The club has reluctantly decided to withdraw the U21 Development side from competitive football for this coming season.  

The revised constitution of the Suburban League Southern Division resulting in a reduction in the number of clubs and therefore matches, combined with the overall standard of football on offer, would have made the progression of players to the 1st team, always the principal aim of the Development squad, extremely difficult if not impossible.  The club’s contention is that the league has dealt somewhat unfairly with us and we have found their proposals to retain us in the Southern Division difficult to justify.     

Exciting plans are being developed for a return to competitive football in season 2020/21 and we will be announcing details of that in due course.  Manager Chris Wye will be driving those plans forward alongside assisting Steve McKimm’s 1st team staff.

In the meantime for this coming season we will be looking to host whenever possible Academy (Wednesday lunchtimes) and Youth (Sunday mornings) matches at Longmead Stadium.