Winchester City

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The FA Vase - the famous trophy Winchester City proudly held aloft in 2004

Ground: The Denplan City Ground, Hillier Road, Abbotts Barton, Winchester, SO20 6RJ

Telephone: 01962 810200

Chairman: Richard Newsome

Secretary:

Manager:

HOW TO FIND THE CITY GROUND

From the M3 (North and South Bound)

Exit the M3 at Junction 9 (signposted Newbury) and take the Newbury A34 exit off the roundabout. Get in the right hand lane, and take the right hand fork signposted “Basingstoke”. Watch out for speed cameras! After about half a mile, turn left into Kings Worthy and follow the road in towards Winchester for about two miles. On the outskirts of Winchester, take the second left into Russell Road, and then turn right and then immediately left into Hillier Way.

From the A34 Southbound

Exit the A34 at the first Winchester exit and go back across the A34. At the roundabout, take the second exit towards Winchester. After about two miles, (as you come into Winchester) turn left into Park Road. At the next T Junction, turn right into Worthy Road, and then almost immediately left into Russell Road and then turn right and then immediately left into Hillier Way.

From Winchester City Centre

Follow the one way system though the City Centre and turn right into Jewry Street. At the traffic lights, get in the middle lane and go across into Hyde Street. At the T Junction, turn right into Worthy Road and after 250 yards, turn right into Russell Road, then turn right and then immediately left into Hillier Way.<

Club History :

Winchester City were founded in 1884, and is one of only two clubs in Hampshire that are full members of the Football Association. During the Clubs history two England internationals have emerged from Winchester in Ted Drake and Terry Paine. Hampshire football first came to Winchester in 1898, but only lasted two years. After five years Winchester were back in the county set up when it split into regional divisions.

Season 1904/05 was City’s first trophy year when they won the North Division championship.

Winchester then stayed in that division until 1928/29 when they were promoted to the county division after finishing runners up. In the first season City won the North Division as well as the Championship shield.

1929/30 saw City finish runners up to Newport, after this there were no more championships until the late Forties. City then held a mid table position until the middle fifties when relegation meant a drop into Division Two. This was short lived when the next season City were promoted as Champions to the top flight.

In season 1969/70 City won promotion back to the top flight this was followed by the clubs ambitious move into the new Southern League, the next year.

During the two seasons City found life hard and financial reasons resulted in the club dropping back into the Hampshire League. A drop through the leagues over the next few years was only broken when in 1991/92 the club won the division two championship.

1993/94 saw City win their first trophy for some time, when at Fareham Towns Cams Alders ground where they defeated Cowes Sports to win the Trophyman cup final. Season 1994/95 saw a new committee and a chairman elected to steer the club into the next century, with a matchday programme being printed and a souvenir shop opened and run by Terry Bone, within the clubhouse.

That season the Club held mid table position and at the end of the season the ground was enclosed with a fence to enable an admission charge to be taken at each home game.

1996/97 saw another manager take control and steer the club to the semi final of the Southampton Senior Cup only to lose to a strong Eastleigh side. The season was full of optimism and a mid table position was achieved.

In 1997/98 the Club went through a change with the chairman standing down and other members calling it a day, so it was left to a small hard working group to carry on.

1998/99 saw what was nearly City’s last season in football as the Club fought against financial problems, which nearly caused the committee to call it a day. Rescue packages were launched and out of that came the foundation to run the Club as a commercial business, and the Club return to a firm financial standing.

1999/2000 saw Winchester City in the First Division and what a season they had. Good Cup runs and only a narrow defeat against Blackfield & Langley prevented Winchester from going to the Southampton Senior Cup Final at the Dell. The reserve side reached the Combination Cup final and who will forget the fantastic support that night at Alton with both teams also finishing in the top four of the league it was a very good season.

Season 2000/01 saw Mark Smith appointed as first team manager with Mark bringing in a lot of Wessex League experienced players. The prospect of Hampshire League Premier Division football was achieved on the penultimate game of the season against Fleet Spurs adding to the winning of the last ever Southampton Senior Cup Final to be played at the Dell.

The Club also won the first Inter League Shield, which they retained in season 2001/02. The reserves under Keith Curtis achieved second place behind Colden Common in the Combination Division One.

Season 2001/02 saw the merger of the two Winchester clubs, City and Castle, with the first and second teams playing at the City Ground and the North Hants League and Winchester League sides playing at Chilcombe.

With the installation of new floodlights and erection of a stand, the combination of a new chairman, Richard Newsome, and a business committee the club look forward to a new era with the goal of the Wessex League and beyond just around the corner. Mark Smith departed mid season to be replaced by Steve Whitcher, who was joined by Bob Higgins and David Malone from Bashley and with it brought their Southern League professionalism.

Unfortunately the first team just missed out on promotion finishing third. However the reserve side under the leadership of Paul Bodin had a wonderful season, winning the Hampshire Combination and winning three out of four Cup Finals that they reached. The North Hants Senior Cup, Andover Open Cup and the Hampshire Intermediate Cup were won as well as being finalists in the Basingstoke Senior Cup. Lance Macklin is at the helm of the North Hants League side.

Season 2002/3 saw they seek to gain promotion to the Wessex League. Early in January 2003 though, Neil Hards took over the role of manager and led the Club to the Hampshire League title, Trophyman Cup and Southampton senior Cup winners, as well as reaching the Quarter Finals of the F A Vase.

The success that was gained by the first team in 2003/4 saw more milestones achieve by the Club. The Wessex League championship was won at the first attempt along with the Wessex League Cup. The crowning glory though was victory in the F A Vase Final, played at Birmingham City St. Andrews Stadium.

A 2-0 scoreline against Eastern Counties League side A F C Sudbury saw Winchester City become the first Hampshire side to lift the national trophy. For manager Neil Hards in his first full season in that capacity an excellent achievement.

The future. Promotion to the higher division for season 2004/5 was not achieved owing to a series of conflicting information that saw City not meet the ground grading criteria by the due date.

The works that are required are now complete and it is the aim of Winchester City to gain promotion in time for next season. We wait and see what the next chapter of this meteoric recent rise has to bring.

Honours and achievements :

Biggest City Ground attendance - 1,818 v Bideford F A Vase Semi Final 2003/4

Best F A Cup Performance - 1929/30, 1931/32, 1954/55 Fourth Qualifying Round

Best F A Trophy Performance - 1972/73 Second Qualifying Round

Best F A Vase Performance - 2003/4 Winners v A F C Sudbury 2-0

Hampshire Senior Cup Winners - 1930/1, 2004/5

Wessex League Champions - 2003/4 Runners Up - 2004/5

Wessex League Cup Winners - 2003/4

Hampshire League Premier Division Champions - 2002/3

Hampshire League Champions - North Division - 1904/05, 1928/29

Hampshire League Division One Champions -2000/01

Hampshire League Division Two Champions - 1957/58, 1973/74, 1991/92

Hampshire League Trophyman Cup Winners - 1993/94, 2002/03