Corsham Print
Wiltshire Senior League
Former Clubs
Ashton Keynes
Grounds
Bradstone Sports Field, Rixon Gate, Ashton Keynes

Seasons in League (Number and period)
12 Seasons (in two spells 1993-94 to 2001-02 and 2010-11 to 2012-13)

Status
Now in Swindon & District League Premier Division (Season 2019-20)

League & Cup Honours (when in WSL)
Division 4 Winners 1993-94
Fountain Trophies Junior Cup Winners 1999-2000
Junior Division 1 Winners 2000-01
Junior Division 1 Runners-up 2012-13

Other Honours (When in WSL)
EC Mills Sportsmanship Winners 1996-97
Club Secretary of the Year Award 1999-2000 (Mrs J. Hayes)


Club Notes
Ashton Keynes were formed in 1913 under the captaincy of Rev. T.H. Amos and played near neighbours Minety in their first ever game, narrowly losing by the odd goal.

Their first success came in Season 1921-22 when they won the Cirencester Senior Charities Cup, a feat they repeated the following season.  1922-23 saw them do the “double” as they also won the Cirencester & District Division 1 league title for the first time. They repeated the league title success the following season as the report in the North Wilts Herald from 4 July 1924 at the bottom of the page shows.

At some stage they were relegated to Division 2 of the Cirencester & District League as they were crowned Division 2 champions in the final season before the outbreak of the Second World War. After hostilities had concluded the ten years after the war were to prove very successful for Ashton Keynes as they won the Division 1 title in 1948-49, 1953-54 and again in Season 1954-55. The latter two seasons also saw them do the double again as they also won the Senior Charities Cup in both seasons. They went close again in the league the following season finishing runners-up to Siddington.

Again relegation must have ensued at some point as they were again Division 2 champions in Season 1978-79 heralding the start of a successful period in the 1980’s which saw them crowned champions of Division1 of the Cirencester & District League on three more occasions, in 1983-84, 1985-86 and 1986-87. They were runners-up in both 1988-89 and 1992-93. They also won the Senior Charities Cup on two more occasions.

Following this period of success, Ashton Keynes joined the Wiltshire in Season 1993-94 and had immediate success at the higher level, winning the Division 4 title, finishing five points ahead of runners-up Raychem SSC and earning promotion to Division 3.

Like many sides who came up from Division 4 they found Division 3 a much harder proposition finishing in 10th and 11th spot in their first two seasons at this level before a tough season in 1996-97 saw them win just three of their twenty-six league games and finish bottom of the pile, suffering relegation back to Division 4. The only consolation for this tough season was that the club picked up the EC Mills Sportsmanship award at the end of season AGM.

A much more successful season back in Division 4 followed with Ashton Keynes winning more games than they lost and achieving an eventual fifth place finish. With the re-organisation caused by the establishment of an Intermediate status for season 1998-99, this fifth-place finish was enough to see them return to the top Junior Division, now renamed Junior Division 1. This time round they had no issues adapting to the higher level as they improved each season in the initial three years they were to spend in Junior Division 1, never finishing outside the top four. A fourth-place finish in Season 1998-99 was followed by a third-place finish in 1999-2000. They also made the final of the Fountain Trophies Junior Cup where their opponents were local rivals Cricklade Town Reserves. Chris Neale put them in front in the final with a volley into the top corner of the net. Neale was again on hand to head in a free kick shortly afterwards to put them two up and Barry Taylor netted with the last kick of the game to give his side a deserved 3-0 victory. Club Secretary Mrs J. Hayes was also awarded the Club Secretary of the Year award at the League AGM to round-off an excellent season for the club.

Season 2000-01 was to be another excellent season for Ashton Keynes as they stormed to the Junior Division 1 title, becoming the first winners of honours that season. Ashton Keynes finished six points clear of runners-up Wroughton Reserves, with Sherston in third spot. Ashton Keynes and Sherston also completed ground improvements during the season enabling them to compete in the Intermediate Division the following season, a step up the ladder for both the village clubs.

Of the two clubs who made the step-up it was Ashton Keynes who performed the better winning sixteen of their thirty league games to finish in an impressive fourth spot in their first season at the higher level. However, this was to be the one and only season at this level as they pulled out of the league at the end of the season and returned to the Cirencester & District League.

Not surprisingly, having gone from Intermediate level back to District football, their first season back in the District League, Season 2002-3 was to prove successful as they won the Division 2 title and promotion to the top division. Season 2005-6 saw them then win the Division 1 title for the ninth time and once again do the double as they won the Senior Charities Cup for the seventh time. They went close again in the league in Season 2008-9, finishing as runners-up to South Cerney, although they did win the Senior Charities Cup for the eighth time, and two seasons later elected to return to the Wiltshire League. Their second spell back in the league was once again a successful one with Ashton Keynes never finishing outside the top five in the four seasons they were to spend in the league in their second spell. The best position achieved was a runners-up spot in Junior Division 1 in season 2012-13 behind Madames. However, once again after a successful season as decision was made by the club to return to District League Football.

Back in the Cirencester & District League, whilst no league titles came their way they did reach three cup finals but were beaten in all three, twice in the Senior Charities Cup and once in the Junior Charities Cup. 

Season 2017-18 saw Ashton Keynes switch across to the Swindon & District League, being placed in the Premier Division of our feeder league. They did well in their first season in the new league, finishing in fourth spot. The following season saw them drop a couple of places but they remained in the Premier Division.

With regard to Season 2019-20, at the time of suspension of football due to the Coronavirus, Ashton Keynes sat in tenth spot in the table. With their facilities Ashton Keynes could perhaps return to the Wiltshire League one day if they were to finish in a promotion position in the Swindon & District League.
Team Record
Ashton Keynes line-ups from programmes for games in the Wiltshire League in seasons 1994-95, 1995-96, 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000.
Share by: