Match Preview
Yate Town v Bemerton Heath Harlequins
Southern League Division One South
Saturday 29th March 2025 – kick-off 3.00pm
Be there to support YOUR local club.
Top of the table Yate Town will be looking to maintain their top spot and 3-point lead at the summit of the table when they entertain 4th placed Bemerton Heath Harlequins at the South West Interiors Stadium on Saturday. With just 6 games to go until the final game of the season, at home to Didcot on 26th April, it looks like being a thrilling end to the season and the Bluebells are hoping for a large crowd again to cheer the team on against Bemerton.
Form Guide:
Bemerton, after a poor start to the season, now occupy 4th place with 62 points from 35 games having won 18 games so far, drawn 8 and lost 9, scoring 68 goals and conceding 51 so far this season in the league. The side play their games in Salisbury and have only lost one of their last 8 games, a 1-4 defeat at Melksham on 22nd February. In the two games prior to that they drew 1-1 at Bristol Manor Farm only to play the Bristol side again four days later when they crushed them 7-0 with Olly Balmer scoring a hat-trick and the free scoring Joe Smith getting a couple. After the Melksham game they dew 1-1 at home to Bideford but have won their last 4 games with wins at home to Cribbs (2-0), at Thatcham (2-1), followed by 1-0 wins at home to Bishops Cleeve and Exmouth, with Joe Smith getting the only goal of the game on each occasion, following on from the two he scored at Thatcham.
Recent meetings:
Last season’s Southern League game at Bemerton, on 7th October, the first time the clubs met, saw the hosts race away into a 4-0 lead by half time with goals from Stuart Green, Lamin Jaffa (2) and George Britton scoring their goals in the first 23 minutes – there was no further goals in the game - but in the return fixture on 13th January it was the Bluebells who turned things around winning 3-0 with goals from Nick McCootie (about to score in the photo below) , Calum English-Brown and Oli Jenkins in front of 234 fans.
This will be the fourth time that Yate have played Bemerton this season having won there, 5-0 in the First Qualifying Round of the FA Trophy on September 7th when Stan Wyatt scored a second half hat trick but the game was ordered to be played and 11 days later Stan got two goals in a 3-1 win with Marlon Jackson scoring the other Yate goal and the Bluebells subsequently progressed to the next round.
In the league match this season Bemerton won 2-1 – this being one of just five league defeats for the Bluebells this season. A Lucas Tomlinson free kick put the Bluebells in front early on but just before half time Bemerton equalised through Joe Smith and it was Smith who got the winner in the 77th minute.
Lucas Tomlinson in action at Bemerton in the league game played in December.
Match day information
Admission prices:
Adult: £12
Concessions: Over 65, Students, NHS, armed forces and fire services – just show correct ID information: £8
Children: (11-17) £5
Under 11: Free
Bristol City, Bristol Rovers and Forest Green fans – show your season ticket at the turnstiles to gain entry for £8
The left-hand turnstile is for CARD payments and programmes can also be purchased at this turnstile
The right-hand turnstile is for CASH payments.
Please arrive early to ease congestion.
All U-11’s entering the ground must be accompanied by an adult. If the adult has a “School Ticket” they can enter at half price along with their child.
The bar is open from 12.15pm
Turnstiles open: 12.15pm
The match day programme front cover
Programmes: £2.50 –with lots of information that is only available via the matchday programme including photographs, articles and much more – so BUY YOUR COPY AT THE GAME – with midfield player Jamie Adams on the front cover.
Programmes can be purchased outside the ground, at the left-hand turnstile and at the club shop.
Club Shop: The club shop will be open before the game, at half time and after the game.
Other information
· We welcome Sprint Print as our match sponsors, The Bluebells Skittles Team as our ball sponsors plus our mascots group Wickwar Warriors Under 9s
· The FA Cup quarter-final games between Fulham and Crystal Palace (12.15pm) and between Brighton and Nottingham Forest (5.15pm) will be on the TV screens in the clubhouse.
· We will be holding a bucket collection for injured goalkeeper Aaron Sainsbury to help him with the extensive medical costs following his hip operation back in January.
PARKING
There is plenty of space is available but if you are parking on the roadside, or once the car park is full, PLEASE CAN YOU PARK WITH CONSIDERATION TO THE CLUB’S NEIGHBOURS.
· Please do NOT park in Addlings (a new road near the end of Lodge Road) as the estate roads are tight and there is limited parking for residents
· The Fox pub car park is for patrons only
· If you park over on the trading estate, please make sure that you are aware of any parking restrictions that may be in place.
Food and drinks are available inside the ground.
Please note that the South West Interiors Stadium is a NO dogs ground (apart from guide dogs).
Yate Town FC website: www.yatetownfc.co.uk
Visit the club shop
The club shop is open on match days, where you can buy a whole host of new club merchandise, including shirts, tops, Yate Town fixture mugs (sold out), key rings, mouse mats (sold out), badges, coasters, umbrellas and much, much more.
There will be reductions on replica shirts – sale prices – adult £30 and children £25 – linked to any remaining shirts and only available at the club shop.
Tracey, who will also be selling match day programmes and 50/50 tickets.
And, don’t forget to visit the clubhouse for that pre-match and post-match drink and chat.
Next up:
The Bluebells travel to Cornwall for two consecutive Saturdays – it’s a visit to relegation threatened Helston Athletic on 5th April and then the following Saturday to high scoring, fourth paced Mousehole before the Bluebells return to the South West Interiors Stadium on Good Friday, 18th April for a 3pm kick off against Cinderford Town.