Clevedon Town F.C.
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| Clevedon Town | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Clevedon Town Football Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nickname(s) | The Seasiders | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Founded | 1880 (as Clevedon) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | Hand Stadium (Capacity 3,900) |
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| Chairman | John Croft | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manager | Phil Bater | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | Southern League Premier Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007-08 | Southern League Premier Division, 11th | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Clevedon Town Football Club (Clevedon Town F. C.) play in the Southern League Premier Division and are situated in Clevedon, North Somerset, United Kingdom. Currently they are members of the Southern League Premier Division.
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[edit] History
Clevedon FC was formed in 1880, making the club one of the oldest clubs in the West Country. They were founder members of the Western League in 1892 although their stay only lasted three seasons. After dropping back into local football they re-joined the Western League in the 1910/11. They initially played at Dial Hill, still the home of the local cricket club, but they moved to a new site at Old Street (later re-named Teignmouth Road) in 1895, where they were to remain until 1992.
After the First World War, Clevedon played in the Bristol & District League and the Bristol & Suburban League before a switch to the Somerset Senior League in the early 1930s, where they remained until World War Two. After the War the club again returned to the Western League and, despite a moderate league record, became better known for their runs in the FA Amateur Cup, reaching the rounds proper no less than 8 times in 13 years. This cup success, however, was not matched in the league and Clevedon spent several years in Division 2 before resigning, for financial reasons, at the end of the 1957/58 season.
For the next fifteen years the club once again played in the Bristol & District League, before finally rejoining the Western League in 1973/74 after a merger with another local club, Ashtonians United, who were already members of that League. The club's name was later changed to Clevedon Town to reflect their new status. Clevedon joined the professional ranks in 1974 when Ray Mabbutt, father of future Spurs star Gary Mabbutt became their first paid player.
The building of a new clubhouse and the installation of floodlights in the early 1980s nearly bankrupted the club, but things began to change when the club decided to sell their Teignmouth Road ground and move to a new site at Davis Lane on the edge of the town. The club had had the foresight to buy the Teignmouth Road site for £450 back in 1949 and this enabled them to sell off the ground, pay off their remaining debts and build a purpose-built stadium from the proceeds.
In their first season at their new home in 1992/93, the club gained promotion to the Southern League for the first time. Promotion to the Premier Division followed in 1998 and, although Town were relegated again in 2000/01, the 2005/06 season saw them win Division One West to return to the top flight. In 2006 they reached the first round proper of the FA Cup but went down 4-1 to Football League opposition Chester City.
[edit] The Davis Lane Elite
2006 saw the formation of the Southern League's first non-violent footballing firm, who called themselves the Davis Lane Elite (D.L.E). The name is a parody of the Green Street Elite, a fictitious firm of West Ham United from the film Green Street. The firm's objective is to breathe new life into the support of Clevedon Town, while maintaining old principles.
[edit] Rivalries
Clevedon has a relatively large fan base and a fierce rivalry with neighbors Weston-super-Mare A.F.C., who are situated in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset. However, the rivalry has been put on the back-burner as of late since Weston-super-Mare was promoted to the Dr. Martens League Premier Division in 2002/2003 after winning promotion at Clevedon Town 1-0. The two have not played in the same league since.
[edit] Ground
The Hand Stadium took its name from the Hand family, successive generations of which were involved in running the club for nearly 100 years. The facility includes an all weather pitch, training facilities, a 300-seater stand, tiered terracing around the whole ground and a clubhouse. The complex also includes function/conference facilities as well as Vibe, Clevedon's only nightclub.
[edit] Club records
- Best league performance: 8th in Southern League Premier Division, 1999/2000
- Best FA Cup performance: 1st Round Proper, 2006/2007
- Best FA Trophy performance: 2nd round,, 1998/99, 2000/01
- Best FA Vase performance: Quarter-finals, 1987/88
- Southern League Cup Winners, 2007/2008
[edit] Sources
Clevedon Town at the Football Club History Database
[edit] External links
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