Club Background
The early years of football in Weston-super-Mare are all a bit vague. The first competitive match by a team from the town seems to have been against Clevedon Town just along the coast during 1887-87 but then this team disappears from the records until joining the Western League Division Two in 1900. After failing to complete all its fixtures in 1900-01 it competed again in WL2 the following season, this time finishing the campaign and coming eighth out of nine clubs. Although there was a team worse, a record of W1-D2-L13, 19 goals for & 68 against, suggests Weston-super-Mare wasn’t competitive and may explain why it left the league at the end of that season.
It then vanishes from the records again (whether it was actually disbanded or merely returned to playing friendlies isn’t clear) until it crops up re-joining the Western League in 1910. Things must have improved in terms of players as this second spell saw it a mid-table outfit. However the outbreak of the First World War saw any progress come to an end with the club definitely formally disbanded in 1914.
Between the Wars a reformed Weston was at different points playing county level football in the Bristol & District League (affiliated to Gloucestershire FA) and the Somerset County League. The outbreak of the Second World War saw the club disbanded again.
In 1948 the town finally got its act together and the club it has today started out again in the Western League Division Two. In the 1949-50 season it was granted entry to the FA Cup for the first time. It remained in the Western League (crossing paths with Yeovil Town Reserves there occasionally) for 44 years until becoming Champions in 1991-92 and stepping up to the Southern League Midland Division. During this period the Seagulls had moved grounds twice, from Locking Road to Langford Road in the mid-Fifties and then to Woodspring Park in the mid-Eighties.
After two seasons of travelling up to the Birmingham area and beyond the club was switched sideways to the Southern League South Division which made more geographic sense. Four seasons there, until the vagaries of FA distance measuring as clubs got promoted and relegated saw them bumped back into the Midland Division again, but only for a single campaign as one of the periodic restructurings of the lower reaches of the Pyramid saw the Southern League split East/West rather than North/South and the Seagulls moved for 1999-00 into the newly created Southern League Division One West.
The next few seasons saw a change in fortunes with a second placed finish in 2002-03 securing promotion to the Southern League Premier Division, the highest level to that point in their history. And the timing couldn’t have been better as at the end of the following season the Football Conference was looking for candidates for its new North and South Divisions. A 10th placed finish in the SLPD and a suitably graded shiny new ground ready to open (the club moved again, from Woodspring Park to Woodspring Stadium, in August 2004) was enough to get them in.
In all honesty Weston found Conference/National League South an almost constant struggle, mostly lower mid-table at best, but they clung on all the way through to 2018-19 when finishing last and finally relegated. Back in the Southern League the Seagulls found it had been restructured again in their absence and were placed into the Premier South Division. Not that this mattered initially as neither of their first two seasons at this level were completed, the Covid pandemic seeing the 2019-20 campaign abandoned after they’d played 29 games and the 2020-21 after a mere six.
When football resumed properly for 2021-22 Weston was there and thereabouts all season, eventually grabbing the last play-off spot by a point. However they were knocked out by Hayes & Yeading United in the first round of matches. The best way to avoid that is to be Champions and go up automatically – which is exactly what the Seagulls did in 2022-23, clinching the title with a game to spare.
The club has plans (published 2021) for major development of the ground and the Winterstoke Road site with proposals to expand the stadium to 5,000 capacity with 750 seats (and ability to increase that to 2,000) and a seven-days-a-week sports bar and restaurant. The construction of 99 apartments on a part of the site is intended to pay for all this. It’s probably fair to say the scheme has rather drifted since then but at a Fans’ Forum in July 2023 supporters were informed the club was resubmitting amended plans and was hoping for planning permission for an October 2025 construction start.
