A.F.C. Netley are a long-running amateur football club based in Netley, Southampton, Hampshire.
They are affiliated with the Hampshire Football Association and are currently members of the Hampshire Premier League Senior Division (Level 11, Step 7 on the English football pyramid system), whilst the reserves play in the Hampshire Combination & Development League.
Formerly known as Netley Central Sports, they were long-standing members of the original Hampshire League Division 1, which prior to the creation of the Wessex League was equivalent to the modern-day Step 6.
History
The club were established in 1901 as Netley Sports and originally played friendly matches before becoming founder members of the Southampton League in 1908.Association Football in Hampshire until 1914 by Norman Gannaway
Netley enjoyed great success during the fifties, most notably winning the Southampton Senior Cup three years running,A Century of Southampton Local Soccer 1908-2008 by John Moody along with the Hampshire Intermediate Cup twice.Hampshire Football Association Centenary History 1887-1987 by Norman Gannaway
In 1957, Netley began their long association with the Hampshire League and back-to-back title wins saw them quickly reach Division 1.A History of the Hampshire League 1896-1996 by Norman Gannaway At the time, this level was of a very high standard, and in 1965 they finished in 4th place for what was their highest position.A Tabulated History of the Hampshire League by Stephen Farmery Netley were also regular entrants in the national FA Amateur Cup and the Hampshire Senior Cup, enjoying several good runs in both competitions. The F.A. Amateur Cup Results Book - Complete Statistics 1893 to 1974 Their playing strength was further illustrated when the reserves were also elected to the county league.
The club became known as Netley Central Sports in 1970 - showing the link with the local Sports & Social Club. Apart from a couple of brief spells, they remained top-flight regulars for many years until the late nineties, when a decline in fortunes resulted in successive relegation's down to the basement division.
In 2004, the original Hampshire League was absorbed into the expanding Wessex League, 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, 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, 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.
In 2020, the club was re-branded as AFC Netley and in 2026 they won the Division 1 title.
Honours
1st Team
Hampshire Football Association Hampshire Football Association Yearbook 2015/16 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 and 2025/26 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 Southampton Senior Cup – The Finals 1909-2022 by Gary Day Southampton League Southampton Football League Handbook & Directory 2018/19 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-Centennial Trophy Winners 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1993
2nd Team Hampshire League Division 3 Champions 1966/67 Southampton Football Association Southampton Divisional Football Association Handbook 2017/18 Senior Cup Finalists 1970/71 Junior 'A' Cup Finalists 1954/55 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 Senior League Cup Winners 2010/11
Playing Records
League SeasonDivisionPositionSignificant events1908-57Southampton League - 1957/58Hampshire League Division 31/16Promoted1958/59Hampshire League Division 21/16Promoted1959/60Hampshire League Division 111/141960/61Hampshire League Division 114/161961/62Hampshire League Division 112/161962/63Hampshire League Division 110/161963/64Hampshire League Division 17/161964/65Hampshire League Division 14/16Highest ever placing1965/66Hampshire League Division 16/161966/67Hampshire League Division 18/161967/68Hampshire League Division 19/161968/69Hampshire League Division 17/161969/70Hampshire League Division 115/16Relegated1970/71Hampshire League Division 211/161971/72Hampshire League Division 28/161972/73Hampshire League Division 21/16Champions1973/74Hampshire League Division 112/161974/75Hampshire League Division 19/161975/76Hampshire League Division 18/161976/77Hampshire League Division 110/161977/78Hampshire League Division 19/161978/79Hampshire League Division 111/161979/80Hampshire League Division 16/161980/81Hampshire League Division 118/201981/82Hampshire League Division 115/201982/83Hampshire League Division 118/201983/84Hampshire League Division 111/201984/85Hampshire League Division 118/201985/86Hampshire League Division 118/201986/87Hampshire League Division 15/18Wessex League formed1987/88Hampshire League Division 