Our History
Football has been at the heart of Tunley since 1912, when a group of local miners came together to form a team. From that day on, the village has proudly worn the nickname “The Miners.” In those early years, the King William Inn was more than just a pub. It was the meeting place, the clubhouse, and the heart of Tunley AFC, thanks to licensee Tom Weaver and the villagers who stood alongside him.
Back then we were known as Tunley Rovers, a name that carried us until the team re-formed after the Second World War. Success came quickly as we joined the Bath & District League and won the 3rd Division in our first season. From there the name changed to Tunley Miners Welfare, and later in the mid-1960s to the one we carry with pride today, Tunley Athletic. In 1970 we stepped up to senior status in the Wiltshire Combination, then joined the Somerset Senior League (now the Somerset County League), earning our first senior title with the First Division Championship in 1978/79.
Over the decades Tunley’s trophy cabinet has grown, with honours including:
• First Division Championship – Somerset Senior League, 1978/79
• Dimmock Green KO Cup – 1968/69
• Premier Division Runners-up – Mid Somerset League, 1967/68
• Division One Runners-up – 1974/75
• Division Three Champions – 1990/91
• Wilmot Cup – 1990/91
• Division Two Runners-up – 1996/97
• Moorland Challenge Trophy – 1992/93
• Tony Baxter Memorial Shield – 1993/94
• Clark Challenge Cup – 1999/00
• Division Two Winners – 2015/16
Our colours tell their own story. The club originally played in blue until the 1940s, when wartime actor Jack Train, a regular at the King William, donated a set of green and white Plymouth Argyle shirts. Those stripes stuck, and to this day Tunley Athletic runs out in the same colours.
Legend
The club has also been shaped by remarkable people. None more so than Mrs. Freda Hookings, daughter of founder Tom Weaver. Freda devoted over 40 years as Club President and became the first female Vice President of the Somerset FA. In 2000 she received an MBE for her service to Tunley Athletic Football Club. At Buckingham Palace she was presented with the honour by HRH Prince Charles, later telling the press that she wished every Tunley player and supporter could have been there with her because the award truly belonged to the whole club.
We celebrated our Centenary in 2012, a milestone that reflects the dedication of generations of players, supporters, and volunteers. For a village our size, the longevity of this club is a tribute to everyone who has kept The Miners thriving.
Today, Tunley Athletic runs two senior sides, with the First Team competing in the Somerset County League and the Reserves playing in the Mid Somerset League. The green and white still fly proudly each weekend, backed by the same community spirit that has carried the club for more than a century. Looking ahead, our hopes are simple but ambitious: to grow stronger year by year, to provide football for the village at every level, and to make sure The Miners’ story continues to inspire the next generation.