Corsham Print
Wiltshire Senior League
Season 2020-21
Season Not Completed in Premier Division
League Sponsored by Corsham Print

At the end of the previous season it was noted that Season 2019-20 became the first football season since 1939-40 to be stopped early and not completed and the first incomplete season in the 44-year history of the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League. Unfortunately, as far as the Premier Division is concerned, that is now two incomplete seasons. Once again it was Covid-19 that had resulted in this outcome, although at least as far as the U.18’s and Veterans’ Divisions, it was possible to complete those divisions.  If anything, the 2020-21 season had been more difficult than the previous one for all involved in the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League with the delayed start due to the first lockdown before we then once again went into lockdown in the winter months.

 

At least this time round, learning some of the lessons from the previous season, both the Management Committee and the clubs were able to be involved in the decision making as to how to finish the season once football was allowed to resume in the Spring.  As far as both the Veterans’ and U.18 competitions were concerned, the decision of the clubs was to continue the seasons to conclusion.  An advantage with the Veterans’ Divisions was that the league was not constrained by the normal football season cycle hence, despite a lack of venues, particularly, in the North Division, it was possible to complete the Veterans’ Divisions.  Whilst the FA granted to the end of June for completing the U.18 Division, a decision was made to try and complete this as close as possible to 31st May and this was achieved to within a couple of days thanks to the co-operation of all the clubs.

 

For the Premier Division, after a consultation exercise with the clubs there was limited appetite amongst our sides for completing the league season, with some clubs still having 22 league games to play.  The challenges with cricket and other sports, pitch maintenance and holidays meant realistically the season could not go on beyond the end of May and this was too short a time period to complete the league campaign.

 

Premier Division/Fountain Trophies Senior Cup

 

At the time the season was curtailed the title race was developing into a four-team contest.  Pewsey Vale led the way having won 12 of their 14 games, losing just once.  Melksham Town had started badly losing four of their first five games but had picked up and gone on a tremendous ten game unbeaten run, nine of which had been won to sit in second place, six points behind Pewsey having played one game more.  Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development were three points behind Melksham but had three games in hand on Melksham and two on Pewsey Vale.  Wroughton, champions in the last completed season in the Premier Division, sat fourth having won eight of their opening ten games.  Whilst Pewsey led the way they had not played either Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development or Wroughton and still had another game against Melksham to come and so the title race was still very much all to play for.

 

At the other end of the table Ludgershall Sports, Devizes Town Res and Marlborough Town were all struggling with just one win each to show for their efforts at the time lockdown was imposed, although Devizes Town under their new manager were showing positive signs of improvement.  The 12 games that Devizes Town Res had played meant they became the first side to play 1,000 games in the top division of the league since its formation in 1976, the landmark being achieved in their final game before lockdown.

 

Whilst there was no real desire to carry on the league season, there was appetite amongst most of the clubs for a cup competition of some sort to finish the season.  In response to this the league proposed that the Fountain Trophies Senior Cup be competed for but with a changed format starting with a group stage where teams played each other once, allowing games to be completed utilising the available Saturdays.  Entrance was optional given the challenges of recommencing football at such a late stage and both Royal Wootton Bassett Town Dev and Wroughton opted not to take part leaving two groups of seven, split based on geography.  In a desire to ensure the competition ran for players who were involved in our league prior to lockdown, and not players from Step 6 or higher, rules were introduced around player eligibility.  The initial rule around eligibility being based on appearances in our league games but at the request of the clubs this was changed to being based on appearances at Step 6 or higher during Season 2020-21.  Unfortunately, some clubs were either not paying attention, thought the rule did not apply to them or did not realise how readily available the appearance information is in the public domain (the data was also effectively static apart from in the Hellenic League who were also running a cup competition).

 

The competition did not get off to the best of starts with all the winning sides in the opening week of fixtures in the North Division fielding an ineligible player.  With limited time available to replay the games all three fixtures were awarded to their opponents.  Seeing that clubs were struggling to raise sides the league sought to assist by extending the league transfer deadline by a month but in the end both Marlborough Town and Purton pulled out. Marlborough’s challenges were partly caused by rules in other competitions which resulted in reserve team players not being willing to play for their first team, whilst Purton had struggled with injuries in the curtailed league season were still struggling to raise a side but did disappointingly continue in an outside competition whilst Marlborough Town first team simply played friendlies.  In the end just ten of the scheduled twenty-one games were played with only seven of the results standing due to that ineligibility issue in the first week.  Pewsey Vale won all the three games they actually played to make it to the final finishing six points clear at the top.

 

In the South Group it was a much happier story with all but two of the fixtures being played, the two games not completed being at the end when the qualification for the final had already been decided.  In an exciting group it came down to the final game between Corsham Town Res and Odd Down Res as to which side would make the final.  Corsham went into that final game unbeaten and knowing that they needed to avoid a defeat by five or more clear goals to progress to the final.  Odd Down went ahead early in the second half but were unable to add to the tally to get to the necessary five goals and a last-minute equaliser ensured that Corsham retained their unbeaten record and progressed to the final which would be played on their own ground the following Saturday.  Given at the time the league season in 2020-21 was brought to a premature end Pewsey Vale were league leaders and Corsham Town Reserves had been the league leaders in Season 2019-20 at the time that season was curtailed, it was perhaps fitting that it was those two sides who competed in the final for the Fountain Trophies Senior Cup.

 

In the final itself it was a very tight contest between two evenly matched sides.  Whilst Pewsey created the better goal scoring chances in open play the game was ultimately to be decided by an incredibly special set piece. Awarded a free kick on the edge of the penalty area Pewsey’s Ryan Thomas fired the resulting free kick into the far top corner of the net for what would ultimately prove to be the winner for his side.  

 

Under 18 Division



When the 2019-20 Season was curtailed,  it was noted that the Under 18 competition was shaping up to be the most exciting yet since the competition transitioned to the league from the Wiltshire FA.  Well, that was well and truly repeated this season with six sides still having title aspirations when the action re-started in April after lockdown.  Melksham Town had started their season with three straight wins before having a bad patch either side of lockdown, suffering five straight defeats.  They finally ended that run with a narrow 1-0 win at Pewsey and then never looked back after that, defeating Chippenham Town twice and winning five of their last six games.  Their only dropped points came in a 3-3 draw at Royal Wootton Bassett Town.  That bad run during mid-season meant they missed out on honours but a good season for Colby Cain’s side.  Radstock Town remained in the mix until late on, but in the end too many drawn matches early in the season saw their chances disappear and Royal Wootton Bassett Town fell away when they were unable to win games at the back end of the season against the top sides.

