Page 30 - Keynsham Town FC v Clevedon Town 070921

In the summer of 2010 former Bristol City, Wycombe Wanderers and Northampton Town
defender Micky Bell was appointed as the new manger of Clevedon Town and he assembled
a young but inexperienced squad that finished 20 in their first season back in Division One
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South & West. In 2011/12 they again came 20 in the league. But it was in the cup
competitions that Clevedon achieved great success as they won The Red Insure Southern
League Cup, beating Premier Division team Banbury United 2-1 on aggregate, and then were
narrowly beaten 2-1 by Conference South outfit Weston-super-Mare in the Somerset Premier
Cup Final. Further cup success eluded the team in 2012/13, but they improved their finishing
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league position to 15 in a season that featured away wins at all four of the play-off teams.
In January 2014 Micky Bell parted company from Clevedon Town and former player Paul
McLoughlin was asked to move up from his roles as first team coach and head of the
academy and youth sections to take over as manager. The team went on to finish 17 and
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followed this in 2014/15 with 18 place. However, due to problems with the floodlights at
The Hand Stadium, Clevedon Town were demoted back to the Western League for the start
of the 2015/16 season, Paul McLoughlin resigned and almost all the players left. In October
2015 a sponsorship deal was agreed with a personal fitness company and the Hand Stadium
was renamed The Everyone Active Stadium. Micky Bell returned to take charge of the team
and his young inexperienced squad ended their first campaign back at Step 5 in 19 place.
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Steady improvement has seen finishes of 14 in 2016/17, 12 in 2017/18 and 6 in 2018/19.
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No history of Clevedon would be complete without paying tribute to the Hand family, without
whom the Club would almost certainly not exist. H G Hand (Secretary 1895-1912) and A W
Hand (Secretary 1918-1968) were followed by Doug Hand, who retired as Club President at
the end of the 1994/95 season after 50 years service to the club, much spent in the same
way as his father and grandfather, as Club Secretary. Doug sadly passed away in November
2013 aged 92. Without their enthusiasm and hard work over the years, the club would
probably not be in the position it is now and it was only the wisdom of A W, in buying the
Teignmouth Road site, which laid the foundations for the present successful club. It was a
fitting tribute that the present ground was originally named The Hand Stadium after them,
and the families’ service to the club has been recognised by the FA.
Clevedon Town FC - Main Club Honours
Southern League, Division One West Champions 2005/06
Southern League, Midland Division Champions 1998/99
Western League Champions 1992/93
Somerset Senior League Champions 1936/37
Bristol & Suburban League Champions 1925/26, 1927/28, 1928/29
Bristol Charity League Champions 1937/38, 1940/41
Weston & District League Champions 1939/40, 1943/44, 1944/45
Red Insure Southern League Cup Winners 2011/12
Somerset Premier Cup Winners 1986/87, 1998/99, 2000/01, 2001/02
Somerset Senior Cup Winners 1901/02, 1904/05, 1928/29
Somerset Junior Cup Winners 1897/98
Somerset Medal Competition Winners 1987/88
Clevedon Charity Cup Winners 1926/27, 1930/31
Record attendance (at Hand Stadium) 2,261 v Chester City, FA Cup, 11/11/2006
Record attendance (at Teignmouth Road) 2,300 v Billingham Syn., Amateur Cup, 29/1/49
Record Win 18-0 v Dawlish Town, Western League, 24/4/93
Previous Name Clevedon FC
Previous Grounds Dial Hill 1880-95; Teignmouth Road 1895-1992
Previous Leagues Bristol & District; South Bristol & District; East Bristol & District;
Bristol & Suburban; Western; Somerset Senior; Mid-Somerset; Weston & District; Bristol
Charity.