CHIPPENHAM TOWN FOOTBALL CLUB: 1873 – 2026

Note: For programme space reasons, the full Chippenham Town FC history covering the Club’s earlier years prior to its promotion to the National League South, can be found on the website accessed via the following link:

https://chippenhamtown.com

Season 2017-2018, the Chippenham Town’s first in the National League South, was about consolidation as the side adjusted to a markedly different pace and quality of football. Changes in the management team also ensued and having hovered around the lower positions for some weeks, a late run of form meant the Bluebirds finished their first season in a creditable thirteenth place. In the Wilts County FA Senior Cup, performances ensured an appearance in the final of the competition against Highworth Town. The game, played at the Swindon Town FC’s County Ground, saw the Bluebirds lift a second piece of silverware in successive seasons, courtesy of a 3-0 win.

Season 2018-2019 was the Bluebirds second season in the National League South with consolidation and avoiding 'second season syndrome' the main aim. Things were not helped with injuries or unavailability to eight key players, several of them long term but despite that we again finished thirteenth in the League with one more point than our inaugural season. The biggest disappointment occurred in the FA Cup. Having held National League side Maidenhead United to a 1-1 fourth qualifying round draw, we lost the replay in Berkshire 1-0 after seeing two goals harshly ruled out for offside and being reduced to ten players. Hence, we also missed out on a lucrative televised home tie against high flying Portsmouth in the First Round Proper.

The 2019/20 season saw our one hundredth season at the Thornbury Surfacing Ltd Stadium Hardenhuish Park, having first kicked off here on 20 September 1919 when we played Spencer Moulton, the game ending in a 2-2 draw with gate receipts of £10! Despite a good run to the First Round Proper in the 2019/20 Emirates FA Cup where a 3-0 home defeat against Northampton Town ended the Club’s interest, ongoing League performance was worrying with the Bluebirds hovering just above the relegation positions. It was decided a change of management was due and in early 2020, Mark Collier, who had managed the side for some six years, was replaced by Mike Cook and his team. This change injected a new impetus and after a shaky first couple of games under the new manager, the Bluebirds went on an unbeaten seven game run lifting them to twelfth place before the season prematurely ended on 16 March due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the last game of the season turning out to be a creditable single goal home draw against the eventual National League South champions, Wealdstone. Final resolution of the league, on a points per game system, however, reduced the club to fourteenth slot.

Summer 2020 witnessed the Coronavirus pandemic’s grip tightening. Eventually, the season commenced in October albeit with games played behind closed doors and clubs having to develop Covid protocols governing the conduct of fixtures and the safe return of spectators. The situation eased sufficiently to allow restricted numbers of spectators to attend the Boxing Day home fixture with local rivals, Bath City, before a second Government lockdown meant behind closed door fixtures resumed. The ongoing financial impact caused by the absence of fans coupled with a cessation of Government grant funding at the end of 2020, meant that several National League member clubs, including Chippenham Town, found themselves increasingly financially unable to fulfil their 2021 fixtures. The Club was eventually charged under National League Rule 8.39 for failing to fulfil four fixtures and subsequently fined £8,000 with a suspended 8-point deduction carried over to season 2021/22 in the event of a similar breach. In the worsening financial climate, the National League asked member clubs to vote on the continuance of the season. The National Division continued whilst North and South Divisions were ultimately declared “null and void”. This declaration did not negate the Rule 8.39 sanctions which the Club took to a FA Appeal hearing but lost.

Season 2021/22 witnessed the return of a full league programme and culminated in the Club’s highest ever place, finishing seventh in the National League South and clinching the final play-off place in the last game of the season. But before that happened, a change of management with a handful of games to go saw the departure of Mike Cook and his assistants. Ex-Bluebird, Gary Horgan, was invited to take over as manager and Matt Coupe was subsequently appointed his assistant. A tough run-in lay ahead with the Bluebirds having to play virtually all the sides in the play-off positions. To secure their own play-off finals place, they needed to win at Havant & Waterlooville while the home team needed a minimum of a draw. A 0-2 victory for the Bluebirds saw them justifiably steal seventh place to earn an away play-off Eliminator at Dartford. On a Thursday evening, a tight game with no score at ninety minutes and still goalless after extra time, went to penalties which the Bluebirds eventually won 2-3. No respite, though, as three days later they were back to Kent for the play-off Semi Final at Ebbsfleet Utd. Another heroic performance saw the goals once again remain stubbornly absent at ninety minutes and another extra time loomed. This time, however, the lottery of the penalties was avoided as Ebbsfleet, in the first half of extra time, scored the only goal of the game to earn themselves a place in the play-off Final. So, a hugely successful season for the Bluebirds was over but this was one for which they could be justifiably proud.

Season 2022/23 had a slightly different ring about it. Having once again finished mid-table in thirteenth place, this was a season that saw the side flirt with the relegation positions for a period. A final unbeaten run of twenty games in the run up to the Season was well-timed and elevated the Club to mid-table safety. The league exploits contrasted with the FA Cup, however, where the Club made it to the Second Round Proper for the first time in its history. Having beaten Lincoln City in the First Round Proper at home one-nil in front of an almost capacity crowd the next round heralded an away visit to Burton Albion. A six-one defeat brought the Cup run to an end but the record books won’t reflect that this was by no means a stroll for the home side as even though the scoreline might not reflect it, for large parts of the game the Bluebirds more than held their own.

So on to Season 2023/24. A slower start saw the Bluebirds finally finish twelfth when an unmanageable away programme had them travelling 800 miles in a week to squeeze in rearranged fixtures, some at the second or third time of asking, because of the weather. This punishing final flurry of games possibly deprived the side of a last place play off finish but who’s to say? Exits from the FAC and FAT competitions were offset though by the Club winning the Wiltshire County FA Premier Shield competition after two byes and playing only one game in the run up to the final. This was a positive finale to the season.

Season 2024/25 was mixed. On the road performances were better than home as the season got underway and things largely stayed that way as it continued. Early cup competition exits did nothing to lift spirits. In the end, however, league performance eventually saw the Bluebirds ending the season in mid-table fourteenth place in what was probably a fairly non-descript season.

Season 2025/26 was not a happy one as the club experienced the disappointment of relegation following a season in which the Bluebirds won only one game away from home accompanied by a series of lacklustre home performances and disappointing cup runs which ended the Club’s eight year run in the National League South. The lack of winning games saw the Bluebirds flirting with the drop for some months and although performances picked up in the season’s later stages, they weren’t sufficient to avoid relegation. It has to be said, however, that there were no games where the side was badly outplayed, although a series of added time defeats did nothing to help the points tally.


13	GosportBorough	7	6
14	Basingstoke Town	7	6
15	Sholing FC	7	6
16	Chippenham Town	7	6
17	Bracknell Town	7	6
18	Wimborne Town	6	6
19	Gloucester City	5	6

Chippenham Town

Match Outlook

Premier South