Chipping Sodbury Town

In the summer of 1959 Cliff Phelps decided it was time football association was brought back to the town. It had been six long years since the boys of the town had donned the Blue & White of Sodbury in the Western League. After several meetings at The Bell Inn (Now Brooks Bar & Kitchen) the new club was formed. Major L.M.Harris was President, Mr. E Purbrick Chairman, Mr. C Phelps Vice Chairman, Club Captain Dennis Greenaway and Youth Captain Michael Boulton. In the initial 1959/60 season they entered a senior team into The Dursley & Wotton League and a team into the Youth Section. The following season Sodbury joined the Bristol and District League and throughout the 60's remained in Division 3.

The 1970's began with relegation, when we finished bottom of Division 3 and the slump continued in 1971/72 Season when finishing bottom of Division 4. The Mid 70's saw a few changes and the ground work of the team today. Mike Fox became player Manager and 'The Sods' began a Sunday Side. In the 1976/77 Season, Sodbury finished third in Division 5 and gained promotion. The 1978/79 Season saw us go one better and finished runners-up of Division 4. To finish the decade off and celebrate twenty years of the club's rebirth, we won the Championship of Division 3 in 1979/80.

The 1980's began were the 70's left off and a fourth place finish gave Sodbury promotion to Bristol and District Division 1. 1981/82 saw the rebirth of our Reserve side and by the end of the season, the 1st's had gained promotion to the Senior Division. From Division 5, to the Senior League in six seasons. The first season in the Senior division was mid-table finish and the end of the season saw Mike Fox's testimonial and an Ashton Gate appearance against Mangotsfield united. The following season we finished third. After finishing 15th in 1985/86 we were relegated to Division 1, where we remained until finishing runners up in 1988/89.

The 1990's kicked off with a third place finish and promotion to the Bristol Premier Combination Div 1. in 1990/91. The early 90's saw a new clubhouse and changing rooms built with Players and Committee members contributing their trades. A fourth place finish and the winning of the Premier cup in 1992/93 was the clubs best season so far. The Sods remained in Division 1 until the end of the nineties, when they were promoted to the Premier Division for the 1999/00 Season.

The 2000's and after 3 seasons in the Premier, the Sods were relegated at the end of 2001/02 season. A new manager and new era began in 2002/03. Les Underdown and his Assistant Jeff Clark both ex-players with the club took over the reins. A mid table finish in their first season, saw Les leave and left Jeff in the hot seat. The following season saw another mid-table finish and the Reserves become Champions with the exciting players

now in the squad. 2004/05 ended in a disappointing third place but the club now had a third team as well. The following season, the previous year was forgotten when the club won the Championship and promoted back to the Premier division. A mid table finish in the Premier division and the other 2 teams both winning promotion was a good season in 2006/07. 2007/08 became the clubs most successful season, when the first's won the Championship of the Premier and the reserves Champions of Bristol & District division 1. The first season and a change of manager in the Gloucestershire county league and the team finished bottom of the league, only winning 5 games. Even though the club finished bottom, they were not relegated. Mark Stenner was appointed manager and he started the steady march up the County league.

The 2010's has produced the club's most successful time in their history. Mark Stenner had taken the team to a third place finish in the County league in 2010/11. After his departure early the following season, Scott Gibson took over. A disappointing bottom place finish was followed by two seasons of rebuilding and climbing the league. Karl Reese was appointed new manager at the beginning of 2014/15 season and in his first season had promoted the club from the County league to the dizzy heights of Western League football with a third place finish. Not a bad start for the new gaffer but with some new faces and playing great football, we went 1 better the following season and won the Western League Division 1 Championship. 2016/17 and the Western League Premier division was tough but a very creditable 13th position and competing in the F.A.Vase was our most successful season so far. 2017/18 was going to be a massive mountain to climb. Karl had left the club and also half the first team had departed to pastures new. Enter Neil Simons our new gaffer, a season in the Western league to take on with half a team and to make things a little more difficult, your first game is the clubs first ever game in the F.A.Cup. The season ended with a 13th place finish, an FA Cup victory and a quarter final place in the GFA Challenge trophy. Early in the 2018/19 Season Neil decided to leave the club and shortly afterwards we appointed our present manager Joe White and his assistant Steve. At the end of the season under his leadership, the club had finished 10th in the Western League and had the best run in the FA cup in the clubs history. The club were successful in their appeal against the Hellenic League, sideways move by the F.A. So 2019/20 season was in the Western League Premier. The uncertainty of which League we would be playing in, unsettled the players and so several departed the Club before a ball was kicked that Season. Three weeks before the season started the club also lost our Manager and his Assistant. Justin Bishop & Scott Gibson took control of the 1st team as Caretaker management and remained there until the League came to an abrupt halt. The F.A. announced on 26th March 2020 that the Step 1-7 game and all grassroots football leagues and competition under its umbrella had ended, as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic. All results for the season would be expunged.

The 2020’s begin with Jeff Roberts and his team, Drew, Sean & Nick steering the 1st Team. The season was to be curtailed due to Covid-19 . The 2021/22 season is now looking more promising with the new FA restructuring of the leagues ; the football club can now begin their journey together with Jeff and his team in the Hellenic League -Premier Division. This is exciting times for the club and who knows where it will end!

Foe the rest of the club - The Reserves have a new manager in Justin Carpenter having taken over from Les Theobald who is now concentrating on General Secretary duties. Justin is a ex Sodbury member of the club who had a successful period at Brimsham Green and who is entrusted now to take the team to the Gloucester County League . The A team is still under the guidance of Ricky Gray who has seen the team move up the league ladder to the Bristol and District Senior Division ; highest ever achieved by the A team. .

The Women are in their second season in the South West Regional League (Tier 3) . Hopefully this season manager Jake Scanlon and his team like everyone will have an undisrupted season. Jake has high hopes for promotion from this group .

The two Under18 teams , one midweek and one Sunday are under the stewardship of Mark Lloyd and Steve Woodruff (midweek ) and Brian Cook (Sunday). Both teams are in the process of finalising their squads ready for the start . The football club hopes that some of these boys will eventually be playing for the Senior Mens teams.

The Committee have worked tirlesly over the enforced break to update and move forward the club. We are all volunteers and always welcome more people to join this fantastic club.