Chard Town - Denning Sports Field

Chard Town FC

Denning Sports Field

Zembard Lane

Chard

Somerset

TA20 1JL

Official Website

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Ground Number: 631
Sunday 9th October 2016
Chard Town 2-3 Bishops Lydeard
Western League D1








CHARD TOWN FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

Chard Town were formed in 1920, joining the Perry Street & District League early on in their history. They won the title in 1940. After World War 2, Chard joined the Somerset County League, winning Division 2 in 1950. They went on to win the Division 1 title four times. In 1976, the club made the step up to the Western League, starting in its second tier. They finished as Division 1 runners-up in 1984 when they came behind Bristol City Reserves. Their best-ever finish of 11th in the Premier Division came in 1985. Three seasons were spent in the Premier Division before relegation, but Chard bounced straight back in 1988, after finishing as runners-up to Welton Rovers. Another five seasons in the Premier Division before relegation in 1993, this time it was a three-season spell in Division 1, before another runners-up spot, this time behind Bridgwater Town, saw them go up in 1996. They spent two seasons in the Premier Division this time, before relegation. Yet another runners-up spot behind Dawlish Town in 2006 saw them spend their final season in the Premier Division, before relegation in 2009. This time, they would last in Division 1 until 2019. Despite finishing 7th, they resigned from the league and dropped down to the Somerset County League. They have remained in the Premier Division at step 7 ever since.

Chard Town have played in the FA Cup for 25 seasons, reaching the 2nd Qualifying Round twice. A single season was played in the FA Trophy. In the FA Vase, they enjoyed a decent run in 1989. They beat Torrington, Minehead, Sharpness & Dawlish before losing to Bashley in the 4th Round. Local cup wins include two Perry Street & District League Challenge Cups and two Somerset Senior Cups, as well as the South West Counties Cup in 1989. Plans for a new ground were approved in 2020 for a new home off Thorndun Park Drive in the north of the town. The plans would see three new pitches, a clubhouse and shop being created, surrounded by 295 homes between the town's northern edge and the hamlet of Cuttifords Door. While initial approval was granted in early 2020, the project was stalled for several years by the Somerset "phosphate crisis." New environmental regulations required developers to prove that new homes would not increase phosphate levels in the Somerset Levels and Moors. These hurdles are just about overcome, but construction has yet to start.

Chard is a town in Somerset. It lies on the A30 road near the Devon and Dorset borders, 15 miles southwest of Yeovil. It has a population of approximately 14,000. At an elevation of 121 metres, Chard is the southernmost and one of the highest towns in Somerset. The town has a very unusual feature, a stream running along either side of Fore Street. One stream eventually flows into the Bristol Channel, and the other reaches the English Channel. Chard Reservoir, approximately a mile north east of the town, is a Local Nature Reserve, and Snowdon Hill Quarry is a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest. It is yet another place with a former rail station, thanks to the Beeching cuts. 

 

MY 2016 VISIT  

Chard Town was the game I and most of the other groundhoppers on the groundhop were looking forward to visiting most of all, owing to it's famous sloping pitch, which is one of the steepest in English football.  It's something that has stopped them playing in the FA Cup and FA Vase in recent years which is a real shame for them as these things should be decided on the field, not on a technicality. The FA have been desperately trying to make them drop down, but thankfully, a supportive Western League have stuck by them - at least for now. It seems as if the authorities would rather that every single venue is as dull as possible - a flat field with an Arena stand. I don't really see the issue - it's a level playing field if you will excuse the pun. I learned later on from someone at the club that finding a suitable venue in the town would be near impossible due to the natural slope that Chard has as a whole.



On the day of the game, I awoke at 5.30, after a 6-hour sleep, I watched videos on YouTube for a while before another 90-minute sleep that saw me wake at 8. I'd been staying in a strange B&B that was basically an old lady's house with bedrooms, not even locks on the doors. It had been comfortable enough anyway, and she saw me off with a friendly parting and a very nice cooked breakfast. I left Calne at 8.50, stopping on a double yellow line for a couple of minutes so that I could buy the non-league paper from a local shop. It was a reasonable journey, with me getting to Chard at 10.30. There's always something that feels good and fresh about the morning game on an organised groundhop, and this was no different. It was helped by a venue with bags of character and the famous slope. It wasn't as noticeable from the entrance side, but on the other side of the ground, you could really see its impact. It was still 10.50am, but after seeing that I could try Natch Cider on tap for the first time ever, I opted to indulge, and it helped me relax while I waited for the game to start.



It was a bright first half, and with Chard opting to shoot up the slope first half, you assumed they would push on in the second half with the advantage on their side and the game scoreless at the break. Around 5 minutes into the second half, captain Mark Clunnie opened the scoring for Bishops Lydeard when he netted from the edge of the box after a good square ball. The visitors further extended their lead on 56 minutes when Zac Ryder's shot went in off the post. Bishops Lydeard were well on top at this point, but it was the hosts who got the next goal when James Boyland scored on 72 minutes. The visitors restored their two-goal lead four minutes later as Ryan Brererton followed up on a shot that had initially been parried. Chard made things interesting with the goal of the game from Steve Friend 2 minutes from time, but the visitors looked comfortable enough to see the game out. It had been a good game for the 244 in attendance to watch, though the ground looked fuller than that.

