Review of Season 2025-26

 Veterans' Divisions

The title race in the division would once again see the top four sides from the previous season, Cricklade Town, Nationwide, Redhouse and Penhill United, heavily involved in the battle for honours at the top end of the table. Last season’s top two met in Week 2 of the season, and it would be last season’s champions Cricklade who would come out on top with a narrow 1-0 win. Cricklade then followed up that win over Nationwide with a 1-0 win over Redhouse,  the side that had finished third last season. With their main rivals from the previous season defeated in the first few weeks of the season it was looking good for Cricklade.  However, within the next month they were to suffer surprising defeats at the hands of both Stratton and ExIntel which would prove very costly in the final reckoning.

After suffering that early defeat Nationwide then went on a ten-game unbeaten run in the league, nine of which were won, their only dropped points coming in a 1-1 draw with Penhill United. At the halfway stage of the season, they sat three points clear of Cricklade with Redhouse back in fourth place, behind Royal Wootton Bassett Town who were just a point behind Cricklade but having played one game more.

The top two met in the return fixture in the second week of January and once again it would be Cricklade who would have the better of things, completing the league double over their nearest rivals with a 2-0 win at Cirencester to move level on points at the top of the table. However, just as it looked like Cricklade had the momentum to go on and retain their title they then lost the following week, going down 1-0 to Redhouse. They would then draw with Royal Wootton Bassett Town and pick up just one point from their two league games with Penhill United to lose ground in the title race.

Nationwide meanwhile would not lose another league game all season, their only dropped points coming in drawn games with Penhill and Purton Kingsdown, as they finished the season top of the table on 54 points, six points clear of both Cricklade Town and Redhouse. Congratulations to Nationwide on their first title success to add to the previous cup triumphs in the league and county cups in previous seasons.

In order to decide who would be runners-up a play-off was needed to decide matters, with Cricklade securing that second spot thanks to a 3-0 win in the play-off against Redhouse at Moredon. Penhill United ended the season in fourth place, six points behind Cricklade and Redhouse but some eleven points clear of the fifth placed side, Royal Wootton Bassett Town. Penhill United and Cricklade would also make the final of the Wiltshire FA County Cup with Cricklade Town edging a tight game by the narrowest of margins with Penhill going mightily close to getting an equaliser. Cricklade would go on to complete a cup double for the season, defeating Nationwide in the final of the League Cup competition to complete another successful season for the club.

After a poor start to the season, which saw FS Stratton sat bottom of the table, a storming second half to the campaign saw them climb the table to eventually finish the season in sixth spot. If they can carry that form into next season they could well be challenging for honours in Season 2026-27.

Purton Kingsdown, in their first season in the Veterans’ divisions, would have finished a couple of places higher in the table but for continual postponement of games due to them being unable to raise a side which saw them deducted nine points in total to end the season down in seventh place.

Stratton finished seven points behind Purton Kingsdown in eighth place but, as noted above, were one of the sides to defeat Cricklade Town early on in the season. On their night Stratton were capable of getting a result against most sides but struggled to put together a consistent run of victories, winning just seven of their 22 league fixtures.

Chiseldon finished the season in ninth place but were another side to suffer a points deduction, this time for playing an ineligible player in a number of games that saw them have five points deducted. They did achieve the honour of being the first team in the division to complete their fixtures for the season.

ExIntel, like Purton Kingsdown, struggled to raise a side on occasions during the season but to their credit completed the season but suffered points deductions as a consequence of postponements, finishing in tenth spot. Like Stratton they were the other side that inflicted damage on Cricklade Town’s league title aspirations this season, ExIntel’s 1-0 win early in the season being the highlight of their campaign.

Unfortunately, after seven seasons, 111 league fixtures and one League Cup final appearance, Swindon Rovers, one of the founding members of the North Wilts Vets Division, have played their last game in the league for the time being. They advised the league that they were withdrawing at the end of the season with a number of their players leaving to join another club having achieved an eleventh-place finish in their final season. The League is sad to lose one of the better run Veterans’ sides and we wish the club well in the future and hope they will return at some time in the future.

The final team within the division were AFC Swindon who won three and drew three of their 22 league games but were competitive throughout the season, being involved in a cumber of close games that saw them lose narrowly.

Cricklade Town who finished runners-up in the North Wiltshire Division and also did the Cup double winning both the League & County Cup

The Mid-Wiltshire Division started the season with 12 teams but quickly saw the withdrawal of last season’s champions Corsham Town after playing just two games when they were unable to find a manger to replace Chris Jones who had led them to the league title the previous season.

