City make special date with Oxford City (31/1/17)
City have rearranged their recently postponed Vanarama National League South trip to Oxford City for Tuesday 14 February (ko 7.45pm).
And the Bristol City U23 match against Southampton at Twerton Park will take place on Thursday 16 February (ko 2pm).
Watkins on the double to down Margate (28/1/17)
A first half double from Andy Watkins was enough to see City past Vanarama National League South bottom side Margate at Twerton Park this afternoon. It took just two minutes for City to breach the visitors rearguard as Marvin Morgan’s pass sent Nick McCootie clear. His shot was parried by keeper Pajetat but Watkins reacted quickest to slide the ball into the net. After this flying start the game was even for the next twenty minutes although City continued to look the more likely to add to the scoring. And on 25 minutes the Margate defence allowed a Billy Murphy free-kick to travel right across the face of goal where Watkins was perfectly placed to volley home from close range. This should have been cue for City to take full control of the game but instead they endured a frustrating hour as Margate pushed them back for long spells. Morgan had the ball in the net for the Gate from an offside position then ex-City winger Swallow fired a shot narrowly over early in the second half but for all their possession that was as close as the Kent side would come. In fact, despite failing to push on from their first half performance City should really have added further goals, Connor Lemonheigh-Evans spurning a couple of good openings and several other efforts on goal failing to trouble Pajetat. McCootie was unlucky when his late effort crashed against the underside of the bar but the win stretches City’s unbeaten run to six games ahead of the local derby at Weston Super Mare next weekend.
Collection for Jamie Mines at Margate game (27/1/17)
City will hold a bucket collection at tomorrow’s match against Margate to help raise money for Jamie Mines. The former Frome Town, Radstock Town, Larkhall Athletic and Paulton Rovers striker, and father to newly-born twin girls, suffered life-changing injuries in an accident at work just before Christmas. Donations to the appeal can also be made at www.gofundme.com/raising-money-for-jamie-mines.
City striker Stuart Fleetwood’s loan deal with Weymouth has been extended until the end of the season.
City legend to mark 20 years a Roman (25/1/17)
Exactly 20 years to the day Jim Rollo made his debut for Bath City away to Kettering Town and the Club are very pleased to mark this date by announcing they will be staging a testimonial match for the City legend. Jimmer’s debut came during a loan spell from Cardiff City midway through the 1996-97 season. Another loan spell during the 1998-99 season followed before he joined the club permanently in May 2002. Since then (apart from a short spell with Chippenham Town in December 2012) he has been a fixture at Twerton Park, playing 484 games to sit fourth in the all-time appearance list. He captained City to the Southern League Premier Division Championship win in 2007 and also promotion back to the Conference Premier three years later. His passion for the Romans has now been transferred to the dressing room and touchline as assistant to manager Gary Owers.
Jim spoke exclusively to the website, “I would like to thank the club for rewarding me with a testimonial game for my services to Bath City FC. It’s a very special club to me that I have grown to love over the last 20 years. To captain the team and to almost make 500 appearance is something I am very proud of. I have met and made friends with some wonderful people through football and I look forward to celebrating with them when I have the testimonial game.”
Everyone connected to City would also like to congratulate him for service to the Club, professional attitude and great personality. Details of the testimonial game will follow in due course.
Oxford City match off due to frozen pitch (21/1/17)
City’s Vanarama National League South match at Oxford City this afternoon has been postponed due to a frozen pitch. A new date will be announced in due course.
Make a Community Impact with Bath City (20/1/17)
The first meeting of Bath City FC’s new ‘Community Impact’ working group will be held on Tuesday January 24th at Twerton Park from 6-7pm – please join us!
In recent months Twerton Park has played host to Walking Football sessions with Age UK B&NES, community events such as ‘Twerton’s Got Talent’ and a screening of Ken Loach’s ‘I, Daniel Blake’, free health checks, charity training days and more. Part of our mission as a community-owned club is to develop and expand on ideas like this, so we need your help to see what else could be done.
Please come along to the first of our quarterly meetings next Tuesday to find out more and share ideas on how the Club can deliver real social benefit to Twerton, Bath and beyond. If you can’t make it this time, please contact incoming Community Impact Director, Sally Harris, with your ideas – but otherwise, we hope to see you there.
Robins U23s back at Twerton Park this week (17/1/17)
A reminder to City fans that Bristol City’s U23 side are back in action at Twerton Park this Friday. The Robins face Southampton in the Premier League U23 Cup. The match kicks off at 7pm and admission is £3 for adults and £1 concessions.
McCootie and Batten on target in Stortford win (14/1/17)
City ended their long wait for a home league victory this afternoon with goals either side of the half-time interval by Nick McCootie and Jack Batten seeing them past struggling Bishop’s Stortford. After a bright start from City it was the visitors who enjoyed the better of the opening 20 minutes and they really should have taken the lead during this spell. Barnwell, Stephenson and Fagan all failed to take advantage of promising positions and this was as good as it got for Stortford, as City slowly began to get on top. A couple of half-chances came and went before, with 41 minutes on the clock, neat interplay between Miles Welch-Hayes and Andy Watkins saw the former’s low cross eventually fall for McCootie to turn it home. Then four minutes into the second half Batten took advantage of non-existent defending to make it 2-0 with a header from Billy Murphy’s corner. City were now in total control of the game and should really have added to the scoring, especally when Connor Lemonheigh-Evans somehow missed an open goal from just a few yards in stoppage-time, but they had already done enough to end a run of eight Vanarama National League South home games without a win, dating back to mid-September.
In players news the Club are pleased to announce that Frankie Artus has become the third player to sign an extended contract, joining Billy Murphy and George Rigg in committing themselves to City until the end of the 2017-18 season. And goalkeeper Steve Phillips has extended his loan deal with Mangotsfield United until the end of this season, with an emergency recall clause.
