Dorchester Town

Dorchester Town FC is a semi-professional football club from the county town of Dorset of the same name. Dorchester is located seven miles from Weymouth, which sits on the coast. The football club was formed in 1880.

After playing in friendly matches, the Magpies became members of the Dorset League in 1896 as founder members. Little success came their way until Town became league champions in 1937-38.

The club became members of the Western League for the 1947-48 season, where they were placed in Division Two. A runners-up finish in 1949-50 was rewarded with promotion to Division One.

The 1950s were to be a good decade for Dorchester. In 1954-55, they were crowned as Western League champions. The same season saw a good FA Cup run from the qualifying rounds, including a round one victory over Bedford Town before going out to eventual semi-finalists York City.

The following season, Town reached the first round stage again. On this occasion, they were defeated 4-0 at Carrow Road away to Norwich City. In 1956-57, a trip to West London in the first round ended in defeat to Queens Park Rangers. Victory over Wycombe Wanderers saw the Magpies reach round two in 1957-58 before bowing out to Plymouth Argyle.

A runners-up place in the Western League in 1960-61 was as close as Town came to further honours before switching to the Southern League in 1972-73, where they began life in Division One South.

Manager David Best led a side including former Bournemouth teammates Harry Redknapp and John O’Rourke to a runners-up place in the 1977-78 season and promotion to the Southern League Premier Division.

A year later, the Southern League reformed to just a Midland and South Division following the formation of the Alliance Premier League, which later became the Conference and then the National League.

Dorchester lifted the Southern Division title in 1979-80 but lost the championship playoff final 5-1 on aggregate to Bridgend Town. Trevor Senior began to make his mark up front, while Graham Roberts was sold to Weymouth for £6,000 before going on to stardom.

The 1981-82 season saw another fine FA Cup run to entertain The Avenue faithful. Minehead were dispatched in Round One to set up a derby with AFC Bournemouth. The first game ended 1-1 with Town going out 2-1 in the Dean Court replay in front of a gate of 8,700.

The 1982-83 season saw the Southern League committee see sense as the Premier Division was reintroduced, with Dorchester among the competing clubs. Senior was sold for a £35,000 fee to Portsmouth.

Despite the success, the club found itself in financial trouble as the team was relegated to the Southern Division in 1983-84. The club was rebuilt with the team going on to clinch promotion to the Premier Division in 1986-87 as divisional champions.

In 1990, the club moved a few hundred yards down Weymouth Avenue to a brand new stadium, which was named The Avenue Stadium. The impressive and aesthetic stadium was designed and is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall.

Stuart Morgan was introduced as the new manager in the summer of 1993, with star midfielder Darren Garner being sold to Rotherham United for £30,000 a year later. The 1995-96 season saw Town appear in the first round of the FA Cup once again, before being defeated by Oxford United.

A couple of close shaves with relegation ensued until the team went down to the Southern League Eastern Division in 2000-01. Despite the demotion, Town won through the qualifying rounds of the FA Cup before losing out in Round One at Wigan Athletic.

AFC Bournemouth moved into the Avenue Stadium for the 2001-02 season while their Dean Court home was being redeveloped. The additional income assisted Dorchester and manager Mark Morris, whose side won promotion as Eastern Division champions to the Premier Division in 2002-03.

The 2003-04 campaign saw Town reach the end-of-season play-offs. Wins against Bath City and then Tiverton Town saw the club reach the newly formed Conference South. A final-day defeat saw the team just miss out on a play-off position in 2004-05.

Morris resigned the following campaign, which was followed by a brief spell under Mick Jenkins before he was sacked as Eddie Mitchell bought the ownership of the club, appointing Shaun Brooks as Director of Football, with the club going full-time professional from the summer of 2007.

Local property developer Mitchell was not a very popular man. He allegedly received death threats from irate fans in 2009 over the running of the club, where his son Tom was a player. His plans included a merger with their neighbours, Weymouth.

