The Yeovil Story

As I start to write this Paddy Madden has just put Yeovil ahead in the League One playoff final.

I remember Yeovil from the dim and distant past being giantkillers in the F.A.Cup on their famously sloping football pitch. What has happened? They are on the verge of being a Championship team so their story must be one worth researching.

Google tells me that:

They were founded in 1895 and took 108 years to make it to the Football League by winning the Football Conference in 2003.

In more detail:

2012/13 - They are currently competing in the League One Playoff Final at Wembley
2011/12 - 17th in League One
2010/11 - 14th in League One
2009/10 - 15th in League One
2008/09 - 17th in League One
2007/08 - 18th in League One
2006/07 - 5th in League One
2005/06 - 15th in League One
2004/05 - CHAMPIONS of League Two
2003/04 - 8th in the Third Division (before it became League Two)

Fame: Yeovil were the very first champions of the inaugural League Two.

I think this demonstrates just how difficult it gets when you get higher up the pyramid. Yeovil are vying for promotion to the Championship but they have to hold out against Brentford in the match I am watching.

So what happened before they became a Football League club?

Apparently Yeovil Rugby Club staged Association Football from the 1890/91 season but the full establishment of Yeovil Casuals took place in 1895. They had some great local matches against Petters United but eventually the two teams merged and the club was renamed Yeovil Football and Athletic Club Ltd in 1923.

Note: James Hayter has just added a second goal so Yeovil are looking favourites to win.

I researched the below during the second half. Brentford scored but Yeovil held out.

One more step and they can join Wigan as a team that reached the Premiership via the pyramid.

2012	-13	League One Playoff Final	4th	PROMOTION WON
2011	-12	League One	17th
2010	-11	League One	14th
2009	-10	League One	15th
2008	-09	League One	17th
2007	-08	League One	18th
2006	-07	League One Playoff Final	5th
2005	-06	League One	15th
2004	-05	League Two	CHAMPIONS	First season as League Two
2003	-04	Football League Division Three	8th	Last season as 3rd Division
2002	-03	Football Conference	CHAMPIONS	22 teams
2001	-02	Football Conference	3rd	22 teams
2000	-01	Football Conference	2nd	22 teams
1999	-00	Football Conference	7th	22 teams
1998	-99	Football Conference	5th	22 teams
1997	-98	Football Conference	11th	22 teams
1996	-97	Isthmian League	CHAMPIONS	22 teams
1995	-96	Isthmian League	4th	22 teams
1994	-95	Football Conference	22nd	22 teams RELEGATED
1993	-94	Football Conference	19th	22 teams
1992	-93	Football Conference	4th	22 teams
1991	-92	Football Conference	15th	22 teams
1990	-91	Football Conference	14th	22 teams
1989	-90	Football Conference	7th	22 teams
1988	-89	Football Conference	9th	21 teams
1987	-88	Isthmian League	CHAMPIONS	22 teams
1986	-87	Isthmian League	2nd	22 teams
1985	-86	Isthmian League	2nd	22 teams
1984	-85	Alliance Premier League	22nd	22 teams RELEGATED
1983	-84	Alliance Premier League	20th	22 teams
1982	-83	Alliance Premier League	20th	22 teams
1981	-82	Alliance Premier League	13th	22 teams
1980	-81	Alliance Premier League	14th	20 teams
1979	-80	Alliance Premier League	12th	20 teams
1978	-79	Southern League Premier Division	9th
1977	-78	Southern League Premier Division	12th
1976	-77	Southern League Premier Division	7th
1975	-76	Southern League Premier Division	2nd
1974	-75	Southern League Premier Division	3rd
1973	-74	Southern League Premier Division	6th
1972	-73	Southern League Premier Division	2nd
1971	-72	Southern League Premier Division	7th
1970	-71	Southern League Premier Division	CHAMPIONS
1969	-70	Southern League Premier Division	2nd
1968	-69	Southern League Premier Division	8th
1967	-68	Southern League Premier Division	12th
1966	-67	Southern League Premier Division	14th
1965	-66	Southern League Premier Division	9th
1964	-65	Southern League Premier Division	4th
1963	-64	Southern League Premier Division	CHAMPIONS
1962	-63	Southern League Premier Division	11th
1961	-62	Southern League Premier Division	4th
1960	-61	Southern League Premier Division	3rd
1959	-60	Southern League Premier Division	11th
1958	-59	Southern League South Eastern Zone	4th	Big Football Restructuring
1957	-58	Southern League	13th
1956	-57	Southern League	16th
1955	-56	Southern League	3rd
1954	-55	Southern League	CHAMPIONS
1953	-54	Southern League	3rd
1952	-53	Southern League	18th
1951	-52	Southern League	17th
1950	-51	Southern League	13th
1949	-50	Southern League	3rd
1948	-49	Southern League	8th
1947	-48	Southern League	8th
1946	-47	Southern League	4th	Yeovil Town
1945	-46	Southern League	6th	Yeovil & Petters United
1944	-45	WORLD WAR 2
1943	-44	WORLD WAR 2
1942	-43	WORLD WAR 2
1941	-42	WORLD WAR 2
1940	-41	WORLD WAR 2
1939	-40	WORLD WAR 2
1938	-39	Southern League	5th
1937	-38	Southern League	4th
1936	-37	Southern League	7th
1935	-36	Southern League Western Division	7th
1934	-35	Southern League Western Division	CHAMPIONS
1933	-34	Southern League Western Division	5th
1932	-33	Southern League Western Division	5th
1931	-32	Southern League Western Division	CHAMPIONS
1930	-31	MYSTERY
1929	-30	Southern League Western Division	5th
1928	-29	Southern League Western Division	10th
1927	-28	Southern League Western Division	9th
1926	-27	Southern League Western Division	12th
1925	-26	Southern League Western Division	7th
1924	-25	Southern League Western Division	11th
1923	-24	Southern League Western Division	CHAMPIONS
1922	-23	Southern League English Section	17th

