Weymouth Football Club was founded in 1890. Formed as an amateur club the club is nicknamed “The Terras” due to the terra-cotta and blue-quartered shirts they originally wore. The club’s impact on Dorset’s football scene was immediate as they won the Dorset Junior Cup for the first three seasons, prompting the Dorset FA to re-classify them as a senior club.

In 1987 the club moved from its harbourside Recreation Ground to the Wessex Stadium and – for a while – it looked as if promotion to the Football League would materialize. After coming close, however, the club were relegated back to the Southern League (1989) – and even lower – before returning to the Premier Division in 1997.

Following a succession of seasons treading water, the club was taken over in 2004 and a new board of directors installed Steve Claridge as player-manager with a mission to bring success to the club. Galvanising club and town, with league attendances averaging 1490, Claridge led the Terras to runners-up spot in his first season and promotion to the Nationwide South League. The club returned to full-time professionalism in 2005 and celebrated with the Nationwide South title at the end of that season.

At the start of 2009, Weymouth’s financial difficulties surfaced, leading to the resignation of chairman Curtis. Former chairman Ian Ridley replaced him in March and – days later – Former Wales manager Bobby Gould was appointed as manager. Despite his experience, the club was relegated, having only gained a single point since the majority of the first team had walked out in February.

Following months of financial problems and near liquidation, the club was taken over by George Rolls at the end of November 2009. At the end of the 2009-10 season, the club were relegated from the Blue Square South to the Zamaretto Premier League. In February 2012 a consortium of local men and club supporters, led by then Chairman Nigel Biddlecombe, were able to buy the club and set about trying to both stabilize the Terras and lead its recovery.

The Terras secured promotion to the National League South in 2018-2019 by winning the Southern League Premier South on the last day of the season in front of nearly 2700 fans. They also won the overall Champions of the Southern League by defeating the Premier Central winner Kettering Town on penalties.

The 2019/20 season turned into a very strange season indeed. The Terras performed really well and when the outbreak of Covid-19 kicked in and lockdown followed the Terras were in 3rd place in the league. Many months passed and then finally it was decided that the play-offs would take place and on Saturday 1st August the Terras defeated Dartford on penalties in the National South Play-Off Final to gain a double bonus promotion and find themselves back in the National League after a long ten year wait.

Double promotion-winning manager Mark Moseley moved onto the EFL with Southend Utd and under new manager Brian Stock.  Following two seasons in the National League, the Terras returned to the National League South with the Terras miraculously escaping relegation on the last day of the season at Dover Athletic. Both survived as results relegated Dulwich Hamlet.

Form

Weymouth have had a difficult season and are currently bottom of the league table and without a win in the league since the start of November.

Their two wins since then both came in the FA Trophy as they made it to the 4th Round before losing out to Boreham Wood.

Their most recent outing was against Dorking Wanderers last Saturday and they were narrowly beaten at home by the Wanderers.

Last Six
11/01 – Dorking Wanderers (H) – Lost 2-3
07/01 – Welling United (A) – Lost 2-1
04/01 – Boreham Wood (H) – Lost 1-2 (Isuzu FA Trophy)
01/01 – Salisbury (A) – Drew 0-0
26/12 – Torquay United (H) – Drew 2-2
21/12 – Chelmsford City (A) – Drew 0-0

The Gaffer

Warren Feeney was appointed as First Team Manager of Weymouth last month.

As a player, he was a forward who began his professional career with Leeds United. He played in the Football League for AFC Bournemouth, Stockport County, Luton Town, Cardiff City, Swansea City, Sheffield Wednesday, Oldham Athletic and Plymouth Argyle and in the Scottish Premiership for Dundee United.

He also had a spell in his native country for Linfield and played non-league football for both Salisbury City, Callington Town and Ards.

He is a former Northern Ireland international and was capped 46 times, scoring 5 goals. In making his debut, he became the third generation of his family to receive an international cap, after his father Warren Feeney, Sr. and grandfather Jim Feeney.

After retiring he moved into management and has had spells in charge of Linfield, Newport County, Ards, Welling United and in Bulgaria with Pirin Blagoevgrad.

His most recent job in management was back in Northern Ireland at Glentoran. After 9 months in charge, he left in March 2024 and was without a management role before his appointment at Weymouth last month.

The Skipper

Tom Bearwish is club captain at Weymouth, but he has been out for more than a month through injury.

The local lad wears the armband for the club, A product of the Eastleigh academy, Bearwish, netted four goals for the Spitfires first team before he moved to the Terras in June 2021.

Tom then went on to net four times in his first season in claret and blue. A success story for the town, with the ability to defend and attack simultaneously throughout the game.

Key Player

Sussex-born Jordan Maguire-Drew joined Weymouth back in September and is a player with plenty of experience at both National League South and National League level.

Maguire-Drew is a former Worthing loanee (from Brighton) and was part of the squad that won promotion to the Isthmian Premier Division. He scored an impressive eight goals in six games for the Rebels as an 18-year-old, including one in the Play-Off Final against Faversham Town.

He had a number of loan moves from Brighton to National League and Football League clubs, including Lincoln City, Coventry City and Wrexham before making a permanent move to Leyton Orient.

He joined Grimsby Town in 2021 and scored the goal that sent the Mariners back to the football league in the National League play-off final at London Stadium.

After a spell at Yeovil Town, Maguire-Drew joined the Terras in August and has since settled into the side.