Bristol Manor Farm Football Club was formed for the 1960-61 season. After just one season, the club was disbanded but was later reformed and began playing again in the 1962-63 season. Our current home at ‘The Creek’ used to be the site of the Port of Bristol Authority Sports & Social Club and when they moved to new premises, Manor Farm took it over in 1967.
Having a permanent base of our own enabled the club to apply successfully to join the Somerset Senior League where they were to progress rapidly through the divisions before deciding to advance further to the Western League in 1977.The club was to join the First Division for the 1977-78 season and remained there until the 1982-83 season when they won the First Division championship and gained promotion to the Premier Division, until relegation under Pete McCall's management team in 2001- 02.
The pitch at the Creek has always been notorious for its sloping surface but work has been undertaken in recent years to eliminate the slope. This caused the club many problems initially, but they now appear to have achieved their aim. With seating and floodlights added since 1980, the club now boasts excellent facilities alongside a spacious clubhouse.
John Black returned to the club as manager for the start of the 2007-08 season assisted by Geoff Bryant. It was a difficult job from the start as many of the players from the previous season, when the club was managed by Steve Fey, left the club to join other teams. But the club kept their Premier Division status finishing 16th in the table.
The 2008-09 season kicked off with an unbeaten run of ten league matches, three draws and seven wins. During this period Manor Farm also won games in the FA Vase, Gloucestershire Challenge Trophy and Somerset Premier Cup. In September, assistant manager Geoff Bryant left the club after many years of service and in stepped Andy Davies. January saw John Black awarded with the Manager of the Month and the team were still in three cup competitions. The season ended with The Farm fifth in the table. In cup competitions, they had reached the quarter-finals of both the Gloucestershire Challenge Trophy and the Somerset Premier Cup and to the semi-final of the Les Phillips Cup.
Before the 2009-10 season even kicked off, hopes were high of beating the fifth place finish of the previous season. But the first three games all ended in draws with the team not showing the same form as last year. There were some notable moments, the 6-0 win over Sherborne Town at home and the 4-0 win against Melksham. But in the main, the Farm never looked liked challenging for the top spot. It was a different matter in the FA Vase, where the club enjoyed their best success for years, making it to the Fourth Round proper when they were beaten by semi-finalists Whitehawk.
The 2010/11 season saw The Farm finish seventh in the league after challenging for a top three spot towards the end of the season. We were exempted to the second round proper of the FA Vase after last season’s run, but when our keeper went off injured, it was only a matter of time before Torpoint Athletic gained the upper hand and they ran out 7-3 winners. The FA Cup provided a lot of excitement. Winning a penalty shoot-out against Almondsbury Town and holding conference side Basingstoke Town to a draw before finally being beaten in the replay by a single goal. And it was a midweek penalty shoot-out away to Ilfracombe Town that ended our run in the Les Phillips Cup at the semi-final stage. The club won the Premier Division hospitality award, no doubt due to all those home made cakes! But the future at The Creek looks bright. The Youth Team under Richard Trott and Bill Bond won the GFA Under 18 Shield and this season sees the return of a reserve team, playing in the Bristol Premier Combination League managed by Mark Love.