However, Mitchell became less involved with Dorchester as he looked to take over at AFC Bournemouth. After Mitchell’s departure, the club returned to semi-professional status with the club owned by the community as fans became the shareholders.

Town were relegated back to the Southern League after the 2014-15 season after a bottom-place finish. The team continued to finish in the bottom third of the Premier Division table, ending the 2016-17 season in eighteenth position under manager Craig Laird.

Steve Thompson came in as manager in September 2017 with former Magpies favourite and fellow Football League star Trevor Senior as his assistant. The duo ensured the side stayed clear of relegation in the 2017-18 campaign, remaining in charge until March 2019 when Callum Brooks was appointed as the new manager.

With the club in the Premier Division South of the Southern League following its expansion in 2018-19, Leigh Robinson succeeded Brooks in January 2020. Former Fulham fullback Robbie Herrera took the post in November 2020, lasting until October 2021 when Glenn Howes was appointed.

Howes stepped back in September 2023 to assist Tom Killick, the new man at the helm, leading to a much improved ninth place being achieved in 2023-24. The side reached the playoffs in 2024-25, losing their semifinal to AFC Totton. Former boss Howes returned in May 2026 after Dorch were relegated to Division One South.

Dorchester Town FC will play in the Southern League Division One South in the 2026-27 season.

My visit

Saturday 22nd July 2017

Taking advantage of a Saturday off work, I booked a cheap advance train down to the Dorset coast via Megabus. While my ticket was meant to be for Weymouth, I noticed that we’d be stopping in Dorchester. This was too good a chance to turn down.

It was just after 11am as the train arrived at Dorchester South. I was wondering how jobsworth the staff would be regarding my ticket, so I was delighted to find an open gate straight out into the street.

The skies were threatening as I walked the fifteen minutes through some nice suburban streets before arriving at the retail park by the ground via an alleyway under the railway. I was met by a closed stadium with nobody around.

A walk all the way around the weather-worn perimeter walls and gates looked like I was heading for disappointment. It really was a substantial and secure facility. I was close to surrender when I found a possible solution.

A discarded chair had been left in the beer garden outside the main entrance. After a quick equation, I reckoned I’d be in business to take photos of at least three sides of the ground, and so it proved. Being tall really was an advantage!

Avenue Stadium really was a magnificent non-league ground, even if it could have done with a good clean-up and larger attendances to keep it in good order. I couldn’t see the Main Stand properly, but images online told me it was a superb and aesthetic structure.

To the left was an open terrace, with the other end covered. The far side had two covered terrace sections with the entrance and exit building in the centre. The ornate gables added to the scene. Plenty of thought had obviously gone into its planning.

Ideally, a bus was due down to the coast. The number 10 bus took me all the way to Weymouth seafront. My day was going well!

Dorchester Town 0 Hendon 3 (Saturday 29th September 2018) Southern League Premier Division South (att: 443)

An unlikely return to ‘Dorch’ came thanks to the FA’s league allocation committee, as they had plonked Hendon into the Southern League despite being members of the Isthmian League for over half a century.

The club was making the best of it, and manager Jimmy Gray had assembled a decent outfit in a short space of time. Dons were one of five teams with the same points tally at the top of the table as we embarked on another coach journey.

One bonus as a groundhopper was that I was getting some new grounds in and got to travel on the spare seats on the team coach. A real camaraderie had been built in a short space of time between players and supporters.

The planned closure of part of the M27 meant a 9am set off from Silver Jubilee Park. I’d only had a six-hour nap after returning from a very sociable three days in Germany, and fell asleep from just past the North Circular Road to seeing some cranes near the docks on the coast.

It hadn’t been the best sleep ever, but I was in infinitely better condition than on departure. Tom Stockman had sorted the DVD player, and we were into a second Johnny English film when I fully came round. It wasn’t perfect for concentration as the lads at the back had their music going. 

