A Brief History of Salisbury FC
Salisbury reformed in 2015/16 after Salisbury City were expelled from the National League in 2015 for unpaid debts. Salisbury were originally founded in 1947 and played in the Western League winning the Division Two title and then the Western League title on two occasions. In 1968/69 they joined the Southern League. After changing their name to Salisbury City (not to be confused with the Salisbury City that existed from 1905-1939) they became Southern League Southern Division Champions in 1994/95. In 2005/06 they were Southern League Champions and a season later were promoted to the Conference after finishing runners-up in the Conference South. After a brief spell back in the Southern League they found their way back to the Conference (later renamed the National League) but they folded after being expelled from the league in 2014 due to unpaid debts. They reformed as Salisbury in 2015/16 and won the Wessex League Premier Division and promotion to the Southern League Division One South & West. Salisbury also reached the semi final of the FA Vase in 2015/16 losing out to Hereford 3-1 on aggregate. Last season Salisbury finished in 2nd place and missed out on promotion after losing to Tiverton Town in the play off final.

Salisbury FC
Website: http://www.salisburyfc.co.uk
Twitter: @SalisburyFC

Form Guide
With two teams being promoted automatically this season, pre-season favourites Salisbury are on course to step up to the Premier Division. They are currently second (W20 D6 L6), eleven points behind leaders Taunton Town but nine clear of AFC Totton in third place. The Whites have only lost two league games this calendar year at Didcot and a shock defeat at home to struggling Barnstaple Town. Last Saturday Salisbury drew 2-2 with Taunton but lost 2-1 to Highworth Town on Tuesday night in the semi finals of the Wiltshire Senior Cup.

Salisbury’s last six (LWWWDL)
20/03/18 Salisbury 1 Highworth Town 2 (Wiltshire Cup SF)
17/03/18 Salisbury 2 Taunton Town 2 (League)
10/03/18 Evesham United 1 Salisbury 2 (League)
24/02/18 Bishops Cleeve 1 Salisbury 2 (League)
17/02/18 Salisbury 5 Mangotsfield United 1 (League)
06/02/18 Didcot Town 3 Salisbury 1 (League)

Bideford come into Saturday’s game unbeaten in their last four. The Robins hammered Shortwood United 6-0 last Saturday and followed that up with a 3-3 draw at home to a much improved Mangotsfield United in midweek. Bideford are 8th in the West Division (W15 D8 L7) sitting two points outside of the play-offs with between two and four games in hand on those above them.

Bideford's last six (DLWWWD)
20/03/18 Bideford 3 Mangotsfield United 3 (League)
17/03/18 Shortwood United 0 Bideford 6 (League)
10/03/18 Bideford 2 AFC Totton 1 (League)
06/03/18 Bideford 3 Willand Rovers 2 (St Luke’s Cup SF)
24/02/18 Bideford 0 Kidlington 4 (League)
20/02/18 Taunton Town 1 Bideford 1 (League)

Previous meetings:
22/04/17 Bideford 0 Salisbury 1 (Southern Div 1 S&W)
10/09/17 Salisbury 4 Bideford 4 (Southern Div 1 S&W)
2002/03 Salisbury City 1 Bideford 2 (FA Cup PR)
1985/86 Salisbury 2 Bideford 0 (FA Trophy Q2)
1976/77 Bideford 2 Salisbury 1 (FA Trophy Q1)

Last season the sides drew 4-4 at the RayMac in a real rollercoaster encounter where Bideford led 3-1, then trailed 4-3 before Ian Sampson scored an injury time equaliser. On the final day of the season Salisbury edged a tight contest 1-0 at the Sports Ground.