an awkward journey at the best of times by public transport, so a lift in a car was too good to refuse. We met at 5.15 at Stanmore station to embark on the long trip east.

It was good to catch up with my old pal for a chat. It was a special day in my calendar as it marked the third anniversary of the passing of my much-missed Dad. He would have been delighted to see me continuing a hobby he started for me.

We made decent time and arrived at around 7.15. Heybridge certainly wasn’t a very big place. It was nice to be somewhere that looked pleasant enough and felt like being in England rather than a big cosmopolitan city.

The admission cost £8, with a decent match programme a further couple of quid. Entry to the ground was from behind a goal, with the initial impressions of the venue being very favourable. We grabbed a warm drink for £1 and had a walk around.

The grandly named Aspen Waite Arena, as Scraley Road had been branded in a sponsorship deal, boasted a very decent covered seated stand, with an original cover opposite, with deep bench seating. The far end was covered standing, with plenty of open flat areas offering alternative views around the ground.

Potters Bar arrived in second place in the league, having played more games than some rivals. Swifts were virtually confirmed for a play-off place, but no doubt eager to make their mark on a potential rival a few weeks later.

Manager Brown opted to rest some players as they were in the middle of a gruelling schedule, looking to catch up on their games. The Scholars looked like a big, strong unit. They were very well organised and fielded former Hendon keeper Berkley Laurencin between the posts.

The match was an increasingly bruising encounter. Potters Bar looked decent on the break, while Swifts looked to fashion chances by playing clever balls into the channels. The visiting defence stood firm throughout.

The referee certainly took no nonsense. He was a giant of a man who ended up showing eight yellow cards throughout the match. Lewis Godbold saw an effort blocked by Laurencin as the match ended blank in the first half.

The weather was getting cold as the night continued. It was remarkable to think that the following morning would see the start of the County Cricket Championship. We were praying for warmer weather as we were both going to head to Lord’s.

The talk and general feeling at half time was that the game would be lucky to end eleven-a-side. Fortunately, the break seemed to calm a few fraught tempers as the teams decided to play football on the restart.

Swifts substitute Juan Luque had a long-range shot saved by Laurencin, while Bar’s Ben Ward-Cochrane and George Nicholas kept the home side’s defence on alert. Portuguese wide man Sandro Costa Dias Fernandes also looked dangerous, if a little lightweight.

Both defences had good games, with the midfielders closing each other down and making the creation of chances difficult. It was a high-tempo encounter, and we’d certainly seen far worse games ending 0-0. Tony had parked slightly up the road for a quick getaway, and this proved prudent at full time. However, he hadn’t envisaged what was in store.

The A12 was closed in the direction of London for roadworks. This caused untold confusion with the diversion signs not being very clear. We went to the edge of Chelmsford twice, such was the poor signage.

Eventually, my pilot found the intended route, but it took us miles out of our way. My jetlag was still playing havoc, and I ended up nodding off. Tony did the business, and I awoke as we were heading back down the A1 towards Edgware.

It had been a decent night out. I couldn’t have thanked my mate enough. I was home and in bed by midnight in readiness for the following day’s adventures.