I’m not sure if I’ll ever get into modern black music, which is a shame, as I give anything a go. Give me Motown, funk, and soul over rap and hip hop every day! Our amiable driver was ahead of time as we stopped at a garage, whose staff must have wondered what was going on as we poured out, needing the loo and refreshments. The rear bushes certainly got a decent watering by us older hands using a bit of common sense.

The last twenty miles of the trip were taken on slower roads as we ventured past Tolpuddle, home of the famous Martyrs. We arrived before 1pm, which meant I was put on pub patrol, especially when the turnstiles and bar didn’t open until 2pm at the stadium. Around fifteen minutes later, five intrepid explorers were thrilled with the news that the Boon Doggle from the Ringwood Brewery was only £2.60 a pint in the Victoria Hotel. 

There was a bit of a kerfuffle as everyone wanted to buy a round! We discussed the usual stuff fans do on a Saturday lunchtime before a game. Far too soon, it was time to head back. I had a word with the friendly lass behind the bar who sorted us a large taxi to take us back down to the ground.

Admission into the Clayson Stadium, as the venue had been retitled in a sponsorship deal, was £11, with a programme £2 and a go on the halftime draw a further quid. There was time for a pint of average Greene King IPA in the bar under the stand.

It was good to be watching a game in such an excellent stadium. It was perhaps a bit too big for Dorch, and there were signs of wear through underuse. The only other grumble was that the stewards were over-officious, but they were controlled by the local council's rules regarding safety certificates.

The food was decent enough. £6 for a cheeseburger and chips looks a lot, but the portions were more than generous. I wasn’t on my own in thinking that the steps to the gent’s loos were taking us up a huge tower.

Everything was on a grand scale. There was little wonder that AFC Bournemouth had managed to reside at the Avenue Stadium while Dean Court had been rebuilt. It was now also home to Yeovil Town Ladies FC. It was as well that the stadium held the attention, as there was precious little going on out on the pitch to entertain. 

Both sides looked OK until reaching the final third of the excellent artificial pitch, before moves broke down. Former Scarborough Athletic midfielder Cameron Murray saw a free kick go just over for the hosts, while Matty Newman replied for Hendon with a shot that curled wide. After fifteen minutes, Magpies fullback Kyle Egan saw a shot beat Danny Boness in the Dons' goal but hit the post.

Boness made a smart stop from Murray on the half-hour mark. Hendon lost their dominant defender, Guri Demuria, to injury, which meant Luke Tingey dropping back. A scrambled effort was cleared by defender Lee Chappell to deny Dorchester on the stroke of halftime. It was a lovely day, so I didn’t bother with half-time refreshments, preferring to soak up the sun and have a chat with fellow fans. 

We lamented that the play had been as bad as at Swindon Supermarine a few weeks previously. Whatever Gray said to his charges seemed to work. He later admitted that he’d been brutally honest with the team in the changing room. Dorch missed a sitter when Aaron Rodriguez spurned a free header just five yards out. It was to be the turning point of the game.

Referee Declan O'Shea was to play a large part in the proceedings. He adjudged that Shaquille Hippolyte-Patrick had taken a dive in the area and promptly showed him the yellow card. I thought it was a shocking decision and offered my feedback. The home fans down the side near me were also surprised and had a laugh at the call. 

I moved around behind the goal to join the rest of the Dons fans as another decent penalty shout was waved away. It was all Hendon as Hippolyte-Patrick and Ricky German had both been denied by Dorch defender Ross Carmichael. Shortly after, Hippolyte-Patrick went down under a soft challenge, but Mr. O'Shea pointed to the spot.

I was undecided whether he was making decisions by numbers or if he had a guilty conscience. It was amazing how many Hendon fans and management saw each decision differently afterwards! Whatever, German stepped up to slot home past baby-faced keeper Mike Edgar. The custodian made a fantastic stop shortly after to deny the goal scorer.

Just gone the hour mark, Hendon doubled their advantage. The marauding Stephane Ngamvoulou found German thirty yards out. He ran at a terrified defender with pace and power before setting up Hippolyte-Patrick to put the chance away calmly.

