Post by Dave on May 14, 2013 18:27:00 GMT
Barnstaple Towns Ground
Original Post made on May 2th 2010
Today I finally made the time to take a look around Barnstaple Town FC ground and I have to say what a lovely well looked after and loved ground it is. I parked nearby not sure if I would be able to get into the ground and was pleased to find a gate was open. I soon was talking to the groundsman and after introducing myself and explaining what I hoped would be OK to do, he was soon telling me about the work he was doing to the pitch.
A short while later one of the committee members came over to have a chat with me(sorry did not catch his name) he started telling me about the club and the recent improvements made to the ground and what the club are planning to do next.
I almost fell in love with this club and if I lived in Barnstaple I would want to be very involved with it as it is a smashing little club and its clear the people who are a big part it, are because of their love for the club.
We talk on here about our club being a real football club compared to clubs in the premiership, but for me it is the clubs like Barnstaple FC that are the real football clubs. Everyone connected with the club will be hands on and give their time as they care about their club and want to keep it alive and healthy.
Somewhere along the road professional leagues clubs lost that in my view, maybe it was because of the need to look as professional as possible, but whatever the reason I feel clubs are poorer for it. I do feel we had it in the 1950’s , you only need to read the programmes Timbo has put up from around that time to feel a real small club feeling where so many were giving so much of their own time for the good of the club they loved.
Back to the ground and behind the goal near the entrance the club have just completed putting a small standing terrace there and in one picture I will put up you will see a grass bank between one corner flag and the dugouts. This area is the next part the club will improve and a terrace will be build along this length.
Behind the other goal you will see a row of trees, as and when the club can afford it, these trees will be removed and a new stand will be build behind the goal. I must try and go and watch a game there next season and I certainly will be checking their results from now on.
Below are some facts about the club and a piece written by John Clarke for their official website that I hope they will be happy for me to reproduce it on here so you can learn about the history of the club.
The Club
Founded: 1906
Nickname: Barum / Redskins
Sponsors: Brend Hotels
Home Colours: All Red
Midweek Matches: Tuesday
Away Colours: All Blue
First Team League: Tool Station Premier Division.
Second Team League: Devon & Exeter League Senior two.
The Ground
Ground: Mill Road, Barnstaple EX31 1JQ
Tel: 01271 343469
Directions: A361 towards Barnstaple follow A361 Ilfracombe signs, second left after crossing small bridge is Mill Road.
Capacity: 5,000
Seats: 250
Cover: 1,000
Floodlights: Yes
Club House: Full Licence with Canteen on match days.
Club Shop: Club Merchandise and Massive collection of Programmes.
The Facts
Honours: Western League. 52-53, 79-80,
(Runners Up. 80-81, 81-82)
Div 1. 49-50, 94-95
Merit Cup. 74-75, 83-84, 84-85.
Comb League. 92-93
Devon Pro Cup. 62-63, 64-65, 67-68, 69-70, 71-73 (x2), 74-75, 76-81 (x5)
Devon St Luke Cup 87-88
Devon Seniors Cup 92-93
Devon Youth Cup 48-49, 51-52
Devon Pro Championship Winners 52-53
Previous Leagues: North Devon, Exeter &
District, South Western
Previous Name: Pilton Yeo Vale
Previous Grounds: Town Wharf, Highfield Road, Pilton Park, Rock Park.
Records: Attendance: 6,200 .v. Bournemouth F.A. Cup 1st Round, 1954
Appearances: Ian Pope
Win: 12-1 .v. Tavistock (H) FA Cup 3rd Qualifying Round.
Defeat: 1-10 .v. Mangotsfield (A) Western League.
Fee Out: £4,000 to Hungerford for Joe Scott
Fee In: £6,000 for Ian Doyle from Bristol City
Best Season: F.A. Cup 1st Round. Proper 51-52, 54-55, 59-60, 72-73
F.A. Vase 4th Round. 94-95
St. Lukes Bowl: Finalists 05-06
Les Phillips Cup: Finalists 95-96
Players Progressing: Len Pickard (Bristol Rovers 51)
John Neale (Exeter City 72)
Barrie Vassallo (Torquay 77)
Ian Doyle (Bristol City 78)
Ryan Souter (Swindon 94)
Jason Cadle (Reading 94)
Simon Heal (Cardiff City 02)
History
Founded in 1904 as Pilton Yeo Vale, the club entered the North Devon league. They were founder members along with Ilfracombe, South Molton, Pilton Social Barnstaple Y.M.C.A, Braunton and Bideford. Their first ever league Match was on 1st October 1904 when they played Ilfracombe at Pilton Park and were defeated 4-2.
