Sandown & Lake F.C. are an amateur football club based in Sandown, Isle of Wight.
The club are affiliated to the Hampshire Football Association and consist of two adult teams playing in the Isle of Wight League and nine youth teams at various age groups.
History
Originally founded in 1880 as Sandown Bay, the club initially played friendly matches until becoming founder members of the Isle of Wight League.https://www.iowdfa.org.uk/history.html
In 1898 they joined the Southern League where they finished 4th in the short lived Division 2 South & West Section.Non-League Final Tables 1889-2002 (Soccer Books Ltd) At the same time, they also played in the Hampshire League but dropped out in 1900 after finishing bottom.Hampshire Football Association Centenary History 1887-1987 by Norman Gannaway
They returned to the county league in 1903 as Sandown & Lake United, but after finishing bottom of the South Division five years running they left again before the Great War.
The twenties saw an upturn in fortunes. Now known as Sandown, they twice won Isle of Wight Gold Cup and the Hampshire Intermediate Cup once. This saw a return to the Hampshire League, where they consolidated before once again returning to Island football in 1930. The Gold Cup was won again before the outbreak of World War II.
After moving to Fairway Park, the post-war era saw renewed interest as Sandown began entering national cup competitions The F.A. Cup Club by Club Record Since 1945 by Tony Williams and returned to the Hampshire League. This this time their fortunes were much improved - regularly playing to large crowds, they twice won the Division 3 East title and after challenging for promotion they won the Division 2 title in 1957. They spent two short stays in the top flight, which at time was extremely tough, consisting of the top non-league clubs in the area.A History of the Hampshire League 1896-1996 by Norman Gannaway
In 1959, Sandown won the Gold Cup for the fourth time after a pulsating 7-4 final victory against East Cowes Vics.
After a sustained spell of consolidation in Division 2, the seventies saw their fortunes gradually decline. Two relegation's saw them drop to Division 4 and due to the high cost of travelling, they left the competition in 1979.A Tabulated History of the Hampshire League by Stephen Farmery
Sandown have since become mainstays of the Isle of Wight League, with the first team frequently alternating between the top two divisions.
In April 2021 they merged with the local youth club, Sandown & Lake (founded in 1973) - becoming their adults section and amending their name accordingly.https://sandownlakefc.co.uk/about-us/. Promotion back to Division 1 was achieved in 2026.
Honours Hampshire League Division 2 Champions 1956/57, Runners-up 1958/59 Division 3 East Champions 1950/51 and 1954/55 East Division Runners-up 1925/26 Hampshire Football Association Hampshire FA Handbook & Directory 2005/06 Intermediate Cup Winners 1923/24 Junior Cup Finalists 1909/10 Isle of Wight League Division 1 Champions Division 2 Champions 2016/17, Runners -up 2025/26 Combination Division 2 Champions 2011/12, Runners-up 2014/15 and 2016/17 (Reserves) Isle of Wight Football Association Gold Cup Winners 1922/23, 1923/24, 1937/38 and 1958/59 https://www.iowdfa.org.uk/cup_winners_gold.html Challenge Cup Winners 1926/27, 1928/29, 1929/30, 1936/37, 1937/38, 1938/39, 1945/46 and 1946/47. Finalists 1898/99 https://www.iowdfa.org.uk/cup_winners_challenge.html Memorial Cup Winners 1926/27, 1928/29, 1929/30, 1934/35, 1936/37, 1937/38, 1938/39, 1945/46 and 1946/47 https://www.iowdfa.org.uk/cup_winners_memorial.html Junior 'A' Cup Winners 1987/88 and 2010/11 https://www.iowdfa.org.uk/cup_winners_junior_a.html
Playing records
