GALA WILTON FC v HANHAM ATHLETIC, SATURDAY 19TH OCTOBER: A PREVIEW...

My first visit to Gala Wilton FC this weekend sees the hosts welcome Hanham Athletic for a Gloucestershire County League clash… 

Gala currently lie 4th in the division, 2 points off the top, with 5 wins, a draw and 2 losses so far. A goal-difference of 30-16 has been amassed.

BEFORE THE BROMLEY HEATH GAME, WHICH WAS WON 4-1...

After beating Broadwell Amateurs 6-2 recently, the team then lost 4-3 at Rockleaze Rangers, where Martin Smith scored twice and Ryan Dobbins netted the other goal. Last Saturday’s match at Little Stoke was postponed.

RYAN DOBBINS ADDS TO HIS TALLY...

Ryan Dobbins leads the scorers with 13, Martin Smith has 8 and James Bowers has notched 6.

BOWERS SCORING AGAINST LITTLE STOKE LAST SEASON TO HELP GALA STAY UP WITH A 2-0 VICTORY...

Hanham are currently 11th of 15 in the league table, after a recent 1-3 loss at home to Ruardean Hill Rangers, followed by a 2-2 home draw with the only unbeaten team in the division, Frampton (Sam Brown and Jamie Fry netted the goals), then a 1-0 loss at Hardwicke on Saturday.

JAMIE FRY...

All told, the team has won 2, drawn 1 and lost 5 of its 8 matches and the goals ratio is currently 9-15.

SAM BROWN...

Top scorer is Sam Brown with 4, whilst the Frys, Jamie and Jack, both have 2.

JACK FRY...

Full coverage of the game, including a full report, images, screenshots and video highlights will be HERE from Sunday…

The Mowdog…

INFORMATION ABOUT THE TWO CLUBS:

Wilton Rovers were formed in 1952 by a bunch of guys from the Wilton Road area of Gloucester. 

The North Gloucestershire League was their first divisional competition and in 1970 the team moved to its current venue at the Gala Club. A year later the club joined the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League.

Wilton won the second division immediately and in the next season they finished 5th in the first division and were subsequently admitted into the Gloucestershire County League.

The team finished 3rd in 1980-81 but in 1984-85 they finished a poor 18th and were relegated back to the GNSL. A second place finish meant an immediate return to the County League however and the Diamond Jubilee Cup was won. 

Three seasons later they were relegated again but in 1989/90 they finished runners-up in the league and again won the Diamond Jubilee Cup but more importantly the club had changed its name to Gala Wilton. 

The club suffered for a while then and were eventually relegated to the second division of the North Gloucestershire League. 

In 2002 Gala moved to the Cheltenham League and its fortunes changed, the club moving back to the GNSL after some success and in 2007-8 they won division 2 and thus returned to division 1.

The 2012-13 season was a successful season for the club and its manager Jay Kelly. The first team won the Reg Davis Cup but also won the Northern Senior League by 13 points, thus gaining promotion back to the County League. 

The manager left however and some of the players did too, although a 7th place finish in 2014-15 under the stewardship of Mike Perris and Jamie Allen was acceptable, before the 2015-16 season saw the club sustain a mid-table position, despite the comings and goings of a number of players.

Rather abject seasons of 15th of 17 teams, 13th of 17 and in 2018-19, 14th of 15, has led to the current term, in which Gala Wilton are looking to improve their lot… 

James Bowers reveals more about Gala Wilton FC:

How did you get involved with the club? 

“My involvement started last season when a mate of mine was on the management team at Gala and asked if I would dual-sign to help them out when I didn’t have a game for Cheltenham Saracens. I think I played five or six games and got on well with the lads and bagged a few goals, so I was happy playing. Mezza then messaged me during pre-season to ask if I would be interested in signing permanently but I said I wanted to give it a go at breaking into the Saracens XI regularly. 

BRAD LOVERIDGE: IN-FORM FULL-BACK...

Unfortunately things didn’t work out at Saracens and after chatting to Betts and Stu I expressed my interest to move away and Gala was my preferred destination.”

What are the club’s ambitions for this season, going forward?

“To be honest neither Gilly or Mez have expressed to the lads about where they want us to finish in the league, so we’re just taking it one game at a time. Last season was a disappointing one for the lads involved and something that nobody wants to be part of again. We’ve started this season well and as a new group I think we’ve gelled quickly. 

The two defeats have been disappointing, especially as the goals that we have conceded were easily preventable. It’s been a while since the club won a trophy, so to be part of that would be a great achievement. There is a decent bunch of lads currently in the squad and a number who I believe could make the step up and play higher.”

Which teams might be ones to watch in your league this season? 

“After the start to the season there seems to be a number of clubs that could be up there towards the end of the season. Frampton in recent years have done well, they don’t concede many goals and I’m sure they will be up there. Wick have also started well and you could add Sharpness and Rockleaze into the mix as well. 

JAY DARE: TRICKY MIDFIELDER...

It will be down to who wants it the most. In this league though anyone can beat anyone, so who knows?”

HANHAM ATHLETIC:

Hanham appear to have been playing football in the Bristol area from the early 1890s, where it’s likely that coal miners made up much of the team in those days.

Hanham Victoria and Hanham Rovers played matches in those days but in 1897-98, as Hanham FC the club won the Western League and also the Gloucestershire Junior Cup.

During the years from 1907 up to WW1, the club had some real success, winning league titles and cups but after the Great War, it became Hanham Athletic and success was achieved on a regular basis.

Two periods in the Gloucestershire County League, from 1968-69 until 1988-89 and then from 2006-07 to the present day, have seen mixed results and in truth the finishes after the last nine seasons look disappointing. 

The form reads: 2010-11, 17th of 17; 2011-12, 10th of 18; 2012-13, 10th of 19; 2013-14, 13th of 18; 2014-15, 14th of 18; 2015-16, 14th of 17; 2016-17, 16th of 17; 2017-18, 17th of 17 and 2018-19, 13th of 15. 

Thanks are due to the Football Club History Database website, where I was able to read about the history of The Miners…

An upturn of form and fortune is needed for such an old club. 

We wish them well…