Yate Town Football Club, nicknamed “The Bluebells,” is a non-league football club based in Yate, South Gloucestershire.
Established in 1906, they currently compete in the Pitching In Southern Football League Division One South, which is part of the eighth tier of English football. The team calls Lodge Road their home ground.
The origins of the club date back to 1906 when the club was founded as Yate Rovers, later reforming as Yate YMCA after World War I. Initially competing in local leagues, the club adopted the name Yate Town in 1959. They moved through various grounds before settling at Lodge Road in 1984, where improvements like covered accommodation and floodlighting were added in the late 1980s. The club’s fortunes improved with back-to-back Hellenic League Premier Division titles in 1987/88 and 1988/89, leading to their promotion to the Southern League.
The 1990s saw Yate Town navigate the challenges of the Southern League with multiple managerial changes. Despite narrowly avoiding relegation in 1993/94, the club faced fluctuating success. A highlight was the club’s Golden Jubilee in 1996/97, but managerial instability led to inconsistent performances and eventual relegation back to the Hellenic League by the end of the decade. The turn of the millennium brought a resurgence with strong league finishes and a return to the Southern League after North Leigh declined promotion in 2002/03. Yate Town then achieved their first promotion to the Southern League Premier Division and secured their first Senior Challenge Cup win.
The 2010s were marked by both struggles and significant achievements. Yate reached the First Round Proper of the FA Cup for the first time in 2012/13, a notable highlight. Despite managerial changes, the club experienced a promotion to the Southern League Premier Division in 2019 but faced disruptions due to COVID-19. In the 2021/22 season, they made another FA Cup First Round appearance, only to be defeated by Yeovil Town. However, managerial upheaval continued, culminating in relegation at the end of the 2022/23 season. Under new player-coach Darren Mullings, the team improved significantly, finishing 8th in the following season.