MINERS CLUB DUG DEEP FOR A HEALTHY FUTURE
DRIVING through the villages of North Somerset, it is hard to imagine that the regions was once at the heart of the Somerset Coalfields – an area of about 240 square miles.
There were 18 pits in Paulton alone, and a clue to this industrial heritage can be found on the Paulton Rovers club crest: a mining wheel and a couple of crossed hammers.
When the club was formed in 1881 most of these pits had closed although a couple remained active into the 1960s.
Retired club director Rob Filer has been involved with the club since the age of 18. His father played for the club and he recalls being told tales of miners coming up from the pit on a Saturday morning, and then checking to see whether their name was on a list of players selected to play for Paulton in the afternoon.
“They would come straight in, almost black,” he told. “They would just wipe their faces, play, then have a bath.
Filer is one of a number who has been at the club for many years. These days he looks after the pitch with his three sons, all of whom met their partners at the club.
Many of the former miners were able to find employment at the massive print works, Purnell & Son, which expanded rapidly after World War II, and also the Ashman Brothers boot factory, which was another major employer. With these industries now gone, most players these days are drawn from neighbouring Bristol and Bath.
Paulton have been a Southern League club since 2004, af
ter a long history mainly comn peting in the Western League. There were a couple of seathe Premier Division, which ultimately proved a step too far, but there are ambitions to return. Location however remains a problem, as Filer points out. “If you put all the neighbourages ing villa together, Radstock, Midsomer Norton and Paulton, you have a town. You would have one club, whereas we’re all competing with one another.” This is actually a return trip for me –my original visit to cowith incide with the tenth anniverPaulton’s sary of FA Cup first round tie against Norwich City, having succumbed to a deluge of rain that fell across the area last November. Paulton may have lost 7-0 that day, but the tie guaranteed a sell-out crowd in front of the TV cameras, not to mention a six-figure pay day that was not frittered away or spent on playis ers, and still being drawn on today. “We have invested to stay at the level we are and progress if we can” says Filer. “We cut our cloth depending on what we can afford.”
Thankfully the weather is a lot kinder today, and the visit of Frome Town, just 12 miles down the road, draws a decent crowd to Winterfield Road.
Situated at the top of a hill in the village and looking out across surrounding open countryside, the ground has the appearance of being high and quite exposed. Behind the far goal is ‘The Batch’, a former spoil heap, now covered in vegetation.
Paulton are handily placed just outside the play-off positions, which is already a big improvement on their 17th place finish of last season.
The game turns out to be a cracker. Paulton twice come from behind to earn a point, and are indebted to a fine performance by their teenage keeper Aaron Sainsbury.
He is given no chance from the penalty spot early on however, as Alex Monks converts, but Paulton draw level mid-way through the half, courtesy of a fine strike from Ed Butcher.
Frome then go ahead once again just before half-time through Dan Cottle, and although in the second half they press for a deciding third, they are unable to get past Sainsbury. With just over 15 minutes left, Ben Bament equalises for Paulton. It is a good result for the home side.
Ultimately of course, as we all now know, it was all for nothing. Of most importance however, is the long-term future of both clubs. Paulton will certainly be hit by the loss of income from their busy social club, but hopefully that FA Cup money from a decade ago, will help see them through the current crisis.