The Dons were playing some scintillating football and looked like scoring each time they went forward. Dorch had strong appeals for a penalty, but the man in black decided the foul had taken place outside the box. The official was getting it from all four sides of the stadium!

With ten minutes remaining, German made it 3-0 when he collected the ball just outside the box and outmuscled a couple of defenders as he ran across the goal before powering a shot past a defender and Edgar into the opposite corner.

Only a bit of wastefulness and carelessness from the big man kept the score to 3-0 when he could have played in a colleague or bent his run to beat the offside trap. Despite those small faults, he and the team had put in a great forty-five minutes.

The players received a deserved ovation as they sat for their post-match debrief on the pitch. Howie Hall also got a rendition of “Happy Birthday” as the players went down the tunnel. They seemed in good form in the bar afterwards.

Dorchester had been an excellent host. They even brought rolls around to visiting fans after the match while we watched the opening stages of Chelsea v Liverpool. I was shattered and stuck to Lucozade. I really must have been tired. Before we set off on the return journey, manager Gray and a couple of the other lads went into Tesco’s next door and came back with beers and soft drinks. 

The manager came around the coach and offered each fan a beer. That summed up non-league football and the brilliant atmosphere that had been built at Hendon FC. I mean, could you imagine footballers or managers at the top end of the game being bothered to do anything like that?

Sure enough, I fell asleep again, waking near the M25. Our driver rounded off a top day by going back up Edgware Road to SJP and dropping us fans off near the bus stops so that we could get home easily. It had been that kind of day!

Newhaven

Newhaven FC is a non-league football club formed in 1887, who are located in the ferry port of the same name at the mouth of the River Ouse in East Sussex, around ten miles east of Brighton.

After playing local football, Newhaven joined the Brighton, Hove & District Football League until the end of the 1919–20 season. The 10920-21 campaign saw the introduction of the Sussex County League, with ‘The Dockers’ competing as founder members.

The club amassed several top ten finishes in Division One before the team lifted the league title in the 1953-54 season. In 1964-65, Newhaven were relegated to Division Two before returning to the top tier just twelve months later as league runners-up.

A further relegation came to the Fort Road club in 1967-68. It would take until the 1971-72 season before Newhaven returned to Division One. A second league title followed shortly after in the 1973-74 campaign.

The fluctuations at the club continued as the team went back down to Division Two at the completion of the 1975-76 season. Fifteen years were spent at that level before Newhaven won Division Two in 1990-91 to regain their Division One status.

In 1994-95, the side went back down to Division Two, and this was followed by a further demotion to Division Three in 1998-99. The Division Three title was secured in 2011-12 as the club had an upsurge in fortunes.

Newhaven ended the 2012-13 Division Two campaign as runners-up to return to Division One. The Sussex County League was retitled in the summer of 2015 to become the Southern Combination, with the old Division One becoming the Premier Division.

The Dockers benefitted from the name change as they weighed in with a third-place and then a ninth-place finish in the 2016-17 season under managers Sean Breach and Andy Cook at the Trafalgar Ground.

The same position was repeated in 2017-18 before the Dockers progressed to fourth twelve months later. Newhaven were sat in fourth once again in 2019-20 when the season came to an early end owing to the outbreak of COVID-19.

The playoffs were reached when things got back to normal, as the Dusters, to give the club their historical nickname, went down to Lancing in their semifinal tie. The playoffs were reached once again in 2023-24, defeating Crowborough Athletic before Eastbourne Town ended any dreams of promotion.

Joint managers Breach and Cook, who had been appointed in March 2014, decided to step down in January 2025, before Breach returned ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.

Newhaven FC will play in the Southern Combination Premier Division in the 2026-27 season.

My visits

Monday 24th July 2017

Every so often, my hobby offers up a wonderful surprise regarding the standard of the ground. Newhaven was to be a classic example.