Penalty woes return to cost City Hampton win (7/1/17)
If City had hoped 2017 would mark an end to the penalty woes that have dogged the last few years they were to be disappointed as another missed spot kick cost them dearly in the 1-1 draw with Hampton & Richmond Borough at Twerton Park this afternoon. Frankie Artus was the guilty party with a tame effort that was saved by West Ham loanee keeper Howes two minutes from time and it almost got even worse for City in stoppage when the Beavers rattled the crossbar with a close range header. Over the course of the 90 minutes a draw was probably the right result, with City dominating the first half before Hampton had the better of the second period. Twice in the opening ten minutes City had strong appeals for a penalty as Marvin Morgan was clearly held in the box then Chas Hemmings was shoved the floor. City had gone close on several occasions before Jack Batten gave them the lead on 33 minutes, getting ahead of his marker to head home Billy Murphy’s corner. Following the goal the visitors began to show a greater attacking threat and this continued after the interval, although clear cut chances were harder to come by. City then had another clear penalty shout turned down, Morgan having his arm grabbed by a desperate defender as he tried to reach a cross into the box. In the end an equalising goal came out of nothing as a hopeful punt forward by Howes was headed down for Kambada to turn the ball past Max O’Leary with eleven minutes left. That looked as if it would be the end of the excitement but two minutes from time Morgan was dragged to the floor just inside the box and the referee finally pointed to the spot. However, Artus’ went central but lacked the height to beat Howes and then could only head the rebound over the bar. Hampton should have grabbed the three points into stoppage time, Hicks heading against the bar from close range, but this would have been harsh on City even if they only had themselves to blame for not securing their first win of 2017.
City have arranged their Somerset Premier Cup Quarter Final at Weston Super Mare for Tuesday 21 February (ko 7.45pm).
We are pleased to announce that Bristol City and Oxford United respectively have agreed to extend the loans of Max O’Leary and Miles Welch-Hayes until the end of the season. Both players have made a big impression since joining and we look forward to their continued presence in black & white stripes.
Also a welcome to the Club to Connor Lemonheigh-Evans, joining from Bristol City on a one month youth loan until 6 February, and Connor should be available for this weekend subject to completion of the registration paperwork.
2016 was a year of significant change for Bath City FC. The incoming club board and Supporters Society board are excited about the club’s prospects for 2017, both on and off the pitch. We want to take this opportunity to update you on our progress towards becoming a majority community-owned club.
The incoming nine-member club board has now met twice, in an effort to maintain momentum and build strong and effective working relationships as we wait for the necessary legal documents to be finalised. The next major step will be to hold a club AGM to formally approve and execute the change of ownership. We are very close to having the necessary documentation and legal agreements in place to move ahead with this. However, there may be a slight delay in calling the AGM as we are now in discussions with two social lenders concerning the provision of new loan facilities to refinance a portion of the Club’s existing debt, as part of the change of ownership. These discussions should be concluded by the end of January (although there can be no guarantee the discussions will be successful at this point). With this in mind, we expect to be able to formally announce the date of the forthcoming club AGM by mid to late January. Once the change of ownership is complete, we will be in a stronger position to move the planned redevelopment forward and launch a consultation and engagement programme to allow members, supporters and the wider community to have their say.
Finally, we have been focusing more and more on developing the club’s volunteer and working group structure as the formal change of ownership approaches. We plan to launch this in January – it’s a vital element of the community club’s future growth and we need to get it right. In the meantime, thank you to everyone who has been in touch to offer their time, skills and expertise – you will hear from us soon. if you would like to volunteer for the club in 2017 and have not yet been in touch, please email us at bathcitysocietycommittee@gmail.com.
Best wishes
Paul Williams (Chair, Bath City FC)
Nick Blofeld (Chair-elect, Bath City FC)
Martin Powell (Chair, Supporters Society)
City begin 2017 with battling Hungerford point (1/1/17)
City and Hungerford Town couldn’t be separated for the second time during this holiday period in an eventful 2-2 draw at a cold and wet Bulpit Lane this afternoon. What the game lacked in quality it made up for in incidents, as City twice fought back from a goal down and saw Max O’Leary save a second half penalty kick. Despite the conditions favouring the hosts brand of football, and an early save by O’Leary from Jarvis’ shot, City shaded the opening exchanges. They should have taken the lead midway through the half when Billy Murphy’s cross found an unmarked Nick McCootie but he could only scoop the ball on to the top of the crossbar. And they were made to pay on 32 minutes when a scuffed goal-kick by O’Leary saw O’Brien cross for Clark to stroke home a precise volley. The Crusaders controlled the rest of the half without adding to their advantage but, playing down the slope with the wind at their back, began the second period camped in the City half. City withstood this pressure and from their first chance of the half levelled the scores, McCootie’s low shot finding the net through a crowd of players. Hungerford continued to take advantage of the conditions, O’Leary denying Hunt before George Rigg cleared another effort off the line. There were also several other nervous moments in and around the City box and it looked liked this pressure had finaly told on 73 minutes when Marvin Morgan was adjudged to have handled a long throw into the area. However, O’Leary dived low to his right keep out Brown’s spot kick. Two minutes later though Hungerford did regain the lead when City failed to deal with a high ball into the box and Jarvis got the final touch to turn the ball home. Within two minutes it was 2-2 as Chas Hemmings lept highest to head Murphy’s corner past Legg. Both sides went looking for a winning goal after this, Goodger hooking a shot narrowly wide for Hungerford, before Shaquille Hunter was felled in the box by Rees but the referee incredibly didn’t point to the spot. Several more half chances came and went at either end before the referee brought the game to a finish, leaving both sides to reflect on an eventful start to 2017.