Club History

Wimborne Town Football Club – “The Magpies”

Wimborne Town Football Club was formed in 1878 and originally catered for both football and rugby. In 1884 the South Hampshire and Dorset Football Association was formed with Wimborne as one of the founder members. Three years later the Club became a founder member of the Dorset County Football Association.

The Club’s first success came in 1913 when they won the Dorset Minor Cup for the only time. A year later they were runners-up in the Dorset Junior Challenge Cup.

The Thirties were a triumphant period in Wimborne Town’s history as they carried off the Dorset League Division Two title three times and finished runners-up on a further occasion. The Magpies were also runners-up in Dorset League Division One in 1939. This period also proved successful for Wimborne in cup competitions. The Dorset Junior Challenge Cup was won twice in three final appearances and the Magpies enjoyed four Dorset Junior Amateur Cup victories in five seasons between 1935 and 1939.

Wimborne’s first senior honour came in 1937 with the Dorset Senior Amateur Cup but this turned out to be the last honour for some while and it was not until 1964 that this success was repeated. After another lean spell, this time 17 years, Wimborne won the Dorset League Division One championship without losing a match. The Reserve team retained the championship the following season.

In 1981, following the installation of floodlights and the construction of a perimeter wall and new changing rooms at their Cuthbury ground, Wimborne were admitted to the First Division of the Western League. They immediately established themselves among the leading clubs, just losing out on third spot to local rivals Swanage on goal difference. The 1984/85 season saw Wimborne Town’s most successful in the Western League when they finished in third place, this time ahead of Swanage on goal difference.

Wimborne Town joined the Wessex League in 1987 and stayed for the next 23 seasons, finishing outside the top eight only once. During that time the Magpies won the title on three occasions, in 1991/92, 1993/4 and 1999/2000 and twice finished runners-up, in 1992/93 and 1996/97. Wimborne won the Wessex League Cup in 1993/94 to become the first club to achieve the League and Cup double and this feat was repeated in 1999/2000 & 2007/08. They were also runners-up in 1990/91 and 1995/96.

In recent years, Wimborne Town have appeared in 12 County Cup Finals. The Dorset Senior Challenge Cup Final has been contested eight times with victories in 1991/92 and 1996/97. Wimborne have also reached the Dorset League Cup Final on four occasions.

The Magpies entered FA competitions for the first time in many years in 1982/83 when wins over Bridport, Falmouth Town, St Blazey, Bath City and Merthyr Tydfil earned them a visit to Aldershot, then a Football League side, in the First Round Proper. That’s where the Wembley dream ended, however, with a gallant 4-0 exit.

Before 1992, Wimborne Town’s best performances in the FA Vase had brought them Third Round appearances on three occasions. However, that record was eclipsed in 1992, when the Club, led by Chairman Brian Maidment & manager Alex Pike, enjoyed an epic run to the Wembley final where they defeated favourites Guiseley 5-3 to lift the trophy. In so doing, Wimborne Town became the first ever Dorset club at any level to contest a Wembley final. During that same historic season, Wimborne also won the Dorset Senior Challenge Cup and Wessex League championship to complete a unique treble of trophies.

Season 2009/10 saw the Club, managed by Alex Browne, gain promotion to the Southern League, the highest position in the non-league pyramid that Wimborne Town had occupied in its history.

Steve Cuss was appointed manager in June 2011 and he led the Magpies to 12th spot in the table in season 2012/13. After four years of service, during which time Steve established the Club in the Southern League and led them to the First Round Proper of the FA Trophy in 2014/15, he resigned in November 2015, club stalwart Paul Roast took over as caretaker boss before Simon Browne, brother of previous manager Alex, took over full time. Unfortunately, Simon’s financial expectations for the 2016-17 season could not be met, the playing budget being slashed and most of the squad leaving, relegation was avoided and he resigned in May 2016.

In July 2016, ex professional and former AFC Bournemouth Pre-Academy Lead Coach, Matty Holmes joined Wimborne Town as 1st Team Manager. Matty brought his brother Danny with him. Together, they introduced a new brand of football, both pleasing to the eye and effective. Matty assembled a strong but young squad which achieved our then highest position in the Southern League of 11th.

The team improved on that in 2017-18, finishing 3rd on 77 points, having scored over 100 goals, and winning the Dorset Senior Cup for the first time in 21 years. The euphoria was muted by a play-off final defeat by Swindon Supermarine in a penalty shoot-out. However, the restructuring of leagues at Steps 3 and 4, and the demise of Shaw Lane FC led to a late promotion for Wimborne as the highest performing team not already promoted.

In 2018/19 The Magpies played at Step 3 for the first time in their history in the Southern League Premier South. After an initial struggle, they held their own in the bottom half of the table. And on a dramatic last day of the season, when seven teams were in danger of falling into the third relegation spot, Wimborne ended up in 14th place, albeit with just three points to spare.

In September 2019 Matty Holmes stepped down as Wimborne Team Manager to concentrate on building and setting up the new Wimborne Town FC Elite Academy, something that Matty had been building up since his time with Wimborne Town FC.

