Bartestree Football Club was born in September 1992, when Sean Powell’s son Glenn and Nigel Shore’s son Richard (both aged 8) came home with the sad news that there was to be no more after-school football. Sean rang Nigel and suggested that the two of them run a football club on Saturday mornings.
They gained permission to use the school grounds, and on that first Saturday 17 boys turned up, each paying 40p – the ‘Saturday Morning Club’ was born. A few dads quickly joined in - those there at the beginning included Keith Locke, Les Tippins, Alan Moore, Adrian Green, and Steve Beach, later joined by Paul Davies, Richard Heathcote, Ivan Powell, Paul Wargent and Miles Pomfret. Numbers rapidly grew and before long most of the boys in the village (and a few girls) were playing. Goals and strips were bought, and within a few months the Club had its first ever games, against Much Birch.
The children were of a mixed age group, initially roughly 7 to 12. It is worth mentioning names, as without their enthusiasm, there would be no Club today. Many are still around and still remember those days with pleasure. Regulars in the early years included Richard and Thomas Shore, Glenn Powell, James Locke, Chris and William Moore, Craig Beach, Russell and Matthew Barnett, Matthew Aubrey, Rauri Wargent, Alec Tyler, Ross Jenkins, Christian and Ross Jones, Alex and Lewis Tyler, Wesley Gammond, Guy Thompson (later to play rugby for Wasps), Joe and Jacob Greasley, Paul Stewart, Paul Barrington, David Greene, Tom Bradshaw, Craig Green, Michael and Edward Pomfrett, Richard and Geoffrey Godson, Ross and Scott Jenkins, Chris Davies, James and Harry Rice, Nick Ashton, Alastair Payton, Matthew Lloyd-Watkins, Alex Chilton and Jonathan Cole.
The Parish Council supported the Club with £100 for footballs. The first kits were sponsored by Gary Bourne of St Owen’s Press, the very first being a sky blue shirt with a diamond pattern. It wasn’t until 1994 that the first black and white striped kit was purchased, inspired by Keith Locke’s notion of ‘Bartestree Badgers’ and sponsored by Peter David.
During that first 1992/93 season, Nigel Shore produced a newsletter, and the inaugural Bartestree Soccer Club (as it was then) meeting was held on the 19th October 1993, in the lounge of the New Inn. Keith Locke was elected Chairman, and Sean Powell treasurer, but they soon swopped roles. Nigel Shore was Secretary. The club remained a junior-only concern, and stayed based at Lugwardine Primary, until the spring of 1997. Other adults involved later included Mel Langford, Phil Forshaw, Steve Murfin, Graham Monteath, Martyn Morse, Phil Andrews, Vince Scrivens, Paul Harriman, Dave Donativo and Dave Blankley.
During the early 90s it became clear that the old village hall needed to be replaced. Mike Godson offered one of his fields (now the site of the main football pitch and the village hall) as a gift to the village and sold a second field (now the site of the cricket pitch and sports pavilion). The new Village Hall was built, and the Parish Council agreed to use the land around it as playing fields. The Chair of the Parish Council, Arthur Morris, and the Parish Clerk, his wife Betty, were extremely supportive of the sports clubs. Two public meetings led to the formation of Bartestree and Lugwardine Playing Fields Association, which since then has been the umbrella body developing and maintaining the whole facility.
The former pasture land was transformed into decent playing fields – on the main football pitch 1000 square metres of turf was lifted by hand and infilled to level the hollows, with a couple of dozen dads and lads working together at weekends. £5,000 towards the Playing Fields was raised by leafleting the village, with many small donations being made.
Credit for starting senior football is due to Keith Locke, who put huge energy into preparing the field, getting a team together and entering the Club in the Herefordshire League. In 1997 the first training was held on the new field while the Hall was still under construction and the first game was played in August 1997.
Saturday football moved to the new fields, and with increased numbers the first junior teams were entered the leagues in September 1998. The name was changed to Bartestree Football Club and a new era began.
