Our club historian Steve Jupp has been looking back over the seasons to find out more about our games against Salisbury. Let's dive into a few things to remember.
For our last home match in the South League Premier division, we last met Salisbury on Easter Monday 2019 at Badgers Hill. Unfortunately we had already been mathematically relegated following a run of six straight defeats. But our fans were out in force to support the club with one of our largest gates of that season. A spirited performance against a side bound for the play-offs, entertained the 467 as we secured a final score of 0-0.
The team that day.....
Rob Brown Richard Dawley, Joe O'Loughlin, Dan Whitley, Tom Mehew, Connor Roberts Cameron Allen , Ollie Knowles, Josh Morgan-Williams
Ricky TJ Davies, Rex Mannings. Subs: Joe Low, Riley Towler, ....means that none of the team that featured that day are now in the squad as we enter the 22/23 season.
Prior to that campaign, we have to go back over half a century to when we and Salisbury last competed in the same Division.....that was the Western League of 1967-68, the Wiltshire side winning both games. Where Salisbury once drew a crowd of 8,902 for a league match, a Western League Division Two title decider way back in 1948 against Weymouth.
One of our finest ever performances was against Salisbury in the great FA Trophy run of 1984-85. Against a side one league higher, the rampant Robins were a different class as they treated the Badgers Hill faithful to a stunning 7-1 victory, Dave Allen leading the way with a hat-trick.
We were the victims of a 'giant killing' more recently in 2016 when Salisbury, who included former Robins Claudio Herbert and Brandon Mundy in their line-up, won a feisty encounter 2-0 on their own patch despite having keeper Nathan Ball sent off. Tommy Wright and Steve Walker were the scorers before a crowd of 832.
Our centenary season of 2004-05 not only produced that fabulous Vase run to the quarter finals, but an impressive FA Cup run as well. We were paired away to Salisbury (two leagues higher in the Isthmian Premier) in the 3rd Qualifying Round and drew 1-1 thanks to a last minute equaliser from Mark Salter. The Whites made no mistake in the replay, however, running out easy 3-0 winners in front of 665 at Badgers Hill.
We met Salisbury at their old Victoria Park ground in the final of the Western Counties Floodlit Cup in 1984 and triumphed 1-0 thanks to a late Steve Gay goal. It would be the last trophy to adorn the Badgers Hill sideboard for eighteen long years.
Don't miss the game this Saturday, claim your tickets now.
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