Club History
A brief history
of Taunton Town Football Club
Formation And Early Progress
The present Taunton Town Football Club was formed in December 1947 by a few local businessmen and played their first friendly fixture during Easter 1948. They played on a number of grounds, including Mountfields, French Weir, Victoria Park, Huish Old Boys, and Denman’s Park at Haines Hill.
In 1953, the club joined the Western League after competing in the Somerset Senior League and moved into their current home at Wordsworth Drive.
Challenges And Milestones
The club struggled financially during the late 1950s and early 1960s, relying heavily on a dedicated Supporters Club. In 1968/69, fortunes improved under manager Doug Hillard, who led the team to its first Western League championship.
The 1970s saw further development with Ron Gingell as manager. The club were runners-up for four successive seasons, bought their ground from Taunton Borough Council, installed floodlights, and, in 1977, gained election to the Southern League.
Taunton became a limited company in 1981, but rising costs led to a return to the Western League in 1983. A return to success came in 1990 with Keith Bowker guiding the team to another championship.
Formation And Early Progress
The present Taunton Town Football Club was formed in December 1947 by a few local businessmen and played their first friendly fixture during Easter 1948. They played on a number of grounds, including Mountfields, French Weir, Victoria Park, Huish Old Boys, and Denman’s Park at Haines Hill.
In 1953, the club joined the Western League after competing in the Somerset Senior League and moved into their current home at Wordsworth Drive.
Cup Glory And League Success
In 1994, under Terry Rowles, Taunton reached the FA Vase final at Wembley and took the lead before losing to Diss Town in extra time. Russell Musker became manager later that year, securing the league title in 1996. After two seasons as runners-up, Taunton won three consecutive league titles and finally lifted their first cup trophy with a 2–1 win over Berkhamsted Town in the FA Carlsberg Vase final at Villa Park. This ended a long run of 18 cup final defeats. In 2003, the club won the Somerset Premier Cup for the first time, beating Yeovil Town.
Peter Beadle took over as manager in 2005 but soon left, with Gary Domone stepping in. He delivered another Somerset Premier Cup win before resigning in 2007. Ian Jones replaced him but departed in 2009. Former player Paul West then rebuilt the team with a local focus and remained until 2012, when Leigh Robinson took over.
A Modern Era Of Growth
Under Robinson, the club reached the Southern League play-offs for three straight years from 2015 to 2017 and won the Somerset Premier Cup in 2014, 2015, and 2017. In the 2016–17 season, the club reached the FA Cup First Round Proper for the second time, drawing 2–2 with Barrow at home before losing the away replay 2–1.
The 2017–18 season was a historic high point. The team won the West Division title by 19 points, remained unbeaten away all season, and lost only one league match. A 34-game unbeaten run followed, earning them promotion to the Southern Premier for the first time.
Taunton finished as Southern Premier runners-up in their first season but lost on penalties to Poole Town in the play-offs. After two disrupted seasons due to the pandemic, the club won the Southern Premier South title in 2021–22, losing only twice in their final 26 matches and earning promotion to the National League South.
Their debut National League season ended with a solid 14th-place finish. They also reached the FA Cup First Round Proper for the third time, beating Yeovil Town before falling to MK Dons.
