“THE LAKE VIEW”
Toolstation Western League Division One Bradford Town Saturday 29th July 2023 3.00pm Official matchday programme of Bishop Sutton F.C.
Good afternoon everyone,
Welcome back to Lakeview for our first game of the new 2023-24 season as we entertain Bradford Town. We offer a warm welcome to the Wiltshiremen along with the three match officials too, hoping they have a safe journey home too.
Today’s visitors are one of six teams that have rejoined Division One this season from one direction or another! Bitton, Cadbury Heath, Keynsham Town, Cribbs Reserves and Middlezoy Rovers. Leaving us for pastures new are the promoted pair of Nailsea & Tickenham and Oldland Abbotonians plus Almondsbury, Bishop’s Lydeard, Tytherington Rocks and FC Bristol.
The season’s fixtures are in their usual place at the back of this programme and on the club website too so please take a moment to familiarise yourself with them as they certainly come thick and fast in the first few weeks.
Thank you for your support and come on the Blues!!
Bishop Sutton Club History
The club was re-formed in 1977 with just an U15 team playing in the Weston-superMare Sunday League and then progressing in successive seasons to the Bristol and Avon League U16s and the second and first divisions before being admitted into the Somerset Senior League for the 1981-82 season.
The next ten years were spent climbing through the four divisions before being voted into the Western League for season 1991-92. The First Division was won in 1997-98 and then followed seventeen successive seasons in the Premier Division, the highlight being winning the Premier title in 2012-13.
Unfortunately our ground grading did not permit progression to the Southern League and all the team management and players then left the club. Relegation from the Premier followed at the end of season 2014-15 and we have experienced mixed fortunes in the First Division since then.
For the season 2020-21 Jon Toy came in as manager but unfortunately we were only able to play 10 games before the season was curtailed due to the COVID 19 pandemic. Having retained a lot of last season’s squad and added a couple of new players, we finished in mid table in season 2021/22 followed by
A big thank you....
... to all our sponsors....
... from Bishop Sutton F.C.
Saturday 29th July 2023
Premier Division
Brixham v Falmouth Town
Clevedon Town v Buckland Athletic
Helston Athletic v Wellington
Millbrook v Bridgwater United
Oldland Abbotonians v Saltash United
St Blazey v Shepton Mallet
Street v Ilfracombe Town
Torpoint Athletic v Nailsea & Tickenham
Welton Rovers v Barnstaple Town
First Division
AEK Boco v Keynsham Town
Bishop Sutton v Bradford Town
Bitton v Hengrove Athletic
Brislington v Cribbs Reserves
Bristol Telephones v Odd Down
Gillingham Town v Shirehampton
Hallen v Middlezoy Rovers
Longwell Green Sports v Wincanton Town
Portishead Town v Cadbury Heath
Warminster Town v Radstock Town
Wells City v Cheddar
Toolstation Western League Top Scorers
Premier Division - 2022/23 season
Curtis Damerell (Torpoint Athletic) - 32
Hayden Turner (Mousehole) - 28
Adam Carter (Saltash United) - 23
Harry Foster (Street) - 23
Rubin Wilson (Helston Athletic) - 23
Rikki Shepherd (Helston Athletic) - 22
Ryan Bush (Buckland Athletic) - 22
Ethan Feltham (Clevedon Town) - 21
Ryan Richards (Torpoint Athletic) - 20
First Division - 2022/23 season
Scott Bamford (Shirehampton) - 42
Adam Wright (Wells City) - 32
Luke Bryan (Odd Down) - 31
Sacha Tong (FC Bristol) - 29
Matthew Garner (Wincanton Town) - 28
Asa White (Brislington) - 25
Craig Wilson (Bishop Sutton) - 25
Mason Davis (Oldland Abbotonians) - 24
Luke Osgood (Nailsea & Tickenham) - 24
Bishop Sutton
Blue & White Shirts, Blue Shorts & Blue Socks
Owen ALLISON Seth BRILLIANT
Joe COULING Ibrahim DIBBA
Lewis DOWLING Sam DOWNES
Tom FRANCIS Jacob GODFREY
Dan HAINES Josh HOLMES
Omar JENG Steven KOCKAYA
Olek LADYZHENSKYI Tyler LANE
Regan LASHENKO Alfie MADDERN
Finley MADDERN Alex MARKS
Sam NYE Kian O’REGAN
Chris PILE Oakley RAWLINGS
Ashley ROBINSON Oliver ROSS-BISSON
Jack ROWLAND Luke SEVIOUR
Cohen SIMMONS Billy TAYLOR
Charlie VICKERS Chris WEEKS Callum WITTS
TODAY’S
B I S H O P S U T T O N
LINEUPS
Bradford Town
White Shirts, Red Shorts, Red Socks
Owen BARTLEY
Mark BOWDEN
Jordan Da SILVA
Corey GARDNER
Scott HATCHER
Josh HOWLETT
Martin JOHNSON
Jamie JORDAN
Dan JORDAN
Tom MACK
Jacob MEAD
Owen PEARCE
Harry PICKERING
Jordan PINDER
Dan PRICE
Joshua RODDY
Fabian STANISLAS
George WALKER-WILTSHIRE
Liam WATSON
Ben WICKENS
B R A D F O R D T O W N
Non-League Footballers Mental Health Championed by Bath Mind and the Toolstation Western League
The Toolstation Western League are working with Bath Mind to pilot a mental health partnership supporting the football family and players in particular. The six Western League sides located in Bath and North East Somerset have been offered specially created posters, promoting mental health support services designed to help younger people, which can be located into their home and away changing rooms.
