Page 21 - Cribbs FC v Buckland Athletic 201020

The History of Buckland Athletic F.C. Cont....

by Adam Castle finished in 4th Place in the Western League Premier Division, but not good enough to reach
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our goal of promotion. The team made it through to the 6 Round of the FA Vase, whilst finishing in 4 place
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in the league table, but once again just missed out on promotion, in the 2016-17, we also won the hospitality
award and best programme awards. It was a fifth place finish in the 2017-18, but we did win the Les Phillips
Cup for the first time, but it will be the fixture congestion at the end of the campaign which will be
remembered with the number of games our lads had to play including four games in four days and three
games in three days, and having played fifteen games in twenty-four days. We also won the best programme
award for a fifth time in six seasons.. It was a turbulent season 2018-19, as three managers were used,
starting with Craig Duff, then interim boss Adam Castle, and finally Richard Pears (who will continue in the
job for the 2019-20 season). We finished in ninth place in the Premier table, and again won the best
programme award.
Grounds…..
As said previously we have had a number of grounds over our lifetime, starting with council owned pitches
at Sandringham Park (During our time as a junior team), Coach Road and then Decoy Park. In 1992-93 we
secured the use of Homers Lane in Kingsteignton (owned by local clay company WBB), and we built that
ground up to Devon league standard, which included a small stand, enclosed playing surface and hard
standing on three sides. But our big break came in 2003 when we were given the option by WBB to take on
South Quarry, on the Torquay side of Newton Abbot, and after a lot of hard work and sweat by a huge
number of volunteers, we started life at the newly named Homers Heath for the start of the 2005-06 season,
with work on the ground and fabulous clubhouse on-going every season since then. On to the 2015-16
season, firstly there was substantial drainage work done to the playing surface during the summer, and we
must thank Viridor Credits for their help in funding these works. Also during the season a lot of work was
carried out at Homers Heath, including a new covered standing area, which incorporates two new turn-stiles.
The ground was fenced in, and an impressive outside toilet block was built. This work al-lowed the club to
achieve a ‘D’ Ground Grade which is good enough for Southern League football.

The 2nds and 3rds…
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The 2 Team started lie in the Devon and Exeter League spending many seasons in this league, gaining
promotion right through to the Premier Division. But, the club took the decision for the 2007-08 season to
move the 2nds from the D & E League to the South Devon League. The 2nds have enjoyed a lot of success
over the seasons, with league titles, Devon Senior (three) and Intermediate Cups, all being won by them,
with last season winning the prestigious Herald Cup. The 3 Team started life in the South Devon league in
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2003-04 season, and they had managed to win promotion every season, although they couldn’t achieve it
last season (2011-12), and again the have also won many league titles, and cups over this period. Our 2nd
Team won the South Devon League Premier Division for the first time, and the 3rd Team won promotion to
SDL Division One as well as winning the Fred Hewings for a third time. It was another great season for both
our 21nd and 3rd Team’s, the 2nds were crowned champions of the South Devon League Premier Division in
the 2014-15 season and the 3rd Team won the Division One title as well as retaining the Fred Hewings Cup.
The 2nd Team in 2015-16 managed again by Neil Snell retained the South Devon League Premier Division
title, and were beaten finalists in the Herald Cup. Our 3rd Team finished the season in the South Devon
League Division One as runners-up, in what was manager Nigel Holmes last season in charge. The 2 Team
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won third consecutive SDL Premier title, while the 3 Team won the Fred Hewings Cup for a sixth time, in
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the 2016-17 season. There was no silverware for our 2nds and 3rds in the 2017-18, but both had young
squads with quality players who will only get better, looking like a bright future for the club. The 2nd and 3rds
were very successful in the 2018-19 season, the 2nds won the SDL Premier title and the Herald Cup, while
the 3rds won the SDL Division One league cup (Dartmouth Cup) and the Fred Hewings Cup for the seventh
time.
Another new era……..
2015-16 - The club fielded its first Ladies team managed by Grant Fisher, in the Devon Women's League
Division One, and they didn’t drop a point when winning the league title, and they then added the League
Cup, in what was a fantastic season for them. The Ladies 1 Team in the 2016-17 season won the treble,
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the South West Women’s League Western Division title, the Soccerworld League Cup and the Devon FA
Senior Ladies Cup, whilst the new Ladies 2 Team were beaten finalists in the Devon FA Supplementary Cup.
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Our Ladies 1 Team again were South West Women’s League Premier Division champions in the 2017-18
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season, without a dropping a point, and this now means they will be playing in the FA Womens National
League Division One South West Division. Our Ladies 2 Team also won their first ever silverware, when they
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