Wikipedia

A.F.C. Netley

A.F.C. Netley are a long running amateur football club based in Netley, Southampton, Hampshire.

A.F.C. Netley
Full nameA.F.C. Netley
Founded1901
GroundStation Road, Netley
ChairmanJay Morgan
ManagerMatt Gover
LeagueHampshire Premier League Division 1

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.

History

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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]

Honours

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1st Team

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  • Hampshire Football Association [13]
  • Intermediate Cup Winners 1953/54 and 1957/58. Finalists 2012/13
  • Hampshire League
  • Division 2 Champions 1958/59 and 1972/73
  • Division 3 Champions 1957/58
  • Hampshire Premier League
  • Division 1 Champions 2017/18
  • Hampshire League 2004
  • League Champions 2008/09 and 2009/10
  • Trophyman League Cup Winners 2008/09 and 2009/10
  • Southampton Football Association
  • Senior Cup Winners 1955/56, 1956/57, 1957/58, 1971/72, 1972/73 and 1998/99. Finalists 1964/65, 1967/68 and 1989/90 [14]
  • Southampton League [15]
  • Premier Division Runners-up 2012/13
  • Senior Division 1 Champions 1923/24, 1954/55, 1955/56 and 2011/12
  • Senior Division 2 Champions 1953/54
  • Other
  • Eastleigh Bi-Centenial Trophy Winners 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1993

2nd Team

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  • Hampshire League
  • Division 3 Champions 1966/67
  • Southampton Football Association [16]
  • Senior Cup Finalists 1970/71
  • Junior 'B' Cup Winners 1935/36
  • Southampton League
  • Premier Division Champions 1964/65 and 1965/66
  • Senior Division 1 Champions 2010/11
  • Junior Division 1 Champions 1954/55
  • Junior Division 2 Champions 1950/51
  • Junior East Division Champions 1932/33, 1948/49 and 1950/51

League career

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Ground

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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.

Notable players

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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]

Local rivalries

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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.

References

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  1. ^ Association Football in Hampshire until 1914 by Norman Gannaway
  2. ^ A Century of Southampton Local Soccer 1908-2008 by John Moody
  3. ^ Hampshire Football Association Centenary History 1887-1987 by Norman Gannaway
  4. ^ A History of the Hampshire League 1896-1996 by Norman Gannaway
  5. ^ A Tabulated History of the Hampshire League by Stephen Farmery
  6. ^ "Football Club History Database - Netley Central Sports".
  7. ^ "Hants League accept Wessex expansion plans as inevitable". 20 May 2003.
  8. ^ "Football: Wellow take promotion place". 26 May 2006.
  9. ^ "Netley Central fade off county scene". Daily Echo. 8 September 2011. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
  10. ^ "Central command: Netley stun high fliers". 22 February 2015.
  11. ^ "Netley Central Sports blow HPL title race wide open". 4 April 2015.
  12. ^ "2020-21 Name Changes, Mergers & Closures". 22 June 2020.
  13. ^ Hampshire Football Association Yearbook 2015/16
  14. ^ Southampton Senior Cup – The Finals 1909-2022 by Gary Day
  15. ^ Southampton Football League Handbook & Directory 2018/19
  16. ^ Southampton Divisional Football Association Handbook 2017/18
  17. ^ "AFC Netley football club information at Football Ground Map".
  18. ^ stats tab https://www.saintsplayers.co.uk/player/manny-andruszewski/
  19. ^ stats tab https://www.saintsplayers.co.uk/player/mick-earls/
  20. ^ stats tab https://www.saintsplayers.co.uk/player/tommy-hare/
  21. ^ stats tab https://www.saintsplayers.co.uk/player/john-hollowbread/
  22. ^ stats tab https://www.saintsplayers.co.uk/player/bill-beaney/
  23. ^ stats tab https://www.saintsplayers.co.uk/player/dave-armstrong/
  24. ^ "The rise and rise of Danny Ings". The Independent.
  25. ^ "Tributes flood in for late Southampton FA president Bob Crompton". 27 July 2016.
  26. ^ "All systems go as 'new' Hampshire League earns a reprieve". 5 August 2004.
  27. ^ Sholing Sports Football Club History by Neil Cotton
  28. ^ Bitterne Football A Gimpse at the Past by Ken Prior
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