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FIRST CLUB STATEMENT
Issued 4th April 2024
The Committees of Henbury FC and Rockleaze Rangers Seniors FC are delighted to announce a formal merger of the clubs for the start of the 2024/25 season.
After a few weeks of positive discussions between representatives of the senior sections of both clubs the new club will be named "Henbury & Rockleaze Football Club" and will be based at the fantastic facilities at Arnall Drive in Henbury.
Current Rockleaze Rangers FC Senior Section Chairman, Andrew Myland, commented, "We see the merger with Henbury FC as a fantastic opportunity which will be mutually beneficial to all parties. The infrastructure at Arnall Drive will finally achieve our long term ambition of bringing all of our senior playing members together with a single social venue, and will enable the new club to kick on with our joint aspirations of progressing up the football pyramid. Sadly, neither of these things have been possible at our current ground at UWE's wonderful Hillside Gardens. Henbury are a club we have enjoyed pitting ourselves against over the years and we see this as two like minded clubs merging to make us even stronger".
Longstanding former Chairman and now President of Henbury FC, Charlie Barron, reiterated "we are very excited about the merger with Rockleaze Rangers having been long time admirers of their way of doing things on and off the pitch. We look forward to a new chapter in the histories of both clubs and will be striving to progress the new club on and off the pitch. The aim will be to build a strong community based club that can continue to provide player development opportunities and climb the football ladder".
Chris Bradbeer Chairman of Rockleaze Rangers Junior Section added "The junior section of Rockleaze Rangers are excited that this opportunity has arisen for our Senior section on their path towards Step 6 of the National Pyramid. We look forward to maintaining our affiliation with them and working with the new Club to provide a pathway for Rockleaze Rangers Juniors to make the step into adult football".
The new club will be playing their football in the Gloucestershire County League; Bristol Premier Combination League; Bristol & Suburban League; Bristol Premier Sunday League and the Bristol and Gloucestershire Under 18 Combination. The newly formed Exec will be initially be looking to undertake the necessary ground improvement works in order to allow the club to progress to Step 6 of the National Football Pyramid.
The club intends to maintain strong ties with the junior sections of both Henbury FC and Rockleaze Rangers FC in order to continue to offer a pathway into adult football for all.
All involved see this as a fantastic development for both clubs and look forward optimistically to the future.
#UTHR
Henbury and Rockleaze Football Club were formed on the 1st of June 2024 following the merger of Henbury FC and Rockleaze Rangers FC adult sections. The club will play it’s matches and be based at Arnall Drive in Henbury. Both clubs have a rich history which we will strive to bring together in addition to creating our own.
Henbury FC
Henbury Old Boys was formed in 1962 playing in Division 4 of The Bristol Downs Association Football League. Founder members included Chairman Bill Williams, Secretary Ron Excell, Treasurer Ron Crocombe and committee members Cliff Griffin, Jack Fisk, Fred Jones and Arnold Rogers, all of whom served the club for a great number of years.
While the first team remained playing on the Downs, the second and third teams, along with their youth teams played on pitches at Arnall Drive Playing Fields. Players changed in the scout’s hut in Satchfield Crescent and walked the two hundred meters to the pitch.
The committee decided to leave The Downs League after four seasons and joined The Bristol & District League. The dressing rooms were positioned in the Blaise Castle estate across the road to Arnall Drive Playing Fields. The single-story changing rooms was an old R.A.F. concrete hut. All the work to erect this building and associated works was carried out by players and volunteers connected to the club.
The first team finished in fourth position and the following season in 1968-69 played in Division 2 of the Premier Combination until the end of season 1985-86. After several failed attempts to progress through the Football League Pyramid System to join the Gloucestershire County League, the club realised this was only possible with a new clubhouse and changing rooms alongside their pitch.
This overcame the problem of crossing the road and the new changing rooms meeting the approval of the management committee. The club was voted into the County League in 1987 and only one club Patchway Town has since played more seasons in the County League. That being one more season than ourselves.
Of the many seasons in the Gloucestershire County League, the most noticeable came in the season of 1994-1995 in which we claimed our one and only Gloucestershire County League title under the captaincy of Bob Pritchard who later became club chairman.
