I was reading an article about Dulwich Hamlet and how, after 111 years, they finally reached the 6th tier of English football. This, in a season when the almost lost their home, and indeed their name.

It got me thinking about my local team, Fareham Town. I looked up their last 3 home league gates. They were, ahem, 88 (lost 4-1 to Horndean), 72 (beat Hamble Club 1-0 and 85 (beat Shaftesbury 2-0). And to think Fareham has a population about 1.5 times bigger than Burnley.

If your local team isn’t Burnley, who are they, and are they worse than good old Fareham Town FC?

The Miners

https://www.footballgroundmap.com/grounds/nearest" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

cricketfieldclarets wrote:The Miners

You are supposed to answer the question cricketfields, are they better, or worse than Fareham Town?

paulus the woodgnome wrote:You are supposed to answer the question cricketfields, are they better, or worse than Fareham Town?

Id guess worse. The youngest player would be gaz evans and he must be 50!

Perhaps I should have said, no pub teams

Rossendale under 9s. They could probably give Fareham Town a good game.

paulus the woodgnome wrote:Perhaps I should have said, no pub teams

Miners is a club team

Perhaps I should have said "in the English football league system" whatever that means. Anyway, bring on Chelsea. And I'm not talking Clinton.

Guiseley

jdrobbo wrote:Guiseley

Better than Fareham Town jdrobbo?

I live further north in Hampshire than you Paulus, just over a mile from Basingstoke Town's current ground. I've lived in Basingstoke almost 20 years now but only been on the ground twice. Ive more often been down to Eastleigh who are in The National League (level 5).
Basingstoke are in Southern League Premier (level 7)- so higher than Fareham Town .

Basingstoke had about the same population as Burnley when I arrived here but has grown a lot- the Basingstoke & Deane area has a population of over 150,000 now. The football club is getting gates of c 350-400 this season.
It's an awful ratio but this town was a new town in 1960s and a lot of families here moved from London and retain their connections with London clubs. At the railway station on Saturday morning, you can see groups of West Ham/Chelsea/Arsenal/Spurs/QPR/Charlton/Brentford/Milwall etc supporters catching trains into London. (A fair few Southampton/Portsmouth too).

Unfortunately my local club is Leeds. After them, probably Garforth (where Socrates played) or Ossett.

Just checked, it's Ossett.

Man United

Milltown1882 wrote:Man United

Better than Wareham Town?

Morecambe or Lancaster City for me. Do enjoy going to the Globe on the odd occasion (the pies are absolute belters) but it lacks the atmosphere Christie Park used to have. Unfortunately the Sainsbury’s that’s replaced it hasn’t quite managed to harness the atmosphere you could get when Morecambe played on a Saturday....

Naming clubs in the top 4 divisions - and I'd have to ask google maps to tell me which is nearest - AFC Wimbledon; Brentford, Fulham, Chelsea, QPR - but that's what I get from being "exiled" in south west London. Possibly the next one is Spurs while their "home" ground is Wembley.

The only one of those teams I've not been on their ground is Wimbledon - though I used to play 5-a-side most Monday nights on the pitches alongside their Kingsmeadow stadium. Maybe I should make the effort to get down there 6 April when Accrington Stanley are the visiting team.

Brentford are planning a new stadium. Wimbledon are doing the same - I wonder if it will go ahead if they fall back to League 2? Chelsea? I guess need a new owner before they will get a new stadium. QPR and Fulham? Maybe new stadium(s) sometime. And, the new WHL to visit next season now - unless we are drawn there in the cup!

UTC

TheFamilyCat wrote:Better than Wareham Town?

Not on a match day it’s not worth leaving the house trying to get anywhere!

FAREHAM not Wareham. Thanks for your contributions guys and gals.

Buxton. Pop about 22,000.
Average gates have dropped a bit, but they usually get 300 or so.
When Nicky Law dragged us back to the NPL a decade or so ago, we had a few gates of 500/600 plus.

Yep.
Pretty sure they'd beat Fareham.

If I was still living at Rammy, it would be Ramsbottom United. Here now it’s Melbourne Victory & City. Neither of whom I think would trouble Fareham.

CE Mataro

Much worse

http://cemataro.cat/index.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

paulus the woodgnome wrote:FAREHAM not Wareham. Thanks for your contributions guys and gals.

Sorry, I did go back to your op and checked but still wrote Wareham. In my defence I'd had a couple of beers after spending 6 hours in A&E.

The not so mighty Viktoria Zizkov!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FK_Viktor ... i%C5%BEkov

One mile from Victoria Park, home of The Admirals.

Tenth tier and tbh I couldn’t tell you how well they are doing at the moment

ZizkovClaret wrote:The not so mighty Viktoria Zizkov!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FK_Viktor ... i%C5%BEkov

I’ve been on Zizkov game about 14 years ago they won 1-0 against someone in Yellow shirts and Blue shorts

TheFamilyCat wrote:Unfortunately my local club is Leeds. After them, probably Garforth (where Socrates played) or Ossett.
Just checked, it's Ossett.

