Page 14 - Raynes Park Vale vs Fleet Town
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          FLEET TOWN







      Fleet Town FC was formed
      in 1890, making it the oldest
      sports club in the town. The                                                        winning promotion under Player/       semi-final they lost 2-1 to Tooting
      centenary was celebrated in                                                         manager, Steve Beeks.                 & Mitcham, with the London side
      1990 with a special Scroll pre-                                                        Played at AFC Bournemouth          scoring twice in added-on time. The
      sented by the Football Associ-                                                      Playing in the Ryman League the       team also reached the final of the
      ation to the club, together with                                                    2005/06 season began with a new       Hampshire County Cup, losing 2-1
      a commemorative plaque from                                                         management team of ex-England         to Aldershot, the game played at
      the Hampshire FA.                                                                   International Andy Sinton assisted    AFC Bournemouth.
        Clem Attlee played for the club                                                   by Steve Mellor. In their second           Havant & Waterlooville
      In its early years Fleet FC played    Town Council, with the proviso that           season together this new team saw     For season 2007-08 the Club were
      at the bottom of the Views where      it would continue to be for the use           their side top the table at Christ-   moved by the FA to the BGB South-
      Campbells Close is today. Later       of the Town’s football club.                  mas before they finally finished in   ern League, South & West Division,
      they moved to Watsons Meadow in           Floodlights were installed                5th place. In a pulsating play-off    and again had a record breaking
      Fleet Road, roughly opposite where    In 1953 floodlights were installed            semi-final they lost 2-1 to Tooting   season. Right up until the last few
      Travis & Perkins now stands, at the   for the first time. The club entered          & Mitcham, with the London side       games they were in with a chance of
      station end of Fleet Road. It was     the Hampshire League in 1961.                 scoring twice in added-on time. The   automatic promotion but eventu-
      during this time that a young, future   From then on Fleet Town FC grad-            team also reached the final of the    ally had to accept 2nd spot behind
      Prime Minister, Clement Attlee        ually moved through the Divisions,            Hampshire County Cup, losing 2-1      Farnborough. This however was
      played for the club, his aunt living   eventually moving into the Wessex            to Aldershot, the game played at      their highest ever non-league finish
      in a house that backed onto this      League for the 1989/90 season.                AFC Bournemouth.                      and again played in front of record
      original ground.                             Winning promotion                          Ex-England International          crowds. It was heartbreak in the
            Moved to its new home           After six years of steady progress,           Playing in the Ryman League the       play-offs though as the team again
      In 1923 Lord Calthorpe of Elvetham    the club gained promotion to the              2005/06 season began with a new       lost in the semi-final, this time to an
      Hall made available the site of the   Southern League as Wessex League              management team of ex-England         injury time penalty that gave Ux-
      present ground in Crookham Road,      Champions. In 1999/00, its fifth              International Andy Sinton assisted    bridge a 2-1 victory. Fleet also went
      and the club moved to its new         season in the Dr Martens Southern             by Steve Mellor. In their second      their furthest in the FA Cup before
      home playing their first match on     League the club finished bottom               season together this new team saw     losing 2-1 at Havant & Waterlooville
      3rd March 1923. The ground was        and returned to the Wessex League.            their side top the table at Christ-   in the 3rd Qualifying Round.
      subsequently bequeathed to the        Within a few seasons the club                 mas before they finally finished in
      District Council and later the Fleet   returned to the Southern League,             5th place. In a pulsating play-off                          Continued...
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