 

This left Chippenham Town, FC Chippenham and Shrivenham to battle it right to the end for the league title. The teams entered May with Chippenham Town and Shrivenham level on 23 points at the top with three to play.  FC Chippenham were some 13 points adrift but had four games in hand.  That first week of the month saw Chippenham Town travel to Shrivenham for a game which was expected to have a big say in the destination of the title.  A win for either side would put them in pole position for the title, but a draw had the potential to put FC Chippenham’s title aspirations back in their own hands.  At the end of the ninety minutes the sides could still not be separated and more importantly this then put FC Chippenham’s destiny back in their own hands.  Shrivenham won both their last two games to finish on 30 points, losing just two games all season, both by a single goal in the away games against the two Chippenham sides.  Chippenham Town lost to Melksham Town in one of their remaining two games meaning the title would go to either Shrivenham or FC Chippenham.  By the time both Shrivenham and Chippenham Town had finished, FC Chippenham still had two games to play and were on a winning run which stretched to five games with just Royal Wootton Bassett Town and Pewsey Vale to play.  They needed to win both games to win the title.  In the first game on the 3G at the Gerard Buxton they found themselves 3-1 down and, whilst they pulled one back, with five minutes to go they still trailed.  However, the award of a penalty saw them get back on level terms and an excellent late free kick fired into the top corner saw them take all three points.  The final game against Pewsey saw them go behind again but six unanswered goals later they were champions.  Their run at the end of the season had seen them win seven straight games to pip Shrivenham by a single point.  Well done to FC Chippenham on taking the title and to Shrivenham on achieving runners-up.  In fact, well done to all the Under 18 sides who played their part in what was a fascinating, if difficult and disrupted, season, with all the fixtures being completed.

Veterans' Divisions

Despite an elongated season the Veteran’s divisions were a resounding success in Season 2020-21 with the influx of new sides, certainly stepping up the standard over the inaugural season. In addition, in the Mid Wiltshire Division, the fact that a number of clubs utilised their own pitches, initially at Melksham Town and Corsham Town, but later joined by Bradford Town, Chippenham Town Yard Dogs and Devizes Town, not only improved the experience for the players but also made it easier for the fixture secretary to ensure the games were played. Some of these clubs also allowed other teams to utilise their grass pitches which greatly assisted the job of scheduling the fixtures and meant the programme could be completed more quickly. In the North Division, Stratton Juniors also starting utilising their grass pitch at Meadowcroft towards the end of the season which again helped expediate matters in the North Division. A big thank you to all the clubs who made their pitches available in this way, it was very much appreciated. The Veterans’ sides must compete with other sides at clubs for the use of the facilities and will often be at the back of the queue behind reserve and U18 sides and the co-operation provided this season in staging games on pitches other than New College and Green Lane has been outstanding.

 

On the pitch both title races have been exciting affairs. In the North Division, right from the start it looked to be a two-team battle between KMLC and Redhouse for the title, although Stratton Juniors towards the end put some pressure on the top two. After just one win in their first four games, Stratton Juniors went the rest of the season unbeaten in the league, a run which included a win over Redhouse and a draw with KMLC. When the season had been brought to a premature halt in December KMLC headed the table on goal difference from Redhouse, who at that stage had won all three of their games.


When the season finally resumed at the very end of March, KMLC carried on where they had left off, smashing 11 unanswered goals against bottom side AFC Swindon. Redhouse also came back in style, defeating Swindon Rovers 7-2 and then also scoring 11 against AFC Swindon. KMLC then got behind with their league fixtures due to progress in the Veterans’ County Cup and by the beginning of June Redhouse, despite losing to Stratton Juniors, were six points clear of KMLC, who had played two games less, and who had also been overtaken by Stratton.  However, the latter had just two games to play, and no doubt rued the poor start to the season as they ran out of games in their quest for honours. One of those two final games was against KMLC and when the two sides drew 2-2 on the opening day of June the title destiny for Redhouse was very much in their own hands. Avoid defeat against KMLC in their next game and then win their two final games against Swindon Rovers and AFC Swindon and they would be champions.


The big game between the two main title challengers took place on the second Tuesday in June was not the close affair that had been anticipated, as KMLC brushed aside their nearest rivals with a 4-0 victory. Two hard fought wins against Royal Wootton Bassett Town, both games being won with late goals, then put KMLC in pole position. Whilst expecting to have to win their final game against Swindon Rovers to lift the title, a surprise 4-1 defeat for Redhouse at the hands of Swindon Rovers saw KMLC crowned champions before their final game. As noted above they still went out and won that final game against Rovers in another close game that indicates that there should be a few more teams involved in the title race in the North Division in Season 2021-22. Well done to KMLC and Redhouse in taking the title and runners-up spot in the North Division this season. KMLC also made the semi-final of the Wiltshire FA’s Veterans’ County Cup, losing on penalties to eventual winners Melksham Town.

When Corsham Town lost their first game of the season in the Mid Wiltshire Division, 4-1 away at Melksham, few would have anticipated the season the side was to have. This was to be the one and only occasion they tasted defeat in the league and their only other defeat all season came in the final of the Veterans’ County Cup against Melksham Town, one of two sides, the other being VFC Devizes, who were to be their main rivals for the title. Melksham started the season on fire, winning all five of their opening games prior to lockdown, scoring 23 goals with the strike-force of Charlie Griffin and Steve Tweddle doing most of the damage. VFC Devizes also won their opening five fixtures and went into lockdown with the only points dropped being  a 1-1 draw with Corsham Town, this game was also to be the last time Corsham dropped points, as they went on to win all their remaining 15 league fixtures.


The key game of the league season was at the beginning of May when Melksham Town visited the Southbank Ground. Melksham went into the game unbeaten having won all but one of their games to that point, the only dropped points having come in a 1-1 draw with Marlborough Town. On a wet and windy night, the game was played in atrocious conditions. A solitary goal from Simon Gray settled matters in Corsham’s favour thus ending Melksham’s unbeaten run.  The win for Corsham meant that the top three sides in the division had all now dropped five points. Melksham remained six points clear at the top but both VFC Devizes and Corsham Town had two games in hand on the leaders and could draw level if they won those games in hand. Both Corsham and Melksham also still had to travel to Devizes in their remaining fixtures.

 

All three leading sides from the Mid Wiltshire Division had also progressed to the semi finals of the Wiltshire County Veterans’ Cup. Both semi-finals were to be tight affairs. As noted above Melksham needed penalties to see off KMLC in their semi-final and in the all Mid Wiltshire Division tie, a solitary goal from Simon Gray saw Corsham defeat VFC Devizes. The final at Green Lane was a physical affair of a high standard that Melksham dominated for much of the match and, despite going down to ten men, were comfortable 3-1 winners. 

Melksham Town winners of the Wiltshire Veterans' County Cup

(picture courtesy of John Cuthbertson)

Having lifted the County Cup, four days later they were back at Green Lane for a vital league game against VFC Devizes and the cup final exertions had taken their toll as Devizes became only the second side to defeat Melksham all season, 2-0 the final score. This meant the meeting between VFC Devizes and Corsham Town at the beginning of July was as good as a title decider and a solitary goal from Stuart Skinner edged it for Corsham who were now firm favourites to lift the crown. The title was confirmed when VFC Devizes were held to a 2-2 draw by a much-improved St Andrews side which also meant Melksham Town were guaranteed runners-up spot. St Andrews then defeated VFC Devizes in that final game of the season noted above.


Well done to Corsham Town and Melksham Town on their league honours and also on their cup final appearance and to Melksham on lifting the cup. An excellent first season in the league for both clubs. The only blemish on the exciting season in the Mid Wiltshire Division was the need to award five games due to teams not being able to raise sides, with Marlborough Town being the guilty party on three such occasions, but the games had come thick and fast and it is a credit to all the Veterans’ sides that there were no more such occurrences given the short time frame that the games were concluded. Hopefully next season can be played at a more leisurely pace.

