When a town has more than one non-league club

It's quite unusual for a town to have more than one non-league club, but it does happen: Eastbourne currently has three.

Both of the last programme articles I wrote for Leamington FC concerned towns which at one time had more than one non-league club. First, St. Ives before the First World War: Mr Doyle said that they had lost several of their players, who had joined the Amateur Football Association club in the town. He thought that the principal reason was that the players did not like the ground that was hired. Mr Corbett said that he was the first secretary of the opposition club, and he should be sorry to see the Town Club to go under. He moved, “That this meeting send a deputation to the Arthurian Club to suggest a compromise, viz., that they should run a junior team and the Town Club the senior team.”’ The proposal was rejected by the meeting.

‘Mr. Golding said it was impossible for the two clubs to be run in the way that was suggested if the Arthurians still kept up the A.F.A. as members could not play for both. Mr Corbett thought the Arthurians would drop out of the A.F.A., and join the Hunts F.A. The Mayor thought that they ought to form their own club first, and then if they thought it wise this club could go to the other club and see if the compromise could be made. A show of hands was taken of those playing members present, and it was found that there were about 14.’

Chippenham

Chippenham was in the unusual position of having two senior non-league clubs for two periods in the 20th century. Chippenham Town and Chippenham United both existed in the early years of the century and then Chippenham United was revived after the Second World War. Chippenham United joined the Western League Division Two for the 1948-49 season, winning their division at their first attempt and gaining promotion to Division One. The following season, they finished above Chippenham Town for what was to be the only time in the club’s history. United’s best league finish was in 1950-51, when they finished fourth with Town in third position. The following seasons were less successful, and they only escaped relegation in 1955-56 due to the expansion of Division One. However, the club was relegated in 1957-58 after finishing bottom of the table. The club dropped out of the Western League at the end of the 1959-60 season and disbanded a couple of years later.

When the two clubs were at the height of their success, letters to the local paper called on them to merge so that the town might aspire to Southern League football, but to no avail. United were well supported, taking 2,000 fans to one away match in 1950. They also had professional players, some with Football League experience, no less than twelve in 1949. However, this does seem to have stretched them financially, as an urgent appeal was made in 1953 over the loudspeakers at the game and in the local press for additional financial support.

The presence of their rivals also seems to have put financial pressures on Chippenham Town. A loss of £711 was reported at their annual general meeting in 1951. This amounts to the substantial sum of £20,145 at today’s prices. This was in spite of a donation of £1,000 from the Supporters’ Club and the £1,000 transfer of a player to Plymouth Argyle. Taken together, these sums would amount to around £56,000 at today’s prices, so the underlying loss was £76,000. Admission fees and share of gates brought in £3,184, but this was exceeded by the £3,232 spent on wages for players. (£91,500 at today’s prices). In addition the player-manager was on £905 a year (£25,600 today) and £37 was spent on decorating his house which appears to have been provided rent free.