Shipham AFC was established as a club back in 1896 in the village of Shipham which is on the western edge of the Mendip Hills near the A38, approximately 15 miles (24 km) south of Bristol. The parish includes the village of Rowberrow and the hamlet of Star.

It’s first playing pitch was in the home field to Fairhill Farm, where the present Fairhill estate now is. It subsequently moved to a field in lower Broadway, where the club played for many years. During those pre-war years, the Shipham team had many successes. It won many trophies and the team was dominated by such local known village names. In 1948, the club raised enough money to buy its now present location which we now call ‘The slope’. This was achieved when the population of Shipham was only about 500, and was one of the few village clubs in the district to own its own playing field.

Due to the emergence of other local clubs and a changing demographic in the village the club dwindled during the 1990s and was forced to stop playing in 1995. A decade later a brand new village hall was built beside the pitch just off New Road and interest in the use of the field was rekindled. It probably has the best view of any pitch in the South West (it overlooks the Bristol Channel across to South Wales) and experiences magnificent sunsets.

After more than a century, the club was reformed in 2007 with a Veterans’ team entering the over 35’s Bristol Casual League. 

In 2014 the club entered a men’s senior team into the league lead by born and bred Shiphamer Paul Drake which lasted for 8 seasons until the Covid Pandemic caused the team to fold.