 

The golden boot award for the leading striker in the Veteran’s Divisions went to Charlie Griffin of Melksham Town who scored 25 goals in all competitions, five more than his fellow striker Steve Tweddle. David Rendle led the way in the North Division with 19, one less than Tweddle.

Premier Division Results,
Goal Scorers & Cups
Season 2020 - 21

Fountain Trophies Senior Cup


Cup Final Report


On a warm Saturday afternoon on the May Bank Holiday weekend the curtain finally came down on the difficult 2020-21 Season for our Premier Division sides with the final of the Fountain Trophies Senior Cup at Corsham Town FC between Corsham Town Reserves and Pewsey Vale. In an extremely tight final played in front of a sizeable crowd, the two evenly matched sides cancelled each other out for most of the ninety minutes but the game was ultimately decided by one moment of brilliance in the second half.


Pewsey Vale went into the game without their most influential player in James Guthrie, who had scored 17 goals this season, the cup final unfortunately clashing with his brother’s stag do, whilst Corsham also were without a few of the players who had helped them through to the final. Corsham started the brighter and almost created a scoring chance in the opening minute. Adam Shipman cleverly took a quick throw-in putting Ben Wickens in behind the Pewsey back line but a good tackle from Gareth Robb saw the ball cleared for a corner. The corner came to nothing, and Pewsey were able to clear their lines. The first sniff of a chance for Pewsey came on five minutes, Oscar Middleton cut in from the left and just as he pulled the trigger his effort was blocked and cleared by the Corsham back line.

 

Corsham started to dominate the early possession and created a decent chance on seven minutes, Jack Brain fired in a shot which was well saved by Louie Latouche in the Pewsey goal with the ball rebounding to Jake Dodge but he was again denied by Latouche and the ball was cleared. A few minutes later Dodge was put in by Adam Shipman but a good recovery tackle from Pewsey skipper Liam Edmondson cleared the danger.


Both sides were using the long throw to try and create opportunities, Corsham’s Dan Watts was getting impressive distance on his throws and whilst Adam Shipman was winning a number of the heading duals in the box the ball was not finding a teammate. Similarly for Pewsey, Gareth Robb was getting distance on his throws but the tactic was not really leading to any scoring opportunities in the box.


On 16 minutes a foul on Ben Wickens by Robb saw Dominic Kilbane fire in a dangerous free kick for Corsham but it was dealt with by the Pewsey defence who were being well marshalled by captain Edmondson. Whilst Corsham had looked the livelier they nearly fell behind on 20 minutes as the best chance of the game up until that point fell to Pewsey. Edmondson fired a ball in from the right which was flicked-on into the path of youngster Rory England who, with just Alex Croker in the Corsham goal to beat, hit his shot over the bar and Corsham fans breathed a sigh of relief.

 

The pace of England and his fellow young strike partner Oscar Middleton was starting to cause problems for the Corsham defence with the ball being put into the channels for the two youngsters to run on to. However, it was from a set piece that Pewsey went close again to scoring a few minutes later when a Ryan Thomas free kick nearly deceived Corsham keeper Alex Croker who just did enough to touch the ball behind for a corner.


Corsham were also finding the long ball over the top to be an effective way to get behind the Pewsey back line. It was from one such ball just after the half hour mark that saw Ben Wickens put through and just as a challenge went in he went tumbling in the box but the half-hearted appeals for a penalty were ignored by referee Adam Bewley. Pewsey then went straight down the other end and their dugout, as well as many of the spectators in the crowd, thought they had broken the deadlock when a cross into the box was met by a brilliant powerful header from Oscar Middleton, which saw the bottom of the net ripple, but the ball had in fact gone just over the bar and then rebounded into the wrong side of the net.


The last five minutes of the half saw Corsham step up their game and end the half as they had started. A neat interchange between Ben Wickens and Jake Dodge saw Dodge get round Robb in the Pewsey defence but some good rearguard action from Robb’s teammates saw Pewsey snuff out the attack. Two minutes before the break a free kick from the influential Dominic Kilbane was flicked on by Jack Brain but unfortunately for Corsham it was straight at Pewsey keeper Latouche. The final chance of the half saw another Corsham ball over the top find Wickens but he was well covered off by the Pewsey defence and the two sides retired to the dressing rooms with the game still looking for the first goal.


Half Time: Corsham Town Res 0 Pewsey Vale 0


The first chance of the second half came Pewsey’s way, as the ball fell to Harvey Tooth on the edge of the Corsham box, but his shot sailed way over the bar. Pewsey’s defensive line were certainly not afraid to join in their attacks and it was full back Robb who then had a chance on 55 minutes, but his shot was well handled by Alex Croker in the Corsham goal. His clearance out saw the ball reach Adam Shipman on the right-hand side and his run down the wing and powerful cross into the box eluded the Pewsey defenders and came back off the near post but the rebound was then fired wide of the goal as another chance went begging.


It was now end-to-end stuff as both sides pushed for that first goal. Ryan Thomas threaded a ball through to Oscar Middleton who raced clear of the Corsham backline but keeper Croker, who was having an excellent game, was alert to the danger and just got there in time to clear. Middleton again got behind the Corsham defence just after the hour mark, although his challenge on Corsham’s Jamie Cunning on another day could well have been deemed a foul but, having got passed his defender, he then fired over. Middleton continued to cause lots of problems for the Corsham defence and he was again put through on 65 minutes, this time it was Ryan Banks who set him up with a smart pass but just as he was about to get his shot away the challenge came in and he was sent tumbling in the box. This time it was Pewsey’s strong appeals for a penalty that were waved away and it remained 0-0 but not for long.


Harvey Tooth was fouled on the edge of the Corsham 18-yard box and Ryan Thomas lined up to take the free kick. His free kicks in the first half, whilst going close, had not really been out of the top drawer but this one in the 72nd minute was to be a very special one. Thomas fired in the kick, and it sailed in the top far corner of the net giving Corsham keeper Croker no chance. Given the way Croker had been playing it needed to be something special to beat him and this certainly was.


The game then threatened to get heated as a lunge from Corsham substitute Matt Ralph on Pewsey youngster Rory England, whilst connecting with the ball, was a bit reckless and incensed the Pewsey players. A foul was given and the Corsham player was yellow carded. Moments later Pewsey’s Connor Marsden got past Dominic Kilbane who brought down the Pewsey player right on the edge of the area. On other days a penalty might have been given and Pewsey’s Ryan Banks clearly felt it was inside the box and his protestations saw him sent to the sin-bin for ten minutes as he disputed the call.


With the extra man advantage Corsham pushed for an equaliser and Adam Shipman went close for Corsham ten minutes from time, but his effort was saved by keeper Latouche who, like his opposite number was having an excellent game. Corsham were unable to take advantage of the extra man for that ten-minute spell and it remained 1-0 when Banks returned to the field. Indeed, it was Banks who had a late chance to extend the lead in the first minute of injury time, put in by Oscar Middleton he was denied by a great save from Croker in the Corsham goal. The game was to end on a worrying note though when Corsham’s Matt Ralph fell awkwardly when looking to challenge Ryan Thomas in the air and it looked quite serious. The player was stretchered off the field as the two sides and the referee sportingly declared that the game would end there with Pewsey the winners. It has subsequently been confirmed by Corsham that the player had sustained a hip injury, but we understand he is ok and all from the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League wish him a speedy recovery.