We’ve Met Before
Previous Results for Yeovil Town First Team* vs Weston-super-Mare
| 19/10/1929 | Home | FAC2Q | W | 5-0 | Whitehead, McNeil, McDade, Jones, Logan | ||
| 01/10/1949 | Away | Frnd | W | 3-0 | Phillips(2), Wright | ||
| 26/03/1951 | Home | SPC1 | W | 7-0 | Own Goal, K Hayward, Rae, Wright(2), Philips(2) | ||
| 26/09/1956 | Home | SPC1 | W | 4-0 | McKay, Clarke, Fidler, Gaillard | ||
| 07/09/1957 | Home | SPC1 | W | 5-1 | McKay, Riseborough, Gray, Travis, Torrance | ||
| 03/09/1962 | Away | SPC1 | W | 6-2 | Coughlin(3), Foley(2), Taylor | ||
| 06/04/1964 | Away | SPCSF | W | 2-1 | Hirst, Taylor | ||
| 04/10/1975 | Away | FAC2Q | D | 0-0 | 1123 | ||
| 08/10/1975 | Home | FAC2QR | W | 4-0 | 2389 | Plumb, Clancy(2), Cotton | |
| 01/04/1978 | Away | SPC3 | W | 2-1 | Dominey, Leigh | ||
| 12/01/1985 | Away | SPC3 | W | 3-1 | 350 | Economou, Gold, Ritchie | |
| 30/11/1987 | Away | SPC2 | L | 0-2 | 602 | ||
| 30/07/1988 | Away | Frnd | W | 3-2 | 300 | ||
| 17/02/1994 | Away | SPC3 | W | 3-1 | 240 | Wallace, Cooper(2) | |
| 29/11/1994 | Home | SPC2 | L | 1-2 | 415 | Spencer | |
| 03/03/1998 | Away | SPC | W | 2-1 | 275 | Gale, Patmore | |
| 07/08/2021 | Away | Frnd | D | 1-1 | Knowles 79 | ||
| 30/07/2022 | Away | Frnd | W | 1-0 | Fisher | ||
| 05/09/2023 | Away | NLS | W | 3-2 | 2487 | Young 16, Sendles-White 18, Nouble 55 | |
| 20/02/2024 | Home | NLS | W | 2-1 | 3390 | Pearson 1, Williams 82 | |
(* Any Somerset Premier Cup ties between 2003 & 2019 excluded as not classified First Team fixtures for Yeovil Town.)
Results Summary For Yeovil Town First Team vs Weston-super-Mare
| Home | Away | Overall | ||||||||||||
| W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A |
| 6 | 0 | 1 | 28 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 29 | 14 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 57 | 18 |
Club Statistics
RECENT RESULTS
| 05/08/2023 | Havant & Waterlooville | Home | NLS | W | 1-0 | 884 | Jackson 1 | |
| 12/08/2023 | Tonbridge Angels | Away | NLS | W | 1-0 | 827 | Bastin 25 | |
| 15/08/2023 | Bath City | Away | NLS | W | 6-2 | 1435 | Grubb 15, Wright o.g. 38, Bastin 52, Jackson 60, Mannings 67, Thomas 86 | |
| 19/08/2023 | Slough Town | Home | NLS | L | 0-3 | 1030 | ||
| 26/08/2023 | Farnborough | Away | NLS | L | 0-3 | 720 | ||
| 28/08/2023 | Hemel Hempstead Town | Home | NLS | D | 1-1 | 1484 | Dodd 67 | |
| 02/09/2023 | Eastbourne Borough | Away | NLS | L | 1-2 | 1191 | Grubb 53 | |
| 05/09/2023 | Yeovil Town | Home | NLS | |||||
LEAGUE ATTENDANCE STATISTICS
Highest League Attendance: 1,484
Lowest League Attendance: 884
Average League Attendance: 1,133
CURRENT LEAGUE SEQUENCE STATISTICS
| Games Without A Win: | 4 | Games Without A Home Win: | 2 | |
| Games Without An Away Win: | 2 | Games Without Defeat: | 0 | |
| Games Without A Home Defeat: | 1 | Games Without An Away Defeat: | 2 | |
| Games Without A Draw: | 1 | Games Without A Score Draw: | 1 | |
| Games Without A No-Score Draw: | 7 | Games Without Scoring: | 0 | |
| Games Without Conceding: | 0 | Home Results Sequence: | WLD | |
| Away Results Sequence: | WWLL | Overall Results Sequence: | WWWLLDL |
Club Information
Address : Weston-super-Mare AFC, Winterstoke Road, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, BS24 9AA. (Current sponsorship name The Optima Stadium.)
