In the summer of 1959 Cliff Phelps decided to bring association football back to the town. It had been six long years since the boys had worn the blue and white of Sodbury in the Western League. After several meetings at the Bell Inn (now Brooks Bar & Kitchen) the new club was formed. Major L.M Harris became President, Mr E Purbick Chairman, Mr C. Phelps Vice Chairman, Club Captain was Dennis Greenaway and Youth Captain Michael Boulton. In the 1959/60 season the Sods entered a senior team into the Dursley & Wotton League and a team into the Youth Section. In the following season, the Sods joined the Bristol & District League and throughout the 60’s remained in Division 3.
1970s
The early 70’s didn’t get off to a great start and the Sods were relegated from Division 3 and subsequently Division 4. It wasn’t until the mid-70’s that the Sods luck began to change. Mike Fox became player manager and in the 1976-77 season the Sods finished third in Division 5, which was enough at the time to gain promotion. The 1978-79 season saw the club go one better and finish runners-up in Division 4. To finish the decade and celebrate twenty years of the club’s rebirth, the Sods went on to become Division 3 champions and earned promotion to Division 2.
1980s
The early 80’s saw continued success and a fourth-place finish was enough to give the Sods promotion to the Bristol & District Division 1. The following year saw the Sods secure promotion again, this time to the Bristol & District Senior Division. The Sods did face a relegation from the Senior Division in the 1985 – 86 season but returned in the 1988 – 89 season. Another big success story for this decade was the rebirth of the Reserves Team in the 1981 – 82 season. In just eight years, the Reserves Team achieved six promotions rising from Division 5 to the Senior Division.
1990s
The 90’s kicked off with a third-place finish and promotion to the Bristol Premier Combination Division 1. In the 1992 – 93 season the Sods achieved a fourth-place finish and were crowned Bristol Premier Combination League Cup Champions. The Sods remained in Division 1 of the Bristol Premier Combination League until securing promotion to the Premier League in the 1999 – 00 season. Another significant milestone for the club was in the early 90’s when the club’s players and volunteers came together to build the Sods clubhouse and changing rooms.
2000s
After three seasons in the Premier Division, the Sods faced relegation in the 2001-02 season. A new era began for the Sods when in the 2002-03 season, former players Les Underdown and his Assistant Jeff Clark took charge. A mid table finish in their first season saw Les leave and Jeff step up. In the 2004-05 season the club launched a third team and in the 2005-06 season the First Team secured promotion back into the Premier Division. The following season saw success for both the Reserves and Third Team, both achieving promotion. The 2007-08 season proved to be another great year for the Sods when the First Team finished as champions of the Premier Combination League and the Reserves Team finished as champions of the Bristol and District League One. Then under a new Manager and in their first season, the Sods were unfortunate to finish bottom of the County League, however were fortunate to escape relegation. Mark Stenner was soon appointed as the new Manager and tasked with helping the club climb once again.
2010s
Stenner helped the club rise to a third-place finish in the 2010 -11 season and after his early departure, Scott Gibson took charge. At the beginning of the 2014-15 season, Karl Reese was appointed First Team Manager. In his first season Reese secured promotion to the Western League, in his second season the team became Western League Division 1 Champions. The following season, 2016-17 saw the club earn a credible mid table finish and compete in the FA Vase competition for the first time. Reese then departed along with several key players. This provided a tough challenge for new Manager Neil Simons who achieved a 13th place finish along with an FA Cup victory and a quarter-final place in the GFA Challenge Trophy. Simons then left early in the 2018-19 season which provided an opportunity for local duo Joe and Steve White. Under their leadership the club went on to achieve a 10th place finish in the Western League and a good run in the FA Cup. However three weeks before the start of the 2019-20 season, the White duo left along with a number of key players.
This decade also saw the rebirth of women’s football in 2016 when a team joined the Gloucestershire County League, Division 2. In their first season the Women’s Team achieved a league runners up and promotion to Division 1, along with a semi-final cup finish.
2020s
Scott Gibson and former player Justin Bishop took over as caretaker managers and they remained in post until the league ground to halt as a result of the Corona (COVID-19) pandemic. Steering us out of the pandemic was a new management team led by Jeff Roberts who remained in post until half-way through the 2022-23 season. Jeffs departure also triggered the departure of a number of key players. To replace Jeff, the club appointed local coach James Mapstone.
The year 2020-21 also saw the Sods enter the Mid-week Western Counties Floodlight Youth League in an attempt to strengthen the player pathway. Sadly the Women’s team folded ahead of the 2022-23 season.
At the beginning of the 2024-25 season a new Under 14’s team was formed, competing in the Bristol Saturday League.
Our journey continues….