Full Time: Corsham Town Res 0 Pewsey Vale 1

 Pewsey Vale captain Liam Edmondson holds the cup aloft  (picture courtesy of John Cuthberston)

Well done to Pewsey and commiserations to Corsham, who put in a tremendous effort in a very close game. There was little to choose between the two sides and it took a piece of magic to decide matters in Pewsey’s favour.


Speaking after the game goal scorer Ryan Thomas, who himself has suffered from injuries during his playing career, commented that “over the course of the season today was just reward for all the hard work that everyone at Pewsey has put in but added it was a horrible way to end the game” and wished a speedy recovery to the Corsham player.


Pewsey Vale manager Alistair Tuttle was obviously delighted with the victory and made similar comments to Thomas about the hard work that had gone on behind the scenes at Pewsey since they voluntarily dropped back down from Step 6 of the pyramid. Tuttle noted:


“There are no words to really describe how I feel at the moment, especially given where we have come from and how we have had to get the club back up and running and out of the doldrums. The work that has been done off the pitch by the hard-working committee with the refurbishment of the clubhouse and the like has been superb. The way this season has gone on the pitch, whilst we thought we would have a good season, we never expected to do so well and who knows we could have done a league and cup double. We are looking forward to next season now, with the next big target being to re-establish our reserve side who aim to play in the Swindon & District League next season.”


Corsham Town’s Jacob Price was filmed the action and the highlights can be viewed on their Youtube channel by clicking on the link in the picture below:

Fountain Trophies Senior Cup Final, the two starting line-ups (pictures courtesy of John Cuthberston)

To view the matchday programme for the Season 2020-21 Fountain Trophies Senior Cup Final click on the image of the programme.


There were some programmes left over from the game and anyone wanting a hard copy should contact League Secretary Jim Thorn at jim.thorn@wiltshireseniorleague.co.uk

U18 Division
Results & Goal Scorers 
Season 2020 - 21
Vets Division
Results & Goal Scorers
Season 2020 - 21

Corsham Town with the Mid Wiltshire Division Championship Shield (pictures courtesy of John Cuthbertson)

Melksham Town's potent strike force of Charlie Griffin and Steve Tweddle who finished No. 1 and 2 in the Season 2020-21 Goal Scorers Chart

(pictures courtesy of David Giles and John Cutbertson)

2020-21 Season AGM Annual Report
  • President's Report - 2020-21

    When I was invited to join the League as President no-one, including me, could have foreseen what the following two seasons would bring.  The wonderful thing is that the teamwork from the Officers, supported by the Management Committee, kept the League ahead of the game.  I am totally impressed by the professionalism displayed by the Officers, which ensured that member clubs had the opportunity to play some football.  When the dreadful pandemic eased, players were able to pull on their boots in the Under 18’s and Veteran’s divisions as well as a revised Fountain Trophies Senior Cup.  Paul at Fountain Trophies, was very generous in sponsoring the Cup, given that the trophy trade has suffered badly through the pandemic.


    Each Officer has faced problems with the stop-go playing situation, mostly unrecognised by member clubs. Without each Officer the Wiltshire Senior County League would not be as highly regarded as it is.


    It goes without saying that Jim Thorn continues to keep a steady hand on the tiller to the good of everyone involved, backed by John Gingell.


    We must hope that the future will see the return to some sort of normality as we move forward as an incorporated company, a true reflection of the professionalism I referred to earlier.


    Ken Clarke

    League President

  • Chairman's Report - 2020-21

    It has been a season like no other in the history of the Wiltshire League, due to Covid-19 and the national lockdowns.


    Many thanks to all the Club Secretaries and Team Managers for all their hard work in fulfilling their fixtures this season.


    On a personal note, I would like to thank all the League Officers and Management Committee for all the excellent work they do.


    John Gingell

    Chairman

  • League Secretary's Report - 2020-21

    This was the 44th season of the League and this is my 18th Annual Report as Hon General Secretary.


    In my Annual Report, I would firstly like to extend the League’s sincere thanks to our sponsors: Chris Perry and David Kilmurray of Corsham Print who are the main sponsors of the League; Paul and Denise Sebastianelli of Fountain Trophies, who sponsor the Senior KO Cup and Ken Clarke of Westernsport Trophies who sponsors the Referees Appreciation Award.  Without their continued support, we would struggle to keep fees to a lower level than most other Step 7 Leagues.


    We lost a stalwart of the League during the season with the passing of John Northover in October.  John was League Treasurer of the League for 28 years, during which time he took the League’s assets from just over £1,000 when he first took over in 1984, to over £45,000 when he retired in 2012.  His knowledge and experience is sadly missed.


    The main topic is of course the coronavirus pandemic again, which caused a late start to the season and brought a premature end to the Premier Division league fixtures.  With some great co-operation from clubs in both the U.18’s and Veterans Divisions, their fixtures were able to restart in April and complete.  Clubs are to be applauded for taking on board the constant flow of guidance that was issued and for taking all the necessary steps to help get football underway by preparing their Risk Assessments, etc and ensuring that their grounds were Covid compliant.  I’m pleased to report that I didn’t receive one single complaint about any clubs in this League not complying with the guidance.


    An important event for the League during the season, was to become a Limited Company.  This followed advice from the FA that all Leagues within the National League System should become incorporated.  The main reason is to guard against litigation.  We obtained three quotations for the work, Articles were submitted to Companies House and we became the Wiltshire Senior Football League Ltd on 14th January.  The League Officers have all become Directors but, other than these titles, you’ve hopefully seen no changes in the way that the League operates.  On the agenda for the AGM, there are items to formally approve this change, elect the Directors and approve the Articles.


    A welcome positive from last season was that we were nominated and named the FA and MacDonalds Grassroots League of the Year for 2019/20.  The award consisted of a certificate and a glass trophy, which are shown on the league website.  The award also included a voucher for £100, which we spent on training footballs.  When we’re able, we’ll do a draw and the balls will be passed on to the winning clubs.  We received another voucher from the FA Charter Standard scheme and purchased a further six footballs.  These will also be passed to clubs after a draw.


    When season 2019/20 came to a premature end, the FA postponed their proposed restructure of the National League System.  However, they have since announced the restructure, which will come into effect from next season.  They’ve created new Divisions at Steps 4 and 5 and the number of Step 6 Divisions has been reduced, so that the FA now have a 1-2-4-8-16 pyramid.  The restructure hasn’t really affected this League, but I expect many of you will have seen that the majority of Step 5 and 6 Wiltshire clubs have been moved from the Western League to the Hellenic League.  Going forward, it’s important that we establish a good relationship with the Hellenic League with regards to promotions, relegations, Match Officials, etc.  We’re currently working with the Wiltshire FA to try and arrange a meeting.