Telephone Number : 01934 621618
Email : enquiries@wsmafc.co.uk
Chairman : Paul Bliss
Matchday Secretary : Mike Lee
Club Secretary : Niel Bassom
Team Manager : Scott Bartlett
Capacity : 3,500
Seated : 470
Terrace : rest of the stadium is a mix of covered and uncovered.
Surface : grass
Record Attendance : (at current stadium) 2,949 v Doncaster Rovers, FAC R1 Proper, 18/11/2014
Colours : white shirt with thin swirly lines (in colour hard to determine from photos, possibly gold) and black trim on collar and sleeve ends, white shorts, white socks
Nickname : The Seagulls
Programme : e-programme published on the website no later than 9.00 a.m. for an afternoon kick-off and 1.30 p.m. for an evening fixture. Prices appear to vary between £1.00 and £1.50 charge for editions.
Ticketing
After dialogue between the host club and Avon and Somerset Police this will be a segregated fixture. We have an 850 allocation (the Yeovil end says this may be “initial” but the Weston end doesn’t currently indicate any plans to extend this). Go HERE to buy on-line. Sales will end at 3.00 p.m. Tuesday 5th September. The Weston Official Site also states: “Yeovil Town supporters ONLY will be required to purchase their tickets ahead of the game via an online ticket link”, thus meaning there will be no walk-up purchase for away fans at the ground on the night even if the allocation hasn’t gone by then. There are 188 seats (no price difference) in the away area which are on a first-come-first-served basis on arrival in the stadium. Turnstiles 1 and 2 will be our entrance point. These are on the eastern (Winterstoke Road) side of the stadium near the club shop (which will be closed on the night). Yeovil Town supporters have the South NK Stand (about a third is covered and the rest uncovered terracing), East Stand seating area to the left of the directors’ box, the Somerset Suite Function Room and Main Kitchen.
UPDATE 30/08: Away allocation SOLD OUT.
Prices :
Adult: £14.00
Concession (60+, full-time student, members of Armed Forces, NHS workers): £10.00
Under 16 : £4.50
Under 8 (accompanied by paying adult) : FREE
Family (up to two adults & two under 16) : £28.00
Disabled: May bring a carer free of charge. Wheelchair viewing point in the main seating area. Disabled adapted toilets situated in the main bar area of the stadium. The car park has “a few” (the hosts are no more specific than that) disabled designated parking bays. Appears these can’t be booked and are ‘first come’.
Official Away Travel
The Green & White Supporters’ Club is running away travel to Weston-super-Mare on Tuesday 5th September, 7.45 p.m. kick-off.
Details are as follows:
Members: Adult £14; Concession £14
Non-Members: Adult £17; Concession £17
Coach departs Huish Park: 4.45 p.m.
To book, call Paul Hadlow on 07736 044570 (after 6.00 p.m. please) or email him on paulhadlow@outlook.com.
If you are getting in touch by email, please make it clear which match you are booking for and that you give your full name, the names of people that are travelling and a contact telephone number.
You may be asked to pay a £5 deposit to reserve your seat.
Directions To The Ground
General
Quite why anyone thought the tiny village of Weston with about 30 houses, a population of 138, and the sea a mile away at low tide across dangerous mudflats, was the place to develop a seaside resort is lost in the mists of time. For some bizarre reason around 90,000 people currently choose (presumably of their own free will) to live here. A survey revealed its most likely tourist is a “grey pound” (over 60) day-tripper from the West Midlands who stays six hours. For a football match thankfully we can be in and out in less than half that time.
By Road
From Huish Park to Winterstoke Road is between around 38 and 48 miles depending on the route chosen. It’s longer via the M5, but a bit quicker (IF the motorway is flowing well); shorter but slower via Somerton, Glastonbury and then the A371.
From the South-West on the M5 drop off at Junction 22 and at the Edithmead Roundabout take the third exit onto the A38 (Bristol Road). At the next roundabout (East Brent) take the first exit onto the A370 (Bridgwater Road). Follow this all the way to the outskirts of W-s-M and the Uphill Roundabout (you’ll see Weston General Hospital to the left). Take the third exit off this roundabout onto Broadway. At the next roundabout take the first exit – this is Winterstoke Road with the stadium just over half a mile along on the left hand side.