After alighting at Newhaven Town station from the number 10 bus, I crossed the bridge over the River Ouse and walked along the side of the water before reaching Fort Road. Around ten minutes later, I arrived at the sports field, with Newhaven Cricket Club and then the football club across the green.

The football ground was locked, but the perimeter fence was low enough for me to see down the near side. The fantastic Main Stand stood out like a beacon across the pitch. I wandered onto Castle Hill to get a proper view.

Both ends had open seating, which I believe came from Withdean Stadium after Brighton & Hove Albion had moved out. The cricket field side had a thin section of flat open standing. The two-tier Main Stand was all seated with club rooms at the rear upstairs. It was flanked by open standing.

The hill behind the goal offered perfect viewing and contained a hard court for ball sports, a skate and BMX track, and a turfed obstacle track for bikes and motorcycles. The site of the old fort was at the summit of the hill, with the ferry port to the distance on the right.

Once complete, I retraced my tracks while arranging a forthcoming Scarborough Athletic away trip with a good pal while keeping an eye on the bus title before jumping on the excellent number 10 coastal service at the Elim Church towards Peacehaven.

Newhaven 2 Binfield 2 - Binfield win 4-1 on penalties (Saturday 5th December 2020) FA Vase Second Round (att: 129)

My opportunity to return to the Trafalgar Ground wasn’t planned until the morning of the game. I’d been scanning social media looking for something to grab my attention when I saw the unlikely opportunity of a doubleheader.

Peacehaven & Telscombe, just five miles up the road, were kicking off at 1pm in a friendly against Whitehawk. Although I’d have to leave before the end of that encounter, I wasn’t going to turn down the chance of two games in a day.

I’d arrived at Newhaven Town station earlier in the day, gone to the first match, and caught the number 12 bus back while trying desperately to thaw out. It really was a cold, wet, and very windy day on the East Sussex coast.

Alighting at Lower Place in the town centre, I wondered what the racket was. Some crazy person wearing earphones was wailing in an attempt to sing through the hairdresser’s window. All very strange. Obviously, the townsfolk were generally a sensible bunch, as it was otherwise very quiet.

A fella was doing his best to stay warm at the gate when I arrived to give him £6 for my admission as well as purchasing a programme for a further quid. Before I decided where I’d view proceedings from, I popped into the Surf and Skate Café.

The café sold refreshments as well as equipment for skateparks, skateboards, and surfing, and sponsored the clubs’ junior teams. It seemed a good arrangement, especially with the skatepark bordering the ground at the far end. The friendly lady served me a Bovril and said she was going to try her first time ever.

While there was a high wind, it was possible to shelter from it opposite the stand, where further open seating had been added since my previous visit. There was a good crowd, and Newhaven generally had the feel of a club on the up.

Both sides were off to decent starts in their respective league campaigns, with Binfield competing in the Premier Division of the Hellenic League. They had former Hendon goalkeeper and nice chap, Chris Grace, in goal.

Before kick-off, the teams stood to observe a minute's silence to commemorate the local men who had recently lost their lives at sea. The teams in nice contrasting colours reminded me of Melchester Rovers taking on Escape to Victory.

The slippery surface, which was sticky in places, led to a game strewn with lots of commitment but plenty of errors. Neither side had played a proper game for a few weeks because of the latest lockdown, so mistakes were understandable.

Big centre back for the visiting Moles, Liam Gavin, was getting some stick from the home support as some of his clearances were more akin to a rugby union back as they found touch.

Lee Robinson had a good opportunity for the Dockers, but shot straight at Grace before Ian Robinson opened the scoring with a low shot from the edge of the box that I thought the keeper might have saved from my angle.

It was time for me to have a walk and see what was going on around the other side. I’d got the feeling back in my fingers, so I decided to have a beer. It was an unexpected treat, what with pubs being closed unless you sat down for a meal, and many venues being stopped from selling by local councils. I couldn’t even buy a cuppa at Hendon a few days later.

