Match Preview
Yate Town v Didcot Town
Southern League Division One South
Saturday 26th April 2025 – kick-off 3.00pm
Be there to support YOUR local club.
Yate Town enter the final league game of the season knowing that a point in their home game against Didcot Town will be enough to secure being crowned as champions of the Southern League Division One South and gain automatic promotion to the Southern League Premier Division, and return after a two-year absence.
Club officials are hoping for a big crowd to mark this key event in the club’s history and are asking fans to arrive early to help ensure that things run smoothly. Please be aware of the information itemised further down this article, relating to matchday information, other information and also parking.
Form Guide:
Didcot Town, having been relegated from the Southern League Premier Division at the end of last season, have occupied a mid-table position for much of the season and with just one game to go they sit in 9thth position having played 41 games, winning 15, drawing 12 and losing 14 times, having scored 55 goals and conceded 62 times accumulating 57 points.
Their last three league games will have included visiting the top two sides in the table as last Saturday The Railwaymen lost 0-3 at Evesham. On Easter Monday they entertained local rivals Thatcham Town, who were already relegated, winning this match 1-0 with an 85th minute goal from Zach Scott
Their previous 6 games saw wins at Helston (3-0), at home to Bristol Manor Farm (2-1) and Melksham (2-1). They achieved a 2-2 draw at Mousehole but lost at Bishops Cleeve (0-2) and at Bideford (1-2)
Recent meetings:
Didcot and Yate first met in the Hellenic League but have met in 7 previous seasons in the Southern League going back firstly to season 2011/2012 when the game at Didot ended 1-1 with Michael Meaker scoring for the Bluebells in front of a crowd of 109 and the game at Lodge Road saw Dicot winning 4-3 with Niekell Plummer (2), Matt Groves scoring for Yate. The gate was 153. The first game of season 2012/2013 saw Yate visit Didcot but they lost 0-2 with Ollie Price and Tom Knighton both sent off, 5 others, including Tyrone Mings, were booked. The return game that season ended Yate 2 Didcot 1 with Matt Groves and Karim Rendall scoring for Yate with 151 watching.
This season the two teams played at Didcot on 12th October and a goal from Bristol Rovers loanee, Jerry Lawrence, gave the Bluebells a 1-0 win (pictured below). The attendance was 280.
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: £3.00 – with a larger 48-page edition to highlight many aspects of the past season 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 – leading goal scorer Lucas Tomlinson on the front cover. DON’T MISS OUT ON THIS SPECIAL EDITION PROGRAMME.
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 South West Interiors as our match sponsors, JL Windows as our ball sponsors plus our mascots group Yate United Under 9 Reds.
· ARRIVE EARLY AND WATCH - The Premier League game between Chelsea and Everton, kicking off at 12.30pm, IN THE CLUBHOUSE.
· Plus, the FA Cup Semi-Final between Crystal Palace and Aston Villa, kicking off at 5.15pm, will also be shown in the clubhouse TV screens.
· Player Presentation Evening tickets will be on sale from the club shop for the event taking place on 9th May.
· Season tickets forms will be available from the club shop for those individuals who do not wish to pay online.
· Following the final whistle there will be an opportunity to watch the after-match events when the players will return to the pitch and fans are reminded to stay behind the barriers in order for these events to run smoothly.
· We will also be holding our final bucket collection, at half-time, for our charity of the season – St Peter’s Hospice.
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
In the event of Yate Town being involved in the play-offs they will be at home to the fifth placed side on Wednesday 30th April with a 7.45pm kick-off.