Welcome to the latest chapter of the Gloucester Groundhopper blog.
In this instalment, we travelled to Somerset to see Weston-super-Mare take on Hanwell Town in the Southern League Premier Division South. The Optima Stadium welcomed myself, AFC Finners, and Gloucester Groundhopper Sr to watch a game that was sure to be entertaining.
Weston-super-Mare has a special meaning for me and my family because it is where we spent so much of my childhood. I can account many trips to the aquarium, and the old pier. In addition, my grandparents married in 1971 and spent their honeymoon in Weston-super-Mare. Also, after my grandfather died in May, we decided to scatter his ashes in Weston. So I'd like to think my grandfather (Grampy Groundhopper) was there with us.
If someone wanted to go to Weston-super-Mare, they could do so by visiting the Grand Pier, the amusements, the beach, and Birnbeck Pier. It's also close to Wookey Hole and Cheddar Gorge. There are numerous dining options in the town centre, including a Wetherspoons right on the beachfront. There are numerous pubs to choose from, as well as cafes and Fish and Chip shops.
The History Of Birnbeck Pier
A stroll over to the defunct Birnbeck Pier is one of Weston-super-Mare's distinctive experiences. The first pier in Weston, it was formerly a popular Victorian attraction. It greeted guests who arrived in the town on steamer boats and used to delight everyone with its amusements and unending vistas of the Bristol Channel.
Birnbeck Island, which is adjacent to Weston-super- Mare, could previously be reached at low tide by a bridge. Eventually, it was decided to construct a suspension bridge to link Worlebury Hill and the island. This bridge was demolished by a stonemasons' strike, a severe storm, and a petition was started to have a pier erected in its stead. When the first foundation stone was set in 1864, a public holiday was established in Weston-super-Mare, and a festive meal was held in the town hall! Cecil Hugh Smyth Pigott had it built. On the day of its official debut in 1867, the same event took place.
Eugenius Birch erected the Birnbeck Pier, while Hans Price constructed the gothic toll house and pier head structures. The pier was originally 351 metres long and cost 2d (old pence) to cross. Visitors could go out to Birnbeck Island along the promenade. A cafe, a tavern with a licence, a pavilion, amusements, and a funfair could be found at the pier head. You could swing, go around on the merry-go-round, and stare through mutoscopes. Steamer boats over the Bristol Channel dropped off Victorian day-trippers at the jetty. Although Weston's "Grand Pier" opened in the city's centre in 1904, visitors almost ever left this pier because there was so much to see. However, due to competition from the amusement arcades at the Grand Pier, business fell off after World War II.
The pier was owned by numerous different steamer boat owners during the 1960s. But in the 1970s, ferries stopped to run, and the final steamer boat left Birnbeck in 1979. A few years later, the pier sustained damage to the tune of millions of pounds due to engineering projects in 1984, and storms caused additional damage in the 1990In 1994, Birnbeck Pier was ultimately shut down to the general public for security reasons.
It's All In The Name
Weston-super- Mare are known as the 'Seagulls.' This is because Weston-super-Mare is a seaside town and seagulls are often found at the seaside. Who'd have thought?
Some Notable Former Players
Mickey Bell
Jerry Gill
Matt Jay
Ollie Watkins
Sosthene Yao
Some Notable People From Weston-super-Mare:
Daphne Fowler- Eggheads contestant
John Cleese- Actor
Johnny Williams- Rugby Player
Jill Dando- Journalist
Michelle Terry- Actress
A History Lesson From AFC Finners
Weston-super-Mare AFC was founded in 1887 and first competed in the Western Football League's Second Division. In their early years, they had to change in the back of a garage before games. Between the two world wars, they played in the Bristol & District Football League and the Somerset County League before disbanding in 1939, following the outbreak of World War II.
They would reform in 1948, rejoining the Western Football League. They would remain in the Second Division until the league was reduced to one division in 1960, when they would also relocate to the Langford Road ground.
When a new Second Tier was created in 1976, they were moved to the Western League Premier Division and by the time the club turned 100 in 1987, they had never been promoted or relegated in their entire history.
