Winchester Castle F.C. were a long running English amateur football team based in Winchester. They played in the Hampshire League for over 50 years before their untimely demise.
History The club were first formed in 1952 as Castle and were the 'sports arm' of Hampshire County Council. They originally played in the Winchester & District League before becoming founder members of the North Hants League in 1968, which they won in 1971.Hampshire Football Association Centenary History 1887-1987 by Norman Gannaway
Upon entry to Division Four of the Hampshire League for the start of the 1971/72 campaign,A Tabulated History of the Hampshire League by Stephen Farmery the club became known as Winchester Castle and won promotion in their first season after finishing third.
They remained Division Three for a number of years, during which time they won the Hampshire Intermediate Cup in 1977 after defeating Southampton University in the final.A History of the Hampshire League 1896-1996 by Norman Gannaway During the 1983/84 campaign, they were promoted as "champions".
The club then consolidated in Division Two before being placed in a restructured Division One in 1986, after many of the top teams left to join the newly formed Wessex League. However, after two seasons they finished bottom and were relegated. Further relegation followed at the end of the 1991/92 season when the club finished second from bottom of Division Two. The club returned in 1997 after finishing runners-up in Division Three.
In March 2001, it was announced that Winchester Castle would merge with their local rivals Winchester City. The amalgamated club decided that it would use City's Abbots Barton for the first team, and keep Chilcomb for the reserve and ladies team. At the end of the 2000/01 season Castle finished as runners-up behind City. The clubs then formally merged in June of that year.
Winchester Castle was reformed in 2006, when the 'A' and 'B' teams decided to leave their parent club, to keep playing together as the Hampshire League 2004 did not want reserve teams to feature amongst its members any more. The following season the club became one of the founder members of the Hampshire Premier League. They generally remained a steady mid-table side, but in the summer of 2023 a long career of county league football sadly came to an end when they disbanded after a loss of personnel.https://www.hpfl.co.uk/winchester-castle
Honours
1st Team Hampshire League Division 1 Runners-up 2000/01 Division 3 Champions 1983/84 and Runners-up 1996/97 North Hants League Champions 1970/71 and 2002/03 (as Winchester City 'A') Winchester & District League Northbrook Cup Winners 1966/67 Hampshire Football Association Hampshire Football Association Yearbook 2005/06 Intermediate Cup Winners 1976/77 and Finalists 1981/82 Andover Open Cup Winners 1998/99, 1999/00 and 2000/01
2nd Team Hampshire Premier League https://www.hpfl.co.uk/league-cup-winners Combination Champions 2009/10 Combination Cup Winners 2016/17
3rd Team Winchester & District League Division 2 Champions 1980/81
League career 1971–2023 SeasonDivisionPositionSignificant events1971/72Hampshire League Division 43/16Promoted1972/73Hampshire League Division 34/161973/74Hampshire League Division 312/161974/75Hampshire League Division 38/161975/76Hampshire League Division 310/161976/77Hampshire League Division 314/16Hampshire Intermediate Cup Winners1977/78Hampshire League Division 38/16 1978/79Hampshire League Division 314/161979/80Hampshire League Division 39/151980/81Hampshire League Division 33/181981/82Hampshire League Division 34/161982/83Hampshire League Division 33/151983/84Hampshire League Division 31/18Promoted 1984/85Hampshire League Division 29/181985/86Hampshire League Division 211/18Re-organisation due to formation of Wessex League 1986/87Hampshire League Division 116/181987/88Hampshire League Division 118/18Relegated1988/89Hampshire League Division 214/191989/90Hampshire League Division 213/181990/91Hampshire League Division 28/181991/92Hampshire League Division 214/15Relegated 1992/93Hampshire League Division 310/16 1993/94Hampshire League Division 315/161994/95Hampshire League Division 37/18 1995/96Hampshire League Division 39/181996/97Hampshire League Division 32/20Promoted1997/98Hampshire League Division 211/181998/99Hampshire League Division 23/18Re-organisation 1999/00Hampshire League Division 17/182000/01Hampshire League Division 12/16Merged with Winchester City 2001-04North Hants League Playing as Winchester City 'A'2004/05Hampshire League 200414/162005/06Hampshire League 200411/172006/07Hampshire League 20044/16Playing as Winchester Castle. Left competition2007/08Hampshire Premier League13/172008/09Hampshire Premier League13/18 2009/10Hampshire Premier League14/182010/11Hampshire Premier League5/182011/12Hampshire Premier League12/18 2012/13Hampshire Premier League7/182013/14Hampshire Premier League Senior Division4/18Competition absorbed Hampshire League 20042014/15Hampshire Premier League Senior Division8/18 2015/16Hampshire Premier League Senior Division7/182016/17Hampshire Premier League Senior Division10/162017/18Hampshire Premier League Senior Division15/16 2018/19Hampshire Premier League Senior Division7/162019/20Hampshire Premier League Senior Division Season abandoned due to COVID-19 pandemic2020/21Hampshire Premier League Senior Division Season abandoned due to COVID-19 pandemic2021/22Hampshire Premier League Senior Division11/16 2022/23Hampshire Premier League Senior Division12/17Left competition
Ground
Winchester Castle played their home games at the Hampshire County Council Sports Ground, A31 Petersfield Road, Chilcomb, Winchester, Hampshire, SO21 1HU. .
The venue is accessed off the A31, by a signposted track. Upon entry, there is a car-park with the pavilion/changing rooms adjacent. There are two well-maintained adult football pitches with the far one being used for 1st Team fixtures. The pitch is surrounded by a fixed barrier and also has home/away dugouts and a small covered enclosure. There is also a large grass bank parallel with the length of the far side and as provides an excellent view of both the pitch and the surrounding countryside.
The ground remains in use today for grassroots football.
Notable players
In the late Seventies, Winchester Castle were managed by the former Southampton and Walsall goalkeeper John Christie.https://www.saintsplayers.co.uk/player/john-christie/Page 270. Saints - A Complete Record of Southampton Football Club 1885-1987 by Gary Chalk & Duncan Holley (Breedon Books ISBN 0-9-07969-22-4)
Local rivalries Winchester Castle maintained rivalry with a number of clubs in the area, most notably Winchester City and Alresford Town.
References
External links Winchester Castle at the Football Club History Database 1 Winchester City 'A' at the Football Club History Database 2 Winchester Castle Football Club History Database 3 Hampshire League Final Tables Hampshire Soccer Archive