CHRISTCHURCH F.C HISTORY

FOUNDED IN 1885, CHRISTCHURCH FC ARE CELEBRATING 137 YEARS IN LOCAL FOOTBALL AND CAN CLAIM TO BE ONE OF THE PIONEERS OF HAMPSHIRE LEAGUE SOCCER, AS THEY WERE FOUNDER MEMBERS OF THE HAMPSHIRE FOOTBALLASSOCIATIONIN1887FOLLOWINGTHEDISSOLUTIONOFTHESOUTHHANTSANDDORSETFAANDTHECONSEQUENTIALFORMATIONOFTHEDORSETFA

CHRISTCHURCH’S FIRST HONOURS ON LOCAL SOCCER FIELDS CAME IN 1893 WHEN THEY WON THE HAMPSHIRE JUNIOR CUP THE TEAM WAS THEN KNOWN LOCALLY AS THE “CAN’T WHACK EMS” AND FURTHER SUCCESSES WERE ACHIEVED IN THE COMPETITION IN 1912 AND 1921 BETWEEN THE WARS, CHRISTCHURCH WERE MEMBERS OF THE BOURNEMOUTH AND HAMPSHIRE COUNTY LEAGUES AND IN 1938 GAINED PROMOTION TO HANTS 1 FOR THE FIRST TIMEBYWINNINGTHEHANTS2CHAMPIONSHIP

LIKE MOST CLUBS OF LONG STANDING, CHRISTCHURCH HAS ENJOYED MIXED FORTUNES DURING THEIR HISTORY, THEY HAVE BEEN RELEGATED TO HANTS 2 & 3 AND THEN CLIMBED BACK TO THE TOP SPHERE AGAIN, WINNING HANTS2AGAININ1948AND1986ANDHANTS3IN1953

IN 1970 CHRISTCHURCH GAINED THE DISTINCTION OF BEING THE 1ST. CLUB TO WIN THE BOURNEMOUTH SENIOR CUP 3 TIMES IN SUCCESSIVE SEASONS, WON THE BOURNEMOUTH PICKFORD CUP IN 1977 AND IN 1987 WON THE HAMPSHIREINTERMEDIATECUP CHRISTCHURCHGAINEDADMISSIONTOTHEWESSEXLEAGUEINTHE1987/88SEASONANDTHEYAREONEOFTHEFEWCLUBSSTILLRETAININGTHEIRAMATEURSTATUS DESPITE COMPETITION FROM NEIGHBOURING CLUBS, THEY STILL SUCCEED IN ATTRACTING A LOYAL BAND OF PLAYERS TO HURN BRIDGE WITH ITS EXCELLENT PLAYING SURFACE, ENVIED BY MANY AND THE SUPERB FLOODLIGHTS THATHAVEBEENUPGRADEDTOALMOST300LUXGIVINGONEOFTHEBRIGHTESTREADINGSINNON-LEAGUEFOOTBALL. CHRISTCHURCH’S LONG ASSOCIATION WITH BARRACK ROAD RECREATION GROUND, IN THE CENTRE OF THE TOWN, ENDED AT THE START OF THE 1984/85 SEASON WHEN THE CLUB ACCEPTED THE OPPORTUNITY PROVIDED BY CHRISTCHURCH BOROUGH COUNCIL TO MOVE ITS HEADQUARTERS TO HURN BRIDGE WITH ITS EXCELLENT CLUBHOUSE FACILITIES. THE SPORTS GROUND WAS FORMALLY OWNED BY BRITISH AEROSPACE AND A SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENT WAS MADE INITIALLY BY THE COUNCIL, FOOTBALL CLUB AND SPORTS CLUB ON VARIOUS GROUND IMPROVEMENTS, INCLUDING THE PROVISION OF FLOODLIGHTS, COVERED ACCOMMODATION FOR SPECTATORS AND 2 EXTENSIONSTOTHECLUBHOUSE