If coming into W-s-M on the A371 route, after crossing the M5 carry straight on at the first roundabout and then at the second (Runway Roundabout) take the first exit onto The Runway. Stay on The Runway (first exit at the next roundabout, second exit at the next roundabout). On reaching the third roundabout take the second exit which brings you into the stadium site.
From the North-East on the M5 drop off at Junction 21 and take the third exit off the roundabout onto the A370 (Somerset Avenue). Stay on the A370 through the next roundabout then at the second (Airport Roundabout) take the first exit onto A371 (The Runway). About 100 yards further on at the next roundabout (Runway Roundabout) take the second exit. Stay on The Runway (first exit at the next roundabout, second exit at the next roundabout). On reaching the third roundabout take the second exit which brings you into the stadium site.
Parking
Google Maps aerial photo reveals about 60 hard surface parking spaces along the eastern edge of the stadium. There is an “overflow” car park somewhere on the site (possibly what looks like a scruffy area on the north side?) – the club promised back in the summer it’d be filling in the potholes at the entrance to that as soon as it could.
Basically, however, it appears parking at the stadium itself isn’t going to get past bigwigs, officialdom and Season Ticket Holders. There’s what’s termed a Supporters Car Park about 400 yards away somewhere in the Weston Industrial Estate off Winterstoke Road (not mentioned exactly where but presumably there’ll be some signage). The charge for parking there appears to be £2.00, cash only.
After those are full Weston states it will be directing vehicles to a part of the Industrial Estate south of the stadium and to the West of Winterstoke Road, off Oldmixon Crescent.
After that parking becomes a bit more problematic. Further West are lots of residential streets, but cut off from the ground by the railway line and if parking there it would be quite a lengthy walk to get across it to the stadium. Immediately North of the stadium is a Lidl, but it will doubtless have measures in place to keep its car park reserved for genuine customers rather than football supporters. Possibly the best bet is other areas of that same industrial estate (above) which stretches quite some way to the East. Particularly for a night game when most of the businesses are presumably closed one would think some additional parking will be findable there if needed.
By Rail
Weston-super-Mare Railway Station is situated around a mile and a half away from the stadium, so is a 25-30 minute walk (or see By Bus, below). It is on a loop off the Bristol Temple Meads to Taunton line and served by Great Western Railway. There are two trains an hour for most of the day from and to Bristol Temple Meads with a 27 to 36 minute journey time. For London & South-East based Glovers the occasional service goes through to London Paddington without needing a change.
If walking (it’s a mile and a half so best give yourself around half an hour): as you come out of the station entrance turn right and then follow the station approach road around to the left. At the bottom of this road you will reach a T-junction where you turn left. You will then reach another T-junction with the A370 dual carriageway, where you turn right. Continue along the A370 passing by two roundabouts and an Asda store on your left. At the third roundabout that you reach (with a McDonalds outlet on one side) take the third exit onto Winterstoke Road (signposted Weston Industrial Estate). The stadium is further down this road on the right.
By Bus
The bus route that passes the stadium is the Badgerline (in a distinctive green & yellow livery) No.7 with a stop right outside. There are three buses an hour during the day, tailing off to one an hour in the latter part of the evening. The route has a stop at the railway station with journey time between the station and the stadium being around 15 minutes.
By Taxi
A selection of Weston-super-Mare taxi companies can be found here.
Web Resources
Web Sites
Weston-super-Mare AFC – club’s Official Website.
2SeagullsAFC TV – Official YouTube channel.
Social Media
WSM_AFCOfficial – the club’s Twitter account.
Local Press
The Weston Mercury – has a reasonable amount of coverage of the local club.
Food & Drink
General
Given the number of times the club has changed grounds it’ll come as no surprise that the current stadium is, having tended to move further out each time, now well away from the centre of town – towards the southern edge of Weston-super-Mare in an area of estate housing and industrial estates. As such the immediate hospitality is limited. The nearest pub is The Walnut Tree (below) just over half a mile (c. 12 minutes walk) due south along Winterstoke Road. After that there’s little closer than the town centre which, being a seaside resort, is focused running for around a mile or so along the coast and between roughly 1.7 and 2.7 miles from the ground. As would be expected the town’s Wetherspoon, The Cabot Court Hotel (below), is in this area. Have tended to pick out options more to the southern end of this district and thus closer to both the railway station and the stadium. For those into micropubs there is one in Weston, The Black Cat, but is doesn’t open Mondays or Tuesdays so has not been included.