MY SECOND VISIT

0-2 v Yatton & Cleeve (19/04/26)

The second revisit on the hop for me was Chard, although that wasn't really an issue. I'd loved the ground when I had first visited in 2016, and I felt I could add more to my blog in terms of club history. The pictures could also be improved. Add in the fact that I needed the Spoons and Colin needed the ground, and it was a no-brainer to go to the game. From our game at Glastonbury, it was 50 minutes to Chard. Ten minutes were added to the journey thanks to a road closure, which sent us cross-country and a multi-vehicle smash on the A303, which was managed well. We got to Chard and parked outside the Wetherspoons, arriving at 2.20. With the Spoons only ten minutes from the ground, I was leaving it there for the game. I had a Shawarma Wrap, chips and an Iron Brew Beer for £9.12. It was all good. Colin directed us to the ground, messed up meaning we got there just on kickoff. I popped into the bar; sadly, some of the more local ciders had been switched out for more generic stuff.

 

Chard Town were in 11th and had won eleven, drawn one and lost thirteen. They'd only won one in seven, drawing 1-1 against Clevedon last week. Yatton & Cleeve United were a place above, thanks to an extra draw they had earned, albeit with one game more. They were in mixed form and had drawn 1-1 at Congresbury last week. Chard were the better side early on but didn't create many clear-cut chances. Yatton and Cleeve United, managed by my namesake Russell Cox, took the lead on 38 minutes through a Toby Kenny penalty. The attendance was 179, the lowest of the hop. It was quite out of the way, and it had been done on a previous hop, but I didn't mind a revisit. Chard thumped the bar with a shot as they looked to get back into the game. The Chard keeper was wrong-footed by a deflection on 66 minutes to make it 2-0 to Yatton.

 

THE GROUND

DENNINGS SPORTS FIELD is a wonderful and imposing ground with bags of character and is situated within walking distance of Chard Town centre. It's most famous for its slope, but it has plenty of other unique features. There's not a huge amount of cover - just enough for around 100 standing and 50 seated, but there is plenty of open standing with the near goal elevated for a decent view. The opposite end is officially closed off to spectators, though most of it is usable.

On my visit, there was a BBQ outside, serving bacon and egg rolls. Otherwise, there is food and hot drinks as well as snacks available in the clubhouse. The bar in there is also very good, with ales and two ciders on tap, as well as a decent selection of bottles. Merchandise was available outside with old shirts, programmes, scarves, pin badges and various other items available for purchase.

 

2026 PICTURES

Glastonbury - Abbey Moor Stadium

Glastonbury FC 

Abbey Moor Stadium

Godney Road

Glastonbury 

Somerset

BA6 9AF

FA Full Time

Twitter

Ground Number: 1546

Sunday 19th April 2026

Glastonbury - Westfield
Somerset County D1

 

GLASTONBURY FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

The club was founded in 1890 and was originally called Glastonbury Avalon Rovers. They changed to their current name in 1902. They started in the East Somerset League, winning the title in 1905 & 1912. After the war, they joined the Western League. Following the First World War, Glastonbury joined the Western League Division 2 for three seasons before it was disbanded for a while. The club then played in the Bristol & District and Bristol Suburban Leagues before rejoining the re-established Western League D2 in 1931. Following World War 2, Glastonbury were placed in the Western D1, winning it in 1949, 1951 and 1970, by which time the league was a single division. The league expanded again in 1970, and they would spend three seasons in the renamed Premier Division before relegation to Division 1. Although they finished as runners-up behind Brislington in 1995, they generally struggled.

 In 1999, Glastonbury finished second-bottom and were relegated to the Somerset County Premier. Results did not improve, and they suffered a second successive relegation to Division 1. After another relegation to Division 2 in 2003, they changed their name to Glastonbury Town. In 2005, they finished as runners-up to Frome Town Reserves, earning promotion to Division 1. The following year saw another promotion back to the Premier  Division after a 3rd-place finish. After five seasons here, there were another two relegations between 2012 & 2014 before they found themselves in D2 West. They finished 3rd for an immediate bounce-back and spent four seasons in D1 West before another relegation and a name change to Glastonbury. They spent six seasons in Division 2 with a low of 10th in 2022. In 2024, they earned promotion back to Division 1 after finishing as runners-up to Imperial. They remain there to this day.