However, it came with a caveat and my only real moan. As I queued downstairs at the hatch, a posse of locals who should have known better at their age came in behind me, in such eagerness to talk to the ladies that I was all but bundled out of the way. It was not very COVID-friendly.

Risking a Doombar out of a bottle, I headed upstairs to watch for a few minutes, but with most gathering towards the back couple of rows and stood on the rear area, the view was not the best, so I soon moved back to my original position.

By this time, Binfield were forcing their way back into the game. Impressive forward George Short fired a shot over the bar, over the old disused cover behind the open seating, and out of the ground. Gavin went closer with a glancing header.

Lee Robinson went close to doubling the lead, but he dallied, and his chance was gone. The ball ran on to Freddie Beale, whose shot was more of a danger to the youngsters showing off their daring do on the skatepark than the Binfield goal.

At the break, the Binfield management team of Carl Withers and Jamie McClurg made tactical changes and introduced Phil Veal to replace Gavin. The sub was to make a difference as the tide began to turn, as he played in Sean Moore to fire home past Jake Buss.

The visitors would go ahead with a goal of top quality. Veal played in Oliver Harris down the left with a slide rule pass, whose first-time low cross was smashed in by the onrushing Moore in front of Buss.

I honestly couldn’t see how Newhaven were going to get back into the game. Binfield were more energised and stronger. They should have probably wrapped things up when Asa Powell squandered a good chance after beating the offside trap.

I was thinking of making a dash for the 17:01 train if they scored another, but to their credit, the hosts had other ideas. They composed themselves and gradually recovered a foothold after making substitutions of their own. They began to put together one or two attacks of their own.

One of the replacements, Kyle Woolven, got on the end of a swirling cross at the back post to side-foot past Grace to the joy of some youths behind the goal. They’d previously given the keeper some banter, which he returned by celebrating in front of them when his side took the lead. Now the boot was on the other foot.

Suddenly, the momentum turned as the Dockers went full throttle in search of a late winner. Lee Robinson set up Alfie Rogers, who controlled well but shot high and handsome over the bar towards the Christmas lights adorning the houses in the road beyond.

It was down to the dreaded penalties, thankfully played out at the town end. Harris and Short scored while the hosts Lee Robinson had his kick saved by Grace. Newhaven netted to make it 1-2 before Tom Willment extended the lead. Rogers had his effort saved again by Grace.

Joint boss McClurg stepped up and scored to send Binfield into the third round as the players hailed hero Grace. His previous visit to the same area a year earlier in similar weather was rather contrasting, as he wasn’t at his best in Hendon’s 4-1 hammering in the FA Trophy at Whitehawk. I was really pleased for him.

Both teams had given their absolute best in trying conditions. Neither side really deserved to go out, although I thought Binfield probably just shaded it if pushed, as they were that little bit more decisive and stronger.

I found the cracking Newhaven Fish Bar on the way back to the station, sorted me out for a large tea, washed down nicely with a cuppa at Lewes while waiting for my connection back to the metropolis for the evening football on TV.

It was a really good day out, but I desperately missed a normal pub for a couple of hours on my return.

 

Bracknell Town

Bracknell Town FC is a non-league football club from the town of the same name, located thirty-four miles west of London, that was formed in 1896 as Old Bracknell Wanderers, playing on a field near the Downshire Arms.

The club started out life playing in the Ascot & District League, moving to Station Field and winning the league title in 1911-12 and 1932-33. A move to Larges Lane came following the second success. The club changed its title to Bracknell FC in 1949, while moving to the Reading & District League.

A further move to the Great Western Combination followed in 1958, before adopting their current name four years later. In 1963, ‘The Robins’ joined the Surrey Senior League, where they won the league and league cup double in the 1969-70 season.

The triumph led to a move to the Spartan League, which merged with the Metropolitan-London League to become the London Spartan League in the summer of 1975, with Bracknell being placed in Division One.

Division One was retitled the Premier Division, from where Town were relegated to the Senior Division in 1978-79 before winning that league title in 1980-81 to return to the top flight. Brackley went on to win the league and cup double in 1982-83.

