Welcome to Through the Turnstile, this series of features are intended to shine the light on some of non-leagues leading stars. This time we are venturing through the turnstile looking at Great Yarmouth Town FC.

A brief history of the Club

Established in 1897 from local clubs Yarmouth Fearnoughts and Yarmouth Royal Artillery, the club quickly asserted dominance, winning the Norfolk Senior Cup in its inaugural season. Despite occasional setbacks, including brief expulsions and relegations, they showcased resilience, clinching league titles and cup triumphs.

Founding members of the Eastern Counties League in 1935, they embarked on a journey marked by notable FA Cup appearances and managerial legacies. Under Jimmy Moran’s leadership, they secured their first league title in 1968–69. Bill Punton’s tenure yielded further success, including multiple cup victories.

(110 years between the two photos above – the stand and dreams remain the same)

Navigating league restructurings in the 21st century, the club experienced promotions and relegations, maintaining a steady presence in higher divisions. Notable achievements include clinching the Division One title in 2009–10 and returning to the Premier Division.

In the 2023–24 season, they celebrated a significant triumph, winning the Division One North title and securing a return to the Premier Division. This victory epitomized the club’s enduring spirit and ability to overcome challenges, reaffirming its status among the league’s elite.

(Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Yarmouth_Town_F.C.)

Club legends (as told by Ian – Head of first team social media , club photographer, committee member and volunteer)

Chairman – Martin Sinclair – 14 years with the club as a player manager and now chairman.
After a successful playing career he took the club to promotion in 2014/15 as manager. Since he has taken over as chairman he has stabilised the clubs finances, overseen a successful youth policy that now boasts 250 players and seen the club win the league this season under his stewardship.

Bill Punton
Ex-pro who played for a year then was our most respected manager for 21 years. Now, aged 90 (last week) it’s still easy to see how the former Norwich City winger made sure he left his mark on the beautiful game. William Hamilton, as he’s officially known, breathes football. And that’s what set him aside from the very start. Especially as a manager. His reputation had been earned by playing for Newcastle United, Southend United, the Canaries – where he scored in the 1962 League Cup final victory over Rochdale – Sheffield United and Scunthorpe. So it was no wonder he commanded respect in the dressing room – whatever he did.

The Scot said: “When I was first at Yarmouth the players were paid in pay packets. I wasn’t having that. I put a £10 note in everyone’s hand so it could be seen what people were getting”

Kit

2023/2024

£35 Replica Kit – (Currently completely sold out)

Stadium info

Wellesley Recreation Ground, (NR30 1EG)

Capacity – 3600 (500 💺)

Number of stands – 4 (one seated, two temporary)

Grass Pitch (with athletics track)

Boasting the recognised oldest stand in world football which still in use , built in 1892, this ground really is something to tick off the list for groundhoppers and non-league fans in general.

The old and the new….the worlds oldest stand sitting proudly in the top right of the photo and the brand new 3G training area in the bottom left.

Entry Price

Matchday Tickets
Adult – £6
Concessions (Over 65) – £4
U16’s (Accompanied) – Free

Season ticket prices
Adult Season Ticket – £125
Concession (Over 65) Season Ticket – £80

Amber Wave – The official supporters club complete with drum

Matchday Programme (32 pages)
£2.50

Stadium Shop

Tony 2 Hats as he is affectionaly referred to is the man behind the club shop both at the stadium on a matchday and also in Great Yarmouth town during the week.

The club shop which is located in town is within a charity shop which the club have actually set up themselves in order to help the community. In addition to this last December the club gave away 500 Christmas stockings for those in need, it provides free suits for anyone needing one for an interview and collects second hand sports and leisure equipment to redistribute/help those who want to get active but dont have the means to.

I can’t help but applaud the clear focus the club has on being a huge beacon of hope and providing a lifeline to so many is an amazing thing for a football club to take on, it really does highlight the power that football holds.

Itssssss pin badge corner and as you can see below Great Yarmouth have their very own bespoke badge which is very unique in its shape, a sort of semi-circle design I find most pleasing on the eye !

