Wordsworth Drive

Wordsworth Drive has been home to Taunton Town for all but the first six years of The Peacocks’ history, and is therefore synonymous with the club.

The ground has covered stands on all four sides of the pitch, with the main stand residing on the South side. This main stand is called The Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance Stand and has 277 seats, a Directors Box with 27 further seats, and a wheelchair viewing area.

Opposite this stand is the North Stand, which has 118 seats. On the right side of the North Stand, there are terraces right up to the corner flag, and on the left there is hardstanding. The North Stand is also home to the clubhouse, boardroom, media gantry, and another disabled viewing area.

Behind each goal are The Travis Perkins End and Somerset Campervan Co. End respectively. Each has terraces stretching the width of the pitch, and each has a covered area in the middle measuring up at about two-goal lengths each.

Segregation is not always in force at Wordsworth Drive, but when it is, away supporters are typically located at The Travis Perkins End of the ground, behind one of the goals.

Usually, 60 seats are put on sale for away fans who prefer to sit. There are usually 800 further tickets on sale to supporters who prefer/are happy to stand.

Pubs near Wordsworth Drive:

• The Ring of Bells – 16-17 St James St, Taunton TA1 1JS
• The Flying Horse – 123 Wordsworth Dr, Taunton TA1 2HH
• The Somerset Inn – 46 Alfred St, Taunton TA1 3HY

In February 2024, it was announced that Truro City would be temporarily moving into Wordsworth Drive to play their final twelve home games of the season.

However, pitch troubles at Wordsworth Drive quickly ended this agreement, with Truro City temporarily moving to Gloucester instead.

For the first six years of their existence, Taunton Town played at several different grounds in and around the town, including Mountfields, French Weir, Victoria Park, Huish Old Boys, and Denman’s Park – the latter of which they played at most regularly.

Then, in 1953, with the club gaining entry to the Western League for the very first time, Taunton Town’s owners decided to lease Wordsworth Drive from Taunton Borough Council, as they felt it matched their increasing ambitions.

Despite their growth, the club was struggling financially and depended heavily on its supporters’ club in the 50s and 60s. But then, in 1969, Taunton won their first Western League championship.

The increased success in the 70s allowed the club to buy Wordsworth Drive from the council, and they immediately installed floodlights.

In recent years, the stadium has been known by different names for sponsorship reasons. In 2014, it became known as Viridor Stadium, named after a waste management company. In 2019, the stadium was renamed the Cygnet Health Care Stadium, and for the 2023/24 season, it was known as the Somerset Campervan Co Stadium.

Situated not far from the M5, Wordsworth Drive is pretty easy to get to by car.

If you are coming from the M5, leave the motorway at Junction 25. Follow signs to Taunton, then look out for signs to Chritchard Way. Once on Chritchard Way, you should see signs at Wordsworth Drive.

You can also take the A38, which will take you to Taunton town centre. From there, you should see signs to the stadium, or you can park up in town and walk the 20 minutes or so to the ground.

There are a good number of car parking spots at the ground, which cost £2 per vehicle.

Unfortunately, like most of the South West, getting to Taunton by train can be a bit of a slog.

Most journeys from further afield will take you through London or Birmingham. There are direct trains from those two cities, but each of these takes over 2 hours at the best of times.

The good news is that once you’re at Taunton Station, it’s only a 25-minute walk to Wordsworth Drive. Alternatively, you can take the number 4 or number 51 buses, which will drop you off at Leycroft Road, which is a 3-minute walk from the ground.

The matchday programme at Wordsworth Drive costs £3, although is sometimes free to season ticket holders on special occasions like Boxing Day fixtures.

Admission for league and cup games at Wordsworth Drive for Taunton Town fixtures is as follows:

• Adults (ages 18 to 67 incl.): £14
• Concessions (state pensioners & students with ID): £11
• Youth (13-18 years): £5
• Junior (6-12 years): £2
• Children under 6 go free, as long as they are accompanied by a paying adult.

Admission is payable by cash or card at the turnstile.

While the Somerset derby might traditionally be associated with Yeovil Town and Bath City, Taunton Town and Weston-super-Mare also consider themselves part of the rivalry.

Despite Yeovil Town enjoying a lot of success in the 2000s and 2010s, they have since fallen again – to the point where all four of the main Somerset teams played in the National League South during the 2023/24 season.

Taunton considers Yeovil as a rival and has enjoyed some historic victories over them. In 2003, the Peacocks beat the Glovers 2-1 in the final of the Somerset Premier Cup to claim their second-ever cup success. More recently, in the 2021-22 season, Taunton won again against Yeovil in the final qualifying round of the FA Cup to reach the 1st Round for the third time in the club’s history. Despite this, Yeovil fans do not consider Taunton a rival.

Disabled supporters should have no difficulties at Wordsworth Drive. There is disabled parking just to the left of the main turnstile, and the entrance to the stadium for those in wheelchairs or mobility scooters is via the pedestrian gate next to the entrance for vehicles. Supporters just need to show a valid match ticket and they will be allowed entry.

Once inside the stadium, there are wheelchair viewing areas in two stands – the North Stand, and the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance Stand.

Disabled toilets can be found in the foyer of the clubhouse, which is in the North Stand.

The record attendance at Wordsworth Drive came in 1999 when Taunton Town met Tiverton Town in the first leg of an FA Vase semi-final. 3,284 were there that day, but the majority of them left disappointed, with Tiverton Town claiming a commanding 3-0 victory.

Tiverton would go on to win 5-1 on aggregate and beat Bedlington Terriers 1-0 in the final at Wembley.

The average attendance at Wordsworth Drive this season is 903, slightly down from last season’s figure of 911. It would be even lower if not for the attendance against Yeovil Town on 9 January 2024, which was 3,001.

Taunton Town’s official website can be found here – www.tauntontown.com