Bideford AFC were first formed in the 1883 as Bideford Town and nicknamed “The Robins” due to their red shirts. Since the first decade of the twentieth century the club have predominantly played at the Sports Ground, Kingsley Road in Bideford. Until entering hibernation for the duration of World War Two, Bideford were a highly successful club in the North Devon district.

Following their reformation in the 1947/48 season, the club was reborn as Bideford Association Football Club and entered the Exeter & East Devon League. Bideford were runners up in the 1948/49 season and joined Western League Division Three. The Robins won the division without losing a game and two seasons later they won the second division and promotion to Division One.

In 1964/65 Bideford reached the first round proper of the FA Cup and were drawn away at Colchester United. The game finished 3-3 and the Robins subsequently lost the replay at home 1-2 with the BBC cameras present. Bideford won the Western League title three times before joining the Southern League in 1972. The club spent three seasons in Division One South before being forced to step back down to the Western League due to the increase in travelling and expenses. The club set an all-time FA Cup record when in 1974/75 they played thirteen FA Cup games in a single season – as a result of playing numerous replays in qualifying rounds including needing five games to beat Falmouth Town and four more to beat Trowbridge Town in the next round. With the subsequent abandonment of second and further replays, this record is unlikely to ever be beaten again. Bideford were finally knocked out 0-2 by Bristol Rovers. In 1977/78 Bideford again reached the First Round proper travelling to Portsmouth where they lost 1-3. Finally they achieved the feat again in 1981/82 being knocked out by Barking 1-2.

Two more Western League titles followed in the early 1980s before a financial crisis hit the club. A re-formation took place in 1987 leading to the current set up, a company limited by guarantee under the revised company name Bideford AFC (1987) Ltd.

Under the chairmanship of Jim McElwee and his successor Paul Mitchell, the club won four more Western League titles and also reached the FA Vase semi-finals where they lost to Winchester City. Despite winning the Western League four times under manager Sean Joyce between 2000 and 2006, the club elected not to apply for promotion to the Southern League due to the amount of travelling and expense.

However after winning the Western League again for the 10th time in the 2009/10 season and winning the Devon St Luke’s Bowl where they beat Exeter City 2–1 in the final, Bideford accepted promotion to the Southern League in May 2010 joining Division One South & West. In only their second season in Division One (S&W) Bideford were crowned champions by an impressive eleven point margin and gained promotion for the first time in the club's history to the Southern League Premier Division. 2013/14 saw Bideford finish in their highest ever league position of 8th in the Premier Division but after four years at that level they were relegated for the first time in their history back to Division One South in 2015/16. Bideford won the Devon St Luke’s Bowl for a sixth time in 2022 by once again beating Exeter City.

Several players from the club have progressed to Football League status, the most recent of them being Tony Dennis and Shaun Taylor. Three former internationals have played for the club at the end of their career, Welshman Leighton Phillips, Dermot Curtis and Will Haynes from the Republic of Ireland.

Bideford have won the Western League ten times, as well as lifting silverware in the Devon St Luke's Bowl (6 times), Devon Professional Cup (8 times) and Western League Cup (4 times). They have also won the Western League Alan Young Cup (twice), Western League Subsidiary Cup and the Westward Ho! cup. In FA competitions, Bideford have reached the First Round proper of the FA Cup on four occasions and reached the semi final of the FA Vase in 2003/04.

Manager Sean Joyce is an ex-professional footballer, who spent his career playing for Doncaster Rovers, Exeter City and Torquay Utd. Joyce took over the role of manager in 1998 with the club really struggling in the Western League and has gone on to guide Bideford to five Western League titles, the Southern League Division One South title, the Western League cup and two Devon St Luke’s Bowls.


14	Barnstaple Town	20	18
15	Exmouth Town	18	14
16	Shaftesbury	17	17
17	Bideford	15	16
18	Melksham Town	15	16
19	Slimbridge AFC	14	16
20	Larkhall Athletic	13	17

Bideford AFC

Match Outlook

Division One South