Note: Lots of places in Weston curtail (sometimes severely) their hours or even close completely ‘out of season’. While out of season cuts will vary from establishment to establishment one hopes none’s as early as our visit in September… though the schools will have gone back by then.
Club Bar
Am rather assuming, with all this worry rippling across National League South at the idea of considerable numbers of fans turning up to football matches for once, that with our visit here segregated the clubhouse will not be available to away fans. Appears the food and drink outlets within the stadium (one each of which are in the away area) accept both cash and card.
UPDATE 03/09: Away fans will have a separate bar (presumably the one called the Somerset Suite Function Room) inside the stadium. The bar, food outlet and toilets are all to the right of our turnstiles 1 & 2.
Local Pubs
Bear Inn: There’s little in the way of pubs on the way from the town centre & railway station to the stadium but this one is (kind of, with a bit of diversion) if making that walk. Reopened after long period of closure about a decade ago. Has four real ales generally from smaller West Country breweries and cider from Crossman’s based a few miles away at Mayfield Farm, Hewish. Keg is a standard mix of multinational options. Two bars, a skittle alley, darts and front & rear outside areas. Disabled access. Despite being part hotel can find no mention anywhere of it doing food – perhaps that’s residents only? Opening hours from 1.00 p.m. Monday to Thursday and noon Friday to Sunday, closing at 11.30 p.m. Monday to Thursday, midnight Friday and Saturday and 11.00 p.m. Sunday. 1.6 miles from the stadium.
The Bear Inn, 66 Walliscote Road, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, BS23 1ED. Tel: 01934 641722. Map: Bear Inn.
Brit Bar: Up towards the North of the town centre along with the Cabot Court and Regency (both below). Five changing real ales from independent producers, which can be sourced from all over the country but with an emphasis on West Country breweries, and changing real cider options. Keg is a mixture of mainstream multinational and a few more ‘craft’ type options. Wet led live music pub, no food. Under 18s only allowed up to 9.00 p.m. on music nights. Outside courtyard area. Opens at noon every day, closing midnight (or 1.00 a.m. if late music licence invoked). Exactly two miles from the stadium.
Brit Bar, 118 High Street, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, BS23 1HP. Tel: 01934 632629. Map: Brit Bar.
Cabot Court Hotel: Massive Wetherspoon spread across four floors on the sea-front, part of Tim’s gradual diversification into hotels along with the pure pubs. There are two bars, one on the ground floor and one on the second, and the beer range generally varies in each at least in terms of the guest beers. Disabled access, outside area. Opening hours: from 7.00 a.m. (doesn’t say when alcohol service begins, commonly it’s 10.00 a.m. but can be earlier in tourist areas) every day to midnight Sunday to Thursday and 12.30 a.m. Friday and Saturday. 2.3 miles from the stadium.
Cabot Court Hotel, 1 Knightstone Road, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, BS23 2AH. Tel: 01934 427930. Map: Cabot Court Hotel.
Duke of Oxford: Reopened after long period of closure in 2016 in cafe-bar style + some accommodation. A town centre Free House, the regular cask beer is from Exmoor Ales with three others changing. The Quantock Brewery features a lot but stuff from various Bristol micro-breweries can also crop up. Does real cider – stuff like Lilley’s by looks of it. Evidence of the Keg options is harder to find evidence for but possibly lines like Amstel, Kronenbourg 1664, Birra Moretti and Beavertown. Food served 10.00 a.m. – 3.00 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. – 8.30 p.m. Monday to Saturday and noon – 5.00 p.m. Sunday. Family friendly, disabled access, small outside area (but only accessible by a flight of stairs). Opens 10.00 a.m. every day, closing 10.00 p.m. Monday, 11.00 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday, midnight Friday and Saturday, 9.00 p.m. Sunday. 1.7 miles from the stadium.