    Mark Smedley will cover results in his report but, when the Premier Division came to an end at Christmas, teams had played an average of 10 to 12 fixtures.  Pewsey Vale were leading the Division, but there were a host of clubs in pursuit.  With limited time left to restart the League after lockdown, we played the Fountain Trophies Senior Cup, albeit in a different format, to give clubs some competitive football.  Congratulations go to Pewsey Vale FC who defeated Corsham Town FC Res in the final.  I’ve had applications from both Lambourn Sports and Calne Town Res to join the League next season and we are recommending that they be elected.


    The U.18’s Floodlight Division started with 10 clubs but, following a couple of withdrawals, finished with 8.  As with the previous season, this Division was extremely competitive with any one of the leading 5 or 6 clubs in with a chance of winning.  Honours finally fell to FC Chippenham Youth when they won their final fixture, just ahead of Shrivenham.  Next season will see the return of Devizes Town after an absence of a few seasons along with Calne Town, after both having a year out plus AFC Aldermaston.  Chippenham Town will not be re-entering, leaving us with 10 Clubs.  With agreement of Clubs at the AGM, we’ll leave applications open until 31st July.  In the past, we’ve split the U.18’s Division into two if membership reached 12.  If this happens for the coming season, we’ll liaise with clubs to gauge their preference.


    During the season, we’ve liaised with U.18 Division clubs and it’s clear that the current U.18’s have suffered two interrupted seasons, which may have affected their progress and they may not yet be ready for senior football.  For this reason, we’re offering to run an U.20’s Division next season.  We don’t want to see any players dropping out of football and this will give players an additional season or two, playing against players of their own age.  If there’s sufficient interest, we’ll run an U.20’s Division as well as an U.18’s.  


    It was pleasing to see that membership of the Veterans Divisions more than doubled to 17 teams from our initial season.  At the time of writing, I’ve had 5 new applications for next season already.  The Wiltshire FA are currently promoting the Veterans Divisions in the south of the county.  With agreement of Clubs at the AGM, we’ll leave applications open until 31st July and arrange a meeting with clubs after that date to agree the format for next season.  Feedback from Clubs so far has indicated a liking to form a Veterans Premier Division (maybe consisting of the top 3 or 4 Clubs from the current North and South Divisions) with two regionalised Divisions below, then have promotion and relegation in subsequent seasons.  It’s also our aim to have open age Divisions for the Over 35’s plus a further Division(s) for the Over 45’s.  Our initial thoughts were that this may take 4 or 5 years to achieve, but it’s currently an option for next season and, provided we can get half a dozen teams interested, we’ll run it.


    The pyramid agreement with both the Swindon and Trowbridge District Leagues continues and we have good relationships with both Leagues.  The agreement allows for the top three clubs in each of the District Leagues to apply for promotion to our Premier Division.  At the same time, and providing our constitution is at our capacity, we will relegate up to three Clubs from this League.


    As most of you are aware, we were awarded Charter Standard League status by The FA back in season 2012/13.  It’s imperative that at least 60% of our Clubs are Charter Standard Clubs ….. preferably 100%.  In this League, there are a few Clubs who have yet to submit their applications and I would urge them to do so.  It is a requirement in the League Rules and, with the League being at capacity and new Clubs applying, Charter Standard is one of the factors we will take into consideration when accepting a new Club or considering whether to relegate an existing Club.  Amongst other benefits, being a Charter Standard League gives us access to grants from The FA, which should mean fewer increases in fees for Clubs.  Alongside Charter Standard, the new Safeguarding requirements for Premier Division Clubs (who have players under 18 in their squads) are coming into force.  The Wiltshire FA will be running Safeguarding Courses, but these are currently on hold.  I’ve recently received some correspondence from the FA and there are plans to replace the Charter Standard scheme with an Accredited League scheme.  I will forward the information as and when we receive it.


    We’ve continued to operate our Premier Division with Level 5 Referees as The FA withdrew our Supply League status some years ago.  Due to a lack of Match Officials and with Step 5 and 6 Leagues taking priority, this past season has again been a difficult one for Adie Cripps, trying to ensure that all games were covered.  This was only possible as Adie has developed a good relationship with the District Leagues and was able to move Match Officials around when postponements occurred.  It’s going to get more difficult next season as the Wiltshire FA have been unable to run courses for new Referees due to Covid.  If you have a game called off, it’s imperative that you let Adie know as soon as possible so that this can continue.  To assist Adie with the increasing workload, we appointed an Assistant Referees’ Secretary last season and Colin Nunn took on this role.  Colin has fitted in extremely well and carries out the appointments for the U.18’s and Veterans’ Divisions.


    Last season was our 4th season of using the Whole Game System (WGS) for player registrations and transfers, which is now replaced by the new FA Player Registration System, which we are told is much better and user-friendly than WGS.  Last season was our first for using Full-Time for Result Sheets / Match Reports.  Thanks to clubs, this change from paper reports went remarkably well with Team Sheets being the only paper form now.  The requirement for a player’s e-mail address and a photograph continued, which helped reduce the incidents of alleged ineligible players.  Use of The FA Full-Time web site for fixtures, Match Officials’ appointments, results, tables, etc continued last season.


    Mark Smedley has continued to develop the www.wiltshireseniorleague.co.uk web site.  Results, reports, tables, etc have been added to the History Section, which is now extremely comprehensive.  if you have any information, photographs, old programmes, etc I know that Mark would be keen to see them.  Mark’s match previews and reports are well received and his number of tweets on Twitter and Facebook followers continues to increase.


    You will see from the Election of Officers sheet, that we have two new Club Representatives to be elected for the Premier and Veterans Divisions.  Unfortunately, Stef Kuczynski resigned from the position of League Development Secretary during the season.  Other than that, all League Officer positions remain as per last season.


    Due to both Covid and a cutback in finances, the FA have suspended the award of grants for League initiatives.  However, we’ve continued to follow our League Development Plan.  As I mentioned last season, with the money received, we’ve purchased substitutes’ bibs for every team and for additional water bottles, which are for the Veterans teams and for new Clubs.  Due to Covid, these haven’t yet been distributed, but I’m hoping we’ll be able to get them to you as soon as possible.


    You will see that there are a considerable number of Rule Revisions proposed.  These are almost all changes to the Standard Code of Rules issued by the FA.  The changes that the League are proposing are to amend Rule 2(D) to make reference to the Board of Directors and Rule 20(F) in the Veterans rules concerning substitutes.


    Finally, I would like to thank our President, Ken Clarke, our Chairman, John Gingell and my fellow League Officers and Management Committee for all their help and assistance over the past season, especially the League Officers who have had an additional couple of months creating fixtures, registering players, appointing Match Officials and publishing match reports.  This League is held in high regard by both the FA and the County FA and that is down to the hard work of League Officers and the clubs.


    Best wishes to all Clubs for a good summer break and a successful season in 2021 - 2022.  Let’s hope that the coronavirus and the weather allow us to have an uninterrupted season


    Jim Thorn

    Hon General Secretary


  • Hon. Treasurers Report - 2020-21

    I can confirm that the accounting records of the League have been checked by John Davis FCCA of John Davis and Co.  Chartered Certified Accountants, 48 The Causeway,  Chippenham, SN15 3DD.    


    This is my ninth Annual Report.