Once again, the league adopted the approach of awarding postponed games due to teams being unable to field sides, but this clearly was not a sufficient deterrent as the division was to suffer 17 such postponements during the season, a ridiculous amount. Chippenham Town and Westbury United were the worst offenders having six games awarded against them, although two of Chippenham Town’s awarded games were after they withdrew from the league. Radstock Town and Warminster Town were not far behind on four games awarded against them. With four teams playing on grass pitches in the division the number of games lost to the weather (17) was also a lot higher than the North Wiltshire Division but all games, apart from the play-off needed to decide the title saw a result recorded by the deadline date set at last year’s AGM.

Each and every season since the formation of the Mid Wiltshire Veterans’ Division Melksham Town have featured in the top two and Season 2024-25 was to be no different. Moreover, they would achieve something they had not done before which was to go unbeaten in all of their league games, winning 16 and drawing four but a play-off was still needed to decide the title.

Melksham started the season with three straight victories over Calne Town, Amesbury Junior Badgers and Corsham Town, the 5-1 victory over Corsham being the last game that Corsham were to play in the league before their withdrawal and the result was subsequently expunged from the record book. Durrington also started the season with three straight wins, defeating Trowbridge Town Tigers, Warminster Town and Bishops Cannings to sit joint top of the table after the opening month of the season with surprise packet Trowbridge Tigers who had won three of their opening four games, their only loss that game against Durrington.

The start of October saw Melksham drop their first points of the season after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Warminster Town, whilst Durrington were being awarded their away fixture against Westbury United. There was then a break in the league action due to the two veterans’ cups although Melksham would only get to play one of their cup games as ExIntel from the North Wiltshire Division conceded their League Cup tie. The game Melksham did play was in the Vets’ County Cup and it saw them fall to their first defeat of the season, losing 2-0 at home to Cricklade Town from the North Wiltshire Division who would go on to lift the cup. Durrington meanwhile had two consecutive long trips into Swindon to play FS Swindon and Swindon Rovers both of which were won.

Both Melksham Town and Durrington were to play just one league game in November both winning to maintain their unbeaten league records going into the final month of the calendar year. Durrington were to play one more game in the month though, surprisingly losing to Bishops Cannings 5-1 in the Wiltshire County FA Veterans’ Cup.  The first Monday in December saw the first meeting of the season between Melksham Town and Durrington with their unbeaten records on the line. It would prove to be Melksham’s night as a 3-1 win saw them be the one who maintained their unbeaten league record. The following week both won in the league and followed that up with progress in the League Cup, although once again Melksham saw their tie awarded to them after Warminster Town conceded the cup game, whilst Durrington beat Trowbridge Town Tigers.

At this stage Melksham Town were not the only unbeaten side in the league going into the new calendar year though, as it was Devizes Town who sat top of the table having won all of the eight league fixtures they had played before the turn of the year. Devizes sat three points clear of Durrington at the top having played the same number of games, with Trowbridge Town Tigers three points behind but having played two more games than the top two. Melksham, whilst still unbeaten, were back in fourth place having played two games less than the top two and four less than the Tigers.

January saw both Melksham Town and Durrington pick up two wins in the league but in addition Durrington fell to their second defeat of the campaign, losing 2-1 at home against Warminster Town who again showed on their night they were capable of taking points off the leading sides in the division. This was further highlighted with Devizes Town dropping their first points of the season when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Warminster.  Durrington’s two victories did see them gain revenge for that county cup exit at the hands of Bishops Cannings, beating them 6-0 in the latest league encounter.  Devizes were also the latest side in the division to be gifted points when Westbury United were unable to field a side for their league fixture. January also saw Melksham involved in a quarter final tie in the League Cup and they gained revenge for their county cup defeat at the hands of Cricklade Town by beating them 1-0 in the second meeting of the season. As the month closed Devizes Town remained top of the table on 28 points, with Durrington one point behind having played one more game with Melksham Town in third spot, six points behind Devizes but with two games in hand.

February was to prove to be a good month for Melksham as they played catch up with their fixtures winning all three of their league games beating Warminster Town (although yet another award), Westbury United and Calne Town. The other two leading sides played just the one league game each, both winning, and then met each other in the quarter final of the League Cup. Durrington came out on top in that cup encounter defeating Devizes 2-1 to line up a League Cup semi final with Melksham who now sat top of the table on goal difference, level on points with Devizes from the same number of games, with Durrington one point behind having played one more game.

March was a busy month in the division with all three leading sides set to play four league games, all of which were won, although all three sides were gifted the points by Chippenham Town, with Durrington also being gifted three points by Westbury United. With Chippenham having now withdrawn from the league Melksham were then awarded a second game against Chippenham to see them open up a six-point lead at the top of the table, still unbeaten after 17 games. Devizes were in second spot, also still unbeaten, with Durrington a point behind them having played 16 games like Melksham. In addition to those league games in March there was the small matter of the cup semi final between Melksham Town and Durrington.

