BRIDGWATER & Albion RFC has announced that, from the start of this season, the club will be incorporating a football team that will make dual use of the facilities at the Bath Road ground.

The team will be known as Bridgwater & Albion Football Club, having been formed as Morganians FC in 2011, since when they have won three promotions in the Taunton Saturday League.

Albion director of rugby Geoff Sluman said: “We are extremely pleased with the arrangements and welcome the soccer guys to the club.

“It may seem strange for me as director of rugby to welcome a football team, but we believe the arrangement makes sense.

“We have lost nothing on the rugby side of things – we have the same as we had before, and the soccer guys will add a lot.

“We already know a lot of the guys who play football, which is how this has come about, and it makes good sense to share our facility, which in turn will support rugby.”

Martin Chandler, secretary of the new BAFC, said: “The facilities at Bath Road are excellent, and we are most grateful to the BARFC committee for inviting us to join with them and making us feel so welcome.

“This is a great opportunity for the football club to improve and develop, and we hope we can do BARFC proud and become a small part of their long history.

“We can’t wait to get started.”

BAFC would like to thank Paul Kingston of Summer Land Air Cooling Ltd for sponsorship and for providing new kit for the 2019/20 season.

BARFC head of commercial Steve Smith added: “This is a very welcome development and it will allow us to apply for additional funding as a dual sport facility.

“It has been our ambition for some time to turn our facility into a multi-sports venue.

“Football may not be the last sport we add, as we are considering other proposals too.

“We have excellent facilities and a recently refurbished clubhouse that would otherwise be closed, so opening it up for additional use is good for us.”

Anyone who would like to play for BAFC is welcome to join in with training on Tuesday nights at Bath Road, starting at 7pm.