    For 2020/21 the League made a loss of £4,229.00 as opposed to a loss last year of just under £2,500.00.  It is disappointing that this is the case.  However, this is to be expected as income has been hit severely this year.


    The account balances remain strong and I am aware that many leagues similar to ours do not carry such healthy balances.  That having been said, the League has made losses for several years now and, over the coming months, the Board of Directors / Management Committee will need to examine how we can be put back into profit.


    As usual the largest item of the League’s income is from FA Grants (£3,000).  Income has almost halved on the previous season.


    Fines are understandably down from £2,391 last year to £488 this.  This is a fall of 80%. 


    Expenditure reduced by approximately £5,000, and the largest item was telephone and computer which accounted for £2,522. 


    The League is in a healthy position with total assets of £33,705.00.


    In last year’s report I wrote:


    With the best endeavours of trying to avoid the “C” word I expect 2020/21 to be a difficult year for the League’s finances; not least because of the initiatives the Management Committee are exploring to assist clubs.  It is also not yet known how the League might be affected by the financial support it receives ie: FA Grants etc.  It would not surprise me to see a loss for 2020/21 in excess of £5,000 depending upon what income can be generated.


    As you may be aware due to the League’s change in status, we have needed to engage the services of Chartered Certified Accountants.  In view of this Peter Mundy has relinquished his role as auditor.  I would like to record the League’s and my personal thanks to Peter who has served the League admirably for many years.


    Finally, I would like to thank the Management Committee for their assistance especially the Registration Secretary and Disciplinary Secretary who assist on the financial side of things and the Sponsors for their continued financial support.



    Robert Cook

    Hon Treasurer

  • Hon Registration Secretary’s Report - 2020-21

    Well, here we are at the end of another season.  Not quit the result we wanted with another season cut short.  Hopefully, it will be better next season.


    I would like to thank all the Secretaries and Team Managers for their help and support this season.  Most teams now submit the team details, referee reports and the sportsmanship mark straight into the FA Full-Time website. 


    This season we encountered a few problems with a slow running Whole Game System at the start of the season, but it did settle down and started working normally after a few weeks.  Then, towards the end of March, we had the upgrade to the Player Registration system.  This system has improved the way players are registered.  In the changeover from WGS to Player Registration, we have lost some of the photo ID’s, which will need to be re-entered for the start of next season. 


    Now the season has ended, I would normally comment on its now time to relax and recharge the batteries ready for the start of next season but, with the way this season has been, I cannot wait to get started on the new season and hope for continuous playing all the way through.


    Thanks again to everyone for all your assistance.


    Brian Busson

    Hon Registration Secretary


  • Hon Referees’ Appointments Secretary’s Report - 2020-21

    What a most difficult season for all involved in grassroots football.  The coronavirus has affected everyone in some shape or form which at our level of football.  It has seen the postponement of our league for long periods of time.  Unfortunately, we will not see a league winner this season, but happily most teams opted to enter the Fountain Trophies Cup Competition to allow players, teams and match officials some playing time after outdoors sports was allowed to resume.  Clubs in our league have done a fantastic job of putting together risk assessments and safety measures to allow teams to continue playing when lockdowns eased for a time.


    In terms of match officials for this season, with less football played, that will have an impact on the promotion process to whether they completed the number of games they needed to.  For all match officials who did apply for promotion pre-season, I wish you all the best in gaining the promotion you desired.  All games in the Premier Division were covered.


    Finally, I want to make a special mention of Colin Nunn, who now appoints officials to the U.18’s and Veterans Divisions and has supported me a lot in his role as Assistant Referee Appointment Secretary.    


    Adie Cripps

    Hon Referees’ Appointments Secretary


  • Discipline Report - 2020-21

    The number of cases dealt with by the Discipline Sub-Committee was quite low again last season, though mainly due to the late start and early end to the Premier Division.  The increased use of technology, e.g.: texting of scores, Result Sheets and Referee Reports now being done online, being able to make on-line payments, etc has hopefully reduced the workload for Club Secretaries.  The only paperwork left is Team Sheets.


    The most common offence involves Clubs who fail to notify the League (Fixtures Secretary and Referees’ Appointments Secretary) that a game is postponed.  We’re sure you phone / text your players if a game is off, so please avoid fines by making those two extra calls to the League.  If we get sufficient notice, Phil Cook may be able to rearrange a game for your opponents or Adie Cripps / Colin Nunn may be able to send the Match Official(s) to a fixture that is short.  Some Clubs also fail to notify Match Officials about postponements, which resulted in them turning up, us having to chase you for payment, then you having to pay them again when the match is rearranged.  When you tell your players and the opposition that a game is off, please remember the third team and save your hard earned money.


    The number of offences involving ineligible players is again very low.  It is very easy for Clubs to check a player’s eligibility.  Access to the County FA web site is available to all Clubs whereat you can see lists of players under suspension.  This also applies when you register a new player.  It isn’t the League’s responsibility to inform Clubs if a player is suspended, so please check the County FA web site at least weekly.


    A few Clubs still incur additional charges for late payment of fees / fines.  All fines have been sent out by e-mail, which has reduced League expenditure on postage.  All fees / fines can be paid by Bank Transfer  and it does save you the cost of postage and the risk of things going astray in the post.

  • Hon. Media Officer Report - 2020-21

    As Media Officer I am responsible for the league’s website and the social media feed.  I would like to start by thanking all the other League Officers for their support and encouragement during what has been another very difficult season.


    With regard to the website, most of you will be familiar with the weekly roundups on the website and the league tables/fixtures but do not forget there is also a lot of other useful content to be found on the website. For example, all the league rules can be easily accessed from the site, Referee contact details are contained under the “League Rules and Advice” tab, as are details of FA ground grading rules etc.  There is also a dedicated Your Sport Swindon page which contains links to the games that Your Sport Swindon have filmed during the season.  The site is mobile friendly so content can be viewed on your phone easily as well as on the laptop.


    The most extensive information on the website is in the History Section which I have continued to build up over the season, although unfortunately the two lockdowns has meant there have been very few visits to Swindon Library and the History Centre in Chippenham during this season.  As well as a look back at each of the individual seasons since Season 1976-77, there is also now a section featuring former member clubs.  This now features 49 different teams and further will be added during the coming summer months.  The History Section continues to be work-in-progress, but I would recommend a nostalgia trip during summer months whilst you are waiting for the new season to start.  If any clubs have historic photos of championship winning sides from the past to include on the website these would be greatly appreciated.  Just a reminder that the website can be found at www.wiltshireseniorleague.co.uk


    With regard to social media feeds, this season I have been able to Tweet a preview of just about every single game played in the Premier, U.18’s and the Vets Divisions, as well as the weekly fixtures.  As the season draws to a close the number of followers of our Twitter feed has gone up to over 1,300 which is up by about 400 over the season.  Our Facebook Group currently has 497 members up from 216 at the start of the season and is also used as a source of disseminating information about updates and new information that appears on the website.


    Once again we are indebted to the fantastic support of a number of regular photographers across the county who have provided pictures in support of the league over the season.  A big thank you for the use of their photos over this last season to Estelle Bowden at Starsphinx Photography, Mike Wray, Steve Green, Drew Pinnock, Corsham Town’s Jacob Price and John Cuthbertson, and our new additions this season covering the Vets games, David Giles and Dave Cavanagh.  All the photographers provide us with photos free of charge for which we are immensely grateful. 


