Page 19 - Cribbs Res v Portishead Town 290324
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The History of Portishead Town F.C.



       Portishead were inaugurated early in the 1900’s by Molly
       Jukes,  the  daughter  of  a  local  Rector,  who  moved  to
       Portishead in 1903.  Always keen on sport, Molly formed
       a cricket  side in 1910 and, two years later, a football
       team  she  called  St,  Peter’s Portishead.    Initially  there
       were two teams, a First X1 and Reserves.  A year later
       a junior side was formed.  In 1915 Molly married  the
       Rev.H.S.Briggs but her interest and devotion to ‘the lads’ didn’t waver and,
       despite the intervention of two world wars, she battled on as Chairman,
       Treasurer and Manager as well as playing in goal as often as she could.


       In the early 1950’s Molly stepped down and Portishead AFC, as the Club
       were now known (following a name change in 1948) was left in the hands
       of Len Pickering and Eddie Clapson.

       Following successive divisional championships in 1973 and 1974 the Club
       were accepted into the Somerset Senior League in 1975 and, a year later,
       moved  from  their  original  pitch  where  the  present  Health  Centre  now
       stands, to Bristol Road.  As the result of the extra pitches available on the
       new  ground,  two  new  teams  were  formed  incorporating  the  former
       Redcliffe Bay team,  In 1995 a Colts side was formed and entered in the
       Weston & District League along with the third and fourth teams.

       In  1991-92 Portishead reached the Somerset & Avon (South) FA Senior Cup
       Final where they lost 4-2 against Odd Down.  In 1997 the First Team, again,
       reached the final, this time beating Bridgwater Reserves 2-0 at Paulton,  In
       1993/94, under the leadership of Terry Hale, the team won the Somerset
       Senior League Premier Division Championship.  They retained this title in
       1994/95,  made  it  a  treble  in  1995/96  and  notched  up  their  fourth
       Championship win at the end of the 1997/98 season,  In May 2000, Shaun
       Hill’s side beat Radstock  Town to win the Somerset Senior Cup for the
       second time,

       Following major ground improvements and finishing the 2004/05 season as
       runners up in the Somerset County League the Club applied for election to
       the Western League and were duly promoted for the start of the 2005/06
       campaign.
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