THE EMIRATES FA CUP EXTRA PRELIMINARY ROUND WELLINGTON V BODMIN TOWN Tuesday 1st September 2020 Edenvale Park, Cullompton WELLINGTON AFC North Street Car Park, Wellington, Somerset TA21 8LY Telephone: 01823 664810 www.wellingtonafc.co.uk Affiliated to the Somerset FA Members of: Toolstation Western League Joma Devon & Exeter Football League Britannia Lanes Taunton & District Saturday League Somerset County Women’s League Western Counties Floodlight Youth League Taunton Youth League & Mini League Somerset Girls Football League CLUB OFFICIALS ALAN SHIRE - President MIKE HALL – Chairman GRAHAM ASPIN - Vice-Chairman JEFF BROWN - Secretary REG OXBY - Treasurer JANE BROWN – Assistant Secretary/Membership Secretary REG & JENNY OXBY – Clubhouse Managers COLIN WALLER - Welfare Officer/Youth Team Co-ordinator KEN BIRD – Website and Social Media Officer TIM LEGG - First Team Manager SEAN BUTTLE - Reserve Team Manager LUKE O’HARA – A Team Manager THE EMIRATES FA CUP EXTRA PRELIMINARY ROUND WELCOME TO TONIGHTS GAME WELLINGTON v BODMIN TOWN Welcome to Edenvale Park for tonight’s Emirates FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round game between Wellington and Bodmin Town. Although the game is being ‘hosted’ by Cullompton Rangers it is still classed as a ‘home’ fixture for Wellington as we were the first drawn club. Our supporters will be aware that because of our ground share arrangements with Wellington Cricket Club we are unable to play home Cup fixtures at the Playing Field until the second week in September, as a result we have to make alternative arrangements for any home fixtures during August and early September. Everybody connected with Wellington wishes to extend their thanks to the Cullompton Committee, especially General Secretary, Marcus Scott and his wife and everyone associated with the Club who have worked to help put the game on this evening particularly taking into account the problems and restrictions that all Clubs face as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. To avoid fixture congestion with replays the FA have decided that if, the match is a draw at the end of full-time the game will be decided on penalties. The winners of the match will be away to Frome Town in the Preliminary Round of the Competition on Saturday 12th September. In the Buildbase FA Vase First Qualifying Round we have been drawn at home to Hengrove on Saturday 19th September. The winners of the game will be away to either Newquay or Street in the Second Qualifying Round on Saturday 10th October. WELLINGTON AFC Club History Formed in 1892 we are proud to be an FA Charter Standard Community Club. Initially the Club played in leagues based around Taunton and Tiverton. In the early 1960s it gained promotion to the Somerset Senior League and succeeded in achieving Western League status in 1978 which has been retained ever since, making the Club one of the League’s longest continuously serving members. The First Team entered the Western League in the First Division in 1978/79 season and has played at Premier Division level from 1981/82 to 1984/85 and 2008/09 to 2010/11. The team were promoted as First Division Champions at the end of the 2016/17 season. In their first season back in the in Premier Division the team finished a creditable 15th, they also reached the semi-final of the Somerset Premier Cup losing 4-1 away to Southern League Paulton Rovers. The following season the team finished in 16th place and last season were struggling near the foot of the table when the season was brought to an abrupt halt by the Coronavirus Pandemic. Manager, Tim Legg has made a number of new signings for the start of the new campaign and the team are hoping to improve on last seasons performances. All other seasons were played at Division One level. The Club’s Reserve side have played in the Devon and Exeter League Division One for four seasons. Unfortunately, the team failed to finish above eighth place for three seasons and last year were in a mid-table position before the season was brought to an early close. This season the League has been reorganised and the team will play in Division One West. Having played in the Devon and Exeter League for a number of seasons the A Team transferred to Division Three of the Taunton Saturday League for the 2018/19 season where they finished a very creditable third and gained promotion to Division Two for last season. For the forthcoming season they have been promoted to Division One as they were in topping the table when the season was forced to end. The Club’s Ladies played in the Somerset County Women’s League First Division last season but found that they were unable to compete with more experienced teams. Hopefully with new players the team will improve this season. This season the Club will again be running 