The club was founded in 1894, and played their matches in those early days at Marston Road, following the opening of the Terrace playing fields just before the Second World War; this became the new venue for home games.The Club then moved across the road from the Terrace playing fields in 1985 to it’s present home called “Raleigh Grove” fittingly using Sir Walter Raleigh’s historical connection with the town.
The Raleigh Grove site was built in 1985 on a grazing field, at the level of the raised banking that exists today on the north west side of the ground, this had to be leveled, to create a playing area, a task made all the more difficult as there was a pond in the far right corner of the ground. When the site was built the club noted the regulations laid down for promotion from the Dorset Premier league at the time, so a covered section on the south west side of the ground was erected for supporters, also the pitch had four drains laid to aid the playing surface. When the site was completed the new ground was somewhat way ahead of its time, considering many of the clubs rivals at that time were based on little more than park or village pitches.
The clubhouse was a project due to the forethought of the then Chairman of the club, Mr. Ken Mullins, this spacious facility also incorporates the dressing rooms, bar, function room, kitchen, storeroom and toilets, including disabled facilities.
Sherborne Town had been regular entrants in the FA Vase in the past; sadly the club had to withdraw from the competition when the FA stipulated that floodlights were essential for entry. The record attendance at the ground is 1,000 versus Eastliegh (featuring ex-Southampton and England international Matthew Le Tissier), in the Andy Shephard Memorial match on July 27th 2003.
Four Football League clubs have played at Raleigh Grove, Plymouth Argyle, and Torquay United visiting for Andy Stone’s testimonial match. In 2005 Swindon Town and Yeovil Town played at the “Grove”.
In 2001 the committee of Sherborne Town FC outlined a 3-phase, 5-year plan for the future development of the ground, the plans included a hard standing path along the north west side of the pitch for spectators, a 150-seater stand to be erected on the same side, relocating the dugouts, improvements to the clubhouse, and the installation of floodlights. Planning approval was granted in 2003, and the hard work began, and in 2004 phases 1 and 2 was completed, with hard standing, Grandstand, new dugouts and floodlights erected and working in just 3 months.
The club regained the right to compete in the F.A.Vase due to the erection of the floodlights. In past years Sherborne Town have reached the 1st round on 3 occasions, and in season 2006/7 they reached the 4th round, this season the club were awarded the FA “Team of the round” for the 3-0 away victory against Premier division Willand Rovers.
As mentioned previously, part of the 5 year plan set out in 2001 was to not only upgrade the ground facilities, but also to improve the quality of players, to enable the club to gain admission into the Toolstation Western League. Under the leadership of Martyn Starnes he slowly, season by season, lowered the average age of the playing staff and also attracted quality players with a genuine hunger for the game.
This combination led to the team finishing in the top 6 of the Dorset Premier League for five seasons running, leading to the long battle to convince the “powers to be” of the club’s determination to join the south west’s premier football league.
In the season 2003/4 the club finished in 4th position and also won the Dorset Senior County Cup. Application was made to the Western League but unfortunately the Dorset Premier League refused to give their assent to the club crossing the pyramid at that stage. However, unperturbed, the club learnt valuable lessons, and with a new strategy the club set about the small task of winning the Dorset Premier league with a team comprising an average age of 21.
With the last game of the 2005-6 season Sherborne produced an excellent performance to beat Bridport Res 2-0 away to secure the runners up position, and days later the news broke that the club had at last been accepted into the Western League.
So as the club enters a new exciting era of playing in the Western League Premier Division, the F.A.Cup, and F.A.Vase, its worth supporters remembering how far the club has come in the last decade, its also worth remembering that previous winners of the Western League such as Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, and Portsmouth were small clubs once!