Research conducted by the Toolstation Western League earlier this season highlighted that around a quarter of players had considered seeking help with a mental health issue. The subject of mental health was first tackled by the Western League in March 2020, when they launched their Think of a Fan campaign.
Chairman of the Western League, John Pool, explained: “Think of a Fan was our way of remembering that for many fans, football is more than just a game. It’s an important release, a chance to meet friends, get out of the house and have some fun.
Many people are still working through the loneliness and anxiety caused by lockdown, but we must not forget that our players are no different. They are as important to us as any members of our football family and this important partnership with Bath Mind is our way of supporting them.”
As well as changing room posters, Bath Mind have provided leaflets for fans, as well as programme adverts, highlighting the variety of support services they provide. If successful, this initial pilot will be extended by the Western League to cover all 40 Clubs across the South West of England, from Cornwall to Wiltshire.
Hannah Roper, Director of Business Development at Bath Mind, said: “We at Bath Mind are thrilled to be working in partnership with The Toolstation Western League, to support and promote positive mental health for the football community. Throughout the pandemic Bath Mind has been fighting an epidemic of mental ill-health. We have increased our services to meet the growing needs of our community, and help reduce pressure on NHS services.
Through this pilot we hope to encourage everyone to talk about their mental health, seek help at an early stage and reduce the stigma associated with mental ill-health. As a local, independent charity, Bath Mind relies heavily on local fundraising to keep our services going, therefore we are grateful to The Toolstation Western League and their fans for their fundraising efforts.”
BRADFORD TOWN
.
The Early Years (1992 - 1996)
Bradford Town F.C. was founded in 1992 by Les and Pat Stevens, joining Division Two of the Wiltshire League. Home matches were played at St Laurence School in Bradford on Avon where the pitch was roped off before each game, dugouts were carried to the pitch and the half time tea was made in the boot of a car.
Following a short spell at Trowbridge Town’s old Frome Road ground the club came home to Bradford in 1996 moving into Trowbridge Road. The ground was established in 1912 as the home of rubber works team Spencer Moulton FC and latterly Avon Bradford FC, before Town became custodians.
Western League Success (2005 - 2014)
Bradford achieved promotion to the Western League in the 2005-06 season under the leadership of Mark Hodkinson after finishing runners up in the Wiltshire League Premier Division. Former players Paul Shanley and his assistant Mark Edwards took over at the helm in 2008-09 season which saw a 3rd place league finish and floodlights installed at the ground.
The following season saw the installation of a 100-seat main stand, a 4th place league finish and a 2nd Round appearance in the FA Vase. Town then posted successive 6th, 5th and 4th place league finishes before embarking on a year to remember in 2013-14 when they won the Division One title by 13 points.
League consolidation and FA Vase campaigns (2015 - 2018)
The team’s first season in the Premier Division concluded with a respectable 8th place finish but it was their exploits in the FA Vase which proved to be the highlight of the campaign. A gate of 621 at Trowbridge Road witnessed a 3-1 victory over Melksham Town in the 4th Round, their sixth scalp of the campaign, before bowing out in the next round. Another 8th place finish was recorded the following year whilst after three victories in the FA Cup, they were edged out 3-2 by Chippenham Town in the 2nd Qualifying Round.
After eight years in charge, the 2016-17 season began with Paul Shanley stepping down, replaced by ex- Forest Green stalwart Danny Greaves, assisted by former fans favourite Aaron Wilson. After 25 tireless years as Chairman Les Stevens handed over the reins to Mark Hodkinson with Jon Phillips as deputy, both of whom had long standing connections with the club.
Focus
on....
Focus on....
BRADFORD TOWN
An impressive 5th place finish, was bettered in 2017-18 by 4th place in a thrilling campaign which also saw the club reach the FA Vase 5th Round again. The long trip to Redcar however proved a bridge too far as Town went down 2-0 to eventual Northern League champions Marske United on a weekend that will live long in the memory of the 100-plus travelling supporters.
New management a League Cup triumph (2018 - 22)
After two excellent seasons Danny Greaves left Bradford for Frome Town. Following Rob Mallet’s short reign in the hot-seat in October 2018, former Larkhall Athletic boss Wayne Thorne was appointed manager who guided Town to a solid 7th place finish. 2019-20 saw a third FA Vase 5th Round appearance but were again eliminated in front of nearly 500 at Trowbridge Road.