The clubs’ application to join the Athenian League was rejected, so Town became members of Division Two South of the Isthmian League for the 1984-85 campaign. A runners-up berth in 1985-86 guaranteed promotion to Division One.

The 1988-89 season ended in relegation to Division Two South, before league reorganisation in the close season of 1991 saw the club placed in Division Three for the following season. Promotion to Division Two followed in 1993-94.

Bracknell were demoted back to Division Three at the conclusion of the 1998-99 season. Brothers Mark and Clive Tallentire were the joint-managers of the team in the 2000-01 season as Town went on a fantastic FA Cup run.

Victories against Hillingdon Borough, Ashford Town (Kent), Merstham, Banstead Athletic, and Aylesbury United led to a first-round game away to Lincoln City. Bracknell were defeated 4-0 as 500 visiting fans cheered the team on among a crowd of 2,387 at Sincil Bank.

Town were placed in Isthmian League Division One South after further restructuring in the summer of 2002, before being moved for geographical reasons to Division One West of the Southern League in 2004, which became Division One South and West in 2006.

The club looked at the possibility of moving from Larges Lane around the time that they finished bottom of the table in 2009-10 and were relegated to the Hellenic League Premier Division after being reprieved from the drop the previous year.

Worse was to come in 2010-11 as the team finished last and were relegated to Division One East. The club was promoted just twelve months later, despite only finishing in fifth position. The summer of 2016 saw extensive work being carried out at Larges Lane, including the installation of a 3G pitch, under new chairman Kayne Steinborn-Busse.

Mark Tallentire led the side to a runners-up position in 2016-17, as the whole club received a facelift. Three cups were won as some form of compensation. Tallentire was replaced by joint managers Jeff Lamb and Paul McGrotty in September 2017.

The duo was surprisingly dismissed in February 2018 after Twon went out of the FA Vase at the quarter-final stage at home to Marske United, with Carl Davies taking over as player-manager. The team went on to finish as league runners-up once again.

However, a major reorganisation of league football in the summer of 2018 meant that Bracknell were promoted to the Isthmian League South Central Division, as Tallentire returned to the club as Head of Football. They went on to reach the playoffs, defeating Westfield but going down to Cheshunt in the final.

Bobby Wilkinson was appointed as Robins’ boss in December 2019, with the club deciding to sell their Larges Lane home and use the resources to develop Bottom Meadow, the home of neighbours Sandhurst Town, who were considered by many observers to become a feeder club to Bracknell.

The Isthmian League Division One South Central championship was secured in 2021-22 before Wilkinson jumped ship to be replaced by the duo of Jamie McClurg and Carl Withers. The 2022-23 season was memorable as an FA Cup home tie with Ipswich Town was played as well as a good FA Trophy run was embarked on.

The club had been placed in the Premier Division South of the Southern League, with the team reaching the playoffs at the first attempt. Chesham United were defeated before Truro City proved too strong in the final, and the joint managers departed in December 2023.

Jordan Ive was given the job, taking the side to the playoffs a few months later, where they were defeated by AFC Totton. In September 2024, Jon Underwood became the new Bracknell Town manager as the team narrowly avoided relegation a few months later. He was replaced by Bobby Wilkinson in April 2025, who lasted just a few months in the job before Ive returned.

Matthew Saunders was appointed as Bracknell's team boss in September 2025 before being replaced by Carl Davies.

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

My visit

Larges Lane

United Koreans of Japan 0 Kabylia 0 (Saturday 2nd June 2018) CONIFA World Football Cup Group D (att: c290)

It was day two in the CONIFA tournament, and I wasn’t going to miss out on a Saturday afternoon game, especially while on night shift at work. The opening day’s game between Padania and Matabeleland had whetted my appetite.

CONIFA is an independent international governing body whose members represent countries, minorities, linguistic minorities, or remote territories that were not members of FIFA. Yorkshire had recently joined, but not in time for the 2018 tournament.