Price – £3.

Drinks

The clubhouse/bar area inside the stadium is a lovely little area which provides everything you need in a non-league football offering: Great selection of drinks, a smart modern looking bar and a old school seating area.

No thrills = no fuss required.

It does the job and reflects perfectly everything great with non-league football, authentic and absolutely everything you need. Get the beers in!

Food

Just what you need is what you will find at Great Yarmouth – Burgers and Chips the staple choice of many. The old school vibe of the tea hut is for me in keeping with the ground and although some may say that it could do with a refresh, I find it quite charming and think it actually adds to the overall character of the stadium.

As always – bar snacks are available in the clubhouse if your not hungry for some old school stadium cooked grub!

Now lets all gather round – you may realise that I have changed the headings on the Alcohol tables as 1) The cheapest option is always displayed 2) I had run out of * symbols when Strongbow and Moretti wasnt available!

So a new season is approaching but we are keeping last seasons contributors on the table, how does Great Yarmouth Stack up against them all…?

So…Great Yarmouth join Fisher FC for the cheapest cup of tea at just £1 and overall they stack up incredibly well in the other 3 tables. A day out to watch the football with a few drinks and food? Well Great Yarmouth will certainly have you covered for that!

Top Current players (as told by fan Ben Saunders)

Tyler Halliday, Jordan Cantwell & Brandon Ling

Tyler Halliday CB, strong defender and all rounded defender.

Jordan Cantwell club captain, great season for himself and showed why hes captain with dug out performances

Brandon Ling, being a goalie aint easy and he makes it look easy. Had a great season too

Views from the Staff

Q) How good is non-league football and why do you prefer it?
I supported NCFC for over 50 years , had some great times and had 5 season tickets with my family. It shocked me how quickly we all fell out of love with it in such a big way. It started when we scored a 3rd against a big club , all went mental until Mr VAR said nah you’re not having that half his big toe was half an inch offside. We went down again that season with the fans of other clubs calling us a disgrace and a yo-yo club only in it for the money. What money ? Every time we came down we were poorer with a massive wage bill and had to try and go again to get into this league where we could never compete and it was just miserable.

So looking back it wasn’t really my clubs fault it was the money grabbing system that ensures smaller clubs will never compete for long and even if they have money FFP or PSR won’t allow them to spend it to catch up.

I had never really tried grassroots but as soon as I did I realised I had found everything I had been missing. I quickly felt part of it , it meant something, I made a difference and out of nowhere I was suddenly looking forward to Saturday afternoons again, I was hooked .

Q) What does a Great Yarmouth matchday look like?
It’s like a big family meeting up to share a common interest, people talking football not staring at screens, sharing their love for their club just like football should be and used to be in the professional game when I still enjoyed it

Q) What made you volunteer initially and then continue to do so?
I saw good people giving their all, free of charge purely for their love of their club . They needed help so I tried to do my bit . Non league clubs have a habit of getting under your skin so if there is a problem you feel like part of the solution and try and help . I loved being able to make a difference even in a small way but more importantly I felt like I was a part of something

Q) What are you most proud of to date?
Season before last we narrowly avoided relegation but even then you could see how much the players , supporters and volunteers cared about their club . Last season they smashed it , won the league and the whole place was rocking . It has lifted the whole town everyone is buzzing for next season at step 5 .

Q) Its matchday…what does your day look like?
I get up fill 2 cooler boxes with lucozade and water for the players.

Chop and fry a massive pile of onions for the hot dogs and burgers.

Down to the ground where my son and others are putting up the goalposts and nets and wheeling the dugouts into place.

Drop sausages and burgers I sponsor to the tea hut volunteers.

