A.F.C. Netley

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

History

The club were established in 1901 as Netley Sports[1] and originally played friendly matches before joining the Southampton League.[2]

Netley enjoyed great success during the fifties, most notably winning three successive Southampton Senior Cups[3] and two Hampshire Intermediate Cups.[4]

In 1957 Netley began their long association with the Hampshire League and back-to-back title wins saw them quickly reach Division 1.[5] In 1965 they finished in 4th place for what was their highest league position.[6]

The club became known as Netley Central Sports in 1970, amending their name to show the link with the local Sports & Social Club. They remained in the top-flight for many years, and until the creation of the Wessex League, some of the areas top non-league clubs were regular visitors to Station Road.[7] The late nineties saw a decline in fortunes, resulting in successive relegation's down to the basement division.[8]

In 2004 the original Hampshire League [9] was absorbed into the expanding Wessex League,[10] 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,[11] 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,[12] 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.[13] [14]

In 2020 the club was re-branded as AFC Netley.[15]

Honours

1st Team

  • Hampshire Football Association
  • 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 [16]
  • Southampton League
  • 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

  • Hampshire League
  • Division 3 Champions 1966/67
  • Southampton Football Association
  • 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

Ground

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

Locally born Danny Ings briefly played for Netley before proceeding to play professionally with a number of clubs.[18]

A number of former Southampton players have also turned out for Netley; these include Manny Andruszewski, Wayne Pratt and Bill Beaney, who was also manager for a spell. For the 1989–90 campaign they were coached by David Armstrong.[19]

Former player Bob Crompton gave over 60 years service to the club and went on to hold positions with both the Southampton Football Association [20] and the Hampshire League 2004.[21]

Local rivalries

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,[22] Bitterne Nomads, Netley Athletic and Mullard Sports are all now defunct.

References

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