My journey was taken by tube down to Waterloo and then a train, which soon got busy, full of hipsters in full fancy dress heading to Twickenham for the Rugby 7’s. How many had a clue about rugby was a matter of conjecture, but it was the latest “go to” event.

Once they cleared, I noted a young chap wearing a CONIFA polo shirt. Leo was from Utah and assisting at the tournament as an official while his parents were lecturing at universities. He was a very polite young chap, and we had a nice chat.

I’d done my homework on Google Maps, and we were at the ground within fifteen minutes after using paths and small lanes to reach the narrow Larges Lane. The ground was being engulfed by new housing on a couple of sides, with the new entrance looking spick and span.

I gave the busy bar area the swerve, especially as no real ale was available. It was soon apparent that the North African Kabylia side had a decent-sized support. Indeed, we’d bumped into a couple back at Bracknell station.

Larges Lane was a tidy venue with a 3G pitch. All the areas around the pitch were newly tarmacked with little space to the perimeter fence. The main side had all the facilities, including a seated stand and a standing cover, in mid-construction.

The Koreans looked pretty good to me while warming up. Their shooting certainly looked potent, while their opponents concentrated on short passing. I met the legendary groundhopper Leo Hoenig for the first time just before kick-off.

UKJ started out brighter, with an effort on the volley from outside the area being fumbled by Kabylian keeper Murad Koulougli. Lyles Mihoubi tested Hyo Geum Lim at the other end. In the tenth minute, play was delayed after a horrific collision.

A player from either side went to head a bouncing ball out wide with full commitment. The Kabylia player came off far worse as there was up to a ten-minute delay, with players and officials showing great concern.

The player was laid at the side of the pitch while play continued, before eventually being stretchered to a building on the far side, while Kabylia fans and officials, along with those of Bracknell Town, looked to offer assistance.

The Kabylia supporters were in full voice, getting behind their side, who were increasingly under the cosh. The Korean number two, Yong Ki Shin, saw a header palmed away from a corner by the slightly suspect Koulougli.

The pressure was being ramped up, but the North Africans were defending in numbers behind the ball. The Koreans were guilty of a lack of pace to their moves, despite some excellent technical football, marshalled by former World Cup player Yong Hak An.

They were also guilty of being offside when in promising positions. It was difficult to tell whether that was through their own negligence or smart defending on behalf of their opponents. Tong Jun Lee went close with a fierce shot from just outside the box.

A deflected cross reached Yeong Jang Byun at the back post, but he snatched at the opportunity and put it wide. Kabylia were restricted to breakaways and shots from a distance that didn’t really trouble the goalkeeper.

I found a nice place in the shade during the interval on what was a very warm afternoon. It was a perfect way to relax between shifts, and the tournament was really growing on me with nearly all in attendance smiling and entering into the spirit of the occasion.

The African support introduced musical accompaniment after the break, with the locals also lending their support. UKJ were still in control, but a 0-0 was looking more and more likely as they began to run out of ideas and became frustrated.

Leo Snr joined me on the far side for a good yarn. There was a good mixture of supporters around the ground, and everyone seemed to be enjoying it. The ambulance eventually arrived to tend to the stricken player, over an hour after the incident.

On a rare foray to the Korean end, Yanis Kemache saw a low shot saved from distance. UKJ introduced their third sub with twelve minutes remaining, and he seemed to add some urgency to their attacking play.

Koulougli shocked the crowd as he pulled off a decent stop from Byun. The Koreans continued to be caught offside but should have taken the win when a fierce shot from Yun Guk Hong was put over the bar at point-blank range by Shin.

There was much joy among the Kabylia contingent when German referee Leon Dastych blew for full-time. Both teams received a good ovation from the appreciative crowd. I thoroughly enjoyed it and headed home via Richmond and Kilburn for a nap before work.

I’d certainly taken the better option than the England v Nigeria game that was taking place at Wembley as I headed home.

All images on this page are of Larges Lane, the former home of Bracknell Town.