Friday 11th June 2021

While just one of Royal Wootton Bassett Town's sides may have claimed a place on the club's honours list in the 2020-21 season, success cannot be measured in silverware alone. And in light of the challenges that were again thrown at them courtesy of the Coronavirus pandemic, the club can be proud of what its teams have achieved during another unique campaign.

It is also worth celebrating the continued strength of the club in terms of the number of teams it boasts – with 27 sides spanning from Under 7s to Over 50s offering football opportunities for all ages and abilities – as well as the community football programmes which continue to run.

There's certainly plenty of grounds for optimism for the 2021-22 season, which – courtesy of the delayed finish to this season – is not far away.

First team

2020-21 was a season of cup success for Bassett's senior men's side.

Record-equalling, runs in the Emirates FA Cup and Buildbase FA Vase prior to lockdown were joined by a journey to the semi-finals of the Bluefin Sports Hellenic League Challenge Cup when football was allowed to resume.

Upset FA Cup victories away against Southern League sides Didcot Town and Cinderford Town as well as the narrow home defeat against National League South side Oxford City will certainly live long in the memory for those playing in and able to witness the games. And manager Sam Collier and his side can certainly be proud of what they achieved in that form of the game.

In league action, the team were limited to eight games before the Hellenic League Premier Division was curtailed. Performances on that front were, in comparison to those in cup competitions, somewhat underwhelming, with Bassett winning once, while drawing four and losing three matches. Certainly, a degree of improvement is needed on that front in 2021-22, with Bassett having averaged one point per game across the past two shortened seasons.

Ladies

Bassett's Ladies showed great character in the face of adversity in 2020-21.

After defeat against Brentford in the Women's FA Cup and a pair of losses to begin their South West Women's Regional Football League Premier Division campaign, they were put in a tough position by the sudden departure of joint managers Jonny House and James Goddard.

But they followed that by earning an away draw at Bishops Lydeard and a home win against Bideford – in what would be their final league game – while under the guidance of interim player-manager Laura Jefferies.

And since the appointment of new boss Graham Fletcher, they have showed well in the five friendly fixtures they played before the end of the season, recording two victories, a draw and two defeats.

Development

The Development team enjoyed a superb start to their Wiltshire League Premier Division campaign. In twelve matches, Steve Yeardley's side recorded nine wins, one draw and just two defeats, results which meant they sat third at the point when the season was curtailed.

By far the team's best start to a Wiltshire League campaign, they will be hoping to replicate that performance next season. The onus will be on Yeardley's young players to reproduce that form and continue to take advantages of the opportunities available to them – with the prospect of breaking into the first team a real possibility.

Under 18 Floodlit

Bassett's Under 18 side had a decent Wiltshire League Floodlit Division campaign.

While finishing sixth of eight sides, they proved to be highly competitive, taking at least a point from all sides except eventual league winners FC Chippenham Youth. And of their six defeats, all but two were by a single goal.

A little more consistency, and a bit more luck here and there, and Nick Warren's charges could certainly have wound up a place or two higher.

Youth Section

Standout performers among the club's youth sides were the Under 12 Blues, who finished their season with thirteen straight wins to seal the North Wilts League Division Two title.

Elsewhere, there were strong performances from other teams, even if they ultimately missed out on honours.

In particular, the Under 15 Blues finished third in Division Two, losing just four of their eighteen fixtures, while the Under 13 Blues wound up fifth in Division Two, albeit just a point away from a share of third place.

Meanwhile, the majority of other teams playing at competitive age groups finished in solid mid-table positions with near symmetrical records.

The Under 18s came fifth in Division One, ending up just six points behind runners-up Ashton Keynes Youth White in a competitive, evenly matched division.

The Under 16 Blues had a strong finish to their campaign that earned fifth place in Division Two while the Under 16 Yellows came sixth in Division Four – the highlight of their season being a final day 2-1 win against runners-up AFC Salisbury, a result which broke their previously unbeaten run.

While their form may have tailed off slightly after lockdown, the Under 14 Blues were fifth in Division Two with a solid record of seven wins and seven defeats.

The Under 13 Yellows were another fifth place finisher, with seven wins, two draws and seven defeats.

Meanwhile, the Under 12 Yellows impressed post-lockdown, losing just two of their final ten games. They ultimately came seventh in Division Four, boasting a record of ten wins, one draw and eleven losses.

Elsewhere, the Under 14 Yellows found the going tough in Division Four. But the continued fantastic attitude and application of their players was evident.

Having a mountain of fixtures to play, the Under 15 Yellows opted not to resume league action after lockdown, but the players remained committed and will go again next season.

At the non-competitive age groups, Bassett's eight North Wilts League sides were joined by a dedicated Under 9 Girls team playing in the Wiltshire County Women's and Girls' League, thus strengthening the youth section further.

Veterans

Bassett's Over 35s side are still to finish their Wiltshire League Veterans North Division season, with games set to run into August. In a division strengthened by the addition of Redhouse and KMLC, Bassett have found the going a little tougher than in previous seasons.

After seven games so far, they sit fourth out of six teams, with seven points from seven matches.

2020-21 also marked the first year that the club's Over 50s team took part in league competition

While they finished bottom of a strong Oxfordshire Over 50s Premier League, the team showed steady improvement over the course of the year and their presence in the league represents the latest development in the club's thriving Veterans section.

Last modified on Friday 11th June 2021 at 08:44.