Sometimes help out on the gate
Start on my social media duties, find out team for the lineup and get that out there

Set up the Veo ready to become the club photographer during the game on my iPhone whilst also having to post goal updates on twitter etc

Back to the bar when it’s over to buy the players and volunteers a drink because we’ve won again

Then home for an hour doing social media updates, league table and a post with 80 photos that all need to be cropped

Q) Why should someone give Great Yarmouth a go?We need you
We will make you welcome
You will instantly feel a part of our football family
You being there will make a difference
You will feel like a part of something
The football is exciting, players are passionate, the fans are noisy
And you can sit in the oldest stand in world football and appreciate the blokes who designed and built something that has lasted for a 130 years and think of all the fans over those years who have sat in that same stand and supported YOUR club

Q) How does it feel to be the management team of Great Yarmouth?
Very proud to be part of the management team of this amazing club with its great history. But for me it carries a massive sense of responsibility. We have some fantastic volunteers and supporters who have been starved of success for far too long so it was great to help give them a league title to celebrate last season

Q) What is the thing you are most proud of to date since being in charge?
Proud that we have created a one club ethos where the supporters, players and back room staff are all united in the same aim to grow the club both on and off the pitch . Really proud that our young team stood up to be counted and put together a hell of a season on and off the pitch and proud to see our supporters getting behind the lads with season on season attendances up from 60-80 last season to 200-300 this time round

Q) What is the main challenge in managing a team in non-league?
I don’t find it challenging I love every minute of it . The challenges are part and parcel of it. Things wont always go our way but thats when we learn about ourselves as individuals and as a collective. We learn and grow through adversity. Ups and downs come with the territory. You realise in any sport that sometimes you have to continue to work even harder through the tough times to achieve your goal .

Q) How important are your fans to you and the team?
They are part of our team, we are in this together without them there is no point in doing what we do

Q) What are your hopes for the upcoming season?
Having been promoted to a very tough league most people would say that staying up would be a great achievement but I’m very ambitious and I hate losing so I will be doing everything in my power to get a win every time we step over that white line , if we leave nothing out there then nobody can ask anymore and whatever will be will be

View from the fans

Q) Why Great Yarmouth Town?
I chose Great Yarmouth because of the friendly atmosphere and the welcoming feeling that you get when walking through the gate, and also it’s really good just to see the worlds oldest stand every week.

Q) How does a matchday feel for you?
Well on match days you’ve got the Amber Wave chanting by the right of the tunnel for the whole 90 minutes and you’ve also got a tea hut and a bar selling food and drinks throughout the match. Obviously I’m expecting a few more fans at the games next season due to Yarmouth getting promoted to step 5. We also do a 50/50 raffle every game which I normally win at

Q) What keeps you coming back?
Like I said earlier it’s the family friendly fan base they have there, you would also know everyone at the club and they would also know you so it’s easy to settle in quickly, also the football I’ve seen at the Wellesley is some of the best I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been to over 100 Norwich matches.

Q) Your favourite moment as a fan?
Most of my favourite moments happened from the season that’s just been, you’ve got Louie Duffield scoring in the 97th minute against title rivals Framingham town which actually made everyone go mad, you’ve got the time that Yarmouth beat Stanway Pegasus away to put themselves into the title fight, and finally, the moment we won the league at Whitton United.

Q) Best food item in the ground?
I’m the worst person to ask about this question as I barely gain an appetite while I’m at the football, but I did hear that the burgers are really good at the Wellesley.


Q) Best player you have seen play for Yarmouth?
I’ve really only seen Yarmouth play just last season but I can say confidently Louie Duffield, for the first 10/11 games of the season, he played as a defender but then all of the sudden he got switched to striker, he then went on to score 29 goals for the season including 5 against Leiston U23’s which he also scored a first half hat trick.


Q) Favourite song/chant?
It’s got to be ‘Are we Human, or are we Bloaters’ we (the Amber Wave) heard Human by the Killers on the tannoy and Steven (Co-Founder) created a chant on the spot which replaced the word ‘dancer’ with ‘Bloaters’ because our team is known as the bloaters. A couple weeks after the chant was made, some t-shirts were made with the chant lyrics and since then it became our club anthem.

