Next Match – Enfield Town (H)
Bath City return to league action at Twerton Park this weekend for a first-ever meeting with newly promoted Enfield Town, the 61st different team City have faced in Conference/National League South.
This is Town’s first taste of life at Step 2, but Saturday’s visitors hold a special place in the history of community-owned football clubs. When they broke away from the original Enfield FC in June 2001, Enfield Town FC became the first fully fan-owned, fan-run senior football club in the country.
Their rise from the Essex Senior League has been unspectacular but steady. After 12 years in the Isthmian Premier Division, a 3-0 away win at Chatham Town in the play-off final sealed their promotion to the National League South in May.
Unfortunately, the Towners have so far struggled to find their feet at Step 2. Their only points to date are from a 1-0 home win over Weston-super-Mare on the second weekend of the campaign. Their six-match losing streak since then was extended by a 1-0 home defeat by Peterborough Sports of National League North in the FA Cup last Saturday. They’ve also undone good work in a few matches, dropping nine points from winning positions, all away from home. A few players have moved on having only joined in the summer, with Hisham Kasimu returning to Farnborough and fellow ex-Boro’ forward Michael Folivi also announcing his departure. Lewis Taaffe, who scored their first goal at this level, has been dual registered with Welwyn Garden City.
In their eight League matches, Town have conceded 20 goals already, six more than anyone else, but they will take some comfort from the fact that it has been a tough start, with early fixtures scheduled against some big clubs and what have turned out to be in-form teams.
They will also be patient in the knowledge that successful supporter-owned football clubs are built on sustainability not spectacle. And they won’t lose faith, because in their quarter of a century of existence, they still have the honour of never having been relegated.
Bath City progressed in the cup last week, a 13th successive year they’ve made it past the 2nd Qualifying Round. It kept up the impressive form at Twerton Park with four wins from five in all competitions. Jerry Gill could welcome back Alex Fisher, who became a father the day before the win over Merthyr Town, but is definitely without the suspended Harvey Wiles-Richards in goal.
Saturday is Family Day at Twerton Park and tickets are available here with discounts if purchased before 11.45pm this Friday 20 September.
If you’re unable to attend, you can obtain updates via:
X – @BathCity_FC
Bath City Radio – Bath City Radio or bathcityradio.mixlr.com. Also on the Mixlr app, search for Bath City Radio. Alex Lane-Kieltyka, Chris Chappell and Andrew Kerslake on commentary.
Come along and see if City can continue to make Twerton Park a fortress!
