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Weston-super-Mare Association Football Club are an English semi-professional football club based in Weston-super-Mare in Somerset, England. The club is affiliated to the Somerset County FA. The club are also known as The Seagulls. The team's claim to fame is that they had never been relegated in their history, although bottom-three finishes in 2007 and 2008 and 2010 should have seen them relegated from the Conference South but there were reprieves all three occasions. The team's best performance in the FA Cup came in 2003–04 when they reached the second round of the competition. Weston were founded in 1887, but disbanded twice (once for World War I, then again for World War II). The club were reformed in 1948 and have since moved up to Step 6 of the English football league system where they currently play today. Weston-super-Mare has a modest fan base and a fierce rivalry with local club Clevedon Town, who are situated in Clevedon, North Somerset. However, the rivalry has been put on the back-burner as of late since Weston-super-Mare gained promotion to the Southern League Premier Division in 2002–2003, clinching promotion with a 1–0 win over rivals Clevedon. The two have not played in the same league since. ==History== Weston-super-Mare A.F.C. was formed in 1887. The team's first record of a competitive match being against near-neighbours Clevedon Town in a "Medal Competition" organised by the Somerset FA. In 1900 they joined Division two of the Western Football League but left after two years. In 1910 they rejoined this league and played there until World War I. Between the wars, the club played in the local Bristol and District Football League and then the Somerset County League but the club disbanded upon the outbreak of hostilities in 1939.〔 The club reformed in 1948 and immediately rejoined the Western League, initially in Division Two. At this time the team played at the Great Ground in Locking Road, where initially there was no cover for spectators and the players had to change in a marquee.〔 A season after the club joined rejoined the Western league they made their debut in the FA Cup in the 1949–50 season losing to Gloucester City in the preliminary qualifying round.〔 The team remained in the Second Division until the league consolidated to a single division in 1960.〔 During this time they moved to the Langford Road Ground.〔 In 1976 they were placed into the Western League Premier Division upon the creation of a second tier, meaning that by their centenary in 1987 they had never been promoted or relegated in their history.〔 In 1989 John Ellener was appointed manager and led the club to the Western League championship in 1991–92 and with it promotion to the Southern League Midland Division.〔 They remained at this level, playing successively in the Midland, Southern, Midland (again) and Western Divisions due to the Southern League's regular reorganisations, until 2002–03 when they finished in second place and were promoted to the Premier Division, clinching promotion with a win away to rivals Clevedon Town.〔 In their first Premier Division season they finished in 10th place, enough to clinch a place in the newly formed Conference South.〔 In the 2006–07 season of the conference south the club looked they finished in 20th position and looked seemingly relegated. However, Farnborough Town were relegated due to going into liquidation and Hayes and Yeading merged to form Hayes & Yeading United, leaving the Conference South one team short, earning a reprieve for Weston. The 2007–08 season ended in similar fashion for Weston. A 20th-place finish meant the club was eligible for relegation, only to be spared by the enforced demotion of Cambridge City, who failed a ground inspection. The 2009–10 campaign again saw the club finish in the relegation zone again when they finished 21st, however as before the club was saved by the FA, this time when Salisbury City were demoted twice to the Southern league. The 2010–11 season saw the club win the Somerset Premier Cup for the first time, when they defeated Yeovil Town in the final. They retained the cup the next season when they beat local rivals Clevedon Town 2-1. Weston-super-Mare AFC are currently sponsored by (Weston College ) and (Howards Motor Group ). 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「Weston-super-Mare A.F.C.」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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