Team Bath F.C.
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| Full name | Team Bath Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Crescents, The Scholars | ||
| Founded | 1999 | ||
| Dissolved | 2009 | ||
| Ground | Twerton Park Bath (Capacity: 8,800) |
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| 2008-09 | Conference South, 11th | ||
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Team Bath was a football club affiliated with the University of Bath in the city of Bath, Somerset, England. After winning promotion in a successful first season in the Southern League Division One West, and playing in the Southern League Premier Division, they won promotion to the Conference South in May 2008. After the Football Conference ruled in 2009 that Team Bath were not eligible to win promotion to the national division, a ruling which also meant that the club were no longer able to compete in Football Association cup competitions, they decided to fold at the end of the 2008-09 season.[1]
Team Bath shared with rivals Bath City at their Twerton Park ground, but also trained at TeamBath's home in the University of Bath Sports Training Village. Team Bath's nickname was "The Crescents", after the famous Royal Crescent, or "The Scholars".
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[edit] History
Team Bath FC was founded in 1999 with the stated aim of being a fully-fledged football club within the environment of the University, allowing players to combine full-time training with a university course, something which the club describes as unique in British football. Team Bath state that they have to date recruited over 50 young former professionals, most of whom have graduated, and many of whom have subsequently returned to the professional game.
The club joined the Western Football League in 2000 and were Division One champions at the first attempt. They followed this up two years later by winning the Premier Division title to gain promotion to the Southern League. A sixth-place finish in the Western Division enabled them to step up when the league was re-organised following the formation of Conference South.
In the team's FA Cup run in the 2002-03 season, it became the first university team to enter the competition since Gonville & Caius in 1881. Team Bath entered in the preliminary round and advanced through four further qualifying rounds to the first round proper, before losing to Mansfield Town.
The 2006-07 season brought success to both Bath City and Team Bath. Whilst the former were division champions, Team Bath finished in second place. However, after beating Hemel Hempstead Town in the play-off semi-finals, they lost 1-0 to Maidenhead United in the Southern League play-off final, leaving them in the lower division.
Notwithstanding this, Team Bath were successful a year later, beating Halesowen Town in the play-off final, and were promoted to the Conference South, in May 2008. In April 2009, however, the club announced its intentions to resign from the Football Conference at the end of the season.[1] Team Bath FC played their last ever game on 25th April 2009, a 2-2 home draw against Bishop's Stortford with Josh Llewellyn scoring twice in front of over 500 fans. [2]
Team Bath controversially took over backing of the former Bristol City women's football team, which competes in the Women's Southern Championship at the start of the 2007-08 season. Team Bath had competed in the South West Region Women's Football League Premier Division (a step 4 league) and were controversially allowed to resign from this league and take over the (much higher) league position of Bristol City. In effect Team Bath were promoted 2 leagues without even kicking a ball.
[edit] Coaching staff
The coaching staff at Team Bath F.C. [3]
| Position | Holder |
|---|---|
| Manager | Ged Roddy |
| Head Coach | Andy Tillson |
| Assistant Coach and President |
Ivor Powell |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Brian Parkin |
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Team Bath resign from Conference". BBC Sport. 9 April 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_conf/7991750.stm. Retrieved on 4 May 2009.
- ^ "Blue Square South Results". Blue Square South. Blue Square Premier. http://www.bluesqsouth.com/results/0,20984,,00.html. Retrieved on 2009-04-25.
- ^ Coaching teambath.com. Retrieved 9 February 2007
[edit] Sources
- Team Bath at the Football Club History Database
