History

After Weston-super-Mare AFC were disbanded during WW2, the present club reformed in 1948 after a meeting at the Town Hall decided to form a semi-professional Club. Weston spent much of the next forty years or so in the Western League, until claiming the title in the 1991/92 season under the management of John Ellener, who had taken over from the legendary Harry Thomas only a few years earlier. Thomas played over 700 games for the club and was also the player/manager for a five-year spell. This proved to be an exciting time in The Seagulls’ history, particularly as strikers Matt Lazenby and Paul Elson scored goals for fun.

After Ellener left the club in 1993, he was replaced by coach Pete Amos. Len Ashurst then took over and oversaw another exciting period with excellent players such as Stuart Jones and Ryan Souter, who were sold to Sheffield Wednesday and Bury respectively to raise much-needed cash.

The new millennium brought more change for Weston as Frank Gregan was named manager and won the club promotion from the Southern League Western Division in 2002/03, with the runners-up spot clinched after a memorable victory at Clevedon Town. The following season also proved to be successful as the side finished high enough to qualify for the brand new Conference South, that started at the beginning of the 2004/05 season. That summer of 2004 was hugely significant as Weston also moved to their new Woodspring Stadium home, where the Seagulls still play to this day, although the ground is now known as the Optima Stadium.

In subsequent years, Weston often flirted with relegation but were reprieved on each occasion, although there were also some happier times for the club, particularly when manager Craig Laird led the side to seventh place in the Conference South in 2012/13. This proved to be Weston’s highest-ever finish in the footballing pyramid.

A few years later, in 2018/19, Weston were relegated. This has proved to be The Seagulls’ only relegation ever.

In the summer of 2019, Scott Bartlett took over as manager for the second time. Unfortunately, Weston’s hopes of returning to Step 2 football were scuppered by Covid 19 as the next two seasons were declared null and void. In Bartlett’s second full season back in charge in the 2022/23 campaign, he led his side to the Southern Football League Premier South title. Bartlett’s title-winning side was captained by Dayle Grubb, another player to have amassed hundreds of appearances for The Seagulls and to have played in the Football League after a two-and-a-half-year spell at Forest Green Rovers. They went on to make a comfortable mid-table finish in their first season back in the sixth tier, finishing 13th.

Form

Although they dropped down to second place in midweek, Scott Bartlett’s side have often been the ones leading the way so far this season. Before Tuesday night’s defeat at Torquay, the Seagulls had only lost once in the National League South since the dramatic opening day encounter with Worthing.

Despite defeat on Tuesday night, Weston remain top of the form guide having won four out of their last six matches in the league. They have slipped to second in the league table, but remain level on points with league leaders Truro City with a game in hand.

The Seagulls have been free-scoring this season, too. They are the league’s third top scorers with 33 goals in 18 matches. Luke Coulson is their top goalscorer, with 10 to his name this term.

Last Six
26/11 – Torquay United (A) – Lost 4-2
23/11 – Farnborough (H) – Won 4-3
16/11 – Weymouth (H) – Lost 2-3 (FA Trophy)
11/11 – Hemel Hempstead Town (A) – Won 0-1
09/11 – Bath City (A) – Won 0-2
05/11 – Weymouth (H) – Drew 1-1

The Gaffer

Scott Bartlett has been the First-Team Manager at Weston-super-Mare since May 2019.

Bartlett’s move into coaching came in the summer of 2011 after being forced to hang up his boots due to a knee injury. He moved into coaching with the Forest Green Rovers Academy, becoming their Head of Academy and raising the academy level to ‘category three’ before his departure from The New Lawn.

Scott looked after the Forest Green Rovers first-team on a caretaker basis across two separate spells in 2013 and 2016, managing four wins, one draw and one loss across both spells as he took FGR to the Conference playoff final in 2016.

In October 2016, Bartlett got his first permanent taste of first-team managerial experience by joining the Seagulls. In the eight months that followed, Scott reshaped the squad and ensured National League South safety, with his side scoring an impressive 66 goals along the way, drawing a blank just once. He left in June 2017 as he took up a full-time role with FGR. 

In May 2019, Bartlett left Forest Green in order to pursue a first-team managerial career, and he quickly joined the Seagulls on a three-year deal for their Southern Premier Division South campaign.

The Captain

After joining from Cymru Premier side Cardiff Met in the summer, Emlyn Lewis was named as club captain on the eve of the season opener.

The powerful centre-back has spent the past 10 years with the Cardiff Met side, making countless appearances as they gained promotion to the Welsh top flight and became a stable side in the Cymru Leagues.

He has also been capped four times by Wales C, captaining them on two occasions. Signed for Weston in May 2024.

Key Player

The Seagulls’ top-scorer with ten goals so far this season, Luke Coulson is the Seagulls’ danger man.

Luke spent his formative years at Manchester City and Cardiff City before getting his first experience of senior football with Oxford City.

He went on to feature for Eastleigh, Barnet & Ebbsfleet United before signing for Bromley in 2018. The experienced winger then moved on to Dartford in the summer of 2022, where he stayed until signing for Weston in May 2024.