Life beyond Elmore

My research found that the Western League holds Tier 9 and Tier 10 teams in the Premier and First Divisions. But although this is where I want to start my project there are many layers below this level.

I found that the South West Peninsula League holds Tier 10 and Tier 11 teams meaning that there is some overlap at least at this point. There are several leagues that feed into the SWPL but I am staying local at this point in time. I may expand later.

My feeder League is the Devon & Exeter League so I can continue my personal pyramid a few more layers down towards the grass roots. The season has not quite ended yet so I will save the publication of the full pyramid until I have final tables for all divisions.

I am building a list of related websites so those should appear shortly down the right hand side. Maybe they are already there as you read this.

Perhaps I should get a life, but in the meantime I will pursue this knowledge in the hope that others will become interested and decode their part of the F.A. Pyramid.

Chance Meeting

I was sat beside a small bonfire drinking tea (as you do) when I got into conversation with a young man who wanted to talk. After many different subjects had been covered he revealed that he was a footballer who had played for Exeter City, our local Football League Team.

He was one of the many who do not make the grade, at least at the first attempt, so my immediate suggestion was that he join my new found hopefuls "THE ELMORE EAGLES". He revealed that he had tried them but did not think they were very well run. From what I have seen I am inclined to agree. The other problem that Elmore have is that they represent a very small area of a very small town which means that growing the crowd will be nigh on impossible.

We discussed a higher level and Tiverton Town were mentioned but he said that he had also tried there and did not like the atmosphere. I have not watched Tiverton play yet but it is on my list and when I think about that level I will find out for myself. I had to ask who he was playing for and he told me about "Buckland Athletic". That is a team on my radar with greater potential as the population of Newton Abbot could be galvanised if things go well.

Buckland Athletic play in the Premier Division of the Western League which is a level above Elmore so they are much much nearer the top of the Premiership. This means we could get there in nine years instead of the ten that it would take Elmore to get to the top. These boys have to be watched, particularly as I now know one of the players. I actually know two of the players but the other one is not a regular friend although I can identify him by sight.

My plan at the moment is to abandon Elmore to their fate in the South West Peninsula League and head for Buckland at the start of next season. I am now following two teams near the bottom of the Football Association pyramid. I shall probably pick up more as the journey continues.

The Wigan Journey

Watching the F.A.Cup Final between Wigan Athletic and Manchester City I am reminded that Wigan were a non-league side not so long ago. I decided to examine their journey.

They joined the Cheshire League in 1932-33 and learned quickly as they were champions of that league in 1933-34, 1934-35 and 1935-36. Early success can galvanise a club but they continued at the same level and were not champions again until 1964-65.

In 1968 there was a new league and Wigan being ambitious joined the Northern Premier League. At the end of the 1968-69 season they were second as they were the following year and in 1970-71 they became champions of the league. This was clearly a well run club with footballing talent that matched and overcame the competition they were up against.

Two more seasons in third place, the next in second place and then champions again in 1974-75 was a good indication that they should and could show more ambition. In fact they suffered 34 failed attempts to join a higher standard over the years including one attempt in 1972 to join the Scottish League second division. Eventually they joined the Football League in 1978.

