Page 19 - Avonmouth FC v Mangotsfield Utd GFA Cup 151123

Onwards and upwards but never forget the past.

Avonmouth FC is enjoying the fruits of its most successful season since its
formation 104 years ago and are now at the top of the Gloucestershire County
League after just nine games. There is a long way to go but manager Ashley
Bennett and the team he has put together over the past few seasons are enjoying
their promotion from the Bristol & Suburban League and are hoping to end up near
the top come the end of the season.
The Reserve side also gained promotion last season to the Suburban League’s
Division 1 and have had a great start to the season by emulating the first team and
sitting on top of their league, with the newly formed A side in the middle of Division
4. The future of the club is vested in our junior players and the Under 18s are mid
table with several juniors from last season pushing for places in the first and
reserve sides.
For a football club to be in existence for so long there has to be people in the
background ensuring the organisation and funding are in place and Avonmouth FC
have been very fortunate to have had some of the best administrators in local
football. For the first 75 years the club only had three secretaries, all growing up in
the Avonmouth village, Arthur Rowley, Bert Britton and Des Villis. Several
generations of the Rowley family were involved for almost 100 years and Bert
Britton was secretary and treasurer for 45 years, also a County junior teams official,
and the second winner of the prestigious Harry Bamford Trophy given to an
outstanding individual involved with Bristol amateur football. The secretarial reins
were then taken over by Des Villis who later became an officer of the Suburban
League, a Gloucestershire County FA councillor and eventually President of the
Bristol & Suburban League. At the same time as Des was secretary, Paul Brown
took over the finance books as treasurer during difficult times when the club had
lost its ground, were nomads but seeking a return to Avonmouth.
During those difficult years the club was always supported by players who stayed
with the club, including Aidan McCann, Bertie Marsh, Jeff Holloway, County
representative player Mike Sperring, his brother Pete and Alan Mathias, plus lots
more who came through the successful junior teams. Sadly, in the last few months
we have lost our two oldest ex-players, Josser Watling (98) who went onto play 323
games for Bristol Rovers, and Ken McCullock (96) who only played for Avonmouth
FC after his Royal Navy service.
Moving back to Avonmouth Road in 1986 the club has always planned for
promotion ensuring the facilities and pitch were top class but at the same time
looking at how other local clubs were developing. Today’s opponents, Mangotsfield
United have always been looked up to as one of the city’s most successful clubs,
with the inimitable manager Ralph Miller leading from the front and always a
challenge for us Western League referees!
With the tremendous developments that have taken place over the last few
seasons, Avonmouth FC is looking forward to moving up the football pyramid.