Leeds is my closest too. I don't think we are far from eachother, with mentioning Ossett and Garforth. I'm guessing you're south Leeds, near Rothwell?

My nearest team is Bournemouth FC (not AFC Bournemouth), They are currently 7th out of 20 in the Wessex League Premier Division,

wilks_bfc wrote:One mile from Victoria Park, home of The Admirals.

Tenth tier and tbh I couldn’t tell you how well they are doing at the moment

Think it's been a tough couple of years...

TheFamilyCat wrote:Sorry, I did go back to your op and checked but still wrote Wareham. In my defence I'd had a couple of beers after spending 6 hours in A&E.

I hope you're feeling better TFC.

QUIZ QUESTION - which ex-Fareham Town striker came off the bench to score a hattrick against The Clarets.

I'm spoilt for choice. I've got the triple threat of:
Eastwood Town, Ilkeston Town and Alfreton.
Reckon all 3 would beat Fareham

Ashington for me in the Northern League First Division. They lack consistency and there is always a big turnover of players so they usually manage to finish around mid-table. On their day they can beat teams from higher up the Pyramid, however, everything would have to fall into place.
Some great players started their careers playing for the club in the years after WWII.

I live about 1/2 mile across the park from the Solihull Moors ground. They would batter Fareham Town off the pitch, I guess, this season as they're currently in the play-off places for promotion from the National League (tier 5) to League 2 (tier 4). Gets an average home gate of 1500+ from it's local population of somewhere over 210,000. I have never been to the ground on a matchday nor, I suspect, have most locals who seem to favour Birmingham, West Brom and Aston Villa - in that order.

Bury for me, i think it would be a tight first half against Fareham with the Shakers just in front at half time.

The superior fitness would tell late in the game leading to a 4 nil tonking for Fareham and question marks against the manager.

Salisbury- currently doing remarkably well under the management of Steve Claridge

Gill Ingham.

Oughtibridge, in Hallam senior league Premier then Sheffield Wednesday, then stocksbridge park steels, evostik east. A good choice of grounds!

FactualFrank wrote:Leeds is my closest too. I don't think we are far from eachother, with mentioning Ossett and Garforth. I'm guessing you're south Leeds, near Rothwell?

Decent detective work Frank. Thorpe, couple of miles from Rothwell.

paulus the woodgnome wrote:I hope you're feeling better TFC.

QUIZ QUESTION - which ex-Fareham Town striker came off the bench to score a hattrick against The Clarets.

Was in there with the wife, I'm fine. Had to go back this morning to see a specialist but thankfully she's been given the all-clear.

Malaga in Andalucia Spain. Garbage last year, they got relegated from La Liga, but doing well in 2nd division. I go down there two or three times a season, but it's not the same as going on the Turf.

St Austell, managed by my son in law. They are having a good season so far. Don't know if they would beat Fareham but I used to play football for Prices Grammar school in Fareham many years ago!

bfcmik wrote:I live about 1/2 mile across the park from the Solihull Moors ground. They would batter Fareham Town off the pitch, I guess, this season as they're currently in the play-off places for promotion from the National League (tier 5) to League 2 (tier 4). Gets an average home gate of 1500+ from it's local population of somewhere over 210,000. I have never been to the ground on a matchday nor, I suspect, have most locals who seem to favour Birmingham, West Brom and Aston Villa - in that order.

Got a friend over here who loves Birmingham but Solihul Moors are a close 2nd for him

Galway United , say no more . Well it's Athenry really but i am a United fan

United, but these ones play in claret and blue. And they're nowhere near east London, either.

https://www.wiltshireseniorleague.co.uk/shrewton-utd" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Mine is Barnoldswick Town. Had a reasonable start in the NW Counties Premier (Level 7) under new management. Watch as many of their games as I can when not clashing with the Clarets. I think our average home attendance has been around 100 so far but we did get over 300 recently for a Founders Day "special" a few weeks back.

Orlando City but never been

Not my local club (don't really have one since Oshawa Turul folded), but I have seen Dulwich Hamlet play live vs. Aylesbury. Famous pink (PINK!!!) and blue halves. They were awful, but did have a travelling support band of about 10. That was the night that I discovered the joys of non-league football.

Paulclaret wrote:My nearest team is Bournemouth FC (not AFC Bournemouth), They are currently 7th out of 20 in the Wessex League Premier Division,

LeadBelly wrote:I live further north in Hampshire than you Paulus, just over a mile from Basingstoke Town's current ground. I've lived in Basingstoke almost 20 years now but only been on the ground twice. Ive more often been down to Eastleigh who are in The National League (level 5).
Basingstoke are in Southern League Premier (level 7)- so higher than Fareham Town )

My local side is Tadley calleva. 1 place below Bournemouth and 2 above Fareham

paulus the woodgnome wrote:QUIZ QUESTION - which ex-Fareham Town striker came off the bench to score a hattrick against The Clarets.

CLUE - 95/96 season I think. Took my son to the game for a belated 11 birthday "treat". Matt Elliott played for the victors.

That would be Steve Claridge?