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History
It all began for S.M.F.C. on the 26th
May 1969 when the club was re-formed.
Entering one team into Dorset
Division 4 East, a remarkable run of success in the following seasons occurred.
By 1965 the club had reached the Dorset Combination.
The club expanded and formed a
reserve team in 1962.
For the next ten seasons the First
Team remained in the top flight achieving 4th position in 1965/66 and
again in 1966/67. The next eight seasons produced a steady decline in results
until the unfortunate withdrawal of the team from the Dorset Combination in
1975.
Meanwhile the reserves were playing
in Dorset Division 4, gaining promotion to Division 3 in 1970/71 season and
again in 1973/74.
The knock-on effect of the decision
was that the First Team dropped into Division 3 North which meant the disbanding
of the Reserves.
Instant success followed as S.M.F.C.
entered Division 2 as champions of Division 3 North and also winning the Junior
Cup for the second time.
The celebrations continued as the
reserve side was re-formed in 1977 and entered Division 4.
The following two seasons the First
Team consolidated in Dorset Division 2 but were relegated in 1978/79. You could
call them the “Yo – Yo years” as they were promoted back to Division 2 in
1981/82.
The First Team remained in Division
2 until they were promoted in season 1987/88. The team developed a reputation of
being a “cup side”, winning the Intermediate Cup three times (1983, 1986 and
1987) and the 1981 Shaftesbury Charity Cup.
Meanwhile the Reserves continued in
Division 4 winning their first ever honour in 1985 with the capture of the
Division 4 North League Cup. This was followed by the double of Division 4 North
Championship and Cup in 1978/88 without losing a game.
The Reserves have remained in
Division 3 North up to the present day achieving 4th position on two
occasions.
The First Team struggled in
Division 1 and were relegated in 1990/91, later to return as Champions in
1994/95.
Season 1995/96 saw the return of
large crowds on Churchill Close although not quite up to the crowds of five
hundred which occurred in the sixties. Playing attacking football the First Team
narrowly missed the championship by 1 point and picked up the Dorset Senior
Trophy. However more importantly the Club were once again represented in
Dorset’s Premier League.
The 1997/98 season saw the fruits
of the youth policy pay off with the introduction of a third Saturday team (A
Team) entering Dorset Division 4 North but more importantly the first team under
the management of David (Jet) Copeland were crowned the best team in Dorset
football for the first time in the Clubs history when they became Dorset
Combination Champions.
After dropping out of the Combination the
following season the club found it's self once again having to consolidate in
Division 1 and reintroduced the policy of bringing on the youth players. With
the restructuring of the Dorset Leagues Sturminster found themselves in the
newly formed Dorset Senior League.
The youth policy once again paid off as now
under the management of Kev Bowmer the team were crowned league champions at the
end on the 2005-2006 season with no fewer than 14 out of the 17 man squad having
played for the club at youth level.
As you can see it has been a memorable, often
turbulent 46 years. Of course the football is important but the club could not
survive without people who have given their services to the club. One such man
is Dave Miller who is in his 26th season as club secretary.
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