    Once again a massive thank you to Your Sport Swindon, and in particular Steve Butt and Mike Wray, who have once again extended their already superb coverage of our games during the past season.  Mike from Shrivenham videos their U18 games for Your Sport Swindon and, both he and Steve, have also covered some of our Premier League and Vets games.  Mike also did some excellent interviews at the start of the season featuring some of our Premier Division Managers.  Your Sport Swindon are keen to expand their coverage of our various Divisions, so look out next season for an exclusive preview ahead of the weekend games in the Premier Division plus a feature from the league archives each week as we expand our collaboration with them.


    I would also like to personally thank all the clubs for their Twitter feeds this season which provide invaluable information to allow the roundups to be completed.  A big thank you also to all of the managers and club Twitter feed owners for dealing with all the messages from me where I am chasing any missing information on a Saturday evening or late night for midweek games.  I know some leagues make it a rule that clubs must provide goalscoring information within a set time to their leagues, but I much prefer to keep it informal as it is currently, without clubs having to worry about another rule and most weeks I have all the scorers in good time.

     

    We joined in with the rest of UK football in boycotting social media during the first weekend in May and I certainly realised how much I rely on the Twitter feeds when suddenly there was nothing out there.  In my personal view, too much emphasis was put on racism in the boycott.  In the four seasons of doing this role thankfully I have not seen a single racist comment relating to activity on the league.  I have seen lots of abusive comments relating to referees, the FA, the league and opposition teams, as well a couple of sexist comments but no racism.  For me, the boycott should have been a little bit more about abuse in general on social media.  It should also not be forgotten that both Facebook & Twitter provide excellent platforms completely free of charge and they also provide the ability to mute and block individuals, so they do provide the tools to self-police to some extent.  For me it is the people who are making the abusive comments who are the real problem here not the social media companies.  That said I agree both could do more to manage who sets up accounts.


    With football being an emotional game, it can sometimes lead to a few post-match tweets that we have to ask to be taken down, which pleasingly all clubs do straight away, avoiding further issues.  With many on the committee being former players and managers we understand that emotions can be running high after a game and our policy is to asks inappropriate tweets to be taken down rather than raising charges against clubs straight away.  Clubs should note that there are some referee support groups out there who can pick up, what can seem to you to be a mild comment about a referee and make it into a major issue.  My strong advice is that all clubs should always limit any views and comments about referees to their referee report and avoid saying anything about referees on social media.  With all our clubs having made such strong statements in support of the boycott I am anticipating social media as far as our league goes being a much pleasant and friendly place next season.


    Finally, whilst the league season in 2020-21 in the Premier Division has once again been curtailed, like Season 2019-20 I will be including the results during the season and the league tables at the time of suspension in the History Section of the website.  As last season, I will also include the team record for Season 2020-21 for the Premier Division teams in the summaries on each team’s directory entry with a note saying the season was not completed and that the entry represents the team’s record at the time of the suspension.  Hopefully, next season will be less difficult for all of us.  Enjoy your short summer break.



    Mark Smedley

    Hon Media Officer

  • Fixtures / Results Report - 2020-21

    This season saw 158 fixtures postponed for various reasons, an increase of 22 on last season.  There were 106 in the Premier Division, 48 in the U.18’s Division and 4 in the Veterans Divisions.  The Premier Division runs with a policy of deducting points from Clubs found guilty of postponing games without a satisfactory explanation and this has continued this past season.


    Results Report (written by League Media Officer)


    This time last year it was noted that Season 2019-20 became the first football season since 1939-40 to be stopped early and not completed and the first incomplete season in the 44-year history of the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League.  Unfortunately, as far as the Premier Division is concerned, that is now two incomplete seasons.  Once again it is Covid-19 that has resulted in this outcome, although at least as far as the U.18’s and Veterans’ Divisions, it was possible to complete the U.18’s Division and it should be possible to complete the Veterans with the co-operation of the clubs.  If anything, this season has been more difficult than last season for all involved in the Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League with the delayed start due to the first lockdown before we then once again went into lockdown in the winter months.


    At least this time round, learning some of the lessons from the previous season, both we and the clubs were able to be involved in the decision making as to how to finish the season once football was allowed to resume in the Spring.  As far as both the Veterans’ and U.18 competitions were concerned, the decision of the clubs was to continue the seasons to conclusion.  An advantage with the Veterans’ Divisions was that we were not constrained by the normal football season cycle hence, despite a lack of venues, particularly, in the North Division, we should be able to complete the Veterans’ Divisions.  Whilst the FA granted to the end of June for completing the U.18 Division, a decision was made to try and complete this as close as possible to 31st May and this was achieved to within a couple of days thanks to the co-operation of all the clubs.


    For the Premier Division, after a consultation exercise with the clubs there was limited appetite amongst our sides for completing the league season, with some clubs still having 22 league games to play.  The challenges with cricket and other sports, pitch maintenance and holidays meant realistically the season could not go on beyond the end of May and this was too short a time period to complete the league campaign.


     Premier Division and Fountain Trophies Senior Cup 


    At the time the season was curtailed the title race was developing into a four-team contest.  Pewsey Vale led the way having won 12 of their 14 games, losing just once.  Melksham Town had started badly losing four of their first five games but had picked up and gone on a tremendous ten game unbeaten run, nine of which had been won to sit in second place, six points behind Pewsey having played one game more.  Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development were three points behind Melksham but had three games in hand on Melksham and two on Pewsey Vale.  Wroughton, champions in the last completed season in the Premier Division, sat fourth having won eight of their opening ten games.  Whilst Pewsey led the way they had not played either Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development or Wroughton and still had another game against Melksham to come and so the title race was still very much all to play for.


    At the other end of the table Ludgershall Sports, Devizes Town Res and Marlborough Town were all struggling with just one win each to show for their efforts at the time lockdown was imposed, although Devizes Town under their new manager were showing positive signs of improvement.  The 12 games that Devizes Town Res had played meant they became the first side to play 1,000 games in the top division of the league since its formation in 1976, the landmark being achieved in their final game before lockdown.


    Whilst there was no real desire to carry on the league season, there was appetite amongst most of the clubs for a cup competition of some sort to finish the season.  In response to this the league proposed that the Fountain Trophies Senior Cup be competed for but with a changed format starting with a group stage where teams played each other once, allowing games to be completed utilising the available Saturdays.  Entrance was optional given the challenges of recommencing football at such a late stage and both Royal Wootton Bassett Town Dev and Wroughton opted not to take part leaving two groups of seven, split based on geography.  In a desire to ensure the competition ran for players who were involved in our league prior to lockdown, and not players from Step 6 or higher, rules were introduced around player eligibility.  The initial rule around eligibility being based on appearances in our league games but at the request of the clubs this was changed to being based on appearances at Step 6 or higher during Season 2020-21.  Unfortunately, some clubs were either not paying attention, thought the rule did not apply to them or did not realise how readily available the appearance information is in the public domain (the data was also effectively static apart from in the Hellenic League who were also running a cup competition). 


