History of Bath City F.C.

Bath have reached the third round of the FA Cup six times, beating league sides such as; Crystal Palace (in 1931), Millwall (in 1959), and Cardiff City (in 1992).

Bath City were crowned Southern League champions in 1960 and 1978; one of the highest levels of non-League football at the time.

Football in a form vaguely recognisable to the modern eye first reached Bath in the late 1880s, when students at Prior Park college began kicking a ball about in idle curiosity.

[2] A man named Mr Cater formed the club and the team commenced play at the North Parade Ground in Bathwick,[3] just east of the city center by the river Avon.

[4] Bath competed in their first ever recorded match on 10 October 1889, in which they lost 9–4 to Trowbridge Town at The North Parade Ground.

[5] The first game that Bath AFC played away 20 was days later, against Eastville Rovers in Clifton, Bristol in front of a crowd of 5,000 on 30 October 1889.

Concurrently, the club entered competitive football, commencing play in The Wiltshire League, finishing seventh in their first season.

[22] After moving to a higher division, the club decided to field their reserve team for the Bath District League, instead of the first.

[27] Five years later, Bath City departed both The Belvoir Castle and Twerton, for the Lambridge Show Ground in Larkhall next to the River Avon.

[30] He was replaced by former Swindon Town player, Billy Tout, who led the club into the top division of non-League football for the first time.

In August 1926, the club were on the brink of extinction, partly, due to the fans being "disheartened by the ill-fortune of recent seasons" and the lack of "sufficient backing".

[36] The following season, the team finished Southern League runners up, losing 3–2 in the play off final to Eastern Section Champions Aldershot Town.

Manager Ted Davis's new signing, Reg Trotman, a man whose football reputation had been made at Rovers, knocked in both goals for an "easy victory".Bath came Southern league runners up for a second time in 1933, losing the title to Eastern Section Champions Norwich City reserves 2–1.

[41] Upon the Outbreak of the Second World War, the club were accepted to join the temporary Football League North, competing with the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Everton.

[42] The team finished the eventual champions under Davis,[43] thereby becoming the only semi-professional side ever to win a Football League trophy.

At the time, Twerton Park was also in heavy discussion for expansion,[46] to a capacity of 40,000, in aim to become; "a stadium worthy of the city and the west".

[48] Thus, after the War, with the resumption of competitive football, they were forced to resume playing in the Southern League, and the plans to make Twerton Park one of the largest stadiums in the West Country were abandoned.

Notable large home attendances during this period included; 17,000 in 1944 vs Aston Villa[53] 14,000 vs Southend United in the 1952–53 season and 11,700 at Twerton Park against rivals Yeovil Town in 1957.

[66] In the third round, Bath went on to play Brighton & Hove Albion at Twerton Park, in front of a record crowd of 18,020,,[67] but lost 1–0.

[69] Two years after Hewison's departure in the spring of 1961, former Manchester City player Malcolm Allison was appointed manager after Arthur Cole's dismissal in 1963.

[80] Godfrey averaged a league position of third, and won Bath City's last "major" non-League trophy, making him the club's second most successful manager of all time.

Though finishing first, they fell short of election to the Football League by three votes in 1978, with Wigan Athletic gaining 26 and Bath 23.

[82] The club finished runners-up in 1985 but champions Wealdstone did not meet Football League stadium capacity requirements, so Bath City were allowed to apply for election to the Fourth Division.

[83] In 1986, Bristol Rovers were forced out of Eastville, officials of both clubs reached an agreement to share Twerton Park.

[91][92] As a result, Bath returned to the Southern League; albeit it no longer acted as step one of the non-League pyramid.

[105] Following the demotion, Bath's chairman at the time, Manda Rigby, held talks with manager Adie Britton on the future of the club, stating the team would; "return stronger with the experience.

"[106] Yet the chairman's promise to get back into the National League failed to materialise, with the club finishing in twelfth place in the 2012–13 season.

Britton, subsequently stepped down from being the first team coach,[107] and acquired the role of football director,[108] stating that he "aims to get Bath City back to where they belong.

What little success the club had during this period was in the 2014–15 season,[111] reaching the semi-final of the FA Trophy, beating Bristol Rovers, on route to losing on penalties to eventual winners, North Ferriby United.

[123] The club improved in the 2022–23 season, gaining 67 points and finishing in 11th place, the team also won The Somerset Premier Cup for a record 25th time on 1 May 2023.