Matty's brother Danny stepped up from Assistant Manager to become Manager with James Stokoe taking on the role as Assistant Manager / Player. When the 2019/20 season was abandoned in March, Wimborne were lying in 15th place.

As thoughts turned to the 2020/21 season, and with club budgets under serious scrutiny, Danny Holmes resigned as Manager. The Board wasted no time in appointing club legend James Stokoe as Manager, and he brought in another former player, Mark Gamble, as his Assistant. But with only five players remaining from the previous season, and on a vastly reduced budget, the new management duo set about rebuilding the team.

Although the league season was again curtailed with Wimborne having played just 6 games, there was time for the club to have a thrilling FA Cup run - reaching the 4th Round Qualifying for the first time since 1986.

In December 2020 the club moved into its brand new stadium, named New Cuthbury, on the other side of town. The Development Team were able to successfully complete their season at the new ground winning the Hampshire Combination and Development League Premier Division, but the first team had to wait until the start of the 2021/22 season to play their first league game there.

In the summer of 2021 a 3G training pitch was installed next to the main grass pitch to be used by the club's new Academy, Development Centre teams from U9s to U16s, and 20 Youth teams.

Despite the excitement of finally moving to the new stadium with its superb facilities, the 2021-22 league season was a huge disappointment on the pitch. The team managed only three league victories at New Cuthbury, finished bottom of the table, and, for the first time in their history, Wimborne Town were relegated. In addition, the new grass pitch was beset with flooding issues which caused a number of postponements. So the four-season stay at Step 3 came to an end. However, there was some cup success with the club going further in the FA Trophy than ever before, reaching Round Two. The new Academy was successfully launched. And mid-way through the season. the Club was taken over by a consortium led by former Finance Director Lee Merrifield.

With the new Board of Directors giving Manager Stokoe a better playing budget, expansive player recruitment, and remedial work on the main grass pitch carried out, the 2022-23 season started with great hope. However, an underwhelming start to the league campaign and early exits from the cup competitions, meant the departure of Stokoe and Gamble at the beginning of October. They were replaced by Tim Sills and his management team from local league rivals Hamworthy United. A 14-game unbeaten run lifted the Magpies up the table, only to be defeated in the play-off semi-final by Sholing. League attendances increased by 47% to a then Club best league average of 563, as the supporter demographic became much younger. The youthful reformed Reserves team, under former first team player / manager Christer Warren, won the Dorset Senior Trophy.

The following season, 2023-24, was a momentous one for the Club. Following considered recruitment, Tim Sills guided his squad to a first league title for 24 years. Top spot in SL Div One South was clinched on the final day of the season in front of hundreds of travelling supporters, young and not so young, at Melksham. A week earlier at New Cuthbury, a ground record crowd of 2307 watched the game against Frome boosting the average league attendance to a Club record 761. The Reserves finished second in the Dorset Premier League, and the Ladies team completed a league and league cup double. At the beginning of the season, former AFC Bournemouth goalkeeper Jimmy Glass was appointed as the Club's General Manager. Floodlights were upgraded, and a new tea hut installed as the Club, with its burgeoning youth and Academy set-up, went from strength to strength on and off the pitch.

On returning to the Southern League Premier South, the aim for 2024-25 was to consolidate the Club's position at Step 3. A 10-game undefeated run during February and March went a long way to achieving that. Tim Sills' team ended the season 10th of 22, the Club's highest finishing position in the non-league pyramid, with 57 points, another record at this level. A February Tuesday evening crowd of 2,094 for the local derby with Poole pushed the average league attendance to 765, another Club record.

The Reserves Team, consisting mainly of lads from the Academy, competed in the Dorset Premier League; the Ladies Team, under new manager Sean Hill, competed in the Southern Region WFL; Academy students, under the guidance of new Director Joe Roach, competed in three more leagues; all underpinned by a successful Youth Section comprising over 50 teams.

With the Club moving towards a financially sustainable model, a cut in the playing budget for 2025-26 led to an exodus of senior players. Manager Tim Sills replaced them with a mix of experience and exciting up-and-coming youngsters. The team made a bright start to the season, flirting with the play-off spots and having decent runs in the two major FA competitions. However, by November when the pitches turned heavy from the unrelenting rain, and injuries to key players stretched the small squad (Sills had to use 7 goalkeepers during the campaign), results fell away with the season’s target being down-graded to avoid being sucked into a relegation battle. Young loan signings steadied the ship, and the team finished 15th in the Southern League Premier South division on 51 points.

With Dorset derbies against Dorchester, Poole, and Weymouth, attendances continued to increase, setting more Club records. A capacity crowd of 2,500 for the “El Stourco” derby with Poole, a record for New Cuthbury, helped to boost the average league attendance to 771, another Club record. And for the first time in the Club’s history, over 20,00 spectators passed through the turnstiles during the season.

The Ladies team had their most successful season, playing in the Southern Region WFL, and reaching the first round proper of the Women’s FA Cup. The Academy, the Youth Development Centre, and the grassroots youth section all continued to flourish.


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
20	Hanwell	5	6
21	Havant and Waterlooville	4	6

Wimborne Town

Match Outlook

Premier South