Malmesbury Victoria F.C.

Malmesbury Victoria F.C. is a football club based in Malmesbury, England. They are currently members of the and play at the Flying Monk Ground. The club is affiliated to the Wiltshire Football AssociationHistoryThe club was formed in 1896 as Malmesbury Town. The club played football until 1936, when with support dwindling it closed down. The club reformed after the Second World War in 1947 and changed their name to Malmesbury Town Football Club. In 1968 they changed their name again to Malmesbury United. For the 1975–76 season when they merged with local Swindon side Swindon Victoria the club became known by its present name of Malmesbury Victoria.Before Swindon Victoria was merged with Malmesbury United their greatest success was reaching the final of the FA Amateur Cup in the 1920–21 season where they lost to Bishop Auckland. The club also played in the Western Football League for a couple of seasons during the 1920s, and made their debut in the FA Vase in the 1974–75 season. In the 1973/4 season, the club won both Wiltshire divisions. Div 1 and Div 2. The first club ever to achieve this. This was due in no small part to the signing of two players from Chippenham town and promoting three reserve players to the first team squad, and adopting the sweeper and the triangle passing systems. Winning both divisions did not mean promotion. Instead the club merged with Swindon Victoria, and thereby gaining the promotion they had originally been entitled too.Malmesbury Victoria in their first season as an amalgamated club, the 1975–76 campaign, continued where Swindon Victoria left off and continued to play in the FA Vase. The following season the club became founder members of the Wiltshire Football League when the Wiltshire Combination and Wiltshire Leagues merged, and joined the Senior Division. The club continued to play in the Fa Vase until the end of the 1981–82 season. The 1999-00 campaign saw the club win the Wiltshire Football League and gain promotion to the Hellenic Football League.