Henbury then endured a long 15-year drought in which there was minimal success, until the season of 2010-2011 becoming the winners of the Les James league Cup. Since the title winning season in 1994-1995 Henbury claimed the runners up spot on four occasions, these coming in the season of 1997/98, 2002/03, 2011-2012 and 2015-2016 (also in 1988/89).
This ambition took a backward step after a thirty-five-year spell playing in the Gloucester County League, when the club was unable to avoid relegation at the end of the 2022-23 season.
Rockleaze Rangers FC
Rockleaze Rangers Football Club was established in 1976 as a Sunday team under the name of Nat West Court FC. After a couple of seasons, the club expanded into Saturday football and joined the Bristol and Suburban League in 1979. Thereafter followed a number of years during which the club progressed through the divisions, with the highlight being GFA Minor Cup winners in 1986. The club were now known as Avonside Court, and this progression culminated in being crowned Premier 2 Division Champions in 1989.
After finishing the following season in 4th place in Prem 1, the early 90’s marked a transitional period for the club, establishing closer ties with Bristol and West and, as by then the club had moved grounds to play at the Bristol and West Sports Club then on the Portway. Under the management of Geoff Bryant and latterly Paul Smith, the club attracted a core of young players. During this period the club enjoyed its most consistent performances, finishing in the top 6 in 4 consecutive seasons and narrowly missing out on the Prem 1 Championship in 1999 season, having to settle for the Runners-up spot.
Another difficult period for the Club followed, with the club now known as B&W Avonside having to find a new home at the University Ground at Coombe Dingle, following the closure of the Bristol and West Sports Ground, and losing a number of key players to Gloucestershire and Somerset County League Clubs. This resulted in relegation back to Suburban Prem 2 in 2004, however, this was a turning point in the club’s fortunes, with the appointment of Andrew Myland as 1st Team Manager, many of the clubs past players returned coupled with the recruitment of a number of new faces and the team bounced back to Prem 1 in 2005 as Prem 2 runners up.
The appointment of Carmelo Micciche as Manager saw season 2007-08 start with much optimism. This optimism was not unfounded, and the 1st team ended as GFA Senior Amateur Cup Champions, runners up in the Suburban League Premier 1 and promotion to the Gloucestershire County League.
During the summer of 2009 B&W Avonside amalgamated with a junior football club known as Rockleaze Rangers who were also based at the University Ground in Coombe Dingle to form a new Club known as Rockleaze Avonside FC. At the end of the 2009-10 season the decision was made to augment the merger fully by playing under a single banner, that being Rockleaze Rangers F.C. Since 2009 the senior section of the club expanded from 2 Saturday sides to 5 Saturday sides, 2 Sunday sides and two Under 18's.
At the end of 2012/13 Carmelo Micciche stepped down after 6 successful seasons in charge of the 1st team, Dave Johnson was appointed’ however, things didn’t work out for Johnson who was replaced by player Neil Simons in March with the team sitting second from bottom, however, the team ultimately finished ninth and reached the Les James League Cup where they lost to an exceptional Longlevens side.
The 2015/16 season saw ex Almondsbury UWE duo Rich Thomas and Lee Roberts given the responsibility of making the club a regular top 6 Gloucestershire County league side. The team achieved the clubs’ initial goals by finishing 5th in the league and were once again runners up in the Les James League Cup and for the 4th time in 5 seasons won the Respect Fair Play League Award. A 6th place in 16/17 saw the club become a regular top 6 side. The Reserve team were also promoted to Prem 1 as Runners up in both the league and GFA Senior Amateur Cup. After 3 seasons in charge Rich and Lee stood down at the end of the 2017/18 season.
The 2018-19 season saw the club finally move into our new ground at the University of the West of England (UWE) to play at their Hillside Gardens facility. At the start of the 2018-19 season our successful Reserve team management duo of Peter Bradbury and Lee Douglas were appointed and despite two interrupted seasons due to the global pandemic, the duo orchestrated three top 4 finishes in their time in charge.