Taunton Town sell out of shirts to fans in Japan and apparently ‘more than any team in Leagues One and Two’ according to reports.
The newly promoted club has is unexpectedly a big deal out in East Asia, largely thanks to the coverage it has received from an English journalist in the country.
Ben Mabley, who lives in Osaka and covers English football in the country, is originally from Taunton, but is often seen talking about the club on air as an example of how deeply rooted the game is back in his home country.
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📰 | Check out the County Gazette’s article on how Ben Mabley is making The Peacocks noticed in Japan. #UpThePeacocks https://t.co/vHS9ZHJNFP
— Taunton Town FC (@TauntonTownFC) January 9, 2020
Taunton Town have begun their first season in the sixth tier of English football – the highest level the club has ever played at.
Ben said as per ITV: “With the most confidence I can possibly have, I’d say that outside of the Premier League and the championship, Taunton Town have the most followers of any English football team. That’s more than anyone in League One, more than anyone in League two, let alone the National League premier.
“This is before they even got promoted to the National League South for this season.
“Taunton Town serve as a fantastic case study as an example of how English football is rooted within society, within the country at a level much, much deeper than the glitz and glamour of the Premier League.
“It’s not just about Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United, the big clubs. It goes further down than that.
“So fans in Japan with a real interest in English football and in wider English culture have been fascinated by the fact that a town that they maybe hadn’t heard of before has people paying money to go and see them, gathering behind the goal, singing songs, waving flags. That really resonates with people who love football.”
Due to the club’s growing popularity, Ben has helped to arrange deliveries of Taunton Town shirts to Japan ahead of the new campaign.
He said: “They’ve sold out of four of the adult sizes because of all the orders that have come in from Japan. I can’t wait to bump into someone I don’t know on the street wearing a Taunton Town shirt!”
Chief executive of the club Kevin Sturmey, who also acts as chairman and even head groundsman, has spoke about how proud he is that the club is growing in popularity and is now only one division below fellow Somerset side Yeovil Town.
He said: “It was usually people going from Taunton to Yeovil, and me included because I want to watch National League football.
“The potential is unlimited because of the size of the town, the amount of houses being built, but also the ripple effect of the catchment area we’ve got goes down into West Somerset, even into North Devon.”
🎂 | Happy birthday to the man from Japan, Ben Mabley. Have a great day Ben! We hope to welcome you back to The Cygnet soon! #UpThePeacocks pic.twitter.com/l0sPTqJK2a
— Taunton Town FC (@TauntonTownFC) January 3, 2021
Meanwhile, changes have had to be made around the ground, and supporter Adam Farrington has come to the rescue, with a business that installs extra seating and doing building work, including new dugouts.
He said: “You always find me behind the home end cheering, chanting and I’ll probably be on many videos of Taunton Town running across the pitch and screaming and yelling!
“Yeah, it’s close. I feel emotional.”
Captain Lloyd Irish said: “I feel that we’ll make the top half comfortably. I might look back on these words and think, maybe I got that wrong!
“But I see no reason why we shouldn’t be pushing towards the playoffs this season.”
Manager Rob Dray said: “It’s a big commitment physically, mentally. Juggling family, juggling everything else. So it’s a big undertaking but, listen, this is where you want to be.
“This is the level you want to play at. So they’re good, ambitious lads and it’s an ambitious club. We’re all very fortunate to be here.”
Taunton began the season with a 0-0 draw against Welling, 813 in attendance. The second game was a 1-0 defeat away to Concord Rangers. Next up it’s Farnborough away in midweek.
FT Braintree Town (0) 1-1 (1) Havant & Waterlooville
Chippenham Town A-A Chelmsford City
FT Concord Rangers (1) 1-0 (0) Taunton Town
FT Dartford (1) 2-1 (0) Cheshunt
FT Dover Athletic (0) 1-0 (0) Hungerford Town
FT Eastbourne Borough (3) 3-4 (1) Bath City
FT Farnborough (1) 1-1 (0) Dulwich Hamlet
FT Hampton & Richmond Borough (0) 1-1 (1) Hemel Hempstead Town
FT Slough Town (0) 1-1 (0) Tonbridge Angels
FT St Albans City (0) 0-1 (0) Oxford City
FT Welling United (2) 2-4 (3) Worthing
FT Weymouth (1) 2-3 (1) Ebbsfleet United
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