Corsham Print
Wiltshire Senior League
Malmesbury Victoria FC Development
Club Formed:
1896
Club Nickname:
The Vics
Chairman:
Bernard Davies
Club Contact Details
Secretary:
Brendon Rice
Email: brendon@innov.co.uk
Manager: Rob Needham
Email: brendon@innov.co.uk
Tel:
Mobile:
07825 172500
Manager: Rob Needham
Tel: 07731 989530
Email:
rob.needham@hotmail.co.uk
Club Welfare Officer:
Matt Aldridge
Club Social Media Details
Website:
www.the-vics.co.uk
Team Photo & Club Colours
Season 2024-25 Team Photo
To Be Added
When Available
Details of Home Ground
Name of Ground:
Flying Monk Ground
Ground Address: Flying Monk Ground, Gloucester Road, Malmesbury SN16 0AJ
Ground Telephone:
(01666) 822141
Match Day Programme? No
Ground Directions:
From M4 Junction 17, follow the A429 into Malmesbury, then the B4014 towards Tetbury. At next roundabout, take first left towards Town Centre. Ground is on the right hand side behind the Co-Op Supermarket, Gloucester Road. Has narrow entry used by pedestrians.
Club History
The Club was originally formed in 1898, and was known as Malmesbury Town, then Malmesbury United until at the end of the 1974-75 Season the club amalgamated with a successful Swindon Club known as Swindon Victoria. The Club has played in various locations in and around the Town before eventually settling on the present site, known as The Flying Monk Ground, named after the pub which previously owned the ground.
Swindon Victoria had started life in the Swindon & District League where they had been one of the founding members of that competition once it moved to a league basis from a cup competition, with their club secretary also the first secretary of the Swindon based league. By 1910-11 they had joined the Wiltshire League, with two consecutive third place finishes in the period before the First World War. When football recommenced after the First World War Swindon Victoria were back in Division 1 of the Wiltshire League and finished as winners of the league in that inaugural post-war season. However, this was only the prelude to even greater things as the following season saw them not only retain their league title but also make the final of the national FA Amateur Cup, eventually losing to Northern powerhouse Bishop Auckland in the final at Ayresome Park, Middlesbrough. For more details of that amazing cup run click on the link at the bottom of this History Section.
Swindon Victoria had started life in the Swindon & District League where they had been one of the founding members of that competition once it moved to a league basis from a cup competition, with their club secretary also the first secretary of the Swindon based league. By 1910-11 they had joined the Wiltshire League, with two consecutive third place finishes in the period before the First World War. When football recommenced after the First World War Swindon Victoria were back in Division 1 of the Wiltshire League and finished as winners of the league in that inaugural post-war season. However, this was only the prelude to even greater things as the following season saw them not only retain their league title but also make the final of the national FA Amateur Cup, eventually losing to Northern powerhouse Bishop Auckland in the final at Ayresome Park, Middlesbrough. For more details of that amazing cup run click on the link at the bottom of this History Section.
Further Wiltshire League titles followed in Seasons 1922-23, 1923-24 and 1930-31 and they were runners-up in Season 1934-35. When football returned after the end of the Second World War Swindon Victoria recommenced in the Wiltshire League but struggled finishing just above Wootton Bassett Town on goal average at the bottom of the table in that first season. For the rest of the 1940s, 1950’s and 1960s the team generally finished in the top half of the table, finishing as runners up in season 1958-59. When the Wiltshire Combination was established in Season 1968-69 Swindon Victoria initially remained in the Wiltshire League but only for one season as they were joined the Combination from Season 1969-70. After finishing in 18th spot in their first Combination Season they once again established themselves as a “top-half” side with their best position a third place in Season 1972-73. Eventually the lack of their own ground forced the club to merge with Malmesbury Town ahead of the 1975-76 Season.
