Filton Athletic vs University of Bristol AFC

The University of Bristol Athletic Football Club (UBAFC) has competed in British Universities and College Sport (BUCS) competitions since it was formed in 2008. UBAFC runs six teams across the BUCS Aldi Men’s Western Leagues, from the sixth tier to the first, alongside a Saturday team created in 2023 which now plays in the Gloucestershire County Football League. It is one of the largest, most sociable and most successful clubs at the University of Bristol.

It has been a successful few years. The First Team won BUCS Division 1 in 2020 and 2025, and secured promotion to the Men’s Premier South Division after winning the promotion play-off against the University of Sussex in 2026. In the Saturday team’s debut season in 2023/24 they finished runners-up in Hellenic Division Two West and won the Bateman Sports Chairmans Challenge Cup, beating Letcombe, before losing the Marsh Supplementary Challenge Cup final to FC Stratford on penalties.

In 2024/25 the Saturday side finished 3rd in Hellenic Division Two and reached the quarter-finals of the Marsh Challenge Cup, losing narrowly to Hellenic Premier Division outfit Fairford Town. They also retained the Bateman Sports Chairmans Challenge Cup, beating Swindon Supermarine 5-0 in the final.

The 2025/26 season saw UBAFC win the Hellenic League Alliance West title and beat Iron Acton in the promotion play-off to reach the Gloucestershire County Football League — the highest level in the club’s history. The Saturday team was set up to give players more game time and a taste of men’s football before they finish their studies, and the goal in the seasons ahead is to keep providing those opportunities while competing hard in every league and cup.