BOURNEMOUTHFAHAVEESTABLISHEDTHEIRHEADQUARTERSATHURNBRIDGEANDIN1994DORSETCOUNTYCRICKETALSOBUILTTHEIRINDOORCRICKETSCHOOLONTHESITE CHRISTCHURCHCRICKETCLUBALSOPLAYATTHE GROUNDINTHEDORSETCOUNTYCRICKETLEAGUEATTHESTARTOFTHE1995/96SEASON,THEFOOTBALLCLUBBUILTANEW200SEATCANTILEVERSTAND IN APRIL 2003, POOLE SPORTS CHARITABLE TRUST OPTED TO USE THE GET OUT CLAUSE IN THE LONG-TERM LEASE THEY HAD AGREED WITH CHRISTCHURCH COUNCIL FOR RUNNING THE HURN BRIDGE SITE. THIS LED TO THE LONGTERMLEASEFORTHEENTIRECOMPLEXBEINGOFFEREDANDEVENTUALLYASSIGNEDTOCHRISTCHURCHFOOTBALLCLUBLTDATOTALLYSEPARATEOPERATIONFROMTHEPLAYINGSIDE CHRISTCHURCH FOOTBALL CLUB IS NOW SEEING THE BENEFITS OF A STRONG YOUTH POLICY WITH MANY OF THE YOUTH PLAYERS NOW HOLDING REGULAR POSITIONS IN THE FIRST TEAM. THE CLUB IS VERY PRO-ACTIVE IN YOUTH DEVELOPMENTANDHAS7TEAMSPLAYINGINLEAGUESFROMTHEAGEOF8UPTO15YEARSOLD,AVERYSUCCESSFULUNDER18’SSETUPPLUSATHRIVINGLADIESTEAMINTHECOUNTYLEAGUE CHRISTCHURCHFOOTBALLCLUB NOWHAS11TEAMSUNDERITSUMBRELLAOPERATINGATALLLEVELSUPTOTHESYDENHAMSFOOTBALLLEAGUE

THIS SEASON WE WILL HAVE 2 TEAMS IN THE HAMPSHIRE YOUTH LEAGUE SEASON 2011/12 WAS ONE OF THE BEST EVER AT THE CLUB AT SENIOR LEVEL WITH THE 1ST TEAM FINISHING IN THEIR HIGHEST SWL POSITION, AN EXCELLENT 3RD PLACE WITH THEIR HIGHEST EVER POINTS TOTAL OF 85 POINTS, REACHING THE FINAL OF THE RUSSELL COTES CUP TO BE BEATEN NARROWLY BY BEMERTON HEATH HARLEQUINS, WINNING THE SYDENHAMS LEAGUECUPBEATINGLOCALRIVALSBROCKENHURST,WINNING‘CLUBOFTHEMONTH’FOURTIMESINEIGHTMONTHSOVERTHECOURSEOFTHESEASONANDTOPPINGTHESYDENHAMSFAIRPLAYLEAGUEINTHESEASON. THEINAUGURALSEASONOFTHEWYVERNCOMBINATIONLEAGUESAWCHRISTCHURCHFINISHINGINSIXTHPLACEASOLIDPERFORMANCE

SEASON 2012/13 PROBABLY ECLIPSED THE PREVIOUS SEASONS SYDENHAMS FOOTBALL LEAGUE – WESSEX PERFORMANCE TO AGAIN FINISH A VERY CREDITABLE 3RD IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE WITH ONLY 2 TEAMS WINNING MOREGAMES,ONLY1TEAMLOSTFEWERGAMESAND“THECHURCH”WERETHE2NDHIGHESTGOALSCORERSAMASSINGAMASSIVE106GOALSSCORED,ONONLY3LEAGUEOUTINGSOUTOF40DIDTHETEAMFAILTOSCORE

SEASON 2013/14 SAW A CHANGE OF MANAGEMENT TEAM WITH MICHAEL CUFFIE AND BOB SULLIVAN TAKING THE REINS AFTER MANAGER GRAHAM KEMP LEFT FOR PASTURES NEW HAVING HAD 6 VERY GOOD YEARS AT THE CLUB.THISSEASONWASONEOFCONSOLIDATIONINTHESYDENHAMSFOOTBALLLEAGUEPREMIERDIVISION,WITHTHERESERVESPLAYINGINTHEWESTREGIONALDIVISIONOFTHEWYVERNLEAGUE.

