Yeovil Town have unveiled a yellow-and-black away strip for the upcoming National League South season, a nod to its past.
The kit replicates the strip worn by Petters United, a factory team of JB Petter & Sons which started off building engines in the late 19th Century which played in the town.
Unveiling the kit on Monday evening, club chairman Martin Hellier said: “As we embark on this new journey, I wanted the new away kit to pay homage and testament to our rich history, and therefore have decided to emulate, as much as possible the last kit worn by Petters United, dating back to 1913.
“The tale of Petters United, a team that existed for a mere decade, left an indelible mark on the subsequent fortunes of the club that is cherished by us all.
“I hope that fans of Yeovil Town will enjoy the away kit and the nod to our history of which we are so proud.”
Picture courtesy of the Yeovil Town Heritage Society.
Petters United were formed in 1904, based around the nautical works on Reckleford in the town, and joined the Yeovil & District League striking up a rivalry with Yeovil Casuals, who with the amalgamation of Petters United would later go on to be the club we know today as Yeovil Town FC.
In its ten-year existence, Petters rose from district football to the senior county leagues of Somerset and Wiltshire and played on a number of different pitches before finding a permanent home in 1912 on Brickyard Lane, just off St Michael’s Avenue.
Despite being backed by chairman Guy Petter, the Ironmen as they were known struggled to attract crowds, not a problem for their local rivals.
In 1914, the two clubs decided to amalgamate as Yeovil & Petters United and it is fair to say that without the merger there is every chance Yeovil Casuals would have gone bust. They consistently drew good crowds but always ended up in financial difficulties unlike Petters which had quite the opposite problem.
With thanks to Mike West from the Yeovil Town Heritage Society for use of imagery and reporting.
I like it.