19/181988/89Hampshire League Division 110/171989/90Hampshire League Division 13/181990/91Hampshire League Division 117/18Relegated1991/92Hampshire League Division 212/15 1992/93Hampshire League Division 25/18Promoted1993/94Hampshire League Division 118/201994/95Hampshire League Division 113/201995/96Hampshire League Division 12/201996/97Hampshire League Division 17/211997/98Hampshire League Division 120/20Relegated1998/99Hampshire League Division 218/18Relegated 1999/00Hampshire League Division 211/14Re-organisation2000/01Hampshire League Division 210/162001/02Hampshire League Division 25/182002/03Hampshire League Division 25/132003/04Hampshire League Division 24/15Competition absorbed by Wessex League 2004/05Wessex League Division 312/22 2005/06Wessex League Division 35/17Left competition2006/07Hampshire League 2004 2/162007/08Hampshire League 20042/15 2008/09Hampshire League 20041/152009/10Hampshire League 20041/142010/11Hampshire League 20048/17Left competition2011-14Southampton League 2014/15Hampshire Premier League Division 12/11 2015/16Hampshire Premier League Division 16/112016/17Hampshire Premier League Division 14/9 2017/18Hampshire Premier League Division 11/8Champions but not promoted2018/19Hampshire Premier League Division 13/82019/20Hampshire Premier League Division 1 abandoned due to Covid-192020/21Hampshire Premier League Division 1 abandoned due to Covid-192021/22Hampshire Premier League South Div10/10Re-elected2022/23Hampshire Premier League Division 16/13 2023/24Hampshire Premier League Division 16/132024/25Hampshire Premier League Division 17/14 2025/26Hampshire Premier League Division 11/14Promoted2026/27Hampshire Premier League Senior Div -
FA Amateur Cup SeasonRoundOpponentsResult1959/60Preliminary RoundA v Fareham TownD 2–2 ReplayH v Fareham TownL 0–11960/61Preliminary RoundA v Ryde SportsW 1–0 1st Qualifying RoundA v Gosport BoroughW 2–0 2nd Qualifying RoundA v HamworthyW 3–2 3rd Qualifying RoundA v Fareham TownL 0–21961/62Preliminary RoundA v Gosport BoroughL 0–21962/63Preliminary RoundA v WaterloovilleL 2–31963/64Preliminary RoundA v Ryde SportsL 0–11964/651st Qualifying RoundA v Winchester CityL 4–51965/66Preliminary RoundA v Ryde SportsW 5–1 1st Qualifying RoundA v Sholing SportsW 2–1 2nd Qualifying RoundA v BrockenhurstL 3–41966/67Preliminary RoundH v Swaythling AthleticW - 1st Qualifying RoundA v HamworthyW 3–2 2nd Qualifying RoundA v Gosport BoroughL 0–2
Ground At the start of the 2025–26 season the club agreed a groundshare with Romsey Town to use the By-pass Ground for all their first team home fixtures. Despite the sixteen mile distance, the better facilities would enable the club to progress.
Traditionally, AFC Netley played their home games at Station Road Recreation Ground, Netley Abbey, Southampton, SO31 5HY. They still use the venue for reserve team fixtures, it has one enclosed pitch with an adjacent pavilion and plenty of car parking.
Notable players
A number of former Southampton players have also turned out for Netley; these include Manny Andruszewski,stats tab https://www.saintsplayers.co.uk/player/manny-andruszewski/ Mick Earls,stats tab https://www.saintsplayers.co.uk/player/mick-earls/ Tommy Hare,stats tab https://www.saintsplayers.co.uk/player/tommy-hare/ John Hollowbread,stats tab https://www.saintsplayers.co.uk/player/john-hollowbread/ and Bill Beaney,stats tab https://www.saintsplayers.co.uk/player/bill-beaney/ who was also manager for a spell. For the 1989–90 campaign they were coached by David Armstrong.stats tab https://www.saintsplayers.co.uk/player/dave-armstrong/
More recently, the locally born Danny Ings, who briefly played for Netley before joining Southampton. He later transitioned to professional football. His father, Shayne, also played for the club, initially as a winger before switching to full-back.
Former player Bob Crompton gave over 60 years service to the club and went on to hold positions with both the Southampton Football Association and the Hampshire League 2004.
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,Sholing Sports Football Club History by Neil Cotton Bitterne Nomads,Bitterne Football A Gimpse at the Past by Ken Prior Netley Athletic and Mullard Sports are all now defunct.
References
External links
Hampshire Premier League official website Netley Central Sports at the Football Club History Database 1 AFC Netley at the Football Club History Database 2 Netley Central Sports Reserves at the Football Club History Database 3
Hampshire League Final Tables Wessex League Final Tables Hampshire Soccer Archive Netley Abbey Village website