Corsham Print
Wiltshire Senior League
Season 1987-88

In finishing fourth in Division One the previous season, Wootton Bassett Town under the guidance of former Swindon Town player Mick Woolford had gone on an unbeaten run at the end of the season. Woolford’s side picked up from where they left off in the new season, scoring 13 goals in their opening three matches and conceding just one in reply as they got off to a flying start. They lead from the off and still headed the table going into the New Year but due to involvement in the County Cup got behind with their fixtures allowing Salisbury side Old Manor to take over at the top for much of February and March. Another Salisbury side Bemerton Athletic and Swindon based side Ferndale also continued to mount strong title challenges. When Wootton Bassett met Old Manor at Salisbury in February it finished 1-1 and it looked like the title race would go to the wire. By the beginning of April Wootton Bassett had moved back ahead of both Bemerton and Old Manor who had both completed their fixtures, with Wootton Bassett still having five games to play. However, the title was not secured as Ferndale, who had played one game more, were only two points behind. The championship was finally secured in the penultimate game, a 2-0 win at Amesbury, on a day when Ferndale were held to a surprising draw by Aldbourne Park. At the other end of the table Corsham Town and Pinehurst were relegated. Wootton Bassett had the chance to complete a league and County Cup double when they met Purton in the Wiltshire Senior Cup Final but Purton won the final 1-0 to deny them that honour. There was an unsatisfactory end to the league’s Ghia Senior Cup with the cup being awarded to Ferndale Athletic when opponents Plessey Sports were unable to raise a side for the final.

Division Two saw Marlborough Town, Westbury United Reserves and Bromham battle it out for the title with Marlborough eventually finishing six points clear of Westbury who had to settle for runners-up with all three teams promoted to Division One for the following season.

Division Three saw four teams battle it out for honours with Aldbourne Park heading the table for much of the season. Malmesbury Victoria had a brief spell at the top of the table early doors but once Aldbourne hit the front there was no catching them. Both Sanford Reserves and Wootton Bassett Town Reserves had good spells, but Sanford fell away badly, and Wootton Bassett eventually finished fourth, after they were overtaken by both Dunbar Sports and Malmesbury Victoria in the final run in. Aldbourne Park in the end finished five points ahead of Dunbar with Malmesbury Victoria two points further back. At the other end of the table Ramsbury were relegated after a tough season that saw them fail to win in any of their 30 league fixtures.

Chiseldon and Biddestone dominated Division Four with Chiseldon taking the title by three points. Third placed Plessey Semics were some ten points adrift of runners-up Biddestone showing how much the top two had dominated in an era when it was still two points for a win. In the Ghia Junior Cup Walcot Athletic beat Pewsey Vale Reserves 5-2 in the final.

The end of season awards at the AGM saw Marlborough Town Reserves win the E C Mills Sportsmanship Award, Pete Burden of Old Manor win the Club Secretary’s Award and L J Fry presented with the Ghia Referees Award.
Wootton Bassett Town,  Division1 Champions 1987-88 (picture courtesy of Rod Carter)
League Top Scorers - Season 1987-88

Division 1
J. Rushton  (Old Manor)  32
D. Coker  (Amesbury)   23
A. Robertson  (Bemerton)  20
D. York  (Wootton Bassett Town)  20
R. Salter  (Dunbar Wills)  18
R. Andrews  (Laverstock & Ford)  16

Division 2
J. Angliss  (Blunsdon)  24
B. Campbell  (FC Sporting)  20
N. Patterson  (Marlborough Town)  17
N. Tunmore  (Avebury)  16
P. Romans  (Bromham)  16
T. Brown (Devizes Town Res)  16
R. Goulding  (Stratton Red Eagles)  16 

Division 3
D. Legge  (West Swindon)  24
C. Pictor (Malmesbury Victoria)  22
C. Pike (Malmesbury Victoria)  21
M. Embling  (Sanford Res)  20
J. Barker  (Dunbar Sports)  19
S. Morse  (Walcot)  17

