Men
FA Trophy Round 2 Sat 18 November Badgers Sports Ground
Frome Town
  • Meakes (9')
  • Davies (60')
2 (4)
Worthing
  • Colbran (52')
  • Pearce (90+6')
2 (3)
2-2 (4-3 pens)

History

Frome Town, known at the Robins, was formed in 1904 and played in the Wiltshire Premier League.

Early success came in the form of three Somerset Senior League Championships in between 1906 and 1911, whilst in between the Wiltshire League Championship was won in 1909-10. Frome entered the Western League in 1919 and immediately became Division 2 Champions while the Somerset FA Senior Cup was won in successive seasons 1932-22 & 1933-34 & for a third time in 1950-51.

Frome’s greatest triumph came in 1978-79 when the club won the Western League. The Championship was secured by losing only once in the last 32 matches. The League Cup followed in 1979-80. Another vintage year followed in 1982-83 with victories in both the Somerset FA Premier Cup and the Western League Cup, plus runners-up in the league.

The Club was re-structured off the field in 1999-00 but despite the ground being upgraded, success on the field did not follow with a re-structure of the league saving the Club from relegation into County football. A seventh, third and fourth-placed finish saw the club continually improving and then the runners-up spot in 2008-09 secured promotion into the Southern League for the first time in the Club’s history. The Somerset Premier Cup was also won with a 3-1 win over rivals Paulton Rovers.

The summer of 2011 also saw the Club receive the prestigious FA Charter Standard Community Club status in 2012 after a great first season in the Southern Premier Division the Club were awarded the title of Community Club of the Year for Somerset and then also picked up the regional award that took them into the national final.

The Club were relegated from the Southern Premier Division in the 2018/19 season and have spent the last three seasons battling at the top end of the Southern League South, fighting to earn back their Premier Division status.

 

Form

The Robins have had an impressive campaign so far, sitting second in the league table after ten games. They sit two points off top-spot with two games in hand. The Robins also reached the Emirates FA Cup Third Round Qualifying where they were beaten by high-flying Isthmian League outfit, Ramsgate.

Frome have won six of their last seven matches, including the victory that earned their place in the Second Round of the Isuzu FA Trophy, where they beat their league rivals Cribbs 1-0 at home.

The Robins are also unbeaten at home in their nine fixtures in all competitions. Frome haven’t lost a competitive home match since 18th March, when Sholing ran out 3-2 winners.

 

The Gaffer

Danny Greaves has been in charge at Badgers Hill since his appointment in 2018.

Manager Danny Greaves waving instructions to his players.

Greaves took over the club five years ago in difficult circumstances, with the side battling against the drop in the Southern Premier Division. Greaves has overseen a rebuild of the team, and successfully led the Robins to three good years at the top of the Southern League South Division and challenging for promotion back to the Premier Division.

Before his appointment at Frome in 2018, Greaves was manager at Bradford Town where he guided Bradford to their two consecutive highest finishes in the Western Football League Premier Division, as well as an extended run in the FA Vase in the 2017/18 season.

Greaves is a former goalkeeper who started his career at Bristol Rovers before spells with Forest Green Rovers, Mangotsfield United, Cirencester Town, Clevedon Town and Bridgwater Town, making more than 400 career appearances.

 

The Captain

Captain Sam Teale is in his ninth season at the club and was voted Supporters’ Player of the Year last term making 36 apps and scoring 3 goals.

Captain Sam Teale in action for Frome Town.

Before the start of the 2023/24 campaign, Teale had amounted 256 appearances for the Robins, scoring 15 goals.

Signed as a left-back from Paulton Rovers, he previously played for Clevedon, Mangotsfield and Weston-super-Mare and made his Frome Town debut on 5th September 2015 against Hitchin.

A crisis towards the end of the 2017-18 campaign saw him step up to take the managerial reins for a handful of games and his versatility has also included playing an entire match in goal.

His wholehearted performances along the back line and dedication to the cause, both on and off the pitch, have made him a firm fan favourite at Badgers Hill.

 

Key Players

Geore Rigg is an experienced midfielder who is also a very accomplished full back. He has had spells with Stoke City U21s, Weymouth, Bath City and Chippenham Town whom he departed in the summer to join the Robins.

George Rigg pictured after signing for Frome Town in the summer.

Rigg has made well over 200 appearances in the National League South and captained Chippenham Town on occasions. He’s a player with a lot of technical ability and prefers to operate as a box-to-box midfielder.

George Rigg had been a youth player at Bristol City when he moved to Stoke City in July 2011. After, his spell with the Potters, he joined Exeter City in 2013, before linking up with Weymouth a year later.

 

James Ollis was the Robins’ top-scorer last season, despite missing parts of last season through injury. Ollis scored 16 goals in 32 appearances last term, earning him the Manager’s Player of the Year award. Ollis made his Frome Town debut back in autumn 2020, featuring 82 times and with 32 goals.

James Ollis in action for Frome Town.

The forward started his career at National League South side Bath City, making three appearances for The Romans.

After loan spells at Keynsham Town, Mangotsfield United and Yate Town, Ollis would eventually sign permanently for The Mangos before signing for Frome Town in the summer of 2020.