Welton Rovers can be given something to celebrate during their poor run of form after some league tables were compiled that showed them to be the longest serving team in Western League history, as well as one of its most successful.
The tables consist of all 239 teams that have played in the league in its 122 season history. This includes some surprising names from some of its earlier years, including some Premier League stalwarts like Tottenham, Crystal Palace and West Ham United.
31 teams only spent one season playing in the Western League, including Champions League winners Chelsea, who did so in the 1906/07 season. This means that, despite only playing two seasons in the league, Midsomer Norton rank higher than Chelsea in this table.
Welton Rovers have managed to play in the Weston League for 110 of those 122 seasons, winning the premier division title five times and the division one title twice.
Radstock Town in second place trail Weldon by 32 seasons, having spent 78 seasons in the Western League, but have never won the premier or first division title.
The creator of this table Craig Howes, a fan of the Western League from Yeovil, also calculated the number of points all 239 teams have scored over the Weston League’s 122 seasons.
Because two points were given for a win until 1989, points scored in those seasons have been uplifted by 0.37, as that was the average increase in points scored in the Football League across its four divisions since bringing in three point wins in 1981.
Whilst clarified not to be 100% accurate, Howes says the tallies should not be too far off.
He also weighted points scored in the first division at 0.5, to reward teams competing in the premier division more.
With these parameters, Welton Rovers fall to second place in points scored. First place is held by Bideford AFC who, whilst having spent nearly half the amount of time in the Western League as Welton, have won 10 premier division titles, the most of any one team.
Bideford have also spent 55 of their 57 seasons in the premier division, whilst Welton has spent 53 in the at that same level.
However, the battle for the lead is incredibly tight. Despite both teams having scored thousands of points over their time in the Western League, they are separated by just seven points.