CLUBS WITH PIERS PART THREE - SOUTHWOLD TOWN FC

Southwold, Suffolk is one of the most picturesque seaside towns in Great Britain with a fantastic unspoilt sea-front and beach. It is famous for many things such as the colourful huts that sprawl alongside the beach, being the home to Adnams Brewery and the location where some of the outside shots of the CBEEBIES show 'Grandpa in my Pocket' are filmed. My nearly four year old son was delighted to visit Miss Smiley's shop on the pier and to see the lighthouse that is home to Mr Mentor the Inventor. The outside of Jason Mason's (who for those not in the know is the main character in one my son's favouirite programmes) house is actually filmed in near-by Aldeburgh, which is equally as nice as it's neighbouring town. 



A poster in the Town's High Street advertising forthcoming games in April this year 

The Suffolk town is also home to a football club - Southwold Town competed in Division Two in the Gleave and Associates Anglian Combination for the 2010/11 season. This is at Step 9 of the non-league pyramid and for this past season they played alongside (amongst others) Sprowston Wanderers, Sprowston Athletic Reserves, Scole United, Thetford Rovers and Norwich CEYMS* who were crowned Division Two champions by just three points from runners-up Hellesdon and Foulsham in third place.

*C.E.Y.M.S is an acronym for 'Church Of England Young Mens Society'

The award winning Pier at Southwold (taken earlir in the year by the cold end)

Gleave & Asscciates Anglian Combination Division Two Final Table for 2010/11 
                     P  W  D L  GD  PTS 
1 Norwich CEYMS      30 23 4 3  51  73 
2 Hellesdon          30 22 4 4  78  70
3 Foulsham           30 23 1 6  66  70 
4 Mundford           30 17 7 6  43  58 
5 Attleborough Town  30 15 5 10 21  50 
6 Thetford Rovers    30 15 4 11 44  49 
7 Hempnall Res       30 13 9 8  23  48 
8 Wortwell           30 15 3 12 24  47 * 
9 Acle United Res    30 13 6 11 -2  45 
10 Scole United      30 9 6 15 -11  33 
11 Beccles Caxton    30 7 5 18 -27  26 
12 Sprowston Wand    30 8 3 19 -59  26 * 
13 Downham Town Res  30 8 1 21 -56  25 
14 Thorpe Village    30 6 5 19 -41  23 
15 Southwold Town    30 7 3 20 -54  23 * 1 pt deducted  
16 Sprowston Ath Res 30 4 4 22 -100 16
The one point decucted was when Southwold were unable to fulfill the 11th December   

This season hasn't been a good one for the club's first team as you can see they were only beaten into bottom  position by the Reserve side of Sprowston Athletic.

Formed in 1895 the club has seen some success in their recent history when in 2004/05 they had a run of glory to the final of the Suffolk FA Junior Cup Final where they met one of their local rivals in Leiston St Margarets of the Suffolk and Ipswich League Division One. The game played at Ipswich Town's Portman Road ground finished 0-0 after extra time where their near-neighbours (just over 10 miles seperate the two towns) won 6-5 on penalty kicks. The cup run is even more impressive when you see that every game bar Round One was played away from home. Division Three and Divison Two of the Anglian Combination were also won, acheiving back-to-back promotions, in season's 2003/04 and 2004/05.

Southwold's Cup Run to the Suffolk FA Junior Cup Final 2004/05 

Round 1 - Southwold Town          7 Beccles Town         0 
Round 2 - Kirkley & Pakefield Res 0 Southwold Town       3 
Round 3 - East Bergholt United    0 Southwold Town       6 
Round 4 - St Edmunds 1965         2 Southwold Town       2 AET (Southwold won on penalty kicks 4-5)
QF      - Hundon                  2 Southwold Town       3 AET
SF      - Brantham Athletic       1 Southwold Town       5 
FINAL   - Southwold Town          0 Leiston St Margarets 0 AET (LSM won on penalty kicks 6-5) 

This season they didn't have much luck in the competition going out in Round One to the wonderfully named 'Blundeston Magpies' (of the Lowestoft and District League Division One). Leiston St Margarets qualified for the final again this year but lost out to Glemsford and Cavendish United in front of 596 people at Portman Road. G&C United play in the Cambridgeshire FA County League Division BIS3A (both Glemsford and Cavendish are located just to the North of Sudbury) alongside another fanstically named side 'Figleaves'.

Southwold Town Reserves didn't have much luck either this season in their league campaign finishing 12th of 13 teams in the Notley's Lowestoft and District League Division Three.

Adnams & Co brewery in the Town

Games are played on Southwold Common on pitches shared with the local rugby club. All the cold end could see when visiting in April were rugby posts so i'm not sure if I was looking in the right place??

With Leiston FC set to join the Ryman Division One (North) ranks for the 2011/12 season I think many fans may take the opportunity to visit either Southwold or Aldeburgh before or after they play at Victory Road. Knowing Enfield Town's luck we'll get a Tuesday night trip like we've had to Lowestoft and Needham Market over the past few seasons.