Bassett aiming to be greedy this Christmas

The Christmas period is meant to be the season of goodwill. However during the club's time in the Hellenic League, Royal Wootton Bassett Town have interpreted that a bit too literally, typically gifting the opposition points in games played between Boxing Day and New Year. But with three games upcoming over the course of the Christmas period, Sam Collier and his side will be looking to deliver a rare bit of festive joy for Bassett - and buck the rather dismal trend the club has set in league games played at this time of year. Boxing Day - when Bassett host Wiltshire rivals Corsham Town (Sustain Stadium, 1pm kick off) - has been an especially difficult day. Nine previous Hellenic League games on 26 December have seen Bassett win just twice, with one draw and six defeats to their name. Making that record worse, all four home games played on Boxing Day have ended in defeat with Bassett failing to register a single goal. Bassett's most recent Boxing Day win was 12 years ago, with Steve Yeardley scoring in the opening minute and Matt Bennett adding a second in a 2-1 victory at Purton. Tytherington Rocks are the only other team Bassett have triumphed against on that date, winning 2-1 on Boxing Day in 2006 courtesy of goals from Stuart Hemsley and Scott Large. Six games on 27 December have then yielded just one victory - a 3-1 away win at Brimscombe and Thrupp in 2014. Otherwise, Bassett have drawn once and lost the other four. Those losses include consecutive 3-1 reverses at home against Corsham and Highworth Town, with all four defeats seeing Bassett concede at least three goals. This coming 28 December sees Bassett host Pershore Town (Sustain Stadium, 3pm kick off). And that has been one of Bassett's luckiest dates during the festive period. Six games have resulted in three wins and three defeats - and plenty of goals. In 2013 Bassett beat Holyport 6-2 before a 4-2 win against Brimscombe in 2019. Sandwiched in between though was the nadir - an 8-0 loss at Highworth in 2015, with the same date also bringing a 4-0 reverse at the hands of Purton back in 1993. 29 December is a date Bassett have never won on, drawing two and losing two of four games. Bassett have fared better on 30 December though, last year's 3-2 win at Hereford Pegasus being one of three victories with the only defeat coming away at Binfield (3-1) in 2017. Three games on New Year's Eve have then seen two draws and one loss - that coming at home against Lydney (3-1) in 2016. However, Bassett do hold a 100% record on New Year's Day - courtesy of winning the only Hellenic League game they have played on 1 January to date when beating Hereford Lads Club 4-0 last year. The opening day of 2025 will again see Bassett travel to Hereford, this time to take on Pegasus as they aim for a repeat of that outcome (3pm kick off).