Cribbs FC History

Cribbs Football Club (Cribbs FC) are currently in their 58th season since they were founded back in London in 1958 as ‘Sun Life Assurance’. The Bristol team was established in 1976 when Sun Life first relocated to Bristol. Initially they ran two teams in the Bristol and Avon League, playing at Dundridge Farm. However, when the Cribbs Causeway (now The Lawns) ground was opened in 1978, the 1st team were promoted straight to the Avon Premier Combination League where they stayed for 20 years until they eventually won promotion to the Gloucestershire County League by winning the re-named Bristol Premier Combination in the 1999/2000 season.

In the 1998/1999 season the 1st team finished runners up to Roman Glass St George in both the Combination & Premier Combination League Cup. In 1997/1998 the 1st team also finished runners up, after a replay, to Ridings High in the GFA Senior Amateur Cup.

The club adopted the name of AXA Sun Life FC at the end of the nineties following the merger of the AXA Equity & Law and Sun Life Assurance Society, and became AXA FC in 2002. At the end of the 2010-2011 season, following the acquisition and merger of AXA Sun Life & Friends Provident, we became the Cribbs Friends Life Football Club. At the end of June 2013, with the closure of the companies Cribbs Friends Life Sports & Social Club and with the creation of the new volunteer run, Cribbs Sports & Social Club at “The Lawns”, we renamed ourselves as Cribbs Football Club.

Today the Club runs four Saturday sides (until 2004/2005 season there were five Saturday sides), spread across the Toolstation Western, Bristol Premier Combination and Bristol & District Leagues. On a Sunday we have 1 side in the Regional League Premier Division (who won the Gilbert Pullin Sunday Cup in 2003/2004 & 2013/2014 season and were runners up in 2006/2007 season) and 1 Vets side who play in the Casuals League. In addition, we have run one Under 18’s team for five seasons in the Bristol North Division of the Bristol Premier Combination U18’s league. At the start of the 2012/2013 season this was increased to two Under 18’s teams with the formation of the Colts who play in the Bristol Central Division of the league.

The clubs 3rd team won the GFA Minor Cup in the 2004/2005 season when beating Winterbourne United’s 3rd team in a tight and tense final where the “evergreen” John Hembrow was man of the match.

The 1st team reached the semi final stage of the Les James League Cup on three occasions since joining the county league in the 2000/2001 season. They unfortunately lost on all three occasions, against Ellwood on penalty kicks in March 2005, 2-1 against Highridge United in March 2006 and against Hardwicke, 1-0 in 2008.

At the start of 2007/2008 season the football club embarked on an ambitious change of direction that they hope would lead to their 1st team being a regular top 3 side in the Gloucestershire County League, and possibly higher.

At the end of the 2010/2011 season, under the tutelage of Gavin Tufton (in his second spell in charge) and assisted by Matt Shaughnessy, the 1st team finished runners up in the Gloucestershire County League. Unfortunately, promotion to the Toolstation Western league wasn’t possible as the league champions, Brimscombe & Thrupp, had applied and been granted promotion to the Hellenic League.

With planning permission having been granted for floodlights to be installed and stands to be built, the 1st team went one better in the 2011/2012 season and completed the league championship & league cup double (never been achieved before).

This was obviously a fantastic achievement and meant the much anticipated promotion to the next level of the pyramid system and entry into the Toolstation Western League for the start of the 2012/2013 season. The floodlights & stand were installed in August 2012 and the lights were first used for the 1st team’s home league game against Hengrove Athletic on 16th October 2012.

The 2011/2012 season was probably the most successful year in the club’s history with not only the 1st team completing the double and gaining promotion as in addition the 2nd team gained promotion to the Premier Division of the Bristol Premier Combination and the 3rd team were also promoted to Division 3 of the Bristol & District League.

The 2012/2013 season continued in the same vain with the 1st team finishing 8th in their first season in the Western League and the 2nd & 3rd team’s all being promoted. In addition, the U18’s won their league and came runners up in the League Cup Final.

2013/2014 season was another good season for the club with the 1st team finishing 5th and qualifying for the 2014/2015 season’s FA Cup together with being runners up in the Les Phillips Cup Final. The 3rd team won promotion again and the Sunday team won the Gilbert Pullin League Cup.

2014/2015 was yet another successful season for the club with the 1st team finishing in 3rd place in Division One after a very hard fought & close battle with Barnstaple Town & Welton Rovers for the major honours. This was enough to secure promotion for the first time to the Premier Division of the Toolstation League for the 2015/2016 season. The 4th team also gained promotion up the Bristol & District league.

The progress of the club continued on an upward trend during the 2015/2016 season with the first team finishing a respectable 15th in their first season in the Premier Division of the Toolstation League. The reserves were runners up to Mendip Broadwalk in a thrilling finale to the Premier Division of the Bristol Premier Combination. The 3rd team also finished runners up in Division One of the Bristol & District league which as a result meant promotion to the Senior Division for the 2016/2017 season. The Sunday team won the Regional League Cup. The Under 18’s also won their league and were runners up in the league cup.

The outstanding progression of the club continued in the 2016/2017 season with the 1st team finishing 8th (without a playing budget) in only their 2nd season in the Premier Division of the Toolstation Western League and finishing runners up in the Les Phillips Cup. The “Double Winning” reserve team won both the Bristol Premier Combination League and the League Cup.

The 3rds & 4ths both had respectable mid table finishes in the Senior and 4th divisions of the Bristol & District League. The Sunday team finished runners up in both the Premier Division of the Bristol Regional League and the Gilbert Pullin Trophy. Finally, the U18’s (after a play off) finished runners up in the Central Division of the Bristol Combination league and won the League Cup.

In the 2017/2018 season the 1st team finished 11th, 2nds were runners up, 3rds mid table and the 4th team finished 4th place. The under 18s finished 3rd and the Sunday team once again finished in runners up in the Bristol Regional League.

With our excellent junior section (Shire Colts/Shire-Cribbs) also continuing to thrive then we are expecting the progression of the football club to continue for many years to come.

The club is well known for the tremendous facilities. The England Under 21 side then managed by Peter Taylor trained at the ground in 1997 and indeed played a Cribbs FC (then AXA) side prior to their game with Italy. There have also been two games televised on Sky Sports Soccer AM programme between Cribbs FC (then AXA) teams & celebrity sides. Our groundsman has won the national FA Groundsman of The Year Award for Step 5 & 6 in 2014 & 2016 and he has also been nominated again for the 2017 awards.

Since the start of the 2012/2013 Bristol Rovers Football Club use the facilities as their permanent private training base and this also included their Academy team for just the 2013/2014 season.

Cribbs FC Squad