Toolstation Division One Runners Up 2007 - 2008

Sherborne Town Football Club 

Founded: 1894
Nickname:
Raleigh Grove, Terrace Playing Fields, Sherborne. DT9 5NS
Tel: 01935 816110
Email: 
 
Members Of: Dorset FA | Toolstation Western League |  Somerset Floodlight Youth Football League

Main Club & Kit Sponsors:  Taurus Brickworks
Reserve Team Sponsor:

Kit Information
Normal Colours: Black and White Stripes, Black Shorts, Black Socks
Change Colours: Yellow, Black Shorts and Socks with yellow trim
Admission Prices
First Team: Adults: £5.00 | OAP & Children: £3.00 | Programme: £1.00
Reserves: Adults: £1.00 | OAP & Children: £0.50 | Programme: None

Midweek Games: Wednesday (ko 7.45pm)

Season Tickets
Season 2007/2008: Adults: £80.00 | OAP & Children: £40.00

Club Officials
President: Verle Williams

Chairman:  Fraser Henderson
Vice-Chairman: Steve Paradise
Club Secretary: Colin Goodland

Treasurer: Ken Mullins
Child Protection Officer: Fred Theobold

Management Committee / Staff
First Team Manager: Nick Flory
First Team Coach: David Gudge  
Physiotherapist: LLoyd Green/ Abbi
Reserve Team Manager: Jason Lock 
Reserve Team Ass: Andrew Guppy

Under 18's Team Manger: Jason Lock

Under 18's Team Ass: Mark Crabb
Commercial Manager: Vacant
Head Groundsman:  Trevor Kiddle

Ground staff:  M.Hooper.  W.Slate, C Goodland.
Kit Manager:   Lloyd Green  
Press Officer:  M.Hooper
Gate Men:  M.Hooper/W.Slate/P Caines
Public Address System: Nigel Jacobs

Catering staff; June Goodland, Sam Hooper.

Matchday Programme Team:  Tim Lancaster
Website Management: James Thompson, Lloyd Green & Jim Williams
Health & Safety Officer:  M O` Brien
Committee Members:  Officers plus M.Hooper, W.Slate, G.Hunt, L. Green

M.Westwell.K.Leigh

Directions To Ground
At the end of the dual carriageway travelling from Yeovil. (A30)Turn right at the traffic lights on to the Dorchester road. Straight on for 3/4 miles(straight through one set of lights) to "T"junction and turn right then take 2nd left(a lane) up to Car Park. When travelling into Sherborne on the A30 from the opposite direction from Milborne Port. On reaching Sherborne stay on the A30 through 2 sets of traffic lights to the third (start of dual carriageway) and turn left follow the route from the Yeovil direction. Look for a "Terrace Playing Field" sign on the left when coming from the town.The sign is standing about 12/15feet high.Anyone using a satellite navigation system should enter "terrace Playing Fields" as their destination.

 

The club was founded in 1894, and played their matches in those early days at Marston Road, following the opening of the Terrace playing fields just before the Second World War; this became the new venue for home games.

The Club then moved across the road from the Terrace playing fields in 1985 to it’s present home called “Raleigh Grove” fittingly using Sir Walter Raleigh’s historical connection with the town.

The Raleigh Grove site was built in 1985 on a grazing field, at the level of the raised banking that exists today on the north west side of the ground, this had to be leveled, to create a playing area, a task made all the more difficult as there was a pond in the far right corner of the ground. When the site was built the club noted the regulations laid down for promotion from the Dorset Premier league at the time, so a covered section on the south west side of the ground was erected for supporters, also the pitch had four drains laid to aid the playing surface. When the site was completed the new ground was somewhat way ahead of its time, considering many of the clubs rivals at that time were based on little more than park or village pitches.

The clubhouse was a project due to the forethought of the then Chairman of the club, Mr. Ken Mullins, this spacious facility also incorporates the dressing rooms, bar, function room, kitchen, storeroom and toilets, including disabled facilities.

Sherborne Town had been regular entrants in the FA Vase in the past; sadly the club had to withdraw from the competition when the FA stipulated that floodlights were essential for entry. The record attendance at the ground is 1,000 versus Eastliegh (featuring ex-Southampton and England international Matthew Le Tissier), in the Andy Shephard Memorial match on July 27th 2003.

Four Football League clubs have played at Raleigh Grove, Plymouth Argyle, and Torquay United visiting for Andy Stone’s testimonial match. In 2005 Swindon Town and Yeovil Town played at the “Grove”.

In 2001 the committee of Sherborne Town FC outlined a 3-phase, 5-year plan for the future development of the ground, the plans included a hard standing path along the north west side of the pitch for spectators, a 150-seater stand to be erected on the same side, relocating the dugouts, improvements to the clubhouse, and the installation of floodlights.

Planning approval was granted in 2003, and the hard work began, and in 2004 phases 1 and 2 was completed, with hard standing, Grandstand, new dugouts and floodlights erected and working in just 3 months.

 

The club regained the right to compete in the F.A.Vase due to the erection of the floodlights. In past years Sherborne Town have reached the 1^st round on three occasions.

 

As mentioned previously, part of the 5 year plan set out in 2001 was to not only upgrade the ground facilities, but also to improve the quality of players, to enable the club to gain admission into the Toolstation Western League. Under the leadership of Martyn Starnes he slowly, season by season, lowered the average age of the playing staff and also attracted quality players with a genuine hunger for the game.

 

This combination led to the team finishing in the top 6 of the Dorset Premier League for five seasons running, leading to the long battle to convince the “powers to be” of the club’s determination to join the south west’s premier football league.

 

In the season 2003/4 the club finished in 4th position and also won the Dorset Senior County Cup. Application was made to the Western League but unfortunately the Dorset Premier League refused to give their assent to the club crossing the pyramid at that stage. However, unperturbed, the club learnt valuable lessons, and with a new strategy the club set about the small task of winning the Dorset Premier league with a team comprising an average age of 21.

 

With the last game of the 2005-6 season Sherborne produced an excellent performance to beat Bridport Res 2-0 away to secure the runners up position, and days later the news broke that the club had at last been accepted into the Western League.

 

So as the club enters a new exciting era playing in the F.A.Cup, the F.A.Vase, and playing away matches in Cornwall in the south and Gloucester in the north, its worth supporters remembering how far the club has come in the last decade, its also worth remembering that previous winners of the Western League such as Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, and Portsmouth were small clubs once!