Another Saturday and another away trip for The Robins. Berkshire is this week’s destination as Bideford take on Thatcham Town at Waterside Park. Thatcham have made a really good start to the season and are unbeaten in the league sitting in 2nd place after three straight wins over Sholing, Paulton and Cirencester. Their only defeat so far came in the FA Cup at the hands of Premier Division Salisbury in a close contest. Injury hit Bideford are without a win in three games in all competitions. The latest bad news to come from the Sports Ground is that Sam Haynes has been ruled out for the season due to a knee injury but the good news is that Josh Wadham, James Mayne and Niall Heeney should all be available again this week.

Form Guide

Thatcham Town’s last six (DWWWWL) Pos 2nd W4 D1 L0 Pts 13
07/09/19 Thatcham Town 2 Salisbury 3 (FA Cup Q1)
03/09/19 Thatcham Town 3 Cirencester Town 0 (League)
31/08/19 Paulton Rovers 1 Thatcham Town 2 (League)
26/08/19 Thatcham Town 1 Sholing 0 (League)
24/08/19 Thatcham Town 7 Andover New Street 1 (FA Cup PR)
20/08/19 Moneyfields 1 Thatcham Town 1 (League)

Bideford’s last six (LWWDLL) Pos 11th W2 D1 L2 Pts 7
07/09/19 Cinderford Town 5 Bideford 3 (FA Cup Q1)
03/09/19 Bideford 1 Paulton Rovers 3 (League)
31/08/19 Larkhall Athletic 2 Bideford 2 (League)
26/08/19 Bideford 2 Willand Rovers 1 (League)
24/08/19 Cribbs 0 Bideford 1 (FA Cup PR)
21/08/19 Frome Town 3 Bideford 0 (League)

A Brief History of Thatcham Town FC
Thatcham Town were founded in 1894 as Thatcham FC and joined the Reading Temperance League in 1896 where they would remain for 57 years winning the Division Two title in 1905/06. The club were founder members of the Hellenic League in 1953. They dropped to the newly formed Division One in 1956 but would win that division in 1958/59. After three seasons in the Premier Division they were relegated back to Division One. The Kingfishers then bounced between the two divisions over the next 20 years winning the Division One title again in 1964/65 and 1972/73. The club were renamed Thatcham Town in 1974 and went on to be crowned Hellenic League champions in 1974/75. After being relegated again in 1978 they spent four seasons in Division One before joining the Athenian League, which disbanded in 1984. Thatcham then joined the London Spartan League and after two fourth place finishes joined the Wessex League in 1986. The Kingfishers were crowned Wessex League champions in 1995/96. In 2005/06 they were runners-up and accepted promotion to the Southern League for the first time playing in Division One South & West. They sidestepped over to Division One Central for a season in 2012/13 before returning to South & West. In 2014/15 they dropped back down to the Hellenic League where they spent four seasons before winning their second Hellenic League title in 2017/18. In what must be considered the club’s greatest ever season, Thatcham also won the FA Vase by defeating Stockton Town 1-0 in the final at Wembley in front of 31,430 fans. In 2018/19 Thatcham finished 11th in Southern League Division One South.

Thatcham Town FC
Waterside Park
Crookham Hill
Thatcham
Berkshire
RG19 4PA
Tel: 01635 862016
Website: http://www.thatchamtownfootballclub.com
Twitter: @Thatcham_TownFC

Previous meetings:
09/03/19 Thatcham Town 1 Bideford 2 (Southern Div 1 South)
08/12/18 Bideford 0 Thatcham Town 1 (Southern Div 1 South)
14/04/12 Thatcham Town 1 Bideford 2 (Southern Div 1 S&W)
17/11/11 Bideford 1 Thatcham Town 0 (Southern Div 1 S&W)
29/01/11 Thatcham Town 3 Bideford 0 (Southern Div 1 S&W)
18/09/10 Bideford 1 Thatcham Town 1 (Southern Div 1 S&W)