 | |||
| Full name | Bitterne Nomads Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1939 | ||
| Dissolved | 1968 | ||
| Ground | Cutbush Lane, West End, Southampton | ||
Bitterne Nomads were an amateur football club, based in Bitterne - an eastern suburb of Southampton, Hampshire. They folded after the loss of their ground.
Bitterne Nomads F.C. were formed in 1939, the suffix an indication of they number of venues used for home games.
They were the third club to represent the area, although any aspirations of emulating their successful predecessors Guild and Sports [1] was soon halted by the outbreak of World War II. Despite this, Bitterne Nomads remained active and participated in various war time competitions. [2]
The post war era saw renewed interest. In 1946 the club began using the Hatley Road Sports Ground, were elected into the Hampshire League Division 3 and also began entering the national cup competitions. [3] Unfortunately, the loss of their ground forced them to leave the competition in 1949, and join the Southampton League. [4]
Despite this set-back, Bitterne Nomads recovered by winning the Southampton Senior Cup in 1955 (2-1 against Winsor United at The Dell, Southampton) [5] and the Senior Division 1 title in 1959. [6] Now playing at a nicely developed venue at Cutbush Lane in West End, they made a returned to the county league in 1960 and immediately won promotion as Division 3 runners-up. In 1965 they were relegated back again, where they remained a steady force until 1968 when the loss of their ground prompted the club to fold. [7]
| Season | Division | Position | Significant events |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1946/47 | Hampshire League Division 3 | 9/12 | |
| 1947/48 | Hampshire League Division 3 East | 5/12 | |
| 1948/49 | Hampshire Division 3 East | 6/14 | Left competition |
| 1949-60 | Southampton League | ||
| 1960/61 | Hamphsire League Division 3 | 2/16 | Promoted |
| 1961/62 | Hampshire League Division 2 | 7/16 | |
| 1962/63 | Hampshire League Division 2 | 11/16 | |
| 1963/64 | Hampshire League Division 2 | 10/16 | |
| 1964/65 | Hampshire League Division 2 | 16/16 | Relegated |
| 1966/66 | Hampshire League Division 3 | 6/16 | |
| 1966/67 | Hampshire League Division 3 | 6/16 | |
| 1967/68 | Hampshire League Division 3 | 4/16 | Left competition |
| Season | Round | Opponents | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1947/48 | Preliminary Round | H v Thornycroft Athletic | L 2-3 |
| 1948/49 | Extra-Preliminary Round | A v Basingstoke Town | W 2–1 |
| Preliminary Round | A v Newport IOW | L 0-4 |
Bitterne Sports played in the Southampton League from 1972 until 1995.
Bitterne Nomads played at Cutbush Lane, West End, Southampton. The area is now covered by housing, but is located close to the modern day council owned pitches known by the same name.
Bitterne Nomads had many fine players, most notably Don Roper and Fred Turner who both went on to play for Southampton.
With there being so many teams in the area, Bitterne Nomads had a number of local rivals. These included Sholing Sports, Thornycrofts (Woolston), West End and Mullard Sports.