Division 4
D. Thompson (Upavon)  32
M. Jessop  (Oldacre Res)  29
P. Martin  (Biddestone)  28
S. Cummins  (Chiseldon)  24
S. Hyde  (Chiseldon)  24
G. Jones  (Minety)  20
Ghia Senior Cup 1987-88

First Round
Aldbourne Park  5  Shrewton Utd  0
Amesbury  4  Westbury Utd  0
Avebury  2  Calne Town  1  (aet)
Avon Bradford  4  Burmah House  1
Bemerton Ath  1  Pewsey Vale  4
Blunsdon  3  Warminster Town  0
Corsham Town  1  FC Sporting  2
Devizes Town Res  v  Ferndale Ath - result to trace
Dunbar Wills  1  Bromham  0  (aet)
Laverstock & Ford  1  Chippenham T Res  0
Oldacre  3  Trowbridge Town Res  0
Pinehurst  2  Purton  0
Plessey Sports  8  Stratton Red Eagles  2
Sanford  1  Marlborough Town  0
West End  v  Wroughton - awarded to W.est End
Wootton Bassett Town  2  Old Manor  1 (aet)

Second Round
Aldbourne Park  v  Avon Bradford - result to trace
Blunsdon  3  Pewsey Vale 2
Dunbar Wills  1  Sanford  3
Ferndale Ath  v  FC Sporting - result to trace
Oldacre  8  Laverstock & Ford  1
Plessey Sports  4  Amesbury  2  (aet)
West End  1  Pinehurst 1  (aet)
Wootton Bassett Town  2  Avebury  0

Replay
Pinehurst  4  West End  2

Quarter Final
Blunsdon  3  Aldbourne Park  2
Ferndale Ath  2  Pinehurst  1
Plessey Sports  2  Oldacre  1
Sanford  3  Wootton Bassett Town  2

Semi Final
Blunsdon  2 Ferndale Ath  3
Sanford  2  Plessey Sports  3  (aet)

Final
Ferndale v Plessey Sports - awarded to Ferndale Athletic
Plessey not able to raise a team for final date
Ghia Junior Cup 1987-88

First Round
Badbury  2  Corsham Town Res  1
Biddestone  2  Aldbourne Park Res  1
Bromham  3  Spartans  2  (aet)
Burmah House Res  v  Walcot - result to trace
Cricklade Town  1  Dunbar Sports  4
Dorcan  2  Sanford  2
Ferndale Ath Res  5  Blunsdon   0
Malmesbury Vics 2  W. Bassett Town Res  2
Marlborough Town Res  3  Pinehurst Res  1
Oaksey  0  Minety  2
Old Manor  v  Bemerton Res - result to trace
Pewsey Vale Res  3  Oldacre Res  1
Plessey Semics  3  Dunbar Wills Res 3
Ramsbury  5  Chiseldon  2
Upavon  1  Wilton Town  2
West Swindon  2  Wroughton  1

Replays
Dunbar Wills Res v  Plessey Semics - result to trace
Sanford Res v  Dorcan - result to trace
W. Bassett Town Res  0  Malmesbury Vics 1

Second Round
Badbury  0  Biddestone  2
Malmesbury Vics  3  Ferndale Ath Res  3
Marlborough Town Res  v  Bromham Res - result to trace
Minety  v  Dunbar Sports  - result to trace
Pewsey Vale Res  2  Old Manor  1
Sanford Res  3  Wilton Town  0
Walcot  7  Ramsbury  1
West Swindon  0  Plessey Semics  1

Replay
Ferndale Ath Res  v  Malmesbury Victoria - result to trace

Quarter Final
Biddestone  2  Pewsey Vale Res  3
Dunbar Sports  5  Sanford Res  5
Ferndale Ath Res  0  Bromham Res  1
Walcot  v  Plessey Semics - result to trace

