Sturminster Marshall Youth Fc

Sturminster Marshall Youth Football Club was formed in its current status in 1989 as a 1 team club that evolved from a team playing in the local Wimborne & District Cub Scout League. The clubs present Chairman and coach of the under 15’s was a founder member of the youth football club and is currently chairman of the club, thus ensuring strong ties between the youth and men’s section. 

Since formation the club has grown to a point where it currently provides 9 teams in the Dorset Divisional and Mini Soccer Leagues in age groups ranging from under 8’s to under 18s. As well as these league teams the club also provides a Mini Kickers Football School providing coaching and organised fixtures for under 6’s and under 7’s. The club therefore provides football for over 140 young people of which 98% are from within Sturminster Marshall and it’s a joining parishes of Corfe Mullen and Wimborne. 

In addition to the players the club offers opportunities for volunteers to coach, manage and referee teams at all age levels and currently has some 30 adults actively involved within the club. This includes 8 coaches qualified to 1st 4 sport Level 1, 3 at level 2, 3 at Fa Youth module 1 and 5 qualified referee’s all of which have attended the FA’s Child Protection and Emergency Aid Workshops. 

The club has close links with a number of schools in the area particularly at First School level. These links include coaching for pupils and the use of school facilities for coaching. 

The club also has a direct link with Sturminster Marshall Football Club which ensures that all players have a chance of still participating for the club on leaving the youth section after under 18’s.

Since formation, the aim of Sturminster Marshall Youth Football Club has been to develop as a football club within the local community with a view to providing structured and organised football coaching and facilities for all members with the progression into adult section. 

Sturminster Marshall Fc

Founded 6th August 1921 (we are still researching the History between 1921-1959 - please let us know if you can fill any gaps!).

It all began for SMFC on the 26th May 1959 when the club was re-formed. 

Entering one team into Dorset Division 4 East, a remarkable run of success in the following seasons occurred. By 1965 the club had reached the Dorset Combination. 

The club expanded and formed a reserve team in 1962.

For the next ten seasons the First Team remained in the top flight achieving 4th position in 1965/66 and again in 1966/67. The next eight seasons produced a steady decline in results until the unfortunate withdrawal of the team from the Dorset Combination in 1975. 

Meanwhile the reserves were playing in Dorset Division 4, gaining promotion to Division 3 in 1970/71 season and again in 1973/74.

The knock-on effect of the decision was that the First Team dropped into Division 3 North which meant the disbanding of the Reserves.

Instant success followed as SMFC entered Division 2 as champions of Division 3 North and also winning the Junior Cup for the second time.

The celebrations continued as the reserve side was re-formed in 1977 and entered Division 4. 

The following two seasons the First Team consolidated in Dorset Division 2 but were relegated in 1978/79. You could call them the “Yo – Yo years”  as they were promoted back to Division 2 in 1981/82. 

The First Team remained in Division 2 until they were promoted in season 1987/88. The team developed a reputation of being a “cup side”, winning the Intermediate Cup three times (1983, 1986 and 1987) and the 1981 Shaftesbury Charity Cup. 

Meanwhile the Reserves continued in Division 4 winning their first ever honour in 1985 with the capture of the Division 4 North League Cup. This was followed by the double of Division 4 North Championship and Cup in 1978/88 without losing a game. 

The Reserves have remained in Division 3 North up to the present day achieving 4th position on two occasions. 

The First Team struggled in Division 1 and were relegated in 1990/91, later to return as Champions in 1994/95.

Season 1995/96 saw the return of large crowds on Churchill Close although not quite up to the crowds of five hundred which occurred in the sixties. Playing attacking football the First Team narrowly missed the championship by 1 point and picked up the Dorset Senior Trophy. However more importantly the Club were once again represented in Dorset’s Premier League. 

The 1997/98 season saw the fruits of the youth policy pay off with the introduction of a third Saturday team (A Team) entering Dorset Division 4 North but more importantly the first team under the management of David (Jet) Copeland  were crowned the best team in Dorset football for the first time in the Clubs history when they became Dorset Combination Champions.

After dropping out of the Combination the following season the club found it's self once again having to consolidate in Division 1 and reintroduced the policy of bringing on the youth players. With the restructuring of the Dorset Leagues Sturminster found themselves in the newly formed Dorset Senior League.

The youth policy once again paid off as now under the management of Kev Bowmer the team were crowned league champions at the end on the 2005-2006 season with no fewer than 14 out of the 17 man squad having played for the club at youth level.

2006-2012 saw the side participate in the Dorset Premier League before being relegated in 2012 and returning to the Dorset Premier League in the 2014-2015 season.

2015-2016 saw the side have to pull out of the DPL due to lack of players and the club started again in Dorset Division 4 where they can runners up.

Under the management of Adam Tong saw the club have 3 consecutive league championship wins and promotions 2016-17 in Dorset division 3, 2017-2018 in division 2 and 2018-2019 in Dorset Division 1.

The current management team of Dan Haysom and his assistant Greg Horlock took over the reigns in the 2019-2020 season in the Dorset Senior League.

Unfortunately covid hit and both the 2019-2020 and 2020- 2021 season were cut short.

Once up and running again in 2021-2022 the side saw themselves crowned champions of the Dorset Senior League by a margin of 10 points.

That saw them return to the Dorset Premier League for the first time in 6 years where they are now participating under the same management team this 2022-2023 season.