![]() | This article has an unclear citation style .(August 2025) |
Full name | A.F.C. Netley | ||
---|---|---|---|
Founded | 1901 | ||
Ground | Station Road, Netley | ||
Chairman | Jay Morgan | ||
Manager | Matt Gover | ||
League | Hampshire Premier League Division 1 | ||
A.F.C. Netley are a long running amateur football club based in Netley, Southampton, Hampshire.
Formerly known as Netley Central Sports, they are affiliated with the Hampshire Football Association and are currently members of the Hampshire Premier League Division 1.
The club were established in 1901 as Netley Sports and originally played friendly matches before becoming founder members of the Southampton League in 1908. [1]
Netley enjoyed great success during the fifties, most notably winning three successive Southampton Senior Cups [2] and two Hampshire Intermediate Cups. [3]
In 1957 Netley began their long association with the Hampshire League and back-to-back title wins saw them quickly reach Division 1. [4] At the time, the competition was of a very high standard, and in 1965 they finished in 4th place for what was their highest position. [5]
The club became known as Netley Central Sports in 1970 - showing the link with the local Sports & Social Club. Apart from a couple of brief spells, they remained top-flight regulars for many years until the late nineties, when a decline in fortunes resulted in successive relegation's down to the basement division. [6]
In 2004 the original Hampshire League was absorbed into the expanding Wessex League, [7] with Netley joining the short-lived third division, but unable to meet the strict ground criteria, they left two years later to join the Hampshire League 2004, [8] where they twice won the league and cup double.
It was the end of an era in 2011 when Netley dropped out of county soccer, [9] but after a successful spell of rebuilding in the Southampton League, they returned to the competition in 2014, which had since become Division 1 of the Hampshire Premier League. [10] [11]
In 2020 the club was re-branded as AFC Netley. [12]
Season | Division | Position | Significant events |
---|---|---|---|
1957/58 | Hampshire League Division 3 | 1/16 | Promoted |
1958/59 | Hampshire League Division 2 | 1/16 | Promoted |
1959/60 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 11/14 | |
1960/61 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 14/16 | |
1961/62 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 12/16 | |
1962/63 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 10/16 | |
1963/64 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 7/16 | |
1964/65 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 4/16 | Highest ever placing |
1965/66 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 6/16 | |
1966/67 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 8/16 | |
1967/68 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 9/16 | |
1968/69 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 7/16 | |
1969/70 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 15/16 | Relegated |
1970/71 | Hampshire League Division 2 | 11/16 | |
1971/72 | Hampshire League Division 2 | 8/16 | |
1972/73 | Hampshire League Division 2 | 1/16 | Champions |
1973/74 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 12/16 | |
1974/75 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 9/16 | |
1975/76 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 8/16 | |
1976/77 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 10/16 | |
1977/78 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 9/16 | |
1978/79 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 11/16 | |
1979/80 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 6/16 | |
1980/81 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 18/20 | |
1981/82 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 15/20 | |
1982/83 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 18/20 | |
1983/84 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 11/20 | |
1984/85 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 18/20 | |
1985/86 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 18/20 | |
1986/87 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 5/18 | Wessex League formed |
1987/88 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 9/18 | |
1988/89 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 10/17 | |
1989/90 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 3/18 | |
1990/91 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 17/18 | Relegated |
1991/92 | Hampshire League Division 2 | 12/15 | |
1992/93 | Hampshire League Division 2 | 5/18 | Promoted |
1993/94 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 18/20 | |
1994/95 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 13/20 | |
1995/96 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 2/20 | |
1996/97 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 7/21 | |
1997/98 | Hampshire League Division 1 | 20/20 | Relegated |
1998/99 | Hampshire League Division 2 | 18/18 | Relegated |
1999/00 | Hampshire League Division 2 | 11/14 | Re-organisation |
2000/01 | Hampshire League Division 2 | 10/16 | |
2001/02 | Hampshire League Division 2 | 5/18 | |
2002/03 | Hampshire League Division 2 | 5/13 | |
2003/04 | Hampshire League Division 2 | 4/15 | Hampshire League absorbed by Wessex League |
2004/05 | Wessex League Division 3 | 12/22 | |
2005/06 | Wessex League Division 3 | 5/17 | Left competition |
2006/07 | Hampshire League 2004 | 2/16 | |
2007/08 | Hampshire League 2004 | 2/15 | |
2008/09 | Hampshire League 2004 | 1/15 | |
2009/10 | Hampshire League 2004 | 1/14 | |
2010/11 | Hampshire League 2004 | 8/17 | Left competition |
2011-14 | Southampton League | ||
2014/15 | Hampshire Premier League Division 1 | 2/11 | |
2015/16 | Hampshire Premier League Division 1 | 6/11 | |
2016/17 | Hampshire Premier League Division 1 | 4/9 | |
2017/18 | Hampshire Premier League Division 1 | 1/8 | Champions but not promoted |
2018/19 | Hampshire Premier League Division 1 | 3/8 | |
2019/20 | Hampshire Premier League Division 1 | abandoned due to Covid-19 | |
2020/21 | Hampshire Premier League Division 1 | abandoned due to Covid-19 | |
2021/22 | Hampshire Premier League South Div | 10/10 | Re-elected |
2022/23 | Hampshire Premier League Division 1 | 6/13 | |
2023/24 | Hampshire Premier League Division 1 | 6/13 | |
2024/25 | Hampshire Premier League Division 1 | 7/14 | |
2025/26 | Hampshire Premier League Division 1 |
AFC Netley play their home games at Station Road Recreation Ground, Netley Abbey, Southampton, SO31 5HY. [17] The venue has one enclosed pitch with an adjacent pavilion and plenty of car parking.
A number of former Southampton players have also turned out for Netley; these include Manny Andruszewski, [18] Mick Earls, [19] Tommy Hare, [20] John Hollowbread, [21] and Bill Beaney, [22] who was also manager for a spell. For the 1989–90 campaign they were coached by David Armstrong. [23]
More recently, locally born Danny Ings briefly played for Netley before proceeding to play professionally with a number of clubs. [24]
Former player Bob Crompton gave over 60 years service to the club and went on to hold positions with both the Southampton Football Association [25] and the Hampshire League 2004. [26]
There a vast number of clubs from the east side of Southampton and AFC Netley regard neighbours Sholing, Hamble Club and Folland Sports as their main rivals - although with these all now playing at a higher level, meetings are not as frequent as they once were.
Older rivalries have been lost as Sholing Sports, [27] Bitterne Nomads, [28] Netley Athletic and Mullard Sports are all now defunct.