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Club history - Seymour United

In October 1976, Geoff Chapple invited 18 people to a meeting at his home in Seymour Road, Staple Hill, Bristol, to discuss setting up a senior football club from the origins of a junior team competing in the Boys' Brigade League. The team was founded and took its name from the road and became Seymour United FC. Ray Walton was elected the first Chairman of the club with Geoff Chapple as Team Manager.

Playing their home games at Page Park, the first season consisted of mainly friendly matches against local opposition. The following season saw Seymour United compete in the Avon Regional League where they remained until 1981. During this spell, the club achieved mixed results and performances, the highlights of which, being an appearance in the Temple Colston Cup Semi Final and a 1979/80 opening day 3-2 defeat of the newly formed Bishops Sutton on their own ground in front of over 60 people.

In 1981, the club gained election to the Bristol and District League and success soon followed when the team beat Henbury Sports to the Division 6 title. Captained by Pete Yeoman, the team had a real family feel about it, with the Chapple brothers, Nigel and Gary, the Chilcotts, Robin and Phil and the Godwins, Paul and Nigel. Success continued in the following season, finishing runners up to Henbury Sports in Division 5, but as reputations grew, the team lost Robin and Phil along with Pete Hancock to higher standards of football and the team was relegated back to Division 6.

The golden era
In 1988, Paul Williams (Pedro) took over as Team Manager. Instant success followed, with the team winning four league titles in consecutive seasons and reaching its first GFA Cup Final in 1992 – losing 2-1 to Nicholas Wanderers.

During this period, Dave Coles was elected as Club Chairman and provided tremendous moral and financial support throughout his time with Seymour United, which is greatly appreciated by everyone associated with the club. Coles Printers ongoing sponsorship of the club has helped to lay a sound financial foundation to ensure the continued success of the club.

In 1989, Paul Williams and George Threader organised the move from Page Park to the clubs new home ground at Longwell Green Community Centre, where the club was to remain for the next 21 years. The club formed Seymour United Reserves in 1993 and spent a couple of difficult seasons trying to establish the team. Under the guidance of Dave Palmer and then Paul Williams in his second managerial stint at the club, the team secured promotion through the leagues together with GFA Primary Cup success in 1999 and the GFA Minor Cup in 2000.

After spending several years in the Senior Division of the Bristol and District League, the First Team, under the leadership of Neale Coles and Wayne Hopkins, eventually gained election to the Bristol Premier Combination. The Reserves, transformed by Paul Cummins in his own unique style, progressed steadily, winning the Division 2 title in 2008/09.

Off the field, Paul Brooks collected his second club secretary award by winning the E.G. Neal Trophy, to add to a similar award for the Bristol Combination League in 2007. On the down side, 2010 saw the end of Longwell Green Community Centre as our home ground and sadly, we mourned the loss of George Threader, a stalwart member and supporter of the club for over 20 years who they greatly miss.