John Ellenar led the club to the Western League title in 1992, and they remained in the Southern League Midland Division until 2003. After finishing second in the 2002-03 season, they were promoted to the Southern League Premier Division and would soon find themselves in the newly formed Conference South.
In the 2003/04 season, they reached the second round of the FA Cup and avoided relegation twice in two years due to other teams being kicked out of the league on both occasions.
They won their first Somerset Premier Cup in 2011, and won it again the following year.
They finished seventh in the Conference South in 2013, their best ever finish, but they battled relegation for several years before being relegated for the first time in their history in 2019. They are still in the Southern League Premier Division South, hoping to rebuild and re-enter the National League.
In addition, here's a fun fact: Aston Villa and England striker Ollie Watkins had a loan spell with the club in 2014-15, scoring 10 goals in 25 games.
Honours
🏆 Southern League Western Division (Runners-up: 2002–03)
🏆 Western League (Champions: 1991–92) (Runners-up: 1976–77)
🏆 Bristol and District League (Runners-up: 1922–23)
🏆 Clevedon and District Charity Cup (Winners: 1922–23)
🏆 Somerset Premier Cup (Winners: 2010–11, 2011–12, 2017–18, 2018–19) (Runners-up: 1990–91, 2016–17)
🏆 Western Senior Cup (Winners: 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1977–78)
🏆 Western League Challenge Cup (Winners: 1976–77)
🏆 Western Merit Cup (Winners: 1976–77, 1977–78)
🏆 Western League Subsidiary Cup (Runners-up: 1959–60)
🏆 Somerset Senior Cup (Winners: 1926–27)
🏆 Bristol Charity Cup (Winners: 1922–23)
🏆 Weston Charity Cup (Winners: 1910–11)
🏆 Clevedon Charity Cup (Runners-up: 1926–27)
An Interview With Weston-super-Mare Fan, Chris Gordon:
GG: Could you provide us any background about Weston-super-Mare FC?
CG: Weston, which had been disbanded during the two World Wars, was recreated in 1948. At the moment, we play in the Southern League Premier. We are vying for promotion back to the National League South this season and are unbeaten in the league (at time of writing).
GG: Can you recall your first game as a Weston-super-Mare fan and how long have you been a fan?
CG: I've been a fan of Weston since 2007, and my first match was a home match against Bognor Regis, which Bognor Regis won 3-1.
GG: Could you share a fun fact about Weston-super-Mare FC with us?
CG: Ollie Watkins, a current England and Aston Villa striker, spent time with us while he was on loan from Exeter City. He attributes a lot of his football development to his time spent with the team playing "mens football."
GG: How does football in the upper leagues compare to your ideas of supporting Weston?
CG: I greatly prefer non-league football to professional football. Where else can you go see a football game and then go have a pint in the bar with the players? Non-league is far more community oriented.
GG: What does the club represent for the community?
CG: The football club has been more popular in the neighbourhood over time, and this is seen in the escalating attendance numbers season after season as the town supports the team's activities. And that number will only increase given the pitch's current results.
GG: What objectives do the clubs have for the foreseeable future?
CG: I am aware that the team intends to remodel the stadium significantly and upgrade it to League Two standards. Even though that is a long way off, I can see Weston getting promoted this year, and who knows, maybe we can work even harder the next year to get to the National League!
GG: What do you consider to be the most well-known event that took place at the ground?
CG: We have only been at our current location since 2004. The match we played against Doncaster Rovers in the FA Cup First Round, in my opinion, was the "most renowned occasion."
GG: Who would you sign if you could just sign one player to come play for Weston for one game?
CG: Based on current performance, Haaland is required! The guy is a total cheatcode , and at this level, he would score goals just for fun!
GG: What aspect of being a football fan is your favourite?
CG: Visiting locations you wouldn't often visit and making lifelong friends everywhere you go!
GG: Which football player do you think played the best at the Optima Stadium, and why?
CG: Ollie Watkins is perhaps the best player. Even though he was young, it was clear he had something special to offer and was destined for greater things.
GG: Finally, could you explain to us the benefits of visiting Weston-super-Mare FC?
CG: Attending a Weston game is a must because nothing beats supporting your local team! Additionally, we are playing some fantastic football, and the value is unmatched! Why pay £30 for a ticket to see Bristol City struggle in the championship when you can see Weston push for promotion and feel like a part of it for just a third of the price?
