Welcome to British Lion Football Club

The origins of British Lion Football Club are somewhat of a mystery. About 11 years ago, a group of lads formed The Old Crown FC who played in the Devizes & District League Division 2. The club wasn't very successful and spent most of the next six years in bottom three of the division.

When the original British Lion FC folded, a number of their players joined The Old Crown and along with the a few other new players, turned the team into a more solid outfit. Although never becoming a top notch side, they became more competitive and eventually made a cup final in 1999. They lost 5-1 to Roundway Social.

With landlord and club patron Jim Lynch temporarily leaving The Old Crown, the side moved to The Bell on the Green for one season. With Jim's return to the redeveloped Crown, the side also returned. At the end of the 2001/02 season, a number of the veteran players retired and there seemed there was no-one willing to take over the reigns of the club. In stepped veteran central defender and resident drunkard, Phil Oliver, and his more than willing number two, Craig 'Secret' Watt.

The two of them changed the name of the side to Bar OC (the nightclub part of The Crown) and set about trying to change the fortunes of the side. Slowly they introduced some new and younger players who could actually play football. The size of the squad increased to nearly thirty and it became apparent that Olly and Secret could not provide regular games for half the players.

A second team was formed and they started playing friendlies against other teams in the area. With a very young side bolstered by a few seasoned veterans, there was mixed success. At the end of the 2002/03 season, Bar OC had finished third in the league and had played in two cup finals - comfortably beaten in one by County Champions Selectabook and the other to JB Lions to a heart-breaker of a goal in extra-time. The following season the side finished second in the league and destroyed Lin Pac 8-1 in the final of the Roundway Hospital Cup.

With the Mid Wilts League finally dying the club were successful in entering the Chippenham & District Sunday Football League and a very successful season saw the team win Division Four by 8 points losing only one game in the process and conceding a miserly 15 goals.  Andrew Webster's 30 goals saw him share the divsion top goalscorers award and Duncan Biggin, Darren Brown and Rob Drown all won club awards.

Incidently, those players who formed the Bar OC second team were also successful in obtaining league football in the same division as their former team mates finishing mid-table.  We wish them good luck for the future.

The old spectre of internal politics reared its ugly head during the following season and Craig Watt left the club to join the Crown.  One club sponsor threw his toys out of the pram, withdrew his kit and with that the players packed their bags and played out of another pub for the season.  Despite all this upheaval off the field, the players still managed a creditable third in the division though many felt that it was the politics that cost them their title. 

Andrew Webster retained his top goalscorer award despite being in the US for most of the season, and Rob Drown, Mikey O'Donnell, Danny Rawlings and Tom Evans all won club awards.  The club have now returned to the British Lion and the name for one season combined (British Lion OC) combined the new home and a reminder of the days when we were proud to be called Bar OC. 

Season 2006/07 was a truly amazing season with British Lion OC winning all 22 of their league games in a very competitive Division Two.  Despite this fantastic record, it was not until the dying weeks of the season that the club won the title - credit has to be given to both The Ship and old rivals Rowde FC who pushed the Lion all the way. 

The Lion was knocked out in the quarter finals of both cups.  In the Eric Hughes Cup, 3-2 by First Division champions Semington in a game that the club feels it should have won and certainly had enough chances to have won.  In the Parr Trophy,  it was Fourth Division Little George who upset the applecart by playing brilliantly and beating a sub-par Lion side 4-2.

At the end of the season, awards were won by Dave Crawford (Manager's Player of the Year), John Stockman (Player's Player), Andrew Webster and Luke Enderby shared the top goalscorers award, Endo also won the Young player award and Shane Holloway deservedly got the Clubman award.  Sadly, the end of the season saw the departure of Danny Powell who has returned to play with his mates at Bromham, Tom Paget who never fully recovered from his broken leg at the end of the previous season, and Manager Phil Oliver who felt that work committments and a lack of freetime would no longer enable him to spare the time needed.

Going into the 07/08 season, Dave Crawford took over the reigns.  Missing a few players through DTFC and holiday committments, early defeats at home to old rivals Rowde and away to AFC Calne put a big dent into any title dreams that the Lion had.  Powerhouse midfielder Mark Hulland moved away to Portsmouth, Captain Duncan Biggin suffered a season ending knee injury, and previous season's MVP John Stockman found work committments inhibiting his availability.  Nevertheless, steady progress was made and the Lion saved some its best performances for the Wilsthire Sunday Cup, where the notables scalps of Swindon sides Shield & Dagger and Penhill United were claimed before a ludicrous refereeing performance allowed a star packed Greyhound side to beat the Lion 4-0 in the last eight.

Although the Ship proved to be the best team in the division, a chance for promotion in the runners-up spot was still a realistic finish until a below strength side fell to a disappointing 3-0 defeat away to Potterne in March 2008.  Although the Lion gained revenge over a Potterne with a 5-4 win, it was too much to claw back and a promising season turned into dissapointment as the Lion missed out on automatic promotion to the top flight by one point, finishing third behind the top two of The Ship and Potterne.  Luke Enderby took the Manager's Player of the Year award, the tireless Lee Campbell virtually unanimously won the Player's player award, Andrew Webster was again top goalscorer and Nathan West and veteran Fran Fife were Clubmen of the Year.  Andy Stonestreet who matured into a top grade centre half deservedly won the new award of Most Improved Player.

With rumours rife towards the end of the season that there would be no manager for the following year, a number of players were thinking of leaving to pastures new, the club failed to obtain 100 % commitment from a number of its players that they would stay with the club for the 08/09 season. Secretary Phil Oliver had no option but to fold the club and drop out of the Chippenham league.

Adam Bewley had been hopeful of entering a B team into Division Four for the start of the 08/09 season, but this became the only team when the British Lion were re-elected into the bottom division. Bewley's squad was 90% made up of Devizes Town youth and several other youth players and felt it would be too much to fill the void left by the folded senior squad. Re-election was granted on the basis that no more than a few of the previous Lion squad could sign on for Bewley's babes. Captain Dave Crawford, prolific goalscorer Andrew Webster, versatile Tom Evans and centre half Gerry Thompson, were the only four players from the previous squad to sign on for Bewley.

The future is bright for the British Lion as they are hopeful of rising through the divisions over the coming years  as the team grows in maturity and ability.