Treble Chance Football Club

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Formerly known as the Bear and Rugged Staff, we were formed in 1997 in the bar of the latter pub by one or two fairly competent footballers, the rest were those who had one or two too many, and wished thay had gone home early that night.

The landlord then (Mr. Richard Porch) was the brains behind the adventure, and with his background of being an out and out rugby man playing for his local side Southmead, who knows how it would end up.

Our very first game suggested that we might struggle as we were ammered 8-0 by a team called the Jolly Boys. This, however, turned out not to be the case, after winning our league, the Commercial Sunday several times, the G.F.A. Cup and our League cup twice all under ex-players Gordon Brown and Steven Oakes. The club was attracting some very tidy players. This being the case, the club wanted a bigger challenge, so we applied to join the Bristol and District Sunday League, and started in Division Three with Steven (Skinner) Oakes as manager.

Winning this league quite comfortably, we were then put into Division One. Having won this we have the priviledge of playing the likes of Lebeq Tavern, Honeyfield Traylers and Broadplain on a regular basis. After winning many cup finals and leagues, our finest hour has to be last year (2005-2006) when we played against one of, if not the strongest, local Sunday Sides for sometime now, Lebeq's Tavern. In this league decider, only a win would secure our first Prem league title, and we did this with a 2-0 a way win that would eclipse our G.F.A. Cup Final win against the same side the previous year. Our goal now is to do well in the National Cup.

This season was going to be an all out assault on the Prem District Sunday League to try and take the crown off of the team who had won it some five times in succession. This side was the Lebeq Tavern and the side going after their title was local Southmead side, the Treble chance F.C. made up from all local boys. The Treb, formerly known as the Bear & Rugged Staff, had started off in 1997 and since then have won most, if not all competitions it had entered. Now after such a short time in football terms, they are in the Top Division, and after beating Lebeq in the G.F.A. cup last year, the highest cup on a Sunday you can win locally, the next goal was to win the league.

As final, this was to be played at Brislington F.C.s ground and our opponents would be Lebeq Tavern. As the season drew to an end, the Sunday before this cup final saw us playing Lebeq Tavern and this was to be the league decider. If lebeq managed a win or draw, they would take the league title once again. But the Treb boys were not going to let this chance pass and played one of the most tactful games of football probably ever to come from a Southmead side. Make no mistake, Lebeq are a quality side and attract players anywhere from in and around Bristol, so when the final whistle went and the score was 2-0 in the Trebs favour, you can just imagine the celebrations after!

Manager Steve Oakes was covered head to toe in champagne, scorers Gary Booth and Dale Simpson were under a pile of team mates and the fair size crowd that followed us were over the moon, and our main sponsor and chairman, Cliff from Cliffs Florists, made sure nobody put their hands in their pockets in the bar afterwards. What a day, the best in the clubs history so far. After it was back to the Treb with Alan and Maggs for yet another good night.

Now to the following Sunday and the cup final. This was a very different game and in fairness it could have been a few more. Not trying to make excuses for the lads, but it didn't go down well that the majority of this side play for Southmead Athletic who had their presentation disco the night before. (Sorry Skinner). Anyway, you can't take anything away from the Boys from the Mead, the title was the big one, just ask the Lebeq boys. What a season for our two teams, six competitions entered and four won. COME ON THE MEAD!