Hengrove Athletic Club History

Hengrove Athletic F.C was formed in 1948 from players demobbed from National Service. As a footnote, there is also wartime history to the club colours of green and white. With rationing and many shortages, football shirts were virtually unobtainable, so all of the members of Hengrove Athletic F.C donated an ordinary white shirt and a mother of one of the players kindly dyed them green in the bath at her Knowle home. The colour green had no symbolic meaning. It was the only colour available at the time! The founding fathers of Hengrove Athletic F.C then agreed to retain these colours for the new club.

A successful application was made to join the Bristol and Suburban League and they were placed in Division 3 for the start of 1948/49 season. A Reserve XI was established in 1950 and in the same year Hengrove Hall was rented for club meetings and social gatherings. The club continued to expand and the ‘A’ XI started in 1953, followed by the 30-plus XI in 1959. These four football teams made Hengrove Athletic F.C the largest club in the Bristol and Suburban League at the time – after just eleven years. A ‘B’ XI replaced the 30 plus in 1962. The long search for a ground came to fruition on Sunday 7 June 1964 when Norton Lane was officially opened and Hengrove Athletic F.C took up residence.

The first XI was accepted by the Somerset Senior League for the 1974/75 season, where they remained until 2005/06 when they were runaway, unbeaten, Premier Division Champions and joined the Western League for the start of the 2006/07 season. Our Floodlights and Stand were installed at the ground in 2007/08 to achieve the necessary ground grading of the Western League. The EWW Stand was installed at the ground in 2012/13 to achieve the necessary ground grading of entry into the FA Cup and future possible promotions.

The first XI finished runners-up in Western League Division One in 2012/13, achieving a promotion to the Premier Division. They also lifted the Les Phillips League Cup (Western League) in 2015/16 before winning promotion to the Premier Division again the following season. In 2017/18 under new manager John Durbin, the club finished ninth in the Premier Division, their highest ever position and were also the highest placed Bristol side in the division. However, this was followed by relegation back to Division One in 2018/19.

Jamie Hillman returned for a third spell as manager in the summer of 2019 but the next two seasons failed to play to a finish due to the COVID pandemic. Last season, 2021/22, did get completed and for the fourth year running, the Grove ended in mid table. This year sees the club celebrate its 75th anniversary.

A guide to away games this season in Toolstation Western League Division 1 (mileages shown via www.theaa.com)

Fixtures & Results 2023/24

Sat 12 Wells City

Tue 15 Brislington A

Sat 19 Radstock Town H

Tue 22 Cribbs Res. A

Sat 26 Cadbury Heath H

September

Sat 2 Shirehampton A

Sat 9 Longwell Green A

Tue 12 Middlezoy Rov. A

Sat 16 Brislington H

Sat 23 Roman Glass H (FA Vase)

Tue 26 Bishop Sutton H (Les Phillips Cup)

Sat 30 Bradford Town A

October

Sat 7 Bitton H

Tue 10 Cheddar H

Sat 14 Cadbury Heath A

Tue 17 Hallen H

Sat 21 AEK Boco A

Sat 28 Warminster T A

November

Sat 4 Longwell Green H

Sat 11 Gillingham T A

Sat 18

Middlezoy R H

Sat 25 Wincanton T H

December