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BHMR Club History |
Although the 2001/2 season was the very first for our Club, the backbone of the team have played together in various forms for a while now. There has been a team at Tesco in Blandford for more than six years, playing mainly friendlies. The crowning glory came in September 2000, when we played The Badgers from Sky Sports 'Soccer AM' programme. The match was played at Dorchester Towns' Avenue Stadium in front of around 450 people. The highlights were shown on 'Soccer AM' the following week. Although we lost 1-3, it inspired us to form this Club so we could do it every week!
The bulk of our squad were made up from Tesco staff and from Wareham Wanderers [ also known as Shah Wanderers ], who got as far as the Dorset Sunday League Division One. But with the bulk of that squad coming from Blandford, they were keen to come back 'home' to play their football. Our first season in Division Three had its ups and downs but we were never outclassed and deserved a better finishing place.
Our second season was a lot more successful. A great start in the League saw us gain much needed confidence and we remained near the top of the division all season. We recorded a record victory against Handley [ 13-0 ]which was then wiped from the records when they disbanded although we then went on to beat Broadstone Con 10-0 away. We became the only team at that stage to defeat eventual Champions Greenridge, 4-1 in the group stages of the League Cup. Only a controversial league defeat, with a much weakened team in an evening match at Hamworthy, stopped us from finishing 3rd, leaving us one point behind them. However, 4th place was a superb achievement in only our second season and it saw us gain promotion.
Our main success was in the Division 3&4 League Cup. After three successes in a row in the group stages, including the famous Greenridge win, our only loss was to the Railway Tavern in a game where both teams knew they were already through. It helped us later that we fielded a weakened team against them though! A tense Semi Final against fellow Division 3 side Winfrith at Stourpaine saw us come from a goal behind to beat them 3-1. The Final was played at Days Park, Swanage in front of around 150 people, against the Railway Tavern again, who were, by now, Champions of Div 4. They obviously were not expecting to play our full team this time and we swept them away with a sparkling second half display to win 5-1. It was a special night for everyone there.
After progressing through Division Two, we have spent the last 2 seasons in Division One. 2004/5 saw us really struggle and we ended up second bottom with only 11 points! Although a draw with Sandford saw us as one of only two teams that had avoided defeat against them all season. League re-structure saved us from the drop though and we did much better in 2005/6, finishing with 30 points in 7th place, a position which didn't really do us justice but was the result of dropping our standards in one or two key matches.
With 2006/7 season upon us, expectations are at an all time high, as we aim to finish in the top half for the first time. With the players we have already, with the extra ones we hope will bolster the squad, this should be achievable with the right application and that all important extra ingredient - luck!
UPDATE: BLANDFORD TOWN FC
2006/7 - Blackmore Vale League, 3rd position; Challenge Cup Runners Up. [ managed by Paul Stevens ]
2007/8 - BVFL 6th position [ one defeat in the last 13 games though ] and runners up in the Fair Play Trophy.
2008/9 - We decide to change our home venue to Pimperne Priory Sports Ground...
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