Football League records are more comprehensive than non-league records so we know that they spent four years in the Fourth Division finishing 6th, 6th, 11th and then 3rd. Ten seasons followed in the Third Division but as soon as the League was restructured when the Premiership was created  they were relegated from the newly formed Second Division back into the Third Division.

They spent four more years in Division Three, the new lowest division of the Football League, during which time Dave Whelan took over with the ambition of taking them into the Premiership.

As champions of division three they were promoted in 1996-97. It was also as champions that they were promoted from division two in 2002-03. They finished seventh in Football League Division One during the 2003-04 season and then they were part of the newly designated Football League Championship in 2004-05.

That new designation encouraged them to finish 2nd at the end of the 2004-05 season and that resulted in Dave Whelan achieving his target ready for the start of the 2005-06 season.

Wigan have been in the Premiership since then although this season they are in serious danger of being relegated so my advice to them is to win the F.A.Cup and they have certainly done well in the first half.

Saved by the rain

I very nearly went to watch another team tonight.

Two things stopped me. The size of my enormous electricity bill and the fact that it is raining.

We might take this as a sign that Elmore are my team, although I owe them nothing. The close season holds the possibility that I may pick another team to follow, particularly given the quality of the performances I watched. Maybe the chances of success are greater if I pick teams from the various levels of the pyramid and follow each of them as they move up (or down).

This project is at an early stage and is not yet well defined.

"Pick a team and take them up."

For every time that goes up one must come down so maybe we should start a parallel project.

"Take a team and hate them down."

They say that nothing ever happens without someone somewhere wanting it to.

The Final Straw

My wife and I went away for a few days and decided on the journey home not to stop and watch the men in green. We felt they that they might perform better if we were NOT there. When I checked the Western Football League site the following day it seemed that we made no difference at all to the score.

It was another three goal home defeat to end the season.

The motto of every football fan has to be "There is always next season".

The crowd doubles

On my second attendance at my new club the result was the same, a three goal home defeat.

The crowd was almost double though, and increasing the crowd is the first of my many tasks if we are to progress up through the ranks and eventually take on the mighty Manchester United. Come and watch Elmore everyone. We are rubbish!

It was a pleasant and warm Saturday in a cold year and the bar was open for business before the match. I swapped my glass for a plastic pint in order to enter the ground area and the feeling was relaxed all around. That may have transferred onto the pitch. We did cheer the one goal loudly.

One more match left this season.

End of Day One

As we reach the end of day one of this blog even if I do no more I hope it inspires others.

I have good intentions but that may mean I am on the road to hell.

I used to be part of a cricket club with two teams and I played for the second team at the bottom of the lowest division of the lowest league in my area. I stayed ten years as we expanded to six teams and rose a few divisions allowing the third team, then the fourth team, then the fifth team into the league. I have left now but I still follow the club and last season all five teams gained promotion and I believe the sixth team have now been accepted into the league. You need players that can move up just the right amount if you are going to reach the top. The first team have just reached the Premier Division for the second time.

To keep everyone happy they have to get a match at a level in which they can compete. Sometimes you need to be challenged and sometimes you need to be made aware of how good you are.

More thoughts as time progresses. If you start your own "Project Pyramid" please do me the honour of linking to my blog and I will link to yours.

Matchday at Elmore

At the start of today's match there was hope.



By the end of the match the Elmore coach had accused his own team of having sex using their own hands.

I think we need a new team, but then I look at the changes at Arsenal season by season and that is all part of the process. Players come and players go but the team marches onwards and upwards.

I heard today that the reserves have won their league as have the Under 16s. The future is bright.

The task itself - simplified

The aim of the project is to rise to the top of the tree.

Let us make the task look easy.

All we need to do is beat all of the following teams in the pyramid:

