Ryde Sports F.C. were an English football club based in Ryde, Isle of Wight.
Before their untimely demise, they were for many years a successful and significant club in the area and an important part of the town.
History Ryde Sports were founded in 1888 and became one of the eight founder members of the Hampshire League in 1896. Although finishing at the foot of the table in the inaugural season, the club soon improved by twice finishing runners-up, they also spent the 1898-99 season in the Southern League where they finished as runner-up in the short lived Division 2 South & West Section.Non-League Final Tables 1889-2002 (Soccer Books Ltd) The 1899-1900 season was a highly successful one in which they won the Hampshire League and Hampshire Senior Cup double. After the Great War, Ryde joined the Isle of Wight League,https://www.iowdfa.org.uk/history.html twice being champions before returning the county fold in 1923 when they promptly won the East Division title at the first attempt. Further success soon arrived, in 1925-26 they were league champions and Hampshire Senior Cup winners the following year.A History of the Hampshire League 1896-1996 by Norman Gannaway
The thirties continued to be very successful for the club, twice more winning County Senior Cup 1935–36 and 1938–39. The league title eluded Ryde during this period, although a top five final position was achieved each season. It was also during this period that Ryde recorded some fine runs in the FA Cup, most notably when they twice reached the 1st Round proper; in 1932–33 they lost 0–5 away v Margate, then in 1936–37, when they lost 1–5 at home to Gillingham in front of a record 5,000 crowd.Hampshire Football Association Centenary History 1887-1987 by Norman Gannaway They nearly made it again in 1947–48, when after navigating their way past some tough opponents they lost 0–1 at home against Trowbridge Town in the final qualifying round.The FA Cup Club by Club Record Since 1945 by Tony Williams
It was not until the 1952–53 season that the club suffered its first setback when, for the first time, they were relegated. After several years of consolidation Ryde returned as Division 2 runners-up in 1957–58, only to be relegated straight back again. Worse was to follow in 1963–64 when Ryde were relegated again to Division 3 but made a good recovery by immediately returning as champions; and in 1967–68 they finished as runners-up in Division 2, which was enough to clinch promotion back to the top flight.A Tabulated History of the Hampshire League by Stephen Farmery
The seventies continued to up and down for Ryde. After two seasons in Division 1 the club was again relegated in 1969–70 and in 1976–77 again dropped down into Division 3. The early Eighties saw troubled times for Ryde, twice finishing bottom of the league and having to apply for re-election.Ryde for Pride - 100 Years of Ryde Sports by Mike Bull Ryde's reserve side, however, fared better in the IOW league beating Newport IOW 1-0 in the IOW Challenge Cup Final in 1983 with a last minute winner from striker Tony Adams. Many of the reserve players moved to the first team the following season under manager Arnie Olive.
Ryde regained its place and slowly rebuilt, and in 1986 were placed in restructured Division 2 following the formation of the Wessex League.https://www.nonleaguematters.co.uk/nlmnet/Aarg3E/Ham80.html
Finally, their fortunes changed and with a powerful side Ryde won the Division 2 and Division 1 titles in successive seasons 1988–89 and 1989–90. For a number of years, developers had been eyeing up the club's much loved Partlands home, and in 1990 they vacated the premises to play at a new multi-purpose Sports Complex at Smallbrook Stadium, on the outskirts of the town. The team was elected to the Wessex League that year.
Ryde initially did well and were frequently in the top half of the table, with their highest positions being 3rd in 1995–96 and 4th a year later.Keep It On The Island - A History of Football on the Isle of Wight 1898-1998 by Mick Bull Sadly, this did not last and a combination of poor attendances and high overhead costs put them in financial difficulty, resulting in a player exodus.
For the 1997–98 campaign, Ryde appointed Larry Clay, who brought with him a youthful group of players from the mainland, all of whom ended up playing in the first team far sooner than intended. These youngsters included Hose Edin, Peter Williams and Lee Johnson. The club played a friendly against Bristol City at Smallbrook Stadium with the professional side winning 7-0 with a certain Shaun Goater scoring five goals, he was soon signed by Manchester City.
The inexperienced team made a disastrous start to the season, suffering some heavy defeats as they soon hit rock bottom. After an unsuccessful appeal for local support, Ryde withdrew from the competition in December 1997 with their playing record (just 2 points gained from 17 games) being expunged.
A phoenix club, Ryde '98 was immediately formed to play in the local Isle of Wight League but the new team never climbed out of the basement division and folded in 2004.
