Football has been played in Willand, Mid Devon, for well over a century now. Indeed match reports exist from as far back as 1907 when Willand Association Football Club was under the chairmanship of Dr Henry Tracey of the Gables.
The club played their home games then at the Pavilion Ground, this the field opposite the one and only public house in Willand, Halfway Public House.
The Football club was still going strong when the world returned to a life of war in 1939 and at this stage of its existence it was known as Willand Wanderers FC.
There were two members from the football club on the committee of the Willand United Services Club that was formed in 1942 to organize wartime events for the local community.
By the 1970’s the club moved to its current location of the Silver Street site, now known as The Stan Robinson Stadium. In 1972 Rovers started the season against near neighbours Tiverton Town in the Premier Division of the Devon & Exeter League.
The 1972 season saw the first ever Willand Rovers programme produced with 40% of the programme sales going to wards the matchday draw. There was also a refreshment caravan at the ground for the first time.
Legend says that when the M5 Motorway was built in the 70s the old village hall had to be taken down and it is wood from that building which was used in the building of the current grandstand at the ground.
Despite having the stand, in the early 1990’s the Devon & Exeter League ruled that the facilities were not up to the required standard for the then Premier Division and the club was demoted to the Senior Divisions whilst the Reserves went to play in the North Devon League.
In 1992 Rovers became founder members of the Devon County League and they had the honour of hosting the first ever County League game and, in attendance for the opening game was Bert Millichip, then the Chairman of the Football Association.
Under current manager Clive Jones, then club rise and rise continued apace. The County League was won in 1998/99 and again in 2000/01.
This was followed by promotion to the Western League Division One and after just three years the club was promoted again, this time into the Premier Division.
In recent year Rovers have shown season-on-season improvement in terms of finishing higher each term that the previous one and there is little disputing that the Mid Devon side are now considered to be one of the Western League’s leading clubs.
Last year the Rovers Review – the matchday programme, was voted the best in the Western League and during the summer the club also launched a new website whilst secretary Tony Baker began putting together a book of the history of the club.
This term will also see the Rovers Reserves play at the highest level possible in terms of local football when they play in the Premier Division of the Devon & Exeter Football League.