Like the earlier semi-final involving Chiseldon and Nationwide, it was to prove to be a close affair that ultimately required penalties to settle matters. Melksham opened up a 2-0 half time lead. Whilst the first half belonged to Melksham, it was a different story after the break as two goals brought Durrington back level meaning those penalties were needed to decide matters. It was Durrington who held their nerve to emerge victorious from the penalty shootout, winning 5-4 to line up a cup final date with Nationwide.

The destination of the league title all came down the final month of the season. As a result of the cup draws and postponements the top three had yet to meet each other,  meaning the title would be decided by the outcome in the four games between the sides. The month started with Durrington winning a close encounter with Devizes by a solitary goal. Four days later Devizes dropped another two points when they drew 1-1 with Melksham Town, a result which went down well at Durrington with their two rivals taking points off each other when the same night they were winning 4-1 away at Radstock Town.

Next up was the return game between Devizes Town and Melksham Town at Nursteed Road and once again it was to prove to be a tight affair with neither side finding the back of the net to once again take points off each other. Eight days later Melksham travelled to Durrington and once again the two sides were unable to muster up a goal meaning yet another 0-0 draw and a sharing of the points. The following night Devizes Town were away at Radstock Town looking to take advantage, but things did not go to plan as they fell to a surprise 1-0 defeat. As a result of these games Melksham ended their regular league season unbeaten in their 20 league fixtures and saw Melksham remain three points clear at the top with Durrington having the one game still to play against Devizes. The position now was that Durrington needed to beat Devizes in their final game to force a play-off for the title else they would finish as runners-up behind Melksham. With Radstock having ended Devizes Town’s hopes of honours that final game between Devizes Town and Durrington did not take place, with Devizes becoming the latest side to concede a game. This  meant a play-off was now needed to decide matters given that goal difference and similar measures could not be used to decide matters given the approach of awarding points when sides fail to raise a side.

Prior to that play-off Durrington met Nationwide in the final of the Veterans’ League Cup at Calne Town FC in front of a sparse crowd. In a cup competition that had been blighted by a high number of awarded games it was fitting that two sides who had played in each and every round had made the final. Both sides went into the final missing key players due to suspension and injury though. Nationwide were without their leading scorer, former Forest Green Rovers and Mansfield Town player, Paul Stonehouse following his sending off the previous week against Cricklade Town. Meanwhile Durrington were missing leading scorer Shaune Smith, also due to suspension having been sent off in that league game against Melksham Town, and their second top scorer Jesse Walters due to a broken leg suffered in that 0-0 draw with Melksham in what was a costly game for Durrington. Despite both sides missing their leading marksmen the two sides produced an entertaining game that saw four goals scored in the 50 minutes with Durrington winning the final 3-1 to claim their first silverware as a member of the league.

Veterans' League Cup winners Season 2024-25, Durrington

The following week saw the staging of the play-off game at Green Lane. The play-off game was a tight affair as was to be expected in a game between two very good veterans’ sides. Durrington were looking to complete a league and cup double whilst Melksham were looking to win the league title for a second time having won the league in Season 2021-22 and having been runners-up in the other three seasons that the league has been operating the Mid Wilts Division. In the end the game was decided by a solitary goal scored just before half time by Melksham’s Kris Beasley to give Melksham Town that second league title in what had been an enthralling title race involving the two sides and Devizes Town. Congratulations to all three teams for their excellent seasons. 

Veterans' Mid Wiltshire Division Champions Season 2024-25, Melksham Town

Elsewhere in the division, Warminster Town finished in fourth place in the table, having taken points off all of the top three sides during the season and will be expected to be up there challenging for honours next season. Despite conceding five games Westbury United finished in fifth place and only lost three times in the games they actually played. Trowbridge Town Tigers after their great start had to settle for sixth place, two points ahead of Calne Town in seventh spot.  

At the bottom end of the table Radstock Town finished in eighth spot but were just one point adrift of Calne Town and had improved over the season culminating in that win over Devizes Town which ended their quest for honours. Chippenham Town finished ninth and had withdrawn come the season end but did so after reaching the 75% threshold as defined by FA rules, so just saw their remaining fixtures awarded to opponents and they are not scheduled to be in the league next season. Amesbury Junior Badgers who finished 10^th with two wins and two draws from their 20 games are also not competing next season which is unfortunate as they have always been one of the better sides in terms of playing their games. Bishops Cannings finished bottom of the table in what was their first season in the league.

In total seven games did not take place in the League Cup competition, one of which was due to the withdrawal of Corsham Town from the League. Changes will need to be made to next season’s competitions to try and eradicate this behaviour, with increased fines, possible regionalisation of the earlier rounds of the competition and/or playing earlier rounds of the cup in the first month of the season when teams are most keen. Something needs to change here.

4 June 2025