YETAGAINTHEUNDER18’SHADAVERYSUCCESSFULSEASONWITHASPECIALMENTIONFORTHEEXCELLENTFAYOUTHCUPRUNTHATONLYCAMETOANENDATDARTFORDFCANACADEMYCLUB SEASON 2014/15 SAW A NEW MANAGEMENT TEAM WITH THE VERY EXPERIENCED ADIE ARNOLD AND DANNY SAXBY LEADING THE 1ST TEAM UNFORTUNATELY, AT THE END OF A TURBULENT SEASON THE FIRST TEAM WERE RELEGATEDTODIVISION1 ATTHEBEGINNINGOFSEASONFIONALEGGTOOKOVERATTHECHAIRANDAFTERAPOORSTARTONTHEPITCHOLLIECHERRETTANDCHRISHARTREPLACEDTHEPREVIOUSMANAGEMENTTEAM ALTHOUGH AN IMMEDIATE RETURN TO THE PREMIER DIVISION DID NOT OCCUR, THE SET UP AT THE FOOTBALL CLUB PROGRESSED IMMENSELY THE NEW CHANGING ROOMS OPENED, A DEVELOPMENT TEAM PLAYED IN THE WYVERN LEAGUE, THE U18 SIDE WERE CURRENTLY CHAMPIONS OF THE HAMPSHIRE COUNTY YOUTH LEAGUE AND OPTIMISM WAS ABOUND REGARDING PROMOTION FOR THE FIRST TEAM. THE CHAIRLADY’S 5-YEAR PLAN TO PROGRESSTHECLUBBOTHONANDOFFTHEPITCHWASONTARGET,EXCITINGTIMESATCHRISTCHURCHFOOTBALLCLUB SEASONWAS SUCCESSFUL, WITH THE FIRST TEAM WINNING THE SYDENHAM FOOTBALL LEAGUE (WESSEX) FIRST DIVISION, AND THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM WINNING WYVERN LEAGUE WEST DIVISION. THIS SAW THE FIRST TEAM RETURNINGTOPREMIERDIVISIONFORSEASON SUCCESS CONTINUED ON AND OFF THE FOOTBALL PITCH WITH MAJID AZZEDDIN RETURNING AS CHAIRMAN AND WITH A 4TH PLACE IN 2019/20 AND 6TH PLACE IN THE COVID-19 CURTAILED SEASONS OF 2019/20 & 20/21, WITH GAMES IN HAND WHICH COULD HAVE SEEN US WIN THE LEAGUE ON BOTH OCCASIONS, ALSO THE LATTER SEASON SAW US HAVE A GOOD FA CUP RUN REACHING THE 3RD QUALIFYING ROUND BEATING NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE LEADERS GLOUCESTER CITY ENROUTE BEFORE LOSING TO DULWICH HAMLET OF THE SOUTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE ON PENALTIES IN FRONT OF THE BBC CAMERAS WHICH WASBROADCASTLIVETOTHENATION THEMANAGEMENTTEAMMOVEDONWHENTHECLUBDECLINEDTHECHANCETOGOTOSOUTHERNLEAGUE THE 21/22 SEASON SAW MANY CHANGES ON AND OFF THE PITCH, BEN HATCH & BARNEY GRITT WERE REPLACED BY CARETAKER GRAHAM KEMP BEFORE CALLUM BROOKS AND JAY KEATING STEPPED IN AND KEPT CHRISTCHURCH FC IN THE PREMIER DIVISION AT THE START OF 22/23 SEASON WE WELCOMED FAWZI SAADI AS MANAGER AND DIOGO ALMEIDA AS HIS ASSISTANT, BUT UNFORTUNATELY IN JULY 2023 FAWZI AND DIOGO DECIDEDTOLEAVETHECLUBTOPURSUEOPPORTUNITIESELSEWHERE NOWINTHE23/24SEASONWESEETHEWELCOMEDRETURNOFOLICHERRITTANDHISMANAGEMENTTEAMTOJOINCHRISTCHURCHFCONOURNEWJOURNEYTO‘SECURINGTHEFUTURE’ MAKESUREYOUFOLLOWUSONOURSOCIALS,ASWEENTERANEWANDEXCITINGERAFORTHECLUB