CLUB HISTORY

Gosport Borough Athletic Club as the club were originally known, were formed just two weeks after D-Day in the summer of 1944.

Despite winning the Hampshire League at their first attempt in 1945/46, dropping “Athletic” in the 1960s, and over the decades being a major force in county football, silverware was rare at Privett Park and the title was not realised again until back-to-back titles in 1976/77 and 1977/78.

The two Hampshire League titles led to a successful application to join Southern League for 1978/79 and a period of 14 seasons in the (then) upper echelons of the non-league game began.

After four seasons at the top end of the Southern League’s Southern Division, promotion was won to the Premier Division for 1982/83 - at the time an equivalent level to the later Conference South.

Boro spent seven seasons in the Premier Division before relegation in season 1989/90.

Despite surviving the following season, Gosport finished bottom in 1991/92 and were relegated back to county football (Wessex League).

The club competed for a couple of seasons and did lift the Wessex League Cup in 1993 but with the Club struggling for money, Chairman Ian Hay set up a trustee scheme which kept the club alive through their darkest days, helping to support the club with fans providing regular income.

At the start of the century, things started to turn for the better at The Boro.

Reserve team manager Mick Marsh was put in charge of the 1st XI and with the Club emerging from their financial difficulties, a return to the Southern League was back on the agenda. Marsh chased the dream for five seasons, finishing in the top four on four occasions before he retired in 2005.

Under manager Alex Pike, Boro won the Wessex League title on goal difference in Pike's first season (2006/07).

With the club back in the Southern League in 2007/08, it wasn't until season 2011/12 that success came when Boro achieved third spot and a play-off place, winning the Play-Off Final after a Steve Claridge strike sent the game to extra time. Two goals without reply in the additional 30 minutes saw Boro promoted back to the Southern League Premier Division.

In season 2012/13, Pike’s men enjoyed FA Cup success as a precursor to an unbeaten run of 23 games which lifted Boro into a play-off place.

Boro saw off second placed Stourbridge in the semi, before beating Hemel Hempstead Town 2-0 in the final only to concede two late goals before winning promotion on penalties.

So the board’s planned rise from county football to Conference South was complete and Gosport started 2013/14 again looking to establish themselves at a new level.

Like the season before, Boro struggled to find their feet at the new level and after flirting with the relegation zone for much of the season, it took another cup run to gain the belief needed to lift the team clear of danger.

An FA Trophy run which started in November, ended with The Boro playing beneath the Wembley Arch in a final against Cambridge United in front of over 18,000. The result saw United run out 4-0 winners, but the belief that flowed through the squad as a result of the Trophy run put Gosport back on track and lifted them into a comfortable mid-table league place.

The club were able to plough the financial windfall from the FA Trophy run back into the infrastructure at Privett Park. During the summer of 2014, a number of improvements were made including the installation of a new hospitality suite/club office building and a state-of-the-art pitch irrigation system.

A solid start to the 2014/15 league season saw Boro well placed in the league. The confidence gained from the league campaign helped the club finally make the First Round Proper of the FA Cup for the first time.

Boro hosted Colchester United of League One in a tie that attracted over 2,000. Gosport acquitted themselves well in a memorable match, but ultimately lost to the Football League side 6-3.

Boro were well placed for a play-off place until a little wobble in March saw them drop just too far off the pace - eventually finishing sixth. But the club did have the consolation of lifting the Hampshire Senior Cup for the first time since 1988 and seeing Justin Bennett pick up the award for the Conference South's leading goal-scorer.

The 2015-16 season got off to a good start, with the club pushing into play-off contention from the off. But as the New Year came, the club were hit with financial problems.

But the campaign did at least end on a high with a 2-1 win against AFC Portchester in the Russell Coates Cup Final, with talismanic striker Justin Bennett recording his 262nd and 263rd goals for Gosport.

In 2016-17 Boro were relegated to the Southern League Premier Division and former Portsmouth FC Chairman Iain McInnes took control of the club in the following autumn. After a couple of narrow relegation escapes, the club consolidated under Lee Molyneaux in the 2019-20 season, but the pandemic put an outside hope of a late play-off run to bed and the club parted company with Lee in June 2020.

For the 2021-22 season Shaun Gale is the club’s head coach, assisted by Ben Kneller and with the highly experienced Graham Rix as first team coach.

At the end of the 22/23 season Pat Suraci and Joe Lea were appointed head coaches and asked to take the Club forward achieving a play off position at the end of the 23/24 season.

The start of the 25/26 season saw Club legends Danny Hollands and Glen Howes take charge and with them Ben Kneller returned.

Boro's principal honours are:

1945-46 Hampshire League Winners

1969-70 Russell Coates Winners

1976-77 Hampshire League Winners

1977-78 Hampshire League Winners

1977-78 South West Counties Cup Winners

1987-88 Hampshire Senior Cup Winners

1992-93 Wessex League Cup Winners

2005-06 Russell Coates Cup Winners

2006-07 Wessex League Champions

2011-12 Southern Div One Play Off Winners

2012-13 Southern Premier Play Off Winners

2012-13 Russell Coates Cup Winners

2013-14 FA Trophy Runners Up

2014-15 Hampshire Senior Cup Winners

2015-16 Russell Coates Cup Winners

2021-22 Portsmouth Senior Cup Winners


8	Chertsey	19	12
9	Frome Town	19	13
10	Wimborne Town	18	11
11	Gosport Boro	18	13
12	Berkhamsted	16	12
13	Bracknell Town	14	13
14	Yate Town	13	12

Gosport Borough

Match Outlook

Premier South