Corsham Print
Wiltshire Senior League
Royal Wootton Bassett Town FC Development
Club Formed: 1882
Club Nickname: Bassett
Chairman: Paul Gerrish
Club Contact Details
Secretary: Ian Thomas
Email: ian.thomas@rwbtfc.co.uk
Tel: 01793 380751
Mobile: 07714 718122

Manager:  Mark Simpkins
Email: simmosimpkins@hotmail.co.uk
Tel:  07585 112496

Club Welfare Officer: Mandy Cox
Club Social Media Details
Team Photo & Club Colours
Details of Home Ground
Name of Ground: Gerard Buxton Ground
Ground Address: Gerard Buxton Sports Ground, Brinkworth Road, Royal Wootton Bassett SN4 8DS
Ground Tel: 01793 853880

 Match Day Programme?  No
Ground Directions: From Junction 16 of the M4 follow signs for Royal Wootton Bassett. At the second roundabout, take the 2nd exit towards Brinkworth and Malmesbury. Ground is approximately 400 yards on right hand side.

From Lyneham, follow A3102 through Royal Wootton Bassett High Street to The Royal pub, turn left at roundabout and ground is approximately 400 yards on the right hand side.
Club History
Situated six miles from Swindon, Royal Wootton Bassett Town Football Club was first established in 1882, making the club one of the oldest in Wiltshire. The club’s early achievements came in the Wiltshire Senior Cup, making the final in both 1902-3 and 1903-4, although losing both. The club folded for a period pre-World War 1 before re-forming in the Calne & District League when it began playing at the Gerard Buxton Sports Ground which had been donated by a local dignitary for sporting activities within the town and opened in 1930.

Early successes included winning the Calne & District League in the 1930-31 Season, having finished runners-up the previous season, and then again in 1934-35. Following a move up to the Wiltshire League Division 2 promotion was earned again the following season and the team then remained in the top division in the county until the outbreak of war.

After the war Wootton Bassett Town recommenced in the County Senior League. However, in 1956-57 a reorganisation of football in Wiltshire saw the creation of a Premier Division and Wootton Bassett found themselves in the second tier but not for long. Season 1958-59 saw the first Wiltshire League title secured when the club finished top of Division 1. Following another league reorganisation, Wootton Bassett Town were a founder member of the Wiltshire Combination where they were to remain until 1976-77 when the current Wiltshire County Football League (now the Wiltshire Senior League) was formed with both Wootton Bassett Town First Team and Reserves as founding members.

In 1987-88 the club’s First Team won the Wiltshire League Division 1 title, elevating them into the Hellenic League, where they have remained ever since. Season 1987-88 also saw the club again reach the final of the Wiltshire Senior Cup but that first win remained elusive. That finally ended in 1998-99 when the club defeated Pewsey Vale 3-2 in the final at the County Ground. This success was again repeated in Season 2000-01 when Shrewton were defeated 2-0 in the final. The club’s First Team have had three spells in the Hellenic Premier Division (Step 5 of the National League System) where they currently play and gained promotion back in 2012-13 having finished runners up in Division One West and have remained in the top division ever since.

Since the onset of the new millennium the club has expanded significantly, with the establishment of a thriving Youth Section, Ladies Section, Veterans team and Sunday side. The club now operates 27 teams from under 7s upwards. All play their games at the relocated Gerard Buxton Sports Ground, which opened in the summer of 2015. This growth led to the club being awarded Charter Standard Development Club status by the Football Association in 2008 before this was upgraded to Community Club status a year later. Wootton Bassett Town FC was the first club in Wiltshire to achieve this. International ties have also been established with Dutch amateur side FC ‘s-Gravenzande.

The Development/Reserve side were founding members of the Wiltshire Senior League in Season 1976-77 where they played for 20 seasons before following their First Team into the Hellenic League, joining that league’s reserve divisions. They remained in the Hellenic League for 19 seasons before returning to the Wiltshire Senior League in Season 2015-16.

In terms of honours in the Wiltshire Senior League, they were runners up in Division 4 back in Season 1982-83 and have twice made the Junior Cup final, losing on both occasions in Seasons 1988-89 and most recently in 2012-13. On rejoining the Wiltshire Senior League there has been a period of consolidation at the level and then steady improvement. Season 2020-21 saw Royal Wootton Bassett Town Development going really well in the league with just two defeats in their opening 12 games and they were sat in third place at the time the season was brought to a premature end. However, the Royal Wootton Bassett Town's second team's most successful season in the Wiltshire Senior League was to take place the following season in Season 2021-22 when Steve Yeardley's side lifted the Premier Division league title after a tremendous battle with Pewsey Vale that went down to the penultimate game of the season. After a narrow 1-0 away win at Pewsey Royal Wootton Bassett Town were crowned champions, the first time a team from the club had lifted the top division trophy since Season 1987-88.

Whilst Season 2021-22 had been one of triumph , manager Steve Yeardley stepped down in the summer and just a handful of players remained under new manager Craig Smith. A difficult start to the season saw them lose their first five games and fail to win in their opening seven leading to the departure of the manager. He was replaced by Mark Simpkins who had been part of the previous season's succesful management team and he steadied the ship and an eight game unbeaten run from mid September until mid November saw them climb the table and move away from the danger zone. Come the end of the season they were, however, to flirt with possible relegation as six straight defeats saw them sucked back into the danger zone. In the end two wins in their final two games, including a 1-0 win over Devizes Town which effectively ended the visitors title hopes ensured they retained their place in the Premier Division for Season 2023-24.

There were no such relegation worries for RWBT Dev in Season 2023-24 as they spent the whole season in the top half of the table, eventually finishing in sixth place. Once again fielding a young side, that extra years' experience meant they were competitive in most games. They had a particularly good record at home on the 3G winning nine of their 15 home games but struggled somewhat on the road on the heavy grass pitches. With more games set to take place on grass in Season 2024-25 they will be hoping to improve on that away record and that final sixth place finish in Season 2023-24.
 Royal W. Bassett Town Dev 2023-24
 Royal W. Bassett Town Dev 2022-23
Royal W. Bassett Town Dev 2021-22
Royal W. Bassett Town Dev 2020-21
Royal W. Bassett Town Dev 2019-20
Royal W. Bassett Town Dev 2018-19
Royal W. Bassett Town Dev 2017-18
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