Saturday 8th December 2018

Royal Wootton Bassett Town's 1-1 draw against Brimscombe and Thrupp on Friday came on a milestone night for Steve Yeardley as he made his 500th first team appearance for the club.

To mark the occasion, chairman Andy Walduck presented Yeardley – without doubt the leading appearance maker in the club's history – with a commemorative glass decanter prior to kick off.

While Yeardley did give away a first half penalty that Ash Caldwell converted for Brimscombe, during the game he played a key role at centre half, helping frustrate the visitors' potent strikeforce to secure a valuable point for his side.

His 500th game came sixteen years and a week after he made his Bassett debut, aged just 17, in a Hellenic League Supplementary Cup tie against Clanfield at Rylands Way.

And along the way, Yeardley has made many significant contributions for Bassett.

Despite playing for the majority of his career as a defender, he has always had a knack for scoring goals, netting 77 times in Bassett colours.

That haul includes a brace in a 2-1 FA Cup triumph against Bracknell Town, then plying their trade two divisions higher than Bassett, in 2007.

Other notable strikes include goals against Calne Town and Highworth Town in the same competition during Bassett's journey to the second qualifying round in 2012-13 and the match winner in the FA Vase first round against Ampthill Town in 2017-18, a goal that ensured Bassett equalled their best ever run.

Meanwhile, he has featured in all positions – including goalkeeper – for Bassett, while also playing through the pain barrier on multiple occasions.

One of Yeardley's standout performances was in November 2006 when he played every minute of a Wiltshire Senior Cup tie against Calne Town that went to extra time and penalties just days after having completed the New York Marathon.

In total, Yeardley has played for seven different permanent managers and alongside an astonishing 306 different teammates at Bassett.

Over the course of his time with Bassett, he has also experienced almost everything you can imagine on the field of play from routine league victories and superb triumphs through to narrow defeats and thorough thrashings.

Over that time, Bassett have had seasons where they have bravely battled the drop, suffered an agonising relegation, came up painstakingly short in a promotion bid, secured a return to the Hellenic League Premier Division and made history in national cup competitions. Everything bar winning a trophy (so far).

Throughout those highs and lows, Yeardley's loyalty has been unwavering, the level of commitment and effort he has been put in to his performances unquestionable.

Unsurprisingly, all of the managers and coaches he has played for – including Dave Webb who he played for during three seasons with Highworth Town – speak highly of these qualities.

And the club has taken the time to contact as many of the managers and coaches he has played to obtain their thoughts on his contributions and qualities. And their contributions are below:

Pete Yeardley (manager, 2002-04 - handed his son his first team debut in November 2002)

He moans like his mother, plays football like his sister, but thankfully gets his looks from his father :)

Due to a nonexistent WBTFC youth section at the time, Dip spent all his formative days playing for Brunel Boys (mostly as a striker!). He made his introduction into senior football at the age of 16 as part of a talented group of youngsters signed on by Mike Byrne and myself during our spell as reserve and first team managers, which commenced in the year 2000. Because of his diminutive stature in those days he invariably often found himself on the bench but the experience gained proved invaluable and helped to develop the character he is today.

He will readily agree that the dominant players at that time – Paul Davis, Stuart Lamont and Mark Vaughan - were a great influence, and in those days not shy to tell him when he made a mistake (you can see that trait in his own game today)!!

His great strengths, honed from years on the junior tennis circuit travelling around the UK, were his single-mindedness, determination and self-confidence. As a coach he understands the game, and therefore as a manager he quickly became very valuable, as you could trust him to fulfill numerous roles on the pitch.

His dedication and commitment to the club can best be personified by one night in mid-March 2004. Dip at that time was at university in Bath and had been pestering me week in week out for tickets to watch Man Utd in a Champions League match. I managed to obtain four tickets for himself and some mates, so they booked train journeys and a hotel for the match.

Then as this league is prone to do, an away fixture was scheduled at the last minute against North Leigh away. Not normally a problem, but for some obscure reason most of our armed forces players were away playing war games (sharpening pencils more like!). This meant with only eleven fit players available, I had to summon Dip back to go on the bench along with Mike Byrne.

As I knew he would, Dip forfeited his ticket and travelled back to Bassett by train to travel with the first team to North Leigh as a substitute - I don't think to this day he has ever forgiven me for not bringing him on until very late on :)

Look though the records and you will always find Dip near the top of the appearance statistics. I know the great personal sacrifices and sometimes the extreme pain he has endured so that he can commit to the club that is close to his heart.

That personifies his nature…The club comes first!

Mike Byrne (assistant manager, 2002-04)

Steve came into the side from the reserves during my time as coach with Pete Yeardley. Immediately he showed his maturity to play at that level and had tremendous enthusiasm. He played in a variety of positions and did himself proud in all of them. He was very reliable and consistent from the start.