Q) What makes Great Yarmouth a special club to you?
The History, the rivalry between Gorleston and Yarmouth, the stand and ground feels special..

Q) What is a matchday like?
Match day has been really good fans coming back to local football success obviously helps, but the club are working hard for that community feel, local lads playing generally for the first team also helps.

Q) Does being a former coach/manager mean you are now tied to the club forever more?
I am what locals would say from the North of the river, that makes a difference, both of my lads have or still do play for the club, so the ties are definitely close.

Q) Non league football is special to many, but why do you choose non-league over efl/premiership?
The enjoyment of a win is no different or a great goal, a competitive match, to watching the premier league and this season the team are exciting to, the word is out that Yarmouth are exciting to watch and the fans want than, and the cost is reasonable to.

Q) Favourite current players?
Favourite players would have to be the two centre backs, Cameron Barnes and Sam Adams, big strong and physical a great pairing.

Q) What is the main reason you attend Great Yarmouth games?
To see friends of mine who I have known for a short while but they make you feel welcome and the football club were so welcoming, there are other football clubs across Norfolk that do that but there was something about GYTFC that made me want to be a part of the journey with the supporters and the Amber Army are so passionate about their football club

Q) Why non-legaue?
Non League is cheap the fact that they charge under £10 is a huge factor and plus it is by the seaside so not far to walk to sober up.

Q) What is the one thing you love about attend the games?
The standard of football at GYTFC is good and they have been brilliant in the games that I have seen such as the top of the table clash against Framlingham. They had to show some resolve in the game against Needham Market when a late penalty won us the game and took us another step towards the title.

Q) What is a matchday like?
Match days are very good, there is a famous wooden main stand which is the oldest stand in the country and you can get a decent view. We have Smudgers which is a small bar near the entrance to the ground and prices are cheap, for a drink in the Smudgers I would recommend Lacons Encore Ale which is £4.00 is worth paying.

Q) Is it value for money in your opinion?
I would say it is very much value for money because you get to see decent football being played and win lose or draw you can speak to the players in the bar and have a laugh.

Q) How much does the club do for the local community?
GYTFC do an awful lot for the community in terms of promoting games in the Thurlow Nunn that are coming up not just on Facebook but also on X. Supporters are also part of a group on Facebook called Great Yarmouth Town FC The Bloaters where they can voice their opinions on what they have seen at the game.

Q) Non-league football is….
Non League Football is old school because all the players and supporters meet up at the bar and say hello they don’t have their headphones in (not like the prima donnas of the Premier League ) but they will engage with supporters and they will do it afterwards which is pleasing and refreshing to see.

Future plans as told by Martin Sinclair (Chairman)

Despite difficult economic times the club has recently set up the ‘Giving people a sporting chance’ GYTCIC to help the wider community.

Our Club has always carried out lots of charity work in our Community and has raised lots of money and awareness for lots of local and national charities. We have set up the GYTCIC to help with our continued Community work which we hope we will help lots of local people, young and old with many and varied problems that they may face. Our football club is a Community club and working with the GYT CIC we hope to make a real difference together to make our Town a better place. We are very excited about this new venture and hope to make a real impact. We are always looking for new volunteers to help and also donations so if you think you can help then please simply contact the club to find out more.

Looking ahead – In 5 years’ time ….. I would love to see more facilities for the youngsters so we can grow and make our youth structure even bigger and better. I would love to see us playing a huge part in bringing the Community together and widening what the Wellesley can offer to get more people involved in many more future projects (not just football).

Bigger crowds and of course maybe the opportunity to play at Step 4 but we will take our time and ensure we are financially stable before dreaming too big.

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So that brings us to the end yet another ‘Through the Turnstile’.

Great Yarmouth are a club that really do understand their local commmunity but not just that they go above and beyond to ensure that they do as much as possible to help as many people as possible. This is the power of football, it really is much more than just a game it is a lifeline to so many and the work that clubs like Yarmouth do to help others in need is remarkable and everyone at the club should be extremely proud.