Hallen A.F.C.

Hallen

Full name

Hallen Athletic Football Club

Nickname(s)

The Armadillos

Founded

1949 (as Lawrence Weston Athletic)

Ground

The Hallen Centre,
Hallen

Capacity

3500

League

Western Football League
Premier Division

2014–15

Western Football League
Premier Division, 17th

Home colours

Hallen A.F.C. is a non league football club based in Hallen, near Bristol, England, currently members of the Western League Premier Division. The club is affiliated to the Gloucestershire County FA.

History

The club was established in 1949 as Lawrence Weston Athletic, playing their early years in the Bristol and District League and then the Bristol Premier Combination.^[1]

In 1979, they moved to Hallen, changing their name to Lawrence Weston Hallen. The facilities available at their new base enabled them to move up to the Gloucestershire County League in 1987. Three years later, they changed their name again, to simply Hallen.^[1]

In 1992 they gained a further promotion, joining the Hellenic League Division One, and after further improvements to the facilities (particularly the erection of floodlights and a all seater stand), a runner-up position in 1996–97 led to another step up, to the Hellenic League Premier Division.

After three seasons in the Hellenic League Premier, they were granted permission to switch to the Western League, but had to take an effective demotion to that league's Division One. They were champions of that division in 2003–04,^[2] meaning they took their place in the Western League Premier Division, where they remain to this day.

They have been entering the FA Vase since 1983 – their best run coming in 2000–01 when they reached the Fifth Round (last 16).^[3]

Their FA Cup history only dates back to 2002–03, but in 2004–05 they came close to making the competition proper, losing in the Fourth Qualifying Round to Football Conference side Canvey Island.^[1]

Season 2009–10 they were winners of the Western League Les Phillips League Cup defeating Bishop Sutton 1–0 in the final.

In 2014 they won the Gloucestershire Challenge Trophy for the third time.^[4]

In the summer of 2015 the club fought a well publicised battle with the Parish Council who own the land on which the ground sits and who wanted the club to leave. The club were successful in keeping their ground and in the process saw a petition signed by nearly 6000 people help their cause along with many famous sportsman showing their support along with much national and international press interest.^[5]^[6]

2015-2016 has seen Steve Winter (ex pro at Walsall, Torquay and Forest Green) in charge of the 1st team and ex player Lee Fairman takeover as Chairman of the club.

The club also has a thriving youth set up with 2015 producing two youth players signing contracts with Southampton FC, one with Bristol City FC and another 16 year old signing professional terms with Bristol City FC.

Honours

Hellenic League Division One : Winners 1996–97^[7]
Western League Division One : Winners 2003–04
Western League (Les Phllips) Cup : Winners 2009–2010
Gloucestershire County League : Winners 1988–89, 1992–93. Runners-up 1987–88
Gloucestershire Challenge Trophy : Winners 1989–90, 1992–93, 2013-2014 Runners-up 2004–05
Gloucestershire Junior Cup : Winners 1968–69

References

1 2 3 "Hallen are in rude health as they approach 60th birthday celebrations". Bristol Post. 26 January 2009. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
↑ "Western League". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
↑ "2000-01 F.A. Vase". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
↑ "GFA County Cup Winners 2014". Glucestershire FA. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
↑ "Hallen Football Club to fold after council closes ground". ITV. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
↑ Yong, Michael (24 June 2015). "Hallen Football Club given lifeline with discovery of new 20-year-old agreement document". Bristol Post. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
↑ Hallen at the Football Club History Database

External links

Club website

Western League

Premier Division	Barnstaple Town Bitton Bradford Town Bridport Brislington Bristol Manor Farm Buckland Athletic Cadbury Heath Clevedon Town Cribbs Gillingham Town Hallen Longwell Green Sports Melksham Town Odd Down Shepton Mallet Sherborne Town Street Welton Rovers Willand Rovers Winterbourne United

Division One	Almondsbury UWE Ashton & Backwell United Bishop Sutton Calne Town Chard Town Cheddar Chippenham Park Chipping Sodbury Town Corsham Town Devizes Town Hengrove Athletic Keynsham Town Oldland Abbotonians Portishead Town Radstock Town Roman Glass St George Warminster Town Wellington Wells City Westbury United Wincanton Town

Seasons	1892–93 1893–94 1894–95 1895–96 1896–97 1897–98 1898–99 1899–1900 1900–01 1901–02 1902–03 1903–04 1904–05 1905–06 1906–07 1907–08 1908–09 1909–10 1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16

Sport in Bristol

Major Stadia	Ashton Gate Stadium County Cricket Ground Memorial Stadium Stoke Gifford Stadium UWE Stadium (proposed)

Major Teams	Bristol Academy Bristol City Bristol Flyers Bristol Rovers Bristol Rugby Gloucestershire County Cricket Club

Minor Teams	Almondsbury UWE Brislington Bristol Aztecs Bristol Dockers Bristol Handball Club Bristol Manor Farm Bristol Pitbulls Bristol Sonics Bristol Storm Cadbury Heath Cleve Clifton Rugby Cribbs Dings Crusaders Easton Cowboys and Cowgirls Hallen Hengrove Athletic Longwell Green Sports Oldland Abbotonians Roman Glass St George

Local Leagues	Bristol & District Cricket Association Bristol and District Football League Bristol and Suburban Association Football League Bristol Downs Association Football League Bristol Junior Rugby League Bristol Premier Combination Bristol Roller Derby

See also	2001 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships Bristol and Bath Tennis Club Bristol and District Rugby Football Combination Bristol Ariel Rowing Club Bristol Half Marathon

Coordinates: 51°31′01.72″N 2°39′09.16″W / 51.5171444°N 2.6525444°W / 51.5171444; -2.6525444

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