MALMESBURY VICTORIA (The Flying Monk Ground)

HELLENIC LEAGUE DIVISION ONE, MALMESBURY VICTORIA 2-0 DEVIZES TOWN, ATTENDANCE: 127

I found myself in the historic town of Malmesbury for some Friday night football. I missed out when they hosted a "groundhop" game last year.

Malmesbury is famous for it's Abbey, a monastery famed for its learning. It was later home to one of Alfred the Great's fortified burhs for defence against the Vikings. Æthelstan, the first king of all England, was buried in Malmesbury Abbey when he died in 939.

After a very brief stroll around the Abbey, I headed along the banks of the Tetbury Avon to the fabulously monikered Flying Monk Ground, which was named after the previously adjacent pub, which in turn was named after Æthelmær, an 11th-century English Benedictine monk known for his early attempt at a gliding flight using wings. The pub is now gone and is now a Co-Op store.

The ground is compact and quirky to say the least. Right up my street!

The club was established in 1898 as Malmesbury Town but folded in 1936. The club was reformed in 1947 and then renamed Malmesbury United in 1968. In 1975 they merged with Swindon Victoria to become Malmesbury Victoria, taking Swindon Victoria's place in Division One of the Wiltshire Combination in the process. In 1976 the club were founder members of the new Wiltshire County League and remained there until the were promoted to the Hellenic League in 2000.

They remained in the Hellenic League until 2014, before returning to the Wiltshire League due to financial difficulties. After being crowned champions in 2015 they opted to remain in situ but they were then promoted to the Western League the following year. In 2018 they were laterally transferred back to the Hellenic League where they have remained.

Tonight it was a Wiltshire Derby as Devizes Town were the visitors. An own goal after 5 minutes and a second half strike from Harvey Scholes secured the win for Malmesbury, who remain unbeaten in the league so far this season (P5-W4-D1) and sit top of the table tonight.

It really should have been 3-0 when, deep into stoppage time, Malmesbury broke away and their player rounded the keeper, skipped past two defenders, then fired his shot high into the Co-op car park rather than the open goal. Worse than Neal Maupay! 😂