The club changed its name to Barnstaple Town at the end of the season, and continued in the North Devon League, Devon & Exeter League and then the South Western LeagueWhen the Western League was reformed after the Second World War, Barnstaple Town entered two teams, one in division 2 and a reserve side in division 3.
The early 1950's were one of the club's most successful times under the management of Arthur Coles.In 1953, Barnstaple won the Western league First Division Championship but only after a nail biting climax to the season with everything depending on the results of matches being played on the final day of the League Season.
On that day, Barnstaple Town beat Dorchester Town 6-1 and their challengers for the title, Street won 2-1 at Well City. That left the sides level on points and when the goal average was calculated Street had 2.07 and incredibly Barnstaple had 2.08.Rumour has it that most of the 3,000 crowd that watched Barnstaple beat Dorchester stayed behind at Mill Road after the match to await the Street result.
Barnstaple Town also beat Plymouth Argyle in the final of the Devon Pro' Cup at Home Park that season, but sadly Coles moved on to Weymouth and the club never had quite the same success again.
Cameron Buchanan, the former Wolves and Bournemouth player, local lads Fred Smale and Ray Smith, Bill Johnson formerly of Grimsby Town, Noel Peyton, the ex Leeds United and Eire International, John Hancock formerly with Exeter City and ex Barnsley and Doncaster Rovers player Lol Chappell all tried to revive Barnstaple's fortunes from the managers seat but with no great success.
Player Manager Charlie Sells, who had been with Exeter City, built up the club in the 1970's followed by the former Andover keeper Trevor Morris and then Brian Perks. Perks left Mill Road for Bideford during the season of 1979/80 and under the guidance of joint managers Brian Hill and Dave Baglow, Barum went on to win the Western League Championship for the second time, winning by one point from AFC Bournemouth Reserves. That title went virtually unnoticed as there was a printers strike at the time and no newspapers were printed.
Richard Gray, the former Falmouth Town player, took over the following season and brought some success to the club although they never won the title. A couple of seasons later he left after a disagreement with the club, and after a succession of managers Town lost their Premier status in 1989/90. Brian Hill was again appointed manager to put Town back in the Premier Division and after 3 seasons in the wilderness won the First Division Championship in 1993/94 in fine style scoring more goals and recording more points than ever before.
Jimmy Hargreaves, Eddie Kelly, Phil Lloyd, Mark Jenkins and John Hore have all tried the manager's seat since but all without success.Jeff Evans was appointed manager in 2002 and along with his assistant Peter Buckingham guided the club to the final of The Devon Bowl where they were narrowly beaten by Tiverton Town. Last season Peter Buckingham took over as sole manager and Barum finished in seventh place in the league, their highest finish for many a season.
In the FA Cup Barnstaple have reached the 1st Round Proper on four occasions, but have never progressed beyond that. In 1951 they drew 2-2 with Folkstone, but lost the replay 5-2. Three years later they lost 4-1 to Bournemouth before a record crowd of 6,200 at Mill Road. In 1959 they lost 4-0 to Exeter City in front of a crowd of 9,208 at St James Park, which gave Barnstaple record receipts for the match. Their last excursion was November 1972 when they went out of the competition in the First Round Proper losing 2-0 at Bexley on a quagmire of a pitch. That was after defeating the likes of Taunton Town, Bath City and Kings Lyn.
Town now enter the FA Vase instead of the Trophy and in 1995 reached the 4th Round losing at home to Arsley Town 2-0. Arsley went all the way to Wembley that year and won the FA Vase for the first time in their history.
Several Barnstaple Town players have progressed to League football. Harry Scott went to Middlesborough in the 1950s and John Neale moved to Exeter City. The club received a record transfer fee of £6,500 from Bristol City for Ian Doyle. Geoff Wake and Barry Vassallo went to Torquay United in the 1970s. The most noted local players were Len Pickard and Pat Fewings. Len went to Bristol Rovers in 1951 then he spent three seasons with Bradford Park Avenue before returning to the South West and Southern League Bath City. Pat Fewings joined Torquay United in 1953.
The club is believed to have paid out a record fee of £4000 when signing striker Joe Scott from Hungerford Town.
John Clarke
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