 | |||
| Full name | Association Football Club Portchester | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Portchy, Royals | ||
| Founded | 1971 | ||
| Ground | Wicor Recreation Ground, Portchester | ||
| Chairman | Paul Kelly | ||
| Manager | Gav Spurway | ||
| League | Wessex League Premier Division | ||
| 2023–24 | Wessex League Premier Division, 4th of 20 | ||
A.F.C. Portchester is a football club based in Portchester, a suburb of the town of Fareham, Hampshire, England. They are currently members of the Wessex League Premier Division and play at the Wicor Recreation Ground.
The club was established in 1971 as Loyds Sports. [1] [2] They joined Division Six of the City of Portsmouth Sunday League. After amalgamating with Colourvision Rangers in 1973 they gained a place in Division Two. [2] [1] In 1976 the club became Wicor Mill, after which they joined the Portsmouth & District League. [1] The club were runners-up in the Portsmouth & District League in 1997–98 and were promoted to Division Three of the Hampshire League; [3] the following year they adopted their current name. [4] Division Three was also renamed Division Two, [5] and the club were runners-up in 1999–2000, earning promotion to Division One. [6]
Portchester were Division One champions in 2001–02, but were unable to take promotion to the Wessex League due to a lack of floodlights. [3] However, in 2004 they became founder members of the new Division Three of the Wessex League when the Hampshire League merged into it. Division Three was renamed Division Two in 2006, and the club were promoted to Division One after finishing fourth in 2006–07. [6]
In 2011–12 they were Division One runners-up, earning promotion to the Premier Division. [6]
In 2014–15 they won the Wessex League's League Cup.
They would go on to win the Wessex League's League Cup again in 2017-18. With high flying Fawley AFC beating holders Sholing out of the competition, it looked like it could be a tight final. However this was not the case. Portchester were the better team from the start grabbing two goals in the first half and adding two more to that in the final 12 minutes of the game. [7]
In 2022–23 Portchester had brought in prolific striker Brett Pitman from EFL-side Bristol Rovers making non-league headlines. He would go on to score 50+ goals (In that time led Europe's goalscoring charts, outscoring the likes of Erling Haaland and Harry Kane). [8] In an interview with local sports reporter James McIntosh, [9] he claimed the form was down to his teammates and loved playing alongside them! Even with Pitman the side narrowly missed out on promotion thanks to losses against Horndean FC in the penultimate game of the season, followed by a 3-0 defeat to Bemerton Heath Harlequins which meant the Royals would stay in the Wessex League [10] .
[3] In 2023–24 the club finished fourth in the Premier Division, qualifying for the promotion play-offs, in which they lost 1–0 to Shaftesbury in the semi-finals. The season also saw them win the Hampshire Senior Cup for the first time, beating AFC Totton on penalties in the final. [11]
The Wessex Football League, known as the Velocity Wessex Football League for sponsorship reasons, is an English regional men's football league in southern England. Its members are primarily from Hampshire and Dorset, but clubs from adjoining counties such as Wiltshire, Berkshire, and the Isle of Wight are also eligible. The Premier Division is one of the sixteen recognised leagues to form the ninth level of the English football league system, and Division One is one of seventeen recognised leagues at level 10.
Bashley Football Club is a football club based in Bashley, near New Milton, Hampshire, England. They are currently members of the Southern League Division One South and play at Bashley Road.
New Milton Town Football Club is a football club based in New Milton, Hampshire, England. They are currently members of the Wessex League Division One and play at Fawcetts Field.
Sholing Football Club is an English football club based in Sholing, Southampton, Hampshire. Formerly known as Vosper Thorneycroft FC and later VTFC the club changed its name in 2010 to Sholing FC. In 2013–14 they won both the FA Vase and the Wessex League Premier Division and have three times been runners up in the Wessex Premier, in 2007, 2009 and 2016. They are currently members of the Southern League Premier Division South. The club has twice won the Hampshire League, in 2001 and 2004. Sholing are also 8 times Southampton Senior Cup Winners.
Amalgamated Football Club Totton is a football club based in Totton, Hampshire, England. The club is affiliated to the Hampshire Football Association and is an FA Standard Chartered club. They are currently members of the Southern League Premier Division South and play at the Testwood Stadium.
Gosport Borough Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Gosport, Hampshire, England. The club is affiliated to the Hampshire Football Association and is an FA Charter Standard Community Club. They are currently members of the Southern League Premier Division South and play at Privett Park.
Totton & Eling Football Club are a football club based in Totton & Eling, Hampshire, England. The club is affiliated to the Hampshire Football Association, and is a FA Charter Standard club. The club competes in the Wessex League Division One.
Moneyfields Football Club is a football club based in Portsmouth, England. Affiliated to the Hampshire FA, they were founded in 1987 as Portsmouth Civil Service, before adopting their current name in 1994. The club are currently members of the Isthmian League South Central Division and play at the John Jenkins Stadium.
Blackfield & Langley Football Club is a football club based in the village of Blackfield, near Southampton, England. Affiliated to the Hampshire Football Association, they are currently members of the Wessex League Premier Division and play at the Gang Warily Recreation Ground. Their local rivals are Fawley and Hythe & Dibden.
Hayling United Football Club is a football club based on Hayling Island in Hampshire, England. The club is affiliated to the Hampshire Football Association, and is a FA Charter Standard club. The Humbugs were founded in 1884 as Hayling Island, but changed their name in the early seventies to the present name.
Tadley Calleva Football Club are a football club based in Tadley, Hampshire, England. The club is affiliated to the Hampshire Football Association. The club's name of Calleva comes from the nearby Roman Town of Calleva Atrebatum, based just outside Silchester. They play in the Combined Counties League Premier Division South.
Brett Douglas Pitman is a Jèrriais footballer who plays as a forward for Shaftesbury. He has spent most of his career at AFC Bournemouth in two separate spells, totalling 102 goals in 301 games.
The 2012–13 Wessex Football League was the 27th season of the Wessex Football League since its establishment in 1986.
The 2013–14 Wessex Football League was the 28th season of the Wessex Football League since its establishment in 1986.
The 2007–08 Wessex Football League was the 22nd season of the Wessex Football League. The league champions for the first time in their history were A.F.C. Totton, who were promoted to the Southern League. The league consisted of two divisions, Division Two having been disbanded. There was some promotion and relegation between the two Wessex League divisions.
The 2014–15 Wessex Football League season was the 29th in the history of the Wessex Football League since its establishment in 1986.
The 2015–16 season was the 113th in the history of the Southern League, which is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales. From the 2014–15 season onwards, the Southern League is known as Evo-Stik League Southern, following a sponsorship deal with Evo-Stik.
The 2015–16 Wessex Football League season was the 30th in the history of the Wessex Football League since its establishment in 1986.
A.F.C. Stoneham is a football club based in Eastleigh, Hampshire, England. They are currently members of the Wessex League Premier Division and play at the Stoneham Football Complex.
Baffins Milton Rovers Football Club is a football club based in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. They are currently members of the Wessex League Premier Division and play at the Kendall Stadium.
