History
Football has been played in Bishopstoke since the early Twentieth century. [1] It is believed that the original Bishopstoke F.C. were founded circa 1905 and initially played friendly fixtures [2] before joining the Eastleigh & District League, where they enjoyed great success.
They belatedly switched to the larger Southampton League in 1970, where they quickly climbed up through the junior divisions, winning back-to-back titles to reach Senior Division 1 within five years. Here they again challenged for promotion, but after being hit by an exodus they dropped out in 1978. [3]
In 1980 they reformed as Bishopstoke Social (the suffix an indication of traditional their base at the local Working Mens Club) and returned to the Southampton League. Within five years they had regained their Senior status, after winning the Junior Division 1 title and two county cups. Bishopstoke continued to make good progress with the addition of other teams and making a series of improvements at their Chickenhall Lane ground. Two further promotions saw them reach the Premier Division for the first time in 1991 and two years later they just missed out on the title by a point to neighbours Fair Oak. [4]
However, they were soon compensated with election to the Hampshire League. Here the club continued to prosper, in their debut season they finished runners-up in Division 3. The momentum continued in Division 2, and after finishing fifth, a third-place finish in 1996 was rewarded with promotion to Division 1. On limited resources, Bishopstoke did well to consolidate their new found status for three seasons. [5]
The new millennium saw a rapid decline in fortunes for the club with two successive relegations and the loss of their ground. After relocating to Fryern Hill in Eastleigh, they continued to struggle and left the competition in 2002 after twice finishing rock bottom. [6]
The club then became known as Bishopstoke WMC and returned to the Southampton League, where they were placed in Junior Division 1. After a spell playing at Bishopstoke Rec, a new home ground was found at the better equipped Lapstone Park in Fair Oak. In 2005 they regained their Senior status and three years later returned to the Premier Division. They remained in the top-flight until a poor start prompted their withdrawal early in 2015/16 campaign. [7]
After a spell of inactivity, the club was revived for a third time, initially as a Sunday side. In 2025 they relocated again to Priory Park at nearby Bishops Waltham, reverted back to being simply known as Bishopstoke and returned the Southampton League.
Ground
Bishopstoke F.C. currently play at Priory Park, Elizabeth Way, Bishops Waltham, Hampshire, SO31 1SQ. [11]
The venue is owned by Bishops Waltham Parish Council and has a large car park and clubhouse with two adult football pitches and a cricket pitch. The ground is also used by Hampshire Premier League side Bishops Waltham Dynamoes. [12]
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