2022 has seen Frome Town FC go from strength to strength with the club boasting the biggest attendance since the 1960s as well as working with Frome Town Council to secure the future of Badger’s Hill ground.
“It’s been a hugely positive year for football within Frome with the three main footballing areas of the club going from strength to strength,” said Scott Fitzgibbon, the club’s marketing & communications director.
“The men’s team had an outstanding season last year where they only lost four games and narrowly missed out on winning the league title. The town came together to see crowds of over 1,000 at Badgers Hill, the largest since the 1960s, in the league. The number of children and families coming to support their local team has been a joy to see.
“The club continues this season to be strongly supported with manager Danny Greaves at the helm. The future is bright as the club continues to strengthen on the field. Behind the scenes the current board have taken strides to securing the future of the club and the Badgers Hill site, working alongside Frome Town Council. The uncertainty around the club’s financial issues of previous years and the impact of covid have been negated so far but there are still challenges ahead.
“Our Women’s team are enjoying a fantastic start, currently sitting top of their league and with a quarter final place in the county cup. There has been strong interest – after the Lionesses Euro win – in women’s football and combined with increased exposure on the Frome Town website and merging of social media channels.
“The home crowds are regularly reaching over 150, something that the club is very proud of. Strong links with the girls’ football teams at Frome Town United have continued, with players from last season’s under-16 girls joining the adult squad, as we continue to build pathways from youth to adult for both girls and boys.
“Frome Town United (youth) in 2022 registered over 600 players to play matches across 36 teams and plus their kids’ club and ever-growing girls’ Wildcats section. The club has experienced success off the pitch also when club co-chair Chris Wilkinson was awarded with the youth club secretary of the year at this year’s Somerset FA Awards.
“Coaches Ben Starr, Aaron Andrews and Ben Bolland (women’s manager) were selected and awarded places on this year’s highly sought-after UEFA B coaching course. The awarding of three places is rare and reflects the progress the club is making.
“The club continues to look for new coaches to come forwards to enable more young players to play. The youth section relies on the help of many and remains a shining light of youth football in Somerset. The summer of 2022 saw the club’s first presentation which was held at The Clubhouse at Frome Town FC which brought all of the members together in what was an amazing day.
“The Clubhouse at Frome Town undertook a change of management in the summer and the new tenants have settled in quickly, with regular events and a refresh of the internal decor which has seen supporters and locals start to flock to the clubhouse on non-matchdays, recently epitomised by the World Cup, seeing over 100 people there to enjoy free screenings of the football.
“The club is nothing without the people that enjoy coming, whether that’s supporting the teams, playing or bringing your children to play. The football community in Frome has probably never been as strong and there’s still so much potential. We all are #BA11.”