21 teams in its Youth and Mini Sections. These teams see both boys and girls playing from the age of eight through to eighteen. The Club also has three Disability teams. In recent years Club Teams have had mixed fortunes in the leagues but a number have won the Sportsmanship Awards for their Age Groups and in 2018/19 season the Disability Teams won the Somerset FA Award for Disability Club of the Year. The Club has a very successful website – www.wellingtonafc.co.uk and is makes full use of its Facebook and Twitter accounts which are very well supported. We continue to work with the local Council’s and Wellington Sports Federation on the Somerset West and Taunton Pitch Strategy which will hopefully result in the Club moving to a larger ground and bring the majority of football pitches in the town to one site. Outside of its core footballing activities the Club is home to several darts and skittles teams and it runs a full programme of social events for members and non-members alike. The Function Room and Lounge are available for hire. (Please contact the Clubhouse Manager – Jenny Oxby on 01823 665410 for details) COVID -19 In order to comply with Government requirements we will be taking everyone’s temperature and track and trace details before they are allowed to enter the ground for tonight’s game. Everybody is asked to take note of signs and direction indicators and observe social distancing whilst watching the game and in the Clubhouse. Please follow any guidance from stewards and keep safe. WARNING OBJECTIONABLE BEHAVIOUR It has been stated many times that neither FOUL, ABUSIVE or RACIST LANGUAGE will be tolerated within the League. It is a problem that everybody in the game must takes responsibility for in an effort to eradicate it. Team managers and players are encouraged to lead the way in ridding the game of an unnecessary evil, and set an example both on and off of the field of play. Racist remarks will not be tolerated and all reported incidents will be dealt with in the strongest possible way. BODMIN TOWN FOOTBALL CLUB Bodmin Town was founded in 1889 by W.M. Pethybridge and C.H. Bray and originally played at Cooksland, then moved to Coldharbour Lane, Barn Park, back to Cooksland, then Westheath and finally to the current ground at Priory Park for the start of the 1951/52 season. At the beginning of the Twentieth Century the Club joined forces with the 'barracks' side, playing in white shirts with the nickname the "Lilywhites". The Club adopted black & amber colours in 1925, with various designs including stripes and quartered shirts, until recent seasons when we have played in various combinations of yellow and black. Following the 1914/18 war, the Club played in junior football. After finishing as runners-up in the Junior Cup (Eastern Section) in 1921, the Club was granted senior status and in 1922/23 were runners-up in the Senior Cup, also Champions of the Bodmin & District (Senior) League, repeating the latter again in 1926/27. After the 1939/45 war, the Club again played in junior football and were runners up in the Junior Cup and Bodmin & District League in 1947/48. Following this success they were once more promoted to senior status. In 1953/54 Bodmin Town joined the South Western League, after a slow start, the Club began to establish itself, finishing 5th in 1955/56, followed by a 4th in 1958/59. Three years in the bottom half followed before the Club withdrew from the League to play in the East Cornwall Premier League until returning to the SWL for the 1969/70 season, where the Club remained until amalgamating with the Devon County League to form the South West Peninsula League, over 30 years of continuous membership. The Club enjoyed reasonable success in the early to mid 1970's, under the man- agement of Johnny Williams then Bobby Baxter. A lean spell followed until the mid 1980's when the Club appointed Ricky Cardew for the start of the 1985/86 season. In a 14 year period under his management the Club won every Senior honour in local football, including the Club’s first ever trophy in 1986/87 when they lifted the Cornwall Charity Cup. In total during his reign Bodmin Town won two SWL championships, League Cup (twice), Charity Cup three times, the Cornwall Senior Cup once and an excellent run in the Club’s first season in the F.A. Vase, reaching the fourth round (last 32) in 1997/98. Bodmin Town had its best ever season up to that time in with the Clubs first League & League Cup ‘double’ in 1993/94, as well as reaching the final of the Cornwall Senior Cup in that season Over the years, the Club have been fortunate to host several attractive friendlies at Priory Park against Queens Park Rangers, Southampton, Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United, Crystal Palace, Leeds United and Cardiff City.