Elmore

Elmore FC are a non league football club from the town of Tiverton, which is located in Devon in England's south west. The club were formed in 1947, spending their first twenty seven years playing in local competition.

In 1974 'The Eagles' entered into the South Western League, where they remained for four years before progressing to the Western League. Promotion was achieved to the Premier Division through a runners up place in the 1990-91 season.

The 1994-95 season was the most successful in Elmore's history as they reached the fourth round of the FA Vase, where they were defeated by local rivals Taunton Town as well as finishing as league runners up.

In 2000 local youngster Adam Stansfield was spotted by Yeovil Town. He went on to have a successful career before losing his life to cancer ten years later. Elmore would later name their Main Stand in honour of him.

Elmore suffered relegation in the 2003-04 season after finishing bottom of the league.

Elmore were transferred from the Western League at the end of the 2012-13 season to the South West Peninsula League.

Elmore FC will play in the South West Peninsula League Premier Division in the 2013-14 season..


My visit

Wednesday 15th August 2012

I was in Devon after spending the previous evening watching the League Cup match between Exeter City and Crystal Palace. My plans for the day included visiting some football and cricket grounds before taking in an FA Cup replay on my way back to London.

I had my breakfast looking out of the tired Great Western Hotel at an awful morning weather wise. It really was pouring down. However, I was determined not to let getting wet spoil my day and I carried on regardless, although I was questioning myself after getting a soaking when only crossing the forecourt to St Davids Station.

I took the Cross Country train which would eventually terminate in Glasgow. I was only staying on for fifteen minutes to Tiverton Parkway, which turned out to be quite some distance from the town itself. I could just about see through the windows of the double decker bus as its route took it through villages which I'm sure would look very pretty with the sun on them. I could only imagine!

Fortunately I used the map app on my IPhone to track our journey as we neared Tiverton and as luck would have it, we were to pass Horndon Park on the way into town. I rang the bell, crossed the road by elevated footbridge and came out on Heathcoat Way for the short walk to the grounds entrance.

Fortunately a gate was open as the ground also had a community nursery school in one of its buildings. The ground itself was neat enough, being treen lined on three sides. The Adam Stansfield was on the half way line, with the rest of the arena consisting of flat open grass and hard standing. The entrance end had a car park and all the changing rooms, offices and clubhouse buildings.

I went on my ever dampened way as I tried to find the way to Ladymead, the home of Elmore's cross town rivals Tiverton Town. It's as well I had the phone app as my paper map that I had prepared earlier was a bundle of mush in my rain jackets pocket.

Tiverton seemed a really nice place and one I'd readilly return to for football and to check out some of the nice old ale houses!