Weston-super-Mare v Chelmsford City, National League South, The Optima Stadium, Saturday 24th August 2024, 3pm kick-off.
Chelmsford City make the 190-mile trip from Melbourne to the Optima Stadium this weekend to face Weston-super-Mare AFC in Somerset.
City head into Saturday’s game on a two-match unbeaten run, following recent home draws against Hampton & Richmond and Tonbridge Angels. Robbie Simpson’s squad will now be looking to extend this unbeaten run to three games and record their first National League South victory of the season this weekend, which would also see the Clarets continue the club’s strong recent record when visiting the north Somerset coast.
Scott Bartlett’s men started the new campaign disappointingly after falling to two losses in their opening two games. The Seagulls recovered from these defeats on Tuesday night when they recorded an important first win of the season during their midweek trip to Chesham.
Here’s all that Clarets supporters need to know ahead of the game…
Team & match stats:
- Weston-super-Mare picked up more points away from home (30) than they did at the Optima Stadium (29) during the 23-24 National League South season.
- Seagulls attacking midfielder Luke Coulson has scored four National League South goals so far this season, making him the division’s joint-highest goalscorer three games into the 24-25 campaign.
- The Seagulls’ last home victory over City came in January 2015.
- Three of Chelmsford City’s last five away games at the Optima Stadium have seen the club win 3-0, with the other two results ending in a 1-0 win and a 0-0 draw.
Relive the goals from our 3-0 win at the Optima Stadium last season by watching the video below.
Opposition:
Weston-super-Mare marked their return to the National League South last season by comfortably achieving survival to secure a second consecutive campaign of sixth-tier football. Following a four-year absence from Step 2 of Non-League football, the Seagulls won the Southern League Premier South in 2022-23, earning a highly anticipated National League South return. Scott Bartlett’s side enjoyed a comfortable first season back in the division, finishing 13th in the league table and 13 points clear of the drop zone.
Bartlett has added an array of players to his team’s arsenal over the summer months as he looks to consolidate the Seagulls’ place in the division. Weston-born Luke Coulson joined the club in May after departing Dartford; the 30-year-old scored 10 goals at Princes Park last season and has already added firepower to Bartlett’s frontline, scoring four league goals (three of which were penalties) so far in 24-25.
The Seagulls further strengthened their attacking options in June by signing forward Nick McCootie. 34-year-old McCootie has played nearly 60 National League South games during the past two years and also enjoyed a successful spell with Yate Town last season – he scored 14 goals in 18 appearances for the Bluebells and earned a place in the fan-picked Southern League Division One South Team of the Season.
Weston have also fortified their goalkeeping department this summer by adding Kelland Absalom and Yeovil Town loanee Will Buse. Welshman Absalom kept a clean sheet on his Wales C debut in March during a 1-0 victory over England C. The 26-year-old joined Weston in June from JD Cymru Premier outfit Bala Town. Meanwhile, 22-year-old Buse kept 12 clean sheets in a Bath City shirt last season and has added strong competition between the sticks at the Optima Stadium since joining Weston on loan earlier this month.
The Seagulls have been handed a tricky list of August fixtures against teams who finished no lower than the play-offs in their respective divisions last season. Bartlett’s side experienced a difficult start to the campaign after tasting defeat to Worthing and Enfield Town in their opening two games of the season. However, a 2-1 win against newly-promoted Chesham United on Tuesday night handed the Seagulls a welcome first three points of the new season. Luke Coulson dispatched two penalties either side of Connor Stevens’ equaliser, with Coulson converting his match-winning spot kick in the 92nd minute.
Team News:
Robbie Simpson is not believed to have suffered any new injury concerns in his squad during Monday’s 1-1 draw against Tonbridge Angels.
Cameron James and Geofrey Okonkwo will remain sidelined.
Getting there:
Supporters travelling by car to Saturday’s match should know that the journey from the EMJ Community Stadium to the Optima Stadium takes around three-and-a-half hours
Weston-super-Mare Railway Station is situated around a mile and a half away from the Optima Stadium, which is a 25-to-30-minute walk away. It is served by trains from Bristol Temple Meads.
The Chelmsford City Supporters Club coach is travelling to Saturday’s game, and at the time of writing, seats on the coach are still available. Details about the Supporters Club coach travelling to Somerset can be seen below.
Matchday & ticketing information:
Weston-super-Mare sell match tickets both online and on matchday at the turnstiles. Online tickets are on sale until 11am on Saturday. Online ticket prices are cheaper than matchday turnstile prices, and supporters with online tickets will receive priority stadium access through dedicated turnstiles. Supporters can click here to buy online tickets for this weekend’s match.
Ticket prices at the turnstiles for Saturday’s match are as follows:
- Adult – £16
- Concession (60+, Students with valid ID, Armed Forces with valid ID and NHS workers with valid ID) – £12
- 14-17-year-olds – £7
- 9-13-year-olds (must be accompanied by an adult) – £5
- Under-8s (must be accompanied by an adult) – Free
Turnstiles at the Optima Stadium open 90 minutes before kick-off.
How to follow the game:
Radio Clarets will provide live audio commentary of proceedings at the Optima Stadium.
Clarets fans can find pre-match coverage of Saturday’s match and live updates of proceedings in Somerset by following the club’s X (formerly Twitter) page: @OfficialClarets and Instagram page: chelmsfordcityfc.
Post-match reactions will be found on the club’s website, official social media channels and on ClaretsTV.
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