League SeasonDivisionPositionSignificant events1898/99Southern League Division 2 South & West Section4/6Left competition Hampshire League5/81899/1900Hampshire League8/8Left competition1900-03Isle of Wight League 1903/04Hampshire League South Division6/91904/05Hampshire League South Division8/91905/06Hampshire League South Division8/81906/07Hampshire League South Division8/81907/08Hampshire League South Division9/91908/09Hampshire League South Division8/81909/10Hampshire League South Division10/10Left competition1910-23Isle of Wight League 1923/24Hampshire League East Division3/8 1924/25Hampshire League East Division3/91925/26Hampshire League East Division2/51926/27Hampshire League East Division3/81927/28Hampshire League South Division 12/13 1928/29Hampshire League Division 24/14Promoted1929/30Hampshire League Division 19/14Left competition1930-49Isle of Wight League 1949/50Hampshire League Division 3 East10/141950/51Hampshire League Division 3 East1/14Promoted1951/52Hampshire League Division 23/141952/53Hampshire League Division 25/141953/54Hampshire League Division 213/14Relegated1954/55Hampshire League Division 3 East1/14Promoted1955/56Hampshire League Division 23/161956/57Hampshire League Division 21/16Promoted1957/58Hampshire League Division 116/16Relegated1958/59Hampshire League Division 22/14Promoted1959/60Hampshire League Division 113/14Relegated1960/61Hampshire League Division 28/161961/62Hampshire League Division 26/16 1962/63Hampshire League Division 213/161963/64Hampshire League Division 214/16 1964/65Hampshire League Division 27/161965/66Hampshire League Division 25/161966/67Hampshire League Division 24/161967/68Hampshire League Division 23/161968/69Hampshire League Division 27/161969/70Hampshire League Division 216/16Relegated1970/71Hampshire League Division 3 East10/141971/72Hampshire League Division 316/16Relegated1972/73Hampshire League Division 412/161973/74Hampshire League Division 415/161974/75Hampshire League Division 410/161975/76Hampshire League Division 47/161976/77Hampshire League Division 48/141977/78Hampshire League Division 48/16 1978/79Hampshire League Division 413/13Left competition1979- Isle of Wight League
FA Cup SeasonRoundOpponentsResult1926/27Preliminary RoundH v Gosport AlbionW 7–4 1st Qualifying RoundH v Portland UnitedL 1-41927/28Preliminary RoundH v Royal Marines PortsmouthL 0–141938/39Extra-Preliminary RoundH v Portsmouth ElectricityL 0–21945/461st Qualifying RoundA v East Cowes VictoriaL 1–91946/47Preliminary RoundH v NewportD 3–3 ReplayA v NewportL 2-31947/48Preliminary RoundH v Ryde SportsD 2-2 ReplayA v Ryde SportsL 1-41948/49Extra-Preliminary RoundA v East Cowes VictoriaL 1-61949/50Extra-Preliminary RoundA v Thornycroft AthleticL 0-5
FA Amateur Cup SeasonRoundOpponentsResult1926/271st Qualifying RoundH v HMS ExcellentL 1–31946/47Preliminary RoundH v Bitterne NomadsL 2-41947/48Preliminary RoundH v Fareham TownL 0-4
Ground Sandown mens team now play at Sandown Bay Academy, The Fairway, Sandown, PO36 9JH.https://www.footballgroundmap.com/ground/fairway-sports-centre/sandown
Their traditional home at Fairway Park remains in use and is now used by the youth section, although minus the original pavilion and large wooden stand.Page 60. Before The Cemetery End by Vince Taylor (Groundtastic Productions ISBN 0 9529435 5 7))
The record attendance was in 1976 when 750 turned up to watch a friendly match against Portsmouth.
Local rivals Sandown had a long running rivalry with Shanklin, Ventnor and most notably Ryde Sports and Brading Town - both with whom Hampshire League meetings always generated much interest and attracted large crowds.Keep It on the Island - A History of Football on the Isle of Wight 1898-1998 by Mick Bull
References
External links You Tube Documentary Sandown Bay at the Football Club History Database Sandown at the Football Club History Database Hampshire League Final Tables Hampshire Soccer Archive Isle of Wight Football Association