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Awbridge F.C.

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Awbridge F.C.
Full nameAwbridge Football Club
Nickname(s)The 'Bridge
Founded1904
Dissolved2006
GroundVillage Hall Field

Awbridge F.C. were a long running amateur football club based in Awbridge (locally pronounced 'A-bridge', with the letter 'w' silent), a small village and civil parish in the Test Valley district of Hampshire, England, about three miles northwest of Romsey.

The club existed from 1904 to 2006 and enjoyed great success during the sixties. They were long standing members of the Hampshire League and were eventually absorbed by neighbours Michelmersh & Timsbury after a brief spell groundsharing.

Club History

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The club were originally known as Awbridge Albion and spent their early days playing friendly fixtures. Their first known game was in November 1904 when they defeated Landford 4–0 before enjoying a 'capital' tea at the Bush Inn, Newtown.

After the Great War, they were granted permission by Lord Greenway to use the Village Hall Field as their home ground - he also kindly donated a pair of goalposts and a set of red/black shirts, these would remain the clubs' colours for the next 80 years! In 1923 they began playing in a number of short-lived local leagues before joining the Salisbury & District League, where they won numerous trophies. The Thirties saw them switch to the Southampton League where they enjoyed further success.

After World War II, the club reformed as Awbridge F.C. and in 1948 returned to the Southampton League where they were placed in Junior Division 4. Significant progress was made and by 1953 they had risen to the Senior section, formed a reserves side and even had their own Supporters Club!

The Sixties were very much a successful period in which they dominated the local football scene. Under the astute management of the legendary Wilf Moody, they twice won the Southampton League Premier Division and Southampton Senior Cup (both finals played at The Dell, Southampton) along with a solitary Hampshire Intermediate Cup triumph (played at Dean Court, Bournemouth). These successes were eventually rewarded with election into the Hampshire League in 1968, where they promptly won the Division 3 West title at the first attempt.

On limited resources, Awbridge spent three seasons rubbing shoulders with some big-guns in Division 2 before two relegation's within three seasons saw them drop to Division 4, where they continued to struggle. Until this point, the club had used the original Village Hall building, but after receiving an ultimatum to improve their facilities, the Committee embarked on an ambitious campaign to build their own separate pavilion. After much hard work, the new facility was officially opened in August 1980 with a prestigious friendly match against AFC Bournemouth which they narrowly lost 1–2.

The Eighties saw Awbridge re-emerge as a force. They regained their Division 2 status, enjoyed numerous cup runs and were rather unfortunate not to win any major silverware. In 1986 they were placed in a new-look Division 1 following the formation of the Wessex League and did well to consolidate at this highly competitive level until relegation in 1993. Two years later, the club were back in Division 3, but they again recovered and began challenging for promotion.

The new millennium saw the non-league pyramid restructured with stricter ground grading requirements at all levels - making life increasingly difficult for many grassroots clubs. In 2002, Awbridge submitted an ambitious application to the Village Hall Committee for redeveloping their dilapidated pavilion. Disappointingly, this was rejected by their landlords, and this, along with the high rental costs, forced the club to make the difficult decision not to renew the lease and accept an invitation received from their Southampton League neighbours Michelmersh & Timsbury to temporarily join forces until a solution could be found.

Now playing at the better equipped Timsbury Rec as M&T Awbridge they were able to continue playing in the county league and remained a steady mid-table side. Alas, ground problems returned to haunt the club when a long running dispute between the parent Sports Club and the Parish Council made them homeless for the 2005/06 season. This briefly raised hopes of negotiating a nostalgic return to Awbridge, but unfortunately this was not possible as the (now refurbished) pavilion was being used by a religious group. Thankfully, after a year playing in exile, the dispute was eventually resolved, but part of the condition was that the club be renamed Michelmersh & Timsbury. With little hope of ever returning to the village, it was agreed to accept the offer and Awbridge FC was sadly no more after 102 years.

League Career 1968-2006

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Honours

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1st Team

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  • Hampshire Football Association
    • Intermediate Cup Winners 1965/66. Finalists 1966/67 & 1988/89
  • Hampshire League
    • Division 3 Runners-up 1984/85
    • Division 3 West Champions 1968/69
    • Division 4 Runners-up 1979/80
  • Southampton Football Association
    • Senior Cup Winners 1962/63 & 1963/64, Finalists 1984/85
    • Junior 'A' Cup Finalists 1932/33
  • Southampton League
    • Premier Division Champions 1965/66 & 1966/67, Runners-up 1964/65 & 1967/68
    • Senior Division 2 Champions 1954/55, Runners-up 1958/59
    • Junior Division 1 Champions 1952/53
    • Junior Division 2 Runners-up 1951/52
    • Junior Division 3 Champions 1931/32, Runners-up 1949/50
    • Romsey Division Champions 1929/30 & 1930/31
  • Salisbury & District League
    • Division 1 Champions 1926/27 & 1929/30
    • Division 2 Champions 1925/26
    • Norman Court Cup Winners 1925/26, 1926/27, 1927/28 & 1932/33
  • Andover & District League
    • Open Cup Finalists 2005/06

2nd Team

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  • Southampton League
    • Junior Division 2 Champions 1966/67
    • Junior Division 3 Runners-up 1965/66
    • Junior Division 5 Runners-up 1962/63
    • Junior Division 6 Runners-up 1951/52

Ground

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For over 75 years, Awbridge Football Club played at the Village Hall Field, Romsey Road, Awbridge, SO51 0HG.

The ground had two pitches, with a notorious slope, and the record attendance is believed to be approx 500 for the friendly against AFC Bournemouth as part of the new pavilion opening ceremony in August 1980. The building still remains (dwarfed by the impressive new Village Hall) and is currently used as a storage unit.

Local Rivalries

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Awbridge had a number of local rivals within the Test Valley area whom they faced many times over the years. Hampshire League meetings with Broughton, Braishfield, Mottisfont and especially Romsey Town always generated much interest and attracted large crowds.

Famous Players

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During their long history, Awbridge had many fine players - especially during their Sixties glory days. In 1981, they were managed by former Tottenham Hotspur striker Tommy Harmer.

Successor Club

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Michelmersh & Timsbury F.C. continue to play at Timsbury Receation Ground, Mannyngham Way, Timsbury, SO51 0NJ. The venue has ample parking, a large clubhouse with licensed bar and two football pitches. The venue is shared with the cricket section of the parent Sports Club.

They are affiliated to the Hampshire Football Association and since 2024 the 1st Team have played in the Southampton League Premier Division.

The 'Marsh wear distinctive amber/black quartered shirts, and prior to the merger were originally formed in 1928. They have participated in the Southampton League since 1961 and their solitary piece of silverware came in 1990 when the Reserves won the Junior Division 4 title.

The club has a thriving youth section which bodes well for the future, whilst a nice link to the past is maintained with a few former Awbridge players still playing for the veterans side.

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  • [1] Awbridge FC pictorial history video
  • [2] Football Club History Database
  • [3] Hampshire League Final Tables
  • [4] Hampshire Soccer Archive
  • [5] Awbridge Village Hall Field
  • [6] Michelmersh & Timsbury FC website

References

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