Whilst there is plenty of information about the history of Swindon Victoria there is less readily available information about Malmesbury Town. At the start of the 20th century Malmesbury Town had teams playing in both the Chippenham & District and Cirencester & District Leagues. The first time that Malmesbury appear in the Wiltshire League is in Season 1948-49 when the club finished 5th in Division 2 of that league. A third-place finish was achieved in Season 1952-53. The first league title so far traced is the Wiltshire League Division 1 title in Season 1961-62 when Malmesbury finished two points clear of runners-up Bromham. Bromham pipped Malmesbury for the title the following season and Malmesbury just lost out again in Season 1963-64. After finishing level on points with Ferndale YC a play-off decided the title, which was won by Ferndale.
Malmesbury remained in Division 1 (second tier) until the formation of the Wiltshire Combination in season 1968-69, with Malmesbury again remaining a member of the Wiltshire League following the formation of the Combination until the merger with Swindon Victoria. Malmesbury finished their final season before the merger by winning the Division One title. The new Malmesbury Victoria were to play just one season in the Football Combination finishing in sixth spot in a division of 17 teams. The following season saw the formation of the Wiltshire County League.
Malmesbury Victoria fielded two sides in that first season of the league and both were successful. Both finished as runners-up in their respective divisions, Division 1 for the first team and Junior Division B for the reserves, the latter earning a place in the top Junior division for the second season of the league. During the remainder of the decade and the start of the 1980’s both sides achieved respectable mid-table positions in Division 1 and Division 3 respectively. However, Season 1981-82 was to be a tough one for the club as the first team finished bottom of Division 1 winning just two of their 32 games whilst the reserves also struggled. The following season the club dropped out of the Senior divisions with the first team replacing the reserves in Division 3. After a third-place finish in Season 1987-88 Malmesbury Victoria returned to Senior football and the reserves returned to Division 4 of the league. Twice the first team finished bottom of Division 2 and the reserves once again left the league.
Things started to pick up from Season 1991-92 and after finishing as runners-up in season 1993-94 the first team were promoted back to Division 1. The momentum carried over to the following season as the first team then finished runners-up in Division 1. Unfortunately, this could not be maintained the following season and a third from bottom finish saw relegation back to Division 2 followed by an immediate promotion back the following season. The reserves meanwhile remained in Division 4 until the establishment of the new Intermediate category in season 1998-99 which saw them elevated to Junior Division 1.
Season 1999-2000 was to be particularly memorable one for Malmesbury Victoria as the club kicked off the new century with a double championship success, the first team winning the now re-branded Premier Division and the reserve side winning Junior Division 1. The first team title success saw Malmesbury Victoria promoted to the Hellenic League and the reserves elevated to the Premier Division for the following season.
The first team were to spend nine seasons in Division One West of the Hellenic with their best performance being a runners-up spot finish in Season 2008-9 which saw them promoted to Step 5 of the National League System for the very first time. During this time the club had made huge steps to improve the facilities, installing floodlights and undertaking a complete refurbishment of the clubhouse. Their stay at this level was unfortunately to only last one season as they were related back to Division 1 at the end of the first season as the ground had not reached the required standard to stay in that division. They remained in Division 1 West until dropping back into the Wiltshire League for Season 2014-15 in a move which also saw their reserve side drop down to the Cirencester & District League.
After dropping down local legend, Wayne Kibble was asked to run the senior sides and return to a focus on local players. This approach yielded great success as the first team won the Premier Division in Season 2014-15 and then following a third place finish the following season, they were promoted to the Western League for Season 2016-17. The elevation of the first team to the higher league also meant the second side, now re-branded as the Development team, joined the Premier Division of the Wiltshire Senior League. A respectable 9th place finish was achieved in their first season in the Western League followed by a mid-table finish in 2017-18. However, a, National League System re-structuring saw the club return to the Hellenic League Division 1 West for Season 2018-19. That return to the Hellenic saw them just miss out on promotion to the Hellenic Premier Division at the first attempt but they did have the consolation of winning the League’s Division One Supplementary Cup. The Development side also had a great second half to the season after a shaky start to end the season and finished in a respectable 10th spot.
