Team Bath F.C.

Formation and early success

In 1999, TeamBath, the sports department of the University of Bath, set out to establish a football club that played within the English professional league structure, but also allowed the players to continue their education with studies at the university. In the 2000–01 season, the club entered the Western League, the ninth level of the English football league system. Paul Tisdale, a recently retired player who had appeared for Southampton and Yeovil Town was appointed as the team's head coach. The team won promotion from Division One to the league's Premier Division in their first season. They continued to be successful in their second year, but missed out on back-to-back promotions, finishing fourth in the league in their first season in the Premier Division. They competed in the FA Vase for the first time in 2001–02, advancing to the third round before being eliminated by Arlesey Town.

In their third season, Team Bath attracted global interest due to their involvement in the FA Cup. Playing in the competition for the first time, Bath beat Barnstaple Town 4–0 in the preliminary round to begin their campaign. They followed this up with victories over Backwell United, Bemerton Heath Harlequins, and Newport County in the early stages of the qualifying rounds. They faced Horsham in the fourth qualifying round; a place in the first round proper awaiting the victors. The match at Horsham's ground finished 0–0, and the teams returned to Bath…

Southern League Division One Runners-up: 2006–07, 2007–08 Western League Premier Champions: 2002–03 Western League Division One Champions: 2000–01 Somerset Premier Cup Champions: 2006–07 The FA Cup First round 2002–03, 2007–08, 2008–09