1		Manchester United
2		Manchester City
3		Arsenal
4		Chelsea
5		Tottenham Hotspur
6		Everton
7		Liverpool
8		West Bromwich Albion
9		Swansea City
10		West Ham United
11		Stoke City
12		Fulham
13		Aston Villa
14		Southampton
15		Norwich City
16		Newcastle United
17		Sunderland
18		Wigan Athletic
19		Reading
20		Queens Park Rangers
21		Cardiff City
22		Hull City
23		Watford
24		Brighton & Hove Albion
25		Crystal Palace
26		Leicester City
27		Bolton Wanderers
28		Nottingham Forest
29		Charlton Athletic
30		Derby County
31		Burnley
32		Birmingham City
33		Leeds United
34		Ipswich Town
35		Blackpool
36		Middlesbrough
37		Blackburn Rovers
38		Sheffield Wednesday
39		Huddersfield Town
40		Millwall
41		Barnsley
42		Peterborough United
43		Wolverhampton Wanderers
44		Bristol City
45		Doncaster
46		Bournemouth
47		Brentford
48		Yeovil
49		Sheffield United
50		Swindon Town
51		Leyton Orient
52		Milton Keynes Dons
53		Walsall
54		Crawley
55		Tranmere
56		Notts County
57		Crewe Alexandra
58		Preston North End
59		Coventry
60		Shrewsbury
61		Carlisle
62		Stevenage
63		Oldham
64		Colchester
65		Scunthorpe
66		Bury
67		Hartlepool
68		Portsmouth
69		Gillingham
70		Rotherham
71		Port Vale
72		Burton Albion
73		Cheltenham
74		Northampton
75		Bradford
76		Chesterfield
77		Oxford United
78		Exeter City
79		Southend United
80		Rochdale
81		Fleetwood
82		Bristol Rovers
83		Wycombe Wanderers
84		Morecambe
85		York
86		Accrington
87		Torquay
88		Wimbledon
89		Plymouth Argyle
90		Dagenham & Redbridge
91		Barnet
92		Aldershot
93		Mansfield
94		Kidderminster
95		Newport
96		Grimsby
97		Wrexham
98		Hereford
99		Luton
100		Dartford
101		Braintree
102		Forest Green
103		Macclesfield
104		Woking
105		Alfreton
106		Cambridge
107		Nuneaton
108		Lincoln City
109		Gateshead
110		Hyde
111		Tamworth
112		Southport
113		Stockport
114		Barrow
115		Ebbsfleet
116		Telford
117		Welling
118		Salisbury
119		Dover
120		Eastleigh
121		Chelmsford
122		Sutton United
123		Weston-Super-Mare
124		Dorchester
125		Boreham Wood
126		Havant and Waterlooville
127		Bath City
128		Eastbourne Borough
129		Farnborough
130		Basingstoke
131		Bromley
132		Tonbridge Angels
133		Hayes & Yeading
134		Staines Town
135		Maidenhead United
136		AFC Hornchurch
137		Billericay
138		Truro City
139		Leamington
140		Stourbridge
141		Chesham United
142		Hemel Hempstead Town
143		Gosport Borough
144		Arlesley Town
145		Barwell
146		Cambridge City
147		Weymouth
148		Bedford Town
149		St Albans City
150		St Neots Town
151		Hitchin Town
152		AFC Totton
153		Chippenham Town
154		Banbury United
155		Bashley
156		Frome Town
157		Redditch United
158		Bideford
159		Bedworth United
160		Kettering Town
161		Poole Town
162		Hungerford Town
163		Merthyr Town
164		Swindon Supermarine
165		Paulton Rovers
166		Yate Town
167		Sholing
168		Shortwood United
169		North Leigh
170		Cinderford Town
171		Cirencester Town
172		Wimborne Town
173		Mangotsfield United
174		Evesham United
175		Clevedon Town
176		Tiverton Town
177		Didcot Town
178		Taunton Town
179		Bridgwater Town
180		Abingdon United
181		Bishops Cleeve
182		Winchester City
183		Bishop Sutton
184		Brislington
185		Gillingham Town
186		Cadbury Heath
187		Larkhall Athletic
188		Street
189		Bitton
190		Odd Down (Bath)
191		Hallen
192		Willand Rovers
193		Buckland Athletic
194		Winterbourne United
195		Melksham Town
196		Bridport
197		Longwell Green Sports
198		Ilfracombe Town
199		Radstock Town
200		Bristol Manor Farm
201		Wells City
202		Barnstaple Town
203		Sherborne Town
204		Hengrove Athletic
205		Bradford Town
206		Corsham Town
207		Oldland Abbotonians
208		Chard Town
209		Shepton Mallet
210		Cribbs Friends Life
211		Calne Town
212		Almondsbury UWE
213		Elmore Eagles
214		Cheddar
215		Keynsham Town
216		Portishead Town
217		Warminster Town
218		Welton Rovers
219		Roman Glass St George
220		Wellington
221		Westbury United
222		Shrewton United
223		Devizes Town

My chosen team are at 213 in the pyramid table meaning that we just need to rise 213 places to reach the top of the tree. We are already above 10 teams in our league.

My First Experience

I offered my wife a night out at the football and she accepted.

We paid our £5 each to get in and bought a program at £1 to find out who was who. There was a list of players but no numbers were attached and that is probably best given the lack of talent on show. 