Duke of Oxford, 27 Oxford Street, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, BS23 1TF. Tel: 01934 417762. Map: Duke of Oxford.
Fork ‘N’ Ale Taproom & Kitchen: Town centre pub opened by the Somerset brewers of Pitchfork Ales and 3D Beer in 2019. Sadly the brewing side, hit by inflation and the cost of living crisis, closed down in March 2023. However the pub is still operating (at least at time of writing). It now has a changing stock of four to six cask ales and around ten keg lines sourced from a wide variety of breweries in the region and further afield but also including Weston-super-Mare’s only micro-brewery Pinkers Craft Brewery. Food is mostly of the Burger and Hot Dog type (though there’s some vegetarian options) and served lunchtimes from noon – 2.30 p.m. and evenings 5.00 p.m. – 9.00 p.m. (except Monday when the kitchen is close and Sunday when service is roast dinners between noon & 4.30 p.m.) Not really disabled friendly as the toilets are upstairs. Opens from noon, closing 10.00 p.m. Monday, 11.00 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday, 11.30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 6.00 p.m. Sunday. Closest pub on this list to the railway station at under five minutes walk and 1.7 miles from the stadium.
Fork ‘N’ Ale Taproom & Kitchen, 18 Walliscote Road, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, BS23 1UG. Tel: 01934 627937. Map: Fork ‘N’ Ale Taproom & Kitchen.
Regency: Close by the Spoons (above). Traditional community style pub with pool, skittles, cribbage, jukebox and Sports TV. Children allowed in the games room area. Cask beers are the likes of Butcombe Original, St Austell Anthem, St Austell Tribute and Timothy Taylor Landlord, plus one changing guest usually from a micro-brewery. Keg is mainstream offerings. Food is filled rolls available throughout the day. Outside patio areas to front and rear. Opens from 11.00 a.m. every day, closing 11,30 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and midnight Friday and Saturday. 2.1 miles from the stadium.
The Regency, 22-24 Lower Church Road, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, BS23 2AG. Tel: 01934 633406. Map: The Regency.
Walnut Tree: Closest pub to the ground. In fact at just over half a mile (12 minutes walk) the only pub moderately close to the ground. Major refurbishment under new owners in 2020. Community style hostelry with a ‘sports’ bar (pool, darts, skittle alley, Sports TV) and a lounge bar. Wide ranging mid-range family dining (including separate children’s menu) fare served throughout the day up to 9.00 p.m. Additionally, breakfasts available all day from 10.00 a.m. on Saturdays. Two hand pumps, with Courage Best Bitter the regular and something changing on the other one. Multinational keg. Disabled access, beer garden, car park. Opening hours: from noon every day except Saturday which is 10.00 a.m., closing 11.00 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 12.30 a.m. Friday and Saturday, 10.30 p.m. Sunday.
The Walnut Tree, Winterstoke Road, Oldmixon, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, BS24 9HD. Tel: 01934 707870. Map: Walnut Tree.
Likelihood the Natives Will Understand You: Well tiz Zummerzet, but British seaside towns are odd places, with seemingly far more than their fair share of residents who are decidedly odd. It’s unlikely Weston-super-Mare will contradict this rule.
Top-Tip: Don’t drive onto the beach ?. Every year dozens of visitors are confident driving on to Weston’s beaches is a great idea. Damned low tide, came all this way and the sea’s so far away can’t even make it out. What do those dullard locals know anyway… 
…(few minutes later) OH! That tide came in fast, why did no one warn me?!
Local Amenities: English seaside resorts love their piers, despite the fact they always burn down or ships run into them or they collapse in storms. Weston-super-Mare has two, doubling those odds. Grand Pier has burnt down twice (1930 and 2008). It is currently back open. Birnbeck Pier has burned down once (1897) and collapsed three times in storms (1903, 1990 and 2015). It is not currently open.
Other Points Of Interest: In 2015 the artist Banksy opened the temporary art installation Dismaland in Weston-super-Mare. It presumably seemed a very suitable location.
[No responsibility is taken for any inaccuracies. This page is entirely the product of bias and prejudice. ]