Malmesbury Victoria fielded two sides in that first season of the league and both were successful. Both finished as runners-up in their respective divisions, Division 1 for the first team and Junior Division B for the reserves, the latter earning a place in the top Junior division for the second season of the league. During the remainder of the decade and the start of the 1980’s both sides achieved respectable mid-table positions in Division 1 and Division 3 respectively. However, Season 1981-82 was to be a tough one for the club as the first team finished bottom of Division 1 winning just two of their 32 games whilst the reserves also struggled. The following season the club dropped out of the Senior divisions with the first team replacing the reserves in Division 3. After a third-place finish in Season 1987-88 Malmesbury Victoria returned to Senior football and the reserves returned to Division 4 of the league. Twice the first team finished bottom of Division 2 and the reserves once again left the league.
Things started to pick up from Season 1991-92 and after finishing as runners-up in season 1993-94 the first team were promoted back to Division 1. The momentum carried over to the following season as the first team then finished runners-up in Division 1. Unfortunately, this could not be maintained the following season and a third from bottom finish saw relegation back to Division 2 followed by an immediate promotion back the following season. The reserves meanwhile remained in Division 4 until the establishment of the new Intermediate category in season 1998-99 which saw them elevated to Junior Division 1.
Season 1999-2000 was to be particularly memorable one for Malmesbury Victoria as the club kicked off the new century with a double championship success, the first team winning the now re-branded Premier Division and the reserve side winning Junior Division 1. The first team title success saw Malmesbury Victoria promoted to the Hellenic League and the reserves elevated to the Premier Division for the following season.
The first team were to spend nine seasons in Division One West of the Hellenic with their best performance being a runners-up spot finish in Season 2008-9 which saw them promoted to Step 5 of the National League System for the very first time. During this time the club had made huge steps to improve the facilities, installing floodlights and undertaking a complete refurbishment of the clubhouse. Their stay at this level was unfortunately to only last one season as they were related back to Division 1 at the end of the first season as the ground had not reached the required standard to stay in that division. They remained in Division 1 West until dropping back into the Wiltshire League for Season 2014-15 in a move which also saw their reserve side drop down to the Cirencester & District League.
After dropping down local legend, Wayne Kibble was asked to run the senior sides and return to a focus on local players. This approach yielded great success as the first team won the Premier Division in Season 2014-15 and then following a third place finish the following season, they were promoted to the Western League for Season 2016-17. The elevation of the first team to the higher league also meant the second side, now re-branded as the Development team, joined the Premier Division of the Wiltshire Senior League. A respectable 9th place finish was achieved in their first season in the Western League followed by a mid-table finish in 2017-18. However, a, National League System re-structuring saw the club return to the Hellenic League Division 1 West for Season 2018-19. That return to the Hellenic saw them just miss out on promotion to the Hellenic Premier Division at the first attempt but they did have the consolation of winning the League’s Division One Supplementary Cup. The Development side also had a great second half to the season after a shaky start to end the season and finished in a respectable 10th spot.
The two Covid impacted seasons of 2019-20 and 2020-21 saw Malmesbury's Development side at the wrong end of the table when both seasons were brought to a premature end but when football returned to some form of normality in Season 2021-22 Malmesbury Vics Development were to have their best ever season in the Premier Division, achieving a fifth place finish, this they achieved with a 4-1 win over Frome Collegians in their final fixture of the season.
Season 2022-23 saw Malmesbury Vics Development fall behind with their fixtures due to the cold and then very wet winetr months which saw the pitch at the Flying Monl once again flooded. When they started to play catch-up with their fixtures at the end of the season they put in an excellent run of form which saw them win six out of their last eight games, losing just once as they climbed due a final ninth place finish and safety.
Season 2023-24 saw Malmesbury Vics Development spend the whole season at the wrong end of the table but they were never in danger of relegation, eventually finish in 14th place, some ten points clear of second from bottom Salisbury Development.
Malmesbury Vics Dev 2021-22
Malmesbury Vics Dev 2018-19
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