Matchday: Weston-super-Mare FC 3-0 Hanwell Town
The stadium is about a ten-minute drive from the centre of Weston, and I would argue that it is not walkable. There is parking at the stadium, which is free if you have a season ticket and £2 if you don't. The stadium is well-marked, so I don't think you'd have any trouble finding it.
We completed our customary circuit of the ground after paying the £12 entrance fee (£8 for students). There are four stands in the stadium, one of which is absolutely massive and must be a valuable asset at the Southern League level. The fans we encountered were friendly and helpful, directing us to amenities such as the club shop and the food bar, both of which will be discussed in the following paragraph. There was a clubhouse that attempted to show the early kick-off, but it hadn't paid its BT Sport bill, so we couldn't watch Nottingham Forest beat Liverpool. The club bar almost lost some points because there was no toilet paper in the toilet, but I'll forgive them.
The club shop is a large portakabin with a good selection of merchandise for sale, including replica shirts, magnets, and pin badges. The server was friendly and extremely helpful. It is important to note that the club shop accepts only card. The club shop is right next door to the food bar. When it comes to food at football stadiums, I am quite picky because clubs tend to charge a lot of money for a product that is nowhere near worth the price they are asking. While the burger I bought at the ground was tasty and served its purpose, I believe the asking price of £4 is a little high for what it is. The bun was rock hard, and the onions were scarce, but the burger itself was tasty.
I thought the atmosphere was a little flat. While I've never been to a football game where the stadium was rocking for 90 minutes, neither fanbase started singing until 75 minutes had passed. The place was rocking when the Weston fans started singing, and it was incredible. I liked how their fans encouraged the players without getting on their backs. It was really nice to see. I liked the club's music selection because all of the songs were appropriate for getting the crowd excited for the game.
Teamsheets
Weston-super-Mare
Manager: Scott Bartlett
Luke Purnell
Jason Pope
Scott Laird
Jacob Jagger Cane
Lloyd Humphries
Sam Avery
James Dodd
Marlon Jackson
Dayle Grubb (c)
Jordan Bastin ⚽️ ⚽️
Reuben Reid
Substitutes
William Tunnicliff
Jay Murray ⚽️
Ellis Watts
Taylor Jones
Ben Griffith
Hanwell Town
Manager: Chris Moore
Hugo Sobte
Daniel Carr
Isaac Olorunfemi
Harry Rush (c)
Dwayne Duncan
Callum Duffy
Adam Laaref
Lewis Cole
Shomari Barnwell
Daniel Rowe
Kain Adom
Substitutes
George Nicholas
Mark Waters
Mathew Mackenzie
Tomasz Siemienczuk
Connagh Wilks
Weston dominated the first half, playing some lovely, intricate football and finding plenty of space out wide. Their first chance came when Humphries' brilliant diagonal pass found Scott Laird in the area, but he was ruled offside. It wasn't long before Weston had the lead. Dayle Grubb's lovely, cushioned pass found Jordan Bastin, who calmly slotted past the keeper. The score was soon 2-0. Bastin intercepted a sloppy back pass, rounded the keeper, and finished with his right foot into the empty net. At the halftime break, Weston-super-Mare led 2-0.
It should have been 3-0 shortly after the break. When Scott Laird met Bastin's corner, he leaped high, but his header was cleared off the line. Jason Pope then made a good run forward and passed to Reuben Reid, but Hanwell blocked his shot. Jay Murray's low cross was then deflected for a corner. Reid's downward header was just wide from there. Hanwell had a chance of their own when their forward fired, but it was cleared off the line. Luke Purnell then made a fantastic rebound save. Soon after, the score was 3-0. The visiting keeper saved Dayle Grubb's shot, but Jay Murray was on hand to force the ball home. Weston won 3-0 in a dominant display, and they look set to challenge for promotion this season, while Hanwell will need to be much more competitive if they want to be in and around it at the end of the season.
Scores On The Doors
Atmosphere: 4/10
Food and Drink: 5.5/10
Stadium: 6/10
Welcome: 6.5/10
Overall Experience: 7/10
GG