Glastonbury played regularly in the FA Cup from 1946 until 1998. Their best progress came in 1950 when they beat Bridgwater Town, Truro City, Barnstaple Town, Street and Dorchester Town before a narrow 2-1 defeat to Football League side Exeter City in the 1st Round. Thirteen seasons have been played in the FA Trophy, but only two wins have been recorded. It was a similar story in the FA Vase, with just three wins from 18 seasons. Local competition wins include two Somerset Junior Cups, two Somerset Professional Cups, three Western Football League Alan Young Cups and two Clark Challenge Cups. They've also won the Somerset Charity Challenge Cup in 1933, the Somerset Senior Cup in 1936, the Somerset Premier Cup in 1947 and the Western League Challenge Cup in 1966. The club play at the Abbey Moor Stadium and has done so since 1982. It has hosted a greyhound track at various points during its history but this has since been demolished.  From 1919 until 1982, they played at Abbey Park where they attracted 3,892 for their 1950 FA Cup game against Exeter City. Before that, they played at Fairfield.

The town of Glastonbury is located in Somerset, around 13 miles from Bristol. It has a population of just under 9,000. The town is less than 1 mile across the River Brue from Street, a village which is now larger than Glastonbury. The ruins of Glastonbury Abbey, first established in 716, remain in the town to this day. The walk up the Tor to the distinctive tower at the summit (the partially restored remains of an old church) is rewarded by vistas of the mid-Somerset area, including the Levels, which are drained marshland. Glastonbury has for centuries been a centre for pilgrimage and spirituality of many kinds. The town supports a wide variety of alternative shops. The Glastonbury Canal, opened in 1834, ran just over 14 miles (23 km) through two locks from Glastonbury to Highbridge, where it entered the Bristol Channel, but it became uneconomic with the arrival of the railway in the 1840s. The line was closed in 1966 thanks to the Beeching Cuts. The first Glastonbury Festivals were a series of cultural events held in summer, from 1914 to 1926. The festivals were founded by English socialist composer Rutland Boughton and his librettist Lawrence Buckley. The more recent Glastonbury Festival of Performing Arts, founded in 1970, is now the largest open-air music and performing arts festival in the world. Although it is named after Glastonbury, it is actually held at Worthy Farm between the small villages of Pilton and Pylle, 6 miles from Glastonbury itself. It attracts 170,000 music fans and its founder, Michael Eavis, has been given the freedom of Glastonbury.

MY VISIT

From the game at Nailsea, it was a fairly easy drive home. We'd been in the great company of Martin, the Peterborough Groundhopper, who is just starting out on his voyage of discovery and is at 150 grounds. This was around the amount that I was at when I started around 15 years ago, and had been mainly done with Wycombe. We were back at the hotel by 8.45, and I spent the evening uploading my blogs, having a few ciders whilst we watched TV. I was still wide awake, though, and Colin was too. We tried to get to sleep around 1, but after we laughed at Gemini photoshopping PuffPuff into the Village People, we laughed like drains. I had one more drink and went to bed.

 

I woke up at 6.30 as Colin was already up. It was a case of killing time and getting ready before we left at 8.45. It was around an hour to The Lantokay Wetherspoons in Street, my 506th. I had the usual breakfast muffin with an energy drink, along with black pudding and energy drink. We saw a few other hoppers in there. I managed to get my order in and food at the table before Colin had even placed his order due to app issues. He then went to the bar and placed his order, and the food managed to get to the table before he got back. The service was spot on and the food piping hot. The only downside was the £1.20 parking charge, probably due to the adjacent Clarks Village, which I had zero interest in. From there, we drove to Hecks Farmhouse Cider Barn, which Daniel had spotted yesterday. It was a great place, and I managed to get two litres of Ten Commandments for £6.40. It was ten minutes to the ground from there, where parking was fairly easy and the atmosphere good. Entry was the standard £5; this was the best ground of the hop for me.

Glastonbury were in 13th and looked set for relegation. They had won seven, drawn two and lost seventeen. They had lost five of their last six, going down 4-0 at Combe St Nicholas last week. Westfield were in 9th, having won nine, drawn four and lost eleven. They'd only lost one of their last five, drawing 1-1 at Clutton last week. The young Glastonbury ultras were in fine voice backing their team. It spurred the hosts on to open the scoring on six minutes, a well-worked move ending in a Cam Nicholson header. The attendance was announced as a disappointing 209, just as Glastonbury made it 2-0 through an own goal. It seemed a lot more. A deflected free kick made it 3-0 on 25 minutes. Two quickfire goals made it 5-0. Firstly, a shot from the edge of the area which beat the keeper, all ends up scored by Mortimer. Then, after 35 minutes, the keeper took out a striker, and Phil Wake smashed the spot kick home. The second half was more sedate. Westfield pulled a goal back through a penalty in the 82nd minute. In the last minute, they made it 5-2 with a header.

 

THE GROUND

The ABBEY MOOR STADIUM is a one-sided venue, but it is excellent. The side is mainly covered and has a mixture of sitting and standing. With floodlights, I'd imagine it was step 6 ready. The bar offers a decent range of drinks, and they also sell bacon and egg rolls. The ground has plenty of character and great scenery, and is well worth a visit. Parking was fairly plentiful.