    The competition did not get off to the best of starts with all the winning sides in the opening week of fixtures in the North Division fielding an ineligible player.  With limited time available to replay the games all three fixtures were awarded to their opponents.  Seeing that clubs were struggling to raise sides the league sought to assist by extending the league transfer deadline by a month but in the end both Marlborough Town and Purton pulled out.  Marlborough’s challenges were partly caused by rules in other competitions which resulted in reserve team players not being willing to play for their first team, whilst Purton had struggled with injuries in the curtailed league season were still struggling to raise a side but did disappointingly continue in an outside competition whilst Marlborough Town first team simply played friendlies.  In the end just ten of the scheduled twenty-one games were played with only seven of the results standing due to that ineligibility issue in the first week.  Pewsey Vale won all the three games they actually played to make it to the final finishing six points clear at the top.


    In the South Group it was a much happier story with all but two of the fixtures being played, the two games not completed being at the end when the qualification for the final had already been decided.  In an exciting group it came down to the final game between Corsham Town Res and Odd Down Res as to which side would make the final.  Corsham went into that final game unbeaten and knowing that they needed to avoid a defeat by five or more clear goals to progress to the final.  Odd Down went ahead early in the second half but were unable to add to the tally to get to the necessary five goals and a last-minute equaliser ensured that Corsham retained their unbeaten record and progressed to the final which would be played on their own ground the following Saturday.  Given at the time the league season in 2020-21 was brought to a premature end Pewsey Vale were league leaders and Corsham Town Reserves had been the league leaders in Season 2019-20 at the time that season was curtailed, it was perhaps fitting that it was those two sides who competed in the final for the Fountain Trophies Senior Cup.


    In the final itself it was a very tight contest between two evenly matched sides.  Whilst Pewsey created the better goal scoring chances in open play the game was ultimately to be decided by an incredibly special set piece.  Awarded a free kick on the edge of the penalty area Pewsey’s Ryan Thomas fired the resulting free kick into the far top corner of the net for what would ultimately prove to be the winner for his side.  Well done to both teams for fully committing to the competition and for their performances on the day in the final.  A big thank you also to all the other sides who completed their commitments in the competition in what has been a difficult season for all.  Hopefully Season 2021-22 will be better for everyone and most importantly will get completed.


    Under 18 Division


    This time last year it was noted that the Under 18 competition was shaping up to be the most exciting yet since the competition transitioned to the league from the Wiltshire FA.  Well, that has been well and truly repeated this season with six sides still having title aspirations when the action re-started in April after lockdown.  Melksham Town had started their season with three straight wins before having a bad patch either side of lockdown, suffering five straight defeats.  They finally ended that run with a narrow 1-0 win at Pewsey and then never looked back after that, defeating Chippenham Town twice and winning five of their last six games.  Their only dropped points came in a 3-3 draw at Royal Wootton Bassett Town.  That bad run during mid-season meant they missed out on honours but a good season for Colby Cain’s side.  Radstock Town remained in the mix until late on, but in the end too many drawn matches early in the season saw their chances disappear and Royal Wootton Bassett Town fell away when they were unable to win games at the back end of the season against the top sides.


    This left Chippenham Town, FC Chippenham and Shrivenham to battle it right to the end for the league title. The teams entered May with Chippenham Town and Shrivenham level on 23 points at the top with three to play.  FC Chippenham were some 13 points adrift but had four games in hand.  That first week of the month saw Chippenham Town travel to Shrivenham for a game which was expected to have a big say in the destination of the title.  A win for either side would put them in pole position for the title, but a draw had the potential to put FC Chippenham’s title aspirations back in their own hands.  At the end of the ninety minutes the sides could still not be separated and more importantly this then put FC Chippenham’s destiny back in their own hands.  Shrivenham won both their last two games to finish on 30 points, losing just two games all season, both by a single goal in the away games against the two Chippenham sides.  Chippenham Town lost to Melksham Town in one of their remaining two games meaning the title would go to either Shrivenham or FC Chippenham.  By the time both Shrivenham and Chippenham Town had finished, FC Chippenham still had two games to play and were on a winning run which stretched to five games with just Royal Wootton Bassett Town and Pewsey Vale to play.  They needed to win both games to win the title.  In the first game on the 3G at the Gerard Buxton they found themselves 3-1 down and, whilst they pulled one back, with five minutes to go they still trailed.  However, the award of a penalty saw them get back on level terms and an excellent late free kick fired into the top corner saw them take all three points.  The final game against Pewsey saw them go behind again but six unanswered goals later they were champions.  Their run at the end of the season had seen them win seven straight games to pip Shrivenham by a single point.  Well done to FC Chippenham on taking the title and to Shrivenham on achieving runners-up.  In fact, well done to all the Under 18 sides who played their part in what was a fascinating, if difficult and disrupted, season, with all the fixtures being completed.


    Veterans’ Divisions


    The Veterans’ category grew in number from the first season with new teams meaning we were able to run two divisions, retaining the one in the North based at the New College 3G facility in Swindon and establishing a 10-team division covering Mid Wiltshire utilising the Wiltshire FA’s new 3G pitch at Green Lane Devizes.  In addition, in the Mid Wiltshire Division a number of clubs utilised their own pitches, initially at Melksham Town and Corsham Town, but latterly joined by Bradford Town and Chippenham Town Yard Dogs, the latter playing at Stanley Park.  Some of the clubs also allowed other teams to utilise their grass pitches which greatly assisted the job of scheduling the fixtures and meant the programme could be completed more quickly.  In the North Division, Stratton Juniors also starting utilising their grass pitch at Meadowcroft which again helped expediate matters in the North Division.  A big thank you to all the clubs who made their pitches available in this way, it was very much appreciated.  The Veterans’ sides must compete with other sides at clubs for the use of the facilities and will often be at the back of the queue behind Reserve and U.18 sides and the co-operation provided this season in staging games on pitches other than New College and Green Lane has been outstanding.


    At the time of writing both Divisional titles are very much up for grabs.  In the North Division it looks to be either Redhouse or KMLC who will take the title, although Stratton Juniors were still in the mix at the time of writing these notes, though they were running out of games.  In the Mid Wiltshire Division, there is a right royal battle going on between three sides, Corsham Town, Melksham Town and VFC Devizes.  Melksham and Devizes have led the way for most of the season but a tremendous run of wins from Corsham Town means that it is anyone from three who will be crowned champions of the Mid Wiltshire Division.  All three also made the semi-final of the Wiltshire FA’s Veterans’ County Cup with just one representative, KMLC, from the North Division and it will be Melksham Town and Corsham Town who will contest the final.


    With four new sides from the Swindon area joining the league next season plus another from the South of the county, the Veterans’ category continues to grow but the challenge remains the availability of facilities on which to stage games.  None of the ten sides based in the North of the county currently have the ability to use their own pitches to stage games and the search for an additional hire slots in the county to stage games continues.

  • Hon Welfare Officer’s Report - 2020-21

    No welfare issues in relation to Under 18’s have been reported to the League this year.  Invariably, any such issues are dealt with by the Wiltshire FA and no further action is normally required by the League.


    Robert Cook

    Hon Welfare Officer