The season also saw Mark Hodkinson step down as Chairman with deputy Jon Phillips taking over at the helm. The team were lying in 3rd place in March with the best points per game ratio before the Coronavirus struck. The management pair subsequently decided to move on with former team captain Lee Davidson appointed as manger and Jamie Lyons as his assistant.
The 2020-21 league campaign was cut short again due to Covid-19 but saw Town claim their first trophy since 2014 when Bradford defeated a much fancied Bridgwater Town side 1-0 at Street FC. Town would be transferred across to play the 2021-22 season in the Hellenic League Premier Division for the first time, posting a 6th place finish.
Club Restructuring (2022 - 2023)
After years of service to the club Jon Phillips and Mark Hodkinson stepped down from duties in 2022 leading to the establishment of 10-strong new committee and former Town player Steve Rose appointed as Chairman. After an exodus of management and squad members, former player Jamie Jordan became team manager in November 2022 assisted by Chris Carr and Robbie Simmonds. Their valiant efforts to rebuild the side in mid-season unfortunately weren’t enough to avoid relegation in 2022-23 from the Hellenic League.
With many people rallying round behind the scenes however, the club is now on a sound footing and looking forward to the new season back in the Western League Division One.
HAMDON MEDIA Proud producers of “The Lake View” Freelance Writing Website Management Football Administration Social Media Management Programme Production New book out in 2024 - “Team Of My Life” tel: 07432 614494 twitter: @HamdonMart email: martin@hamdonmedia.co.uk web: www.hamdonmedia.co.uk
With the under-18’s...
WESTERN COUNTIES FLOODLIGHT YOUTH LEAGUE NORTH DIVISION FIXTURES & RESULTS
2023
Mon 11 Sep AEK Boco A
Thu 21 Sep Bristol Tel. H
Thu 12 Oct Hengrove Ath H
Mon 16 Oct Oldland Abbots A
Thu 9 Nov Almondsbury H
Thu 9 Nov AEK Boco H
Wed 29 Nov Brislington A
Thu 7 Dec Longwell Green H
Thu 14 Dec Hengrove Ath. A
2024
Thu 4 Jan Brislington H
Tue 9 Jan Bristol Tel. A
Thu 25 Jan Oldland Abbots H
Wed 7 Feb Almondsbury A
Mon 12 Feb Longwell Green A
WCFY LEAGUE - NORTH DIVISION TEAMS
AEK Boco
Almondsbury
Bishop Sutton
Brislington
Bristol Telephones
Hengrove Athletic
Longwell Green Sports
Oldland Abbotonians
Opponents Ven. Res. Scorers
Date
A big thank you to the sponsors of our reserve & under 18 teams...
Fixtures & Results 2023/24
Date Opponents Ven. Res. Scorers
2023
Sat 29 Jul Bradford Town H
Tue 1 Aug Middlezoy R A
Sat 5 Aug Wincanton T H
Wed 9 Aug Cribbs Reserves A
Sat 12 Aug Shirehampton H
Tue 15 Aug AEK Boco H
Sat 19 Aug Warminster T A
Tue 22 Aug Hallen H
Sat 26 Aug Wadebridge T H (FA Vase)
Tue 29 Aug Brislington A
Sat 2 Sep Keynsham T H
Sat 9 Sep Bristol Tel. A
Wed 13 Sep
Sat 16 Sep
Tue 26 Sep
Shirehampton A
Portishead T H
Longwell Green A
Sat 30 Sep Radstock Town H
Tue 3 Oct
Sat 7 Oct
Hengrove Ath. A (Les Phillips Cup)
Cadbury Heath A
Tue 10 Oct Gillingham T H
Sat 14 Oct Portishead T A
Sat 21 Oct Warminster T H
Sat 28 Oct Wells City A
Sat 4 Nov Middlezoy R H
Tue 7 Nov Wells City H
Sat 11 Nov AEK Boco A
Fixtures & Results 2023/24
Date Opponents Ven. Res. Scorers 2023 Sat 18 Nov Cribbs Res. H Sat 25 Nov Bitton A Sat 2 Dec Bradford Town A Sat 9 Dec Brislington H Sat 16 Dec Hallen A Tue 26 Dec Cheddar A Sat 30 Dec Hengrove Ath. H 2024 Sat 6 Jan Odd Down H Sat 20 Jan Wincanton T A Sat 3 Feb Bristol Tel. H Sat 10 Feb Keynsham T A Sat 24 Feb Longwell Green H Sat 2 Mar Bitton H Sat 9 Mar Radstock T A Sat 23 Mar Gillingham T A Fri 29 Mar Cheddar H Mon 1 Apr Hengrove Ath. H Sat 6 Apr Odd Down A Sat 20 Apr Cadbury Heath H
