Club History
28 May 2008

Few clubs in the Bristol area have experienced the ups and downs of Frampton Athletic, who have enjoyed two spells in the Gloucestershire County League during the last 25 years.

The club were launched as a youth team in the South Gloucestershire League in 1946 and provided six members of the representative team during the 1950-51 season, after gaining many divisional and cup honours.

The team first played on a small pitch near Bitterwell Lake before moving in 1960 to their present headquarters at Beesmoor Road, where an old tin shed was used as a changing area until the dressing rooms and clubhouse were built.

Frampton later joined the Bristol & District League, finishing Division IV champions in 1970, then taking the Division II title two seasons later. They also won the GFA Minor Cup in 1969, the first of many trophy successes.

The first team were elected to the Bristol Premier Combination in 1976. They were crowned Division I champions in the 1978-79 season and moved up to the Premier Division, where runners-up spot in 1983 sealed promotion to the County League.

The first team were beaten Premier Cup finalists in 1989 and 1991, before lifting the Division I crown in 1994 to return to the County League as Premier Division champions the following season, under Dave "Puffer" Riley and Nigel Sterne.

Riley later moved to Hanham Athletic but was one of a list of successful Frampton managers, which included Barrie Anstey, Paul Lowrie, Martin Wheeler and the Burns brothers, John and Roger.

Another brother, Micky, later a Forest Green regular, and their cousin Darren Burns, were all associated with the first team in the County League, while Frampton players who later became professionals include Steve White (Bristol Rovers) and Dave Lee (Chelsea).

After leaving the Avon League as champions in 1976, the reserves won the District League Division VI title the following year to herald a succession of promotions, either as champions or runners-up, and lifted the GFA Intermediate Trophy in 1980.

The best performance by Frampton's second string came during the 1990-91 season when pipped by Hartcliffe for top spot in the Senior Division, but the team has since dropped back to Division III.

Frampton also enjoyed considerable success in the Berkeley Hospital Cup competitions, winning the Premier Trophy in 1983, then finishing as beaten finalists four years later.

The first team also took the Junior Trophy in 1965, 1968, 1969 and 1979, while the reserves became the holders in 1987.

The name of Frampton was also engraved on the Cossham Hospital Cup in 1981.

Many of the "golden oldies" continued playing for Frampton in the Umbro Veterans tournament, completing a Midland championship and Southern Cup double in the 1994-95 season, when former Chile international Chico Naranjo was in the squad.

There was a major change at the turn of the century when Frampton Athletic linked up with Frampton Rangers to form Frampton Athletic Rangers. Brian Wood became manager and the new secretary was Trevor Pell, who received the EG Neal Trophy for efficiency in 2002.

The amalgamation lasted six years, with limited success, and the two clubs again went their separate ways in the 2006-07 season, with Potter returning as secretary of Frampton Athletic for the transitional period.

The Frampton first team have since returned to Division I of the Premier Combination with Nicky Beake in charge, while the A side finished second in Division IV of the District League to spark off hopes of a revival in the club's fortunes.

Former striker Eric Page is club president and the committee is headed by chairman Mike Williams, another ex-player, with the support of treasurer Roy Newell, long-serving Tony Nelmes and Keith Potter.