I think being a player and coach in another sport (tennis) meant he was very aware of the work we were trying to do and accepted instructions very well. He had leadership skills from the start. Not taking any flack from the rest of the lads, he showed awesome competitiveness and standards which has continued through his Bassett career.

His 500 games is a fantastic achievement in any setting, but particularly in local football where the grass can be greener up the road quite often. Loyalty is a very undervalued trait and I hope the celebration for this magnificent achievement is fitting for the event.

Paul Burke (manager, 2005-08)

Firstly I'd like to congratulate a fantastic player, a club legend and someone I feel proud to call a friend on his 500th appearance for RWBTFC.

When Bryan Wood and I took over as the first team management team, it was a very easy choice to make him captain as, even though he was still very young, he was experienced in terms of appearances. He wanted the club to succeed and although he was a moaner at times, he led by example on the pitch and never asked a teammate to do anything he wasn't prepared to do himself. We had lots of younger players who we thought needed a captain with those qualities.

There were lots of fantastic performances that I remember, but the FA Cup tie against Bracknell Town, when he was the scorer of both our goals in our 2-1 victory, was my best memory in football. There was also his performance when our goalie Jon Haines got injured in the FA Vase at home against Christchurch and he went in goal, making several good saves to take us to a replay.

Those above were special. But who plays a Wiltshire Senior Cup tie at Calne Town that goes to extra time and penalties the day after returning from running the New York Marathon without having dedication, commitment and a love for the club he was playing for.

We had many great nights after our games and even the night when the defeat at Trowbridge Town cost us promotion, to see the pain on Steve's face which was so evident showed me that the love he has for the club has always been there.

Well done mate on a record-breaking 500th appearance.

Dave Webb (manager at Highworth Town, 2009-12)

Steve, or Dip as he's known by his teammates, was an integral part of my side at Highworth Town. He always led by example and realised what was required to be a successful player at that level. His determination to be a winner was there in every game he played for me and he ensured that the rest of the team did things properly. This wasn't just on match days; he never missed training and he was the organiser off the field ensuring we had a great camaraderie in the group.

I have to say he was a dream to manage, and the new generation of players could learn so much from him. All in all, Steve is one of football's proper players and hopefully he'll continue to play as long as possible and then take his experiences in to coaching and management in the future.

Well done mate - one of Bassett's great players, and a fantastic achievement reaching 500 appearances.

Paul Braithwaite (manager, 2014-16)

Knowing Dip as a mate before managing him, you always knew the type of person he was in terms of enjoying life in general. But when he tried several times to encourage myself and Chris Green to come to Bassett, you knew he was driven for the club to do well and succeed. Always talking about the club, never himself or other players, he just showed that inside he was yellow and blue.

When finally we were able to step in after the previous manager had left, we had to find fourteen new players in a short period. Steve himself was instrumental in helping to rebuild the side, always on the phone or supporting the manager in anyway he could. Eventually we had enough players to field a side.

In the first game of the season away against Binfield we got battered though. As much as the frustration was clear on Steve's face, he stuck by the group like any loyal captain would. And as the season went on the team grew and Dip was a huge part of that, leading us to the final 16 league games where we went lost only three games and had a ten match unbeaten run.

The key word being loyal, he has certainly shown that over the years to all his managers. He even played a large part of my second season in charge with a fracture to his foot. Every game the pain was clear for all to see, and I was asked the question many times "Paul should Dip be playing?" My answer was always the same: you try telling him he can't play!

I think all the managers will agree he can be an awkward player to manage at times, but he is a great person off the pitch. But, again, this is purely down to him wanting the best for the club by giving his all.

Steve - congratulations mate on reaching 500 games. Not only a fantastic player and captain, but a loyal servant to RWBTFC and an amazing mate and drinking buddy over the years and still now.

Rich Hunter (manager, 2016-18)

Steve was a privilege to coach and manage. His leadership qualities were apparent from day one and proved a great asset in establishing a strong team ethos. However, the one quality which sums up Dip is his winning mentality – he is a player who gives everything for his team both on and off the pitch to ensure its success.

There are many notable performances I could highlight, but his ability to score crucial goals at vital moments of games will always stand out in my mind. Countless occasions could he be relied upon to pop up and score the winner or score a penalty in the dying stages of a game.

Congratulations to Steve - a remarkable achievement for somebody who has been an outstanding servant to the club.

Sam Collier (present manager)

What an achievement Steve's 500th appearance for the club is - and it couldn't have happened to a better bloke. I have been a player with Dip and he is a true leader. I have also managed Steve and he is a born winner. He wants nothing but to be the best. I think I speak for everyone when I say he's a credit to the club and still has plenty to offer.

Well done Steve - I am proud of you!

Last modified on Sunday 9th December 2018 at 17:23.