THE HISTORY OF
EASTLEIGH FC
Eastleigh FC in
its present form
came into being
as recently as
1980, but the
roots of the
Club go back to
May 1946 when
Swaythling
Athletic
Football Club
was formed by
Derik Brooks.
Derik has been
involved ever
since and is
currently the
Club’s Honorary
General
Secretary.
During its early
days the club
played on
Southampton
Common, and then
at ‘Westfield’
in Swaythling as
it competed in
Divisions One
and Two of the
Southampton
Junior League,
finishing the
1948 season as
Div 2 champions.
Swaythling
continued to
make progress
and after two
seasons in the
Southampton
Senior League
(West) they
gained promotion
to the Hampshire
League in 1950.
The following
season they were
crowned
champions of
Division Three
(West) and won
the Hampshire
Intermediate
cup.
Within ten years
of its
formation, the
club was playing
in the Hampshire
League Division
One. It’s most
significant
development came
about in 1957
when, after much
hard work from
the members, the
club moved to
its present home
at Ten Acres.
Over the years
Ten Acres has
been developed
into one of the
best grounds in
Hampshire. A
grandstand was
erected in 1971
and a full
floodlight
system was
unveiled in
1975. Its high
standards were
recognised by
the fact that
the ground was
often used to
host
representative
games and Cup
Finals.
Following the
name change to
Eastleigh, the
club became
founder members
of the Wessex
League in 1986.
In 2003 the club
finished as
runaway winners
of the Wessex
League, gaining
promotion to the
Dr Martens
Southern
Football League
Eastern Division
and the reserve
side won the
Wessex
Combination.
In it’s
inaugural season
in the Southern
League the club
finished a very
creditable
fourth earning a
place, under the
re-structuring,
in the Ryman
Isthmian Premier
League. A new
stand that
incorporated
dressing rooms
and a directors
lounge was built
and opened by
Rupert Lowe, the
chairman of
Southampton
Football Club,
prior to the
start of 2004-5
which proved to
be another very
successful
season for
Eastleigh. A run
of fourteen
unbeaten matches
at the end of
the season
gained us 3rd
place in the
league and a
place in the
play-off’s,
where 2-0 and
2-1 wins meant
that the club
were promoted to
the Nationwide
Conference
South.
Eastleigh's
first season at
this level saw
them finish just
outside the
play-off's and
following their
conversion to a
limited company
they went into
the 2006-7
season with high
hopes as the new
company began
investing in
both the team
and the ground
improvements
necessary for
promotion.
However a
disastrous run
of results found
them floundering
at the wrong end
of the table.
Paul Doswell,
who had been
instrumental in
leading the club
from the Wessex
to the
Conference
South, decided
to step down as
Team Manager and
the club moved
swiftly to
appoint ex-Saint
Jason Dodd,
whose Eastleigh
playing career
had been ended
by injury, Head
Coach. The move
was very
successful as
Eastleigh slowly
but surely
dragged
themselves up
the table to
safety.
During the close
season
Southampton
Football Club
were looking for
a new coach and
it was no
surprise
when they came
in for Jason
Dodd. Another
ex-Saint David
Hughes, with
over 200
appearances as a
player for
Eastleigh,
stepped up from
Player/Assistant
Manager to
become
Player/Manager
with Phil
Handford
appointed Head
Coach. This did
not work out
however. Phil
Handford
resigned, David
Hughes returned
to his
Player/Assistant
Manager role and
ex-Southampton &
Leeds United
centre forward
Ian Baird was
appointed
Manager. The
ground
improvements
continue, and
the club has now
received
planning
permission to
erect new
floodlights.
NICKNAME
The Supermarine
Type F37/34
Spitfire first
flew on the 5th
March 1936 under
the watchful eye
of the designer,
Reginald
Mitchell, from
the nearby
Eastleigh (now
Southampton
International)
Airport.
Therefore,
following a
competition run
by the club,
"The Spitfires"
was chosen as
the most
appropriate
nickname.
Interesting
websites links:
Eastleigh FC
(now):
http://www.fchd.btinternet.co.uk/EASTLEIG.HTM
Eastleigh
Reserves (back
in 83-86):
http://www.fchd.btinternet.co.uk/EASTLEI2.HTM
Eastleigh
(1897-1889):
http://www.fchd.btinternet.co.uk/EASTLE-1.HTM
Swaythling
Athetic
(1946-1980):
http://www.fchd.btinternet.co.uk/SWAYTHLI.HTM
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