THE name of Almondsbury Town will continue to exist after the club agreed a move to play at Patchway Town’s Scott Park next season.

After their tenure at GFA headquarters, Oaklands Park, ended in May and they were unable to find a new home, the club resigned from the Southern League and the first team disbanded.

Formerly Almondsbury Town Reserves, the club’s only existing senior side will continue to play in the Bristol Suburban League Premier Division.

They will use the second pitch at Scott Park, where Patchway thirds played before disbanding, but the club are still searching for facilities to progress further and hopefully return to the parish.

Chairman Bob Jenkins said: “The committee is going to carry on as best we can.

“With no facility at Oaklands Park it’s going to be difficult but we’ll try to continue and go further.

“We’ll try and find something long-term but this is the best we can do at the minute and then we’ll see how the season goes.

“We are disappointed we cannot play in the parish and that we’re having to play at Patchway, who have been kind enough to let us use the pitch.

“The search goes on for facilities to progress higher, but it’s going to be hard to maintain any level unless you get decent sponsorship or a clubhouse where you can make money.

“I’m still hopeful we may get back into the parish one day.”

The move to Patchway ensures that the 114-year-old club with a rich history lives on.

Almondsbury became the first team from Bristol to reach Wembley in 1979 when they lost to Billericay in the FA Vase Final, and they reached the Southern League for the first time in their history 31 years later, finishing in an impressive eighth place in their only season at that level.

However, Jenkins thinks it will be difficult for the club to ever get back to where they were.

“I think you need a bit of luck to go through the system and continue to win things,” he said.

“Being knocked back to where we are, we’re starting from scratch. We’d have to win the Suburban Premier, then find facilities to County League, then Hellenic League and Southern League.

“Without the facilities it would be very difficult to move forward the way we did. That was stopped by the GFA when they took away our ground.”

After a difficult period, Jenkins said he will remain as chairman as long as he is still wanted by the club.

“I’m a little bit despondent in reference to local football, but it’s not just about the club it’s about the boys playing,” he said.

“I’m disappointed with what’s happened but at least we’ve got somewhere to play.

“Perhaps we can get more involved with the youth sides and let’s see what happens.”