Keynsham Town Football Club is now over 110 years old, having been formed in 1896. In the early days it played at the “Hams” and then moved to “Gaston” in 1910. 1n 1925 the club played in Park Road and then moved again in 1930 to a pitch on Charlton Road. All these grounds have now been built on and there is no evidence of them.
In 1939 the club was disbanded for the duration of the Second World War and was reformed in 1945 when the club found its new home at Crown Fields, where it has played ever since. It was due to the foresight of Roy Neal and Ken Dowling and the Committee at that time that the ground is left in trust to ensure that football can be played for the generations to come.
The main clubhouse was built in the 1970’s with new dressing rooms added in 1984 and floodlights in 1989. In recent years the clubhouse has been upgraded and most recently the seats have been replaced, incidentally from the old Williams Stand at Ashton Gate, home of Bristol City Football Club.
The club first played in the Bristol & District League and progressed to the Bristol Premier Combination. The club then moved into the Somerset County League and into the Western League in 1974. The club then found themselves in the first division of the Western League when that league was formed in season 1975/6 but returned to the Premiership in 1978/9 when Town finished as champions and then spent 5 years at the higher level only to find themselves in Division 1 for the start of season 1983/4. The Town then had a barren spell and it did not return to the top flight until 1997, finishing runners up to Melksham Town but the yoyo affect kicked in again two seasons later when the Town again returned to Division 1 only to return again in 2000 finishing runners up to Team Bath. The Town again find themselves in Division 1 this season and will be actively trying to return to the Premiership as quickly as possible.
Away from the first team the Town were developing their football club with the introduction of a reserve side in 1987, currently playing football in the First Division of the Somerset County League. The most noticeable achievement was the winning of the Somerset Senior Cup in 2003, the first time in 45 years, beating Westlands at Clevedon’s Hand Stadium.
In 1988 an Under 18 Youth team was formed, competing in the Somerset Floodlight Youth League and in 2006/7 got promoted to the First Division of this league and to complete the circle an “A” team was formed in 1993 to compete in the Bath & District League. Both these sides were formed to support the growing number of players from within the Club’s successful youth section and to provide that important step between junior and adult football.
The Town’s junior section has over 10 sides playing competitive football in the Hanham Minor League and Avon Youth League with the 7’s 8’s and 9’s playing friendlies on a regular basis. Old club stalwarts, Steve Nicholls and Martin Cole run a minis session every Saturday morning for children as young as 4 to get an introduction to the beautiful game.
The Town see the progress of its junior club as the keystone to the club’s future development and playing success of the senior club with the sights set firmly on the local community for its inspiration and future success.
Ladies football came to Keynsham in 1993 and the Town Ladies FC represents the club in the FA Nationwide Women's Premier League - Southern Division and competes alongside such clubs as West Ham, Millwall and Southampton. With a reserve side playing in the South West Women’s League First Division and junior sides in the Bristol Girls League.
With all the teams within the Town family we have over 25 teams playing regularly for the Club. With a club of such size and diversity, it was an honour to be awarded a Community Development Club, the highest level of the FA’s Charter Standard initiative, something the club treasures and has set its stall out to operate under the ethos of the Charter.