I was proud to feel important next day when I checked the attendance. Twenty three people in the crowd means that given the officials we were outnumbered by the people on the playing surface.

This project could be a very interesting education.

Elmore Eagles

It has to start somewhere so I looked at the teams in the various leagues and I have another idea for next season which may take over from the dream of a phoenix flying high. I called up Google Maps and checked the locations for teams where a place name was obvious and checked websites for teams where it was not so.

Elmore was quite obviously a small village near Gloucester and clearly far too far for me to travel.

I then came across a very interesting site (well I was researching the pyramid at the time) called

The Pyramid

There was a map on the site or in a site that was linked to it showing a team just up the road from me (30 minutes drive) and I was intrigued. This disagreed with my research to date.

Elmore turns out to be an area of Tiverton. It is not mentioned on Google Maps. This is a secret team in a secret place that nobody could possibly find. What better team for this project?

Thus began the idea = "Elmore Eagles for the Premiership".

My Corner of the Pyramid

For the project I have to find a local team (obviously to keep travelling costs to a minimum).

MY PYRAMID

1. Premiership
2. Championship
3. League One
4. League Two
5. Conference Premier
6. Conference South
7. Southern League Premier
8. Southern League South & West
9. Western League Premier
10. Western League First Division

At this point I noticed an anomaly. The pyramid is not perfectly structured.
To get things right I have to break the pyramid and that has led me to my conclusion.

The Western League First Division has been given the same grading as the South West Peninsula League Premier Division so any team wanting to progress from the South West Peninsula League goes straight into the Western League Premier Division.

10. South West Peninsula League Premier Division
11. South West Peninsula League East Division
12. Devon & Exeter League Premier Division
13. Devon & Exeter League Division One
14. Devon & Exeter League Division Two
15. Devon & Exeter League Division Three
16. Devon & Exeter League Division Four
17. Devon & Exeter League Division Five
18. Devon & Exeter League Division Six
19. Devon & Exeter League Division Seven
20. Devon & Exeter League Division Eight

So I can choose one or maybe both of two "Ten year project"s.

A) Get a team from division 8 of the Devon & Exeter League into the South West Peninsula League.

OR

B) Get a team from the Western League First Division into the Premiership

I am well aware that this will not happen for me but if enough people try in various regions of the country it will happen for somebody sometime and that is the aim.

The Pyramid

For those who want to know the Football Association Pyramid is as follows:

1. Barclays Premiership

2. Npower Championship

3. Npower League One

4. Npower League Two

These four levels are the current definition of the old Football League Divisions 1,2,3 and 4.

After this there is the non-League structure which has changed over the years. I may research the history of non-League sometime or I may leave that to somebody else. The current structure is:

5. Blue Square Bet Football Conference Premier Division

Agreement has been reached that there is now automatic promotion from this league into the Football League. Historically it was up to ambitious teams to apply for a League place.

6. Blue Square Bet Football Conference North Division
6. Blue Square Bet Football Conference South Division

This is the first level where a regional split is important to keep travelling costs to a minimum.

Most people will not have looked any further but I will now list the non-League structure

Step 1 = Football Conference Premier Division (Tier 5)
Step 2 = Football Conference North/South Divisions (Tier 6)
Step 3 = Northern Premier League (Tiers 7&8)
Step 3 = Southern Football League (Tiers 7&8)
Step 3 = Isthmian League (Tiers 7&8)
Step 4 = Divisional divisions of the above 3 leagues
Step 5 = Tier 9 and is comprised of the following leagues:
Combined Counties League
Eastern Counties League
Essex Senior Football League
Hellenic League
Kent League
Midland Alliance
Northern Counties East League
Northern League
North West Counties League
Spartans South Midland League
Sussex County League
United Counties League
Wessex League
Western League

I have continued to extend the pyramid but only in my local area so for this post I stop here.

Note that at the bottom of this tree is the "Western League".

Pick a team and take them up

I was researching the Football Association pyramid last week and although I have tried to work it out before this time I was determined to do so.

The theory behind the pyramid is that you can take your under 8s church side and as they grow up earn promotion season after season and then by the time they are 36 you win the Premiership with the same team. It is, of course, only a theory as there are so many hurdles to overcome on the journey that I do not believe anyone can achieve the goal.

There is no reason, however, why we should not dream and try to raise a team of choice up the ladder. This is MY blog, but I would love it to inspire others and lead them to get their local team up the pyramid and into a position where they can challenge for honours.

That is the aim of this blog. Pick your team, follow it, and raise it up the pyramid.