| Full name | Bideford Association Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Robins | ||
| Founded | 1946 | ||
| Ground | The Sports Ground, Bideford (Capacity: 2,000[1]) |
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| Chairman | Roy Portch | ||
| Manager | Sean Joyce | ||
| League | Southern Football League Division One South & West | ||
| 2010–11 | Southern Football League Division One South & West, 10th | ||
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Bideford A.F.C. is an English non-league football club from Bideford, Devon that plays in the Southern Football League. Managed by Sean Joyce, they are one of the top sides in the division. The club is nicknamed "The Robins" due to their all-red strip. The club plays its home matches at The Sports Ground, Kingsley Road, Bideford.
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Founded in 1946, the club played three seasons in the Exeter & East Devon League before joining the Western League in 1949. Bideford had a request to be elected to the Second Division denied, and had to play in the Third Division instead. This was the only season the Western League ran a Third Division, and Bideford won it without losing a game. Two seasons later they also won Division Two, and so took their place in Division One.
Bideford won the Western League three times before joining the Southern League in 1972. The club spent three seasons at that level before the expense involved and increased travelling took its toll, and they had to drop down back to the Western League. During their Southern League days, the club set an all-time FA Cup record, when in 1974-75 they played thirteen FA Cup games in a single season - they faced numerous replays in qualifying rounds including needing five games to beat Falmouth Town and four more to beat Trowbridge Town in the next round. With the subsequent abandonment of second and further replays, this record is likely to stand for a very long time. Two more Western League titles followed in the early 1980s, before a financial crisis hit the club. There was doubt that the club would be able to continue, but a re-formation took place in 1987 leading to the current setup, a company limited by guarantee, under the revised company name Bideford AFC (1987) Ltd.
Under the chairmanship of Jim McElwee, and then Paul Mitchell, the club won four more Western League titles since 2000, and have also made the FA Vase semi-finals, where they lost to Winchester City.
Several players from the club have progressed to Football League status, the most recent of them being Tony Dennis and Shaun Taylor. Two former internationals have played for the club at the end of their career, Welshman Leighton Phillips, and Dermot Curtis from the Republic of Ireland.
According to the official site.[2]
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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During the 2010/2011 season the first team were sponsored by Morrisons but this season they and the youth teams are sponsored by the Bideford & district post a local monthly newspaper. The youth teams kit sponsor is Tesco.
At the start of the 2011/2012 season Bideford AFC launched 3 youth teams, a under 11s team, a under 13s team and a under 15s team. Prices to watch the match will be from the 1st of January priced at £1. The youth teams all train on the astro turf pitch at the nearby Bideford college
Under 15s squad
Ethan Brooks
Dominic Luongo
Ryan James (VC)
Ryan Peters (C)
Kurt Taylor
Adam North
Charlie Allman
Ben Sherbourne
Callum Gooding
Callum Hookway
Sidney Cole
Matthew Faye
Jake Parsons
Joe Peters
Ben Crouch
Bradley Westcott
The club also has a reserve team who play in the senior division of the North Devon football league. There is also a ladies team as well who play in the local Sunday league the chairwoman and manager is Vanessa Saunders.
Coaching staff
Commercial staff
Supporters' club
| Season | Division | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1949-50 | Western League Division Three | 1 | Champions |
| 1950-51 | Western League Division Two | 3 | |
| 1951-52 | Western League Division Two | 1 | Champions |
| 1952-53 | Western League Division One | 4 | |
| 1953-54 | Western League Division One | 10 | |
| 1954-55 | Western League Division One | 6 | |
| 1955-56 | Western League Division One | 6 | |
| 1956-57 | Western League Division One | 14 | |
| 1957-58 | Western League Division One | 13 | |
| 1958-59 | Western League Division One | 7 | |
| 1959-60 | Western League Division One | 7 | |
| 1960-61 | Western League | 16 | |
| 1961-62 | Western League | 3 | |
| 1962-63 | Western League | 2 | Runner-Up |
| 1963-64 | Western League | 1 | Champions |
| 1964-65 | Western League | 2 | Runner-Up, FA Cup First Round |
| 1965-66 | Western League | 3 | |
| 1966-67 | Western League | 6 | |
| 1967-68 | Western League | 14 | |
| 1968-69 | Western League | 2 | Runner-Up |
| 1969-70 | Western League | 6 | |
| 1970-71 | Western League | 1 | Champions |
| 1971-72 | Western League | 1 | Champions. Joined Southern League |
| 1972-73 | Southern League Division One South | 4 | |
| 1973-74 | Southern League Division One South | 5 | FA Cup First Round |
| 1974-75 | Southern League Division One South | 18 | Returned to Western League |
| 1975-76 | Western League | 10 | |
| 1976-77 | Western League Premier Division | 6 | |
| 1977-78 | Western League Premier Division | 2 | Runner-Up, FA Cup First Round |
| 1978-79 | Western League Premier Division | 2 | Runner-Up |
| 1979-80 | Western League Premier Division | 10 | |
| 1980-81 | Western League Premier Division | 5 | |
| 1981-82 | Western League Premier Division | 1 | Champions, FA Cup First Round |
| 1982-83 | Western League Premier Division | 1 | Champions |
| 1983-84 | Western League Premier Division | 6 | |
| 1984-85 | Western League Premier Division | 2 | Runner-Up |
| 1985-86 | Western League Premier Division | 3 | |
| 1986-87 | Western League Premier Division | 6 | |
| 1987-88 | Western League Premier Division | 10 | |
| 1988-89 | Western League Premier Division | 16 | |
| 1989-90 | Western League Premier Division | 16 | |
| 1990-91 | Western League Premier Division | 12 | |
| 1991-92 | Western League Premier Division | 4 | |
| 1992-93 | Western League Premier Division | 14 | |
| 1993-94 | Western League Premier Division | 9 | |
| 1994-95 | Western League Premier Division | 15 | |
| 1995-96 | Western League Premier Division | 6 | |
| 1996-97 | Western League Premier Division | 12 | |
| 1997-98 | Western League Premier Division | 13 | |
| 1998-99 | Western League Premier Division | 17 | |
| 1999-00 | Western League Premier Division | 13 | |
| 2000-01 | Western League Premier Division | 5 | |
| 2001-02 | Western League Premier Division | 1 | Champions |
| 2002-03 | Western League Premier Division | 3 | |
| 2003-04 | Western League Premier Division | 1 | Champions, FA Vase semi-finals |
| 2004-05 | Western League Premier Division | 1 | Champions |
| 2005-06 | Western League Premier Division | 1 | Champions |
| 2006-07 | Western League Premier Division | 4 | |
| 2007-08 | Western League Premier Division | 6 | |
| 2008-09 | Western League Premier Division | 6 | |
| 2009-10 | Western League Premier Division | 1 | Champions, rejoined Southern League |
| 2010-11 | Southern League Division one south & west | 10 |