Honours Southern League Division 2 South & West Section Runners-up 1898/99 Hampshire League Division 1 Champions 1899/1900, 1925/26 and 1989/90, Runners-up 1897/98, 1898/99 and 1932/33 Division 2 Champions 1988/89, Runners-up 1957/58 and 1967/68 Division 3 Champions 1964/65 East Division Champions 1923/24 Isle of Wight League Division 1 Champions 1919/20 and 1920/21 Hampshire Football Association Hampshire Football Association Yearbook 2005/06 Senior Cup Winners 1899/1900, 1903/04, 1926/27, 1936/37 and 1938/39, Finalists 1925/26 and 1935/36 Isle of Wight Football Association Gold Cup Winners 1926/27, 1946/47, 1948/49, 1955/56, 1961/62, 1962/63, 1963/64 and 1990/91, Finalists 1927/28, 1928/29, 1929/30, 1930/31, 1932/33, 1933/34, 1947/48, 1950/51, 1956/57, 1960/61 and 1964/65. https://www.iowdfa.org.uk/cup_winners_gold.html Challenge Cup Winners 1888/89,1962/63, 1963/64, 1982/83, 1992/93 and 1993/94 https://www.iowdfa.org.uk/cup_winners_challenge.html Portsmouth Football Association Senior Cup Winners 1899/1900, 1900/01, 1905/06, 1919/20, 1953/54, 1966/67 and 1989/90
Playing records
League SeasonDivisionPositionSignificant events1896/97Hampshire League8/8Founder Members, re-elected1897/98Hampshire League6/81898/99Southern League Division 2 South & West Section2/6Runners-up, left competition Hampshire League3/81899/1900Hampshire League1/8Champions, left league1900-03Isle of Wight League 1903/04Hampshire League South Division3/91904/05Hampshire League South Division6/91905/06Hampshire League South Division3/81906/07Hampshire League South Division3/81907/08Hampshire League South Division6/101908/09Hampshire League South Division6/81909/10Hampshire League South Division8/101910/11Hampshire League South Division5/91911/12Hampshire League South Division6/8left competition1912-23Isle of Wight League 1923/24Hampshire League East Division1/8Champions, promoted1924/25Hampshire League County Division10/161925/26Hampshire League County Division1/16Champions1926/27Hampshire League County Division5/161927/28Hampshire League County Division6/16Re-organisation1928/29Hampshire League South Division7/13Re-organisation 1929/30Hampshire League Division 19/161930/31Hampshire League Division 16/161931/32Hampshire League Division 13/161932/33Hampshire League Division 12/15Runners-up 1933/34Hampshire League Division 15/161934/35Hampshire League Division 112/161935/36Hampshire League Division 13/161936/37Hampshire League Division 15/161937/38Hampshire League Division 15/161938/39Hampshire League Division 15/16 1939-45 1945/46Hampshire League Division 19/161946/47Hampshire League Division 111/141947/48Hampshire League Division 14/141948/49Hampshire League Division 15/141949/50Hampshire League Division 14/141950/51Hampshire League Division 111/141951/52Hampshire League Division 112/141952/53Hampshire League Division 113/14Relegated1953/54Hampshire League Division 25/141954/55Hampshire League Division 212/141955/56Hampshire League Division 26/161956/57Hampshire League Division 25/161957/58Hampshire League Division 22/16Runners-up, promoted1958/59Hampshire League Division 114/14Relegated1959/60Hampshire League Division 211/161960/61Hampshire League Division 25/161961/62Hampshire League Division 28/16 1962/63Hampshire League Division 210/161963/64Hampshire League Division 215/16Relegated1964/65Hampshire League Division 31/16Champions, promoted1965/66Hampshire League Division 29/161966/67Hampshire League Division 28/161967/68Hampshire League Division 22/16Runners-up, promoted1968/69Hampshire League Division 111/161969/70Hampshire League Division 116/16Relegated1970/71Hampshire League Division 210/161971/72Hampshire League Division 213/161972/73Hampshire League Division 211/161973/74Hampshire League Division 211/161974/75Hampshire League Division 213/161975/76Hampshire League Division 216/16Not relegated1976/77Hampshire League Division 215/16Relegated1977/78Hampshire League Division 311/16 1978/79Hampshire League Division 312/161979/80Hampshire League Division 312/151980/81Hampshire League Division 317/18Re-elected1981/82Hampshire League Division 316/16Re-elected1982/83Hampshire League Division 312/151983/84Hampshire League Division 314/18 1984/85Hampshire League Division 315/181985/86Hampshire League Division 310/181986/87Hampshire League Division 211/18Re-organisation due to creation of Wessex League 1987/88Hampshire League Division 214/191988/89Hampshire League Division 21/19Champions, promoted1989/90Hampshire League Division 11/18Champions, promoted1990/91Wessex League11/201991/92Wessex League7/19 1992/93Wessex League6/211993/94Wessex League12/221994/95Wessex League12/22 1995/96Wessex League3/211996/97Wessex League4/211997/98Wessex League21/21Withdrew, record expunged
FA Cup