Replay
Sanford Res  v  Dunbar Sports - result to trace

Semi Final
Pewsey Vale Res  2  Bromham Res  1
Sanford Res  1  Walcot  2

Final
Walcot  0  Pewsey Vale Res  0 (at Marlborough Town)

Replay
Walcot  5  Pewsey Vale  2 (at Marlborough Town)

As reported by the Swindon Advertiser.
Walcot hit  Walcot hit top form on Saturday to win the Wilts League Ghia Junior Cup by defeating Pewsey 5-2 in the replayed final at Marlborough. Walcot got off to the best of starts by scoring through Stuart Morse and Steve Dixey in the first ten minutes. Pewsey came back for Barry Flippance to score only to be hit by Gino Faircloth scoring a third Walcot goal right on the interval.   On top in the second half Walcot quickly increased their lead through Graham Hunt from a free kick and followed that by Morse putting them five one up from a penalty before Alex Amor hit in Pewsey’s second goal in the 81st minute.
Ghia Junior Cup Winners - Walcot
Wiltshire Senior Cup - 1987-88
Teams from other leagues shown in italics

Preliminary Round
Amesbury Town  0  Downton  3
Avebury  3  Sanford  4
Bemerton Athletic   5  Marlborough Town  1
Bromham  3  West End  1
Burmah House  2  Blunsdon United  6
FC Sporting  1  Aldbourne Park  4
Ferndale Athletic  2  Penhill 1
Laverstock & Ford bye
Oldacre bye
Old Manor  1  Dunbar Wills  2
Pewsey Vale  0  Purton  2
Pinehurst  0  Highworth Town  6
Shrewton United bye
Stratton Red Eagles v Wroughton - awarded to Stratton RE
Supermarine  1  Plessey Sports  0
Wootton Bassett Town  3  Corsham Town  0

First Round
Aldbourne Park  2  Bromham  0 - game appears to have been awarded to Bromham
Downton  1  Ferndale Athletic  3
Highworth Town  3  Dunbar Wills  1
Laverstock & Ford  1  Shrewton United  2
Purton  3  Oldacre  2
Sanford  2  Blunsdon United  0
Supermarine  4  Stratton Red Eagles  0
W. Bassett Town  2  Bemerton Athletic  2

Replay
Bemerton  0  Wootton Bassett Town  1

Quarter Final
Bromham  3  Sanford  2
Purton  3  Highworth Town  2
Shrewton United  2  Ferndale Athletic  3
W. Bassett Town  1  Supermarine  1

Replay
Supermarine  0  Wootton Bassett Town  1

Semi Final
Bromham  1  Wootton Bassett Town  3
Purton  3  Ferndale Athletic  1

Final
Purton  1 Wootton Bassett Town  0 (at Chippenham Town)
Report from Swindon Advertiser
A second-half goal by Tim Mills against Wootton Bassett proved enough to make Purton winners of the Wiltshire Senior Cup at Chippenham on Saturday. It was their fifth Senior Cup success and kept up their record of never losing in the final.

Mills goal, a terrific 45 yards free kick direct to the top corner of Bassett’s goal, was the highlight of a derby game between neighbouring clubs who never allowed each other time to manoeuvre. As a result the game took place mostly in midfield with few scoring chances being created.

The cup was presented to Purton by Mr Frank Peart, president of the Wiltshire FA – who by co-incidence was a member of the last previous Purton team to win the trophy.

Purton
A. Cox, S. Paish, T. Mills, M. Gardiner, S. Kelly, M. Lewis, J. Stephens, P. Mutlow, P. Hammond, M. Collier, B. Marshall  Sub: M. Taylor

Wootton Bassett Town
M. Rees, M. John, J. Haines, A. Bowden, S. Ackrill, A. Vines, I. Johns, G. McKay, R. Frost, T. Hanrahan, D. York  Sub: G. Bartlett
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