Tuesday 12th November 2024
Tuesday's visit to Brimscombe and Thrupp saw Royal Wootton Bassett Town reach the halfway point of their 2024-25 Hellenic League Premier Division campaign.
At the start of the season, Bassett had the aim to repeat (and even better) last year's 4th place finish and playoff final appearance. Manager Sam Collier was even not afraid to mention the 'promotion' word when discussing this season's targets.
However, after suffering six defeats while accumulating just nine points from their opening nine matches, the playoffs – let alone promotion – seemed a pipe dream.
Bassett have roared back into playoff contention though, courtesy of a fine eight game streak – ended last Saturday away at Worcester Raiders – in which they claimed 22 points from an available 24.
Now, after 19 games, Bassett sit on 34 points and are one of a near dozen sides who can consider themselves legitimate playoff contenders.
How though does their first half of the season stack up with that in 2023-24, as well as 2022-23 when, a year before the playoffs were introduced, Bassett finished fifth?
Last year, en-route to their fourth place finish, Bassett were in a slightly better position at the season's halfway point, having registered 38 points after 19 games. Collier's side would then go on to finish with 73 as they picked up 35 more points in the second half of the campaign.
Bassett may not be quite there this time around. But Collier and his team do find themselves in a better position than they were in at this stage two years ago. In 2022-23 Bassett had recorded 30 points from 19 games. 35 points from their remaining fixtures then saw Bassett finish on 65 points in fifth, which would have been good enough for a playoff spot had they been introduced.
It's looking likely that a tally of 65 points may not be enough to finish in the top five this season though. Indeed, when assessing the 1.71 points per game Bassett earned across the entire 2022-23 campaign, that was the second lowest tally recorded by a fifth place finisher across the last nine Hellenic Premier seasons to be completed. Only Shrivenham in 2018-19 (61 points from 36 games - an average of 1.69 per game) earned fewer and wound up in the top five.
Across that nine-year span, on average the team finishing fifth has gained 1.81 points per game. Over the course of a 38-game season that would work out, rounding to the nearest whole point, at 69 points.
Bassett are certainly capable of getting to that mark. However, with only eight home games between now and the end of the season (including the next two fixtures against Westfields and Tuffley Rovers), Collier and his side will have to be road warriors.
The eleven away fixtures awaiting Bassett comprise contests against fellow playoff contenders Roman Glass St George, Mangotsfield United, Sporting Club Inkberrow, Fairford Town and Westfields. Bassett will also visit grounds they lost on last year when travelling to Pershore Town and Lydney Town. Although sides battling at the other end of the table, derby trips to Cirencester Town and Malmesbury Victoria don't promise to be easy. Journeys to Longlevens and Hereford Pegasus are also on Bassett's schedule.
Bassett's home fixtures then see them face fellow playoff hopefuls Highworth Town, Corsham Town, Slimbridge and Worcester Raiders, as well as Thornbury Town and Pershore.
While the outcome of this season may be uncertain, it promises to be a thrilling, wide open playoff race. Here's hoping Bassett will once again find themselves with a ticket to the postseason dance.
2023-24: Cinderford Town (66 points - 38 games)
2022-23: Royal Wootton Bassett Town (65 points - 38 games)
2021-22: Corsham Town (72 points - 38 games)
2018-19: Shrivenham (61 points - 36 games)
2017-18: Flackwell Heath (74 points - 38 games)
2016-17: Ardley United (64 points - 34 games)
2015-16: Brimscombe and Thrupp (67 points - 38 games)
2014-15: Thame United (69 points - 38 games)
2013-14: Binfield (69 points - 38 games)