Nickname(s) The Atom Men Manager Kieran Jennings | Chairman Martin Desay Founded 1952 | |
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Full name Association Football Club Aldermaston League Hellenic League Division One East 2015–16 Thames Valley Premier League Premier Division, 7th (promoted) Grounds Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston | ||
A.F.C. Aldermaston is a football club based in Aldermaston, Berkshire, England. The club is affiliated to the Berks & Bucks Football Association, and currently play in the Hellenic League Division One East. The club has played at AWE Aldermaston (on the Hampshire–Berkshire border) since its establishment in 1952.
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The club motto, Facta Non Verba, comes from a Latin phrase meaning "deeds, not words".
History
The club was founded as AWRE Football Club in 1952 by Charles Green, Ted Hall, Gordon Carter, and Don Sharp, and were nicknamed "the Atom Men" after the newly founded Atomic Weapons Research Establishment. As the AWRE complex was still under construction when the club was established, the players used empty contractors' huts as changing rooms – carrying the tin bath into whichever building was designated for that day's football. The players were also responsible for the pitch, and would mow and mark out the pitch before the match started. The club received support from William Penney during his work at AWRE on the Operation Hurricane project.
In the late 1960s/early 1970s, the club was asked to change its name, and became AFC Aldermaston. In 1979 they were promoted from the Reading & District League into Division One of the Hellenic League, where they spent the next seven seasons. From 1986 until 1991 the club played in local football leagues, including the North Hampshire League, before joining Division Three of the Hampshire League in 1991. They finished fifth in their first season, earning promotion to Division Two. However, they were relegated back to Division Three the following season, where they remained until 1999. Upon reorganisation of the Hampshire League prior to the 1999–2000 season, Aldermaston were placed in the Premier Division.
When the Hampshire and Wessex Leagues merged in 2004, Aldermaston became members of Division Two of the Wessex League. They were relegated to Division Three at the end of the 2004–05 season. The division was renamed Division Two in 2006, and was disbanded at the end of the 2006–07 season, with Aldermaston moved up to Division One.
During the 2009–10 season, the club lost 40 consecutive games, breaking the previous record of 39 straight losses held jointly by Stockport United and Poole Town. The 40th defeat came on 8 April 2010, a 2–0 loss to Downton. This led to news reports proclaiming them the "worst English football team in history" as well as gaining international attention. Chairman Damion Bone stated that he believed that the poor performance over the season was due to players' commitments; the club had also lost ten players to Tadley Calleva before the start of the season. The losing streak ended on 10 April 2010, when the club drew 1–1 against Warminster Town, with the following match against Petersfield Town resulting in a 2–1 win for Aldermaston.
The run of defeats saw the club finish bottom of Division One with just one win in 40 matches, resulting in relegation to the Hampshire Premier League, At the end of the 2013–14 season, they switched to the Premier Division of the Thames Valley Premier Football League. After finishing seventh in the Premier Division in 2015–16, the club were promoted to Division One East of the Hellenic League.
Ground
The club play at the Recreational Society (commonly abbreviated to "Rec Soc") at the Atomic Weapons Establishment in Aldermaston, having been founded shortly after the complex's establishment. Until 1990, the society's Head Groundsman was Eddie Seaward. After leaving Aldermaston, Seaward became Head Groundsman at Wimbledon's All England Lawn Tennis Club, and received an MBE in 2007 for services to sport.
Facilities at the Rec Soc include railings, training facilities, floodlights, a club shop and a clubhouse. There are also non-football facilities, including cricket pitches, squash courts, and a gymnasium.