Romsey Town F.C.

Football club infobox
clubname = Romsey Town


fullname = Romsey Town Football Club
nickname = Town
founded = 1886
ground = The Bypass Ground,
South Front, Romsey
capacity =
chairman = Ken Jacobs
manager = Glenn Burnett
league = Wessex League Premier Division
season = 2007-08
position = Wessex League Premier Division, 18th
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leftarm1=FFFFFF|body1=FFFFFF|rightarm1=FFFFFF|shorts1=000000|socks1=000000|pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=
leftarm2=3333FF|body2=3333FF|rightarm2=3333FF|shorts2=3333FF|socks2=3333FF|

Romsey Town F.C. is a football club based in Romsey, Hampshire, England. They were among the founding members of the Wessex League in 1986. They have reached the 3rd round of the FA Vase twice in their history. They are currently members of Wessex League Premier Division.

Club History

Romsey Town have known many ups and downs in their long and distinguished history, which dates back to 1886 when a meeting took place at the Town Hall “to consider the desirability of forming a football club in the town.”

Initially they played at Alma Road and in 1889 began playing in local league football where they had successful spells in a number of competitions before joining the Southampton League as founder members in 1908.

The 1920s were a good time for Romsey Town and after winning the Hampshire Intermediate Cup and the Southampton Senior League they gained entry into the Hampshire League but struggled in the West Division and returned to local football after just one season. In 1930 Romsey moved to Priestlands, which is now Romsey School and returned to the Hampshire League where they were placed in Division 2. Here the club were better prepared as they went on to produce some of their best attacking sides, featuring well in both league and cup competitions.

In 1956 they were relegated and moved to their current home, ‘The Bypass Ground’. Romsey continued in Division 3 but the early 1960s saw a further decline in fortune, eventually resulting in relegation from the league in 1964. These were the days before there was any pyramid system in local football and the club were forced to drop right down to replace their Reserves in Junior Division 1 of the Southampton League and it was not until 1968 that they won promotion back to the Senior section.

By the 1970’s the club started to re-surface out of the doldrums of lower league football and after three successive promotions and a Southampton Senior Cup truimph in 1974, Romsey regained their Hampshire League status in 1975 where they promptly won the Division 4 title at the first attempt. Romsey proceeded to end the decade on a high note, again winning promotion and the Hampshire Intermediate Cup in 1978 followed by arguably their finest hour a year later when they won Division 2 title and sensationally defeated hot favourites Farnborough Town 1-0 in the Hampshire Senior Cup final played at the The Dell, home of Southampton FC.

The 1980’s saw Romsey consolidate in Division 1 before becoming founder members of the Wessex League in 1986. Here they soon became a strong force, and after some encouraging campaigns they clinched the title in 1990 and enjoyed numerous good cup runs, most notably in 1990 when they narrowly lost 1-2 at home to Littlehampton Town in the 4th Qualifying Round.

Sadly a change of personnel saw Romsey fall into decline and after a nightmare season in 1993 they were relegated back to Division 1 of the Hampshire League, from where they were again relegated. Despite these set backs, Romsey bounced back and within two years they had won the Southampton Senior Cup and promotion back to the Wessex League. In hindsight, however this was probably too much too soon they struggled in what by now had become a much harder competition.

In 1998 Romsey were again relegated back to the Hampshire League and a series of managers and large turn-over of players saw them slip into the leagues third division. In 2003 the club hit an all time low when they finished rock bottom but fortunately disaster was avoided as the club were re-elected and since then they have enjoyed a remarkable upturn in fortunes.

In 2004 the Wessex League absorbed the original Hampshire League and due to their facilities Romsey were placed in Division 1 and after some encouraging final placings they won promotion in 2007 back to the top flight, now known as the Premier Division.

If the next 120 years prove as challenging as the last, then the clubs successors are in for an exciting time!

Notable Former Players

Two ex-Southampton players turned out for Romsey Town during the 1980s. Goalkeeper Ian Turner and Peter Rodrigues - both of whom played in the memorable 1976 FA Cup final victory.

Club Honours

Wessex League Champions 1989/90

Hampshire League Division 2 Champions 1978/79, Runners-up 1994/95

Hampshire League Division 3 Runners-up 1946/47, 1977/78 & 2003/04

Hampshire League Division 4 Champions 1975/76

Hampshire Senior Cup Winners 1978/79. Finalists 1948/49

Hampshire Intermediate Cup Winners 1926/26, 1930/31 & 1977/78

Hampshire Junior Cup Winners 1900/01, 1909/10 & 1923/24. Finalists 1898/99 & 1899/1900

Russell Cotes Cup Runners-up 1932/33 & 1988/89

Southampton Senior Cup Winners 1973/74 & 1994/95. Finalists 1927/28, 1928/29, 1929/30 & 2007/08

Southampton Junior Cup Winners 1922/23

Southampton League Premier Division Champions 1980/81 & 1983/84

Southampton League Senior Division 1 Champions 1926/27, 1973/74 & 1976/77. Runners-up 1910/11

Southampton League Senior Division 2 Champions 1972/73, Runners-up 1968/69

Southampton League West Division Champions 1951/52

Southampton League Romsey Division Champions 1927/28

Southampton League Junior Division 3 Runners-up 1924/25

Southampton League Junior Division 4 Champions 1974/75

Salisbury & District League Champions 1898/99

South Hants League Champions 1900/01

Winchester League Champions 1921/22

Eastleigh League Champions 1922/23, 1923/24, 1928/29. Runners-up 1921/22, 1927/28 & 1929/30

Romsey Hospital Cup Winners 1933/34

Useful Links

http://www.fchd.btinternet.co.uk/ROMSEYT.HTM

http://www.wessexleague.co.uk/