FIXTURES - JANUARY 24th/26th

Roger Allen • January 23, 2022

Monday January 24th

Southampton Senior Cup 2nd Round

Millbrook 3-1 QK Southampton

Tuesday January 25th

Russell Cotes Cup Quarter Final

AFC Stoneham 1-2 Brockenhurst

Premier Division

Alton 0-0 Hamworthy United

Amesbury Town 0-2 AFC Portchester

Christchurch 1-0 Bournemouth

Hythe & Dibden 1-1 Shaftesbury

Moneyfields 0-2 Hamble Club

Division One

Follands Sports 0-0 Bemerton Heath Harlequins

New Milton Town 2-0 Fawley AFC

Newport IoW 6-1 East Cowes Vics (at East Cowes)

North Hants DFA Senior Cup Semi Final

Andover New Street 0-4 Alresford Town

Portsmouth Senior Cup Quarter Final

Horndean 1-2 Petersfield Town

Southampton Senior Cup 1st Round

Ringwood Town 3-0 Tendown Athletic

Southampton Senior Cup 2nd Round

Romsey Town 4-0 Compton

Wednesday January 26th

Premier Division

Baffins Milton Rovers 4-5 Fareham Town

Division One

Whitchurch United 0-2 Downton

Portsmouth Senior Cup Quarter Final

Gosport Borough 4-0 U.S. Portsmouth

As is usual at this stage of the season matches in a variety of Competitions which started on Monday and that evening usually means Test Park. This time it was a Second Round Southampton Senior Cup tie between near neighbours Millbrook and QK Southampton which attracted an attendance of 290, the largest at the ground since the Team Solent/South Shields Vase tie in 2017. On the night the Wessex League side were the stronger, running out three one winners, courtesy of two goals from Mike Barker and one from Robbie Stapleton but it was no easy ride.

On to Tuesday and matches in both Divisions of the Wessex League which produced one or two unexpected results, some good attendances but overall, not a lot of goals. In the Premier Division Hamworthy United made the long journey to Alton and returned home with a point after a goalless draw and AFC Portchester were similarly on the road with goals from Rafa Ramos and Marley Ridge giving them a two nil victory at Amesbury. The local derby between Christchurch and Bournemouth was watched by two hundred and fifty people with the home side’s Luke Ansell scoring the only goal of the game in the first half.

Another welcome and well earned point for Hythe and Dibden with Ash Pope giving visitors Shaftesbury the lead at the break and Filippos Terzidis levelling matters in the second half, and something of a surprise result at Moneyfields given their recent form where goals from Jamie Cassell and Harvey Ingledew-Coak either side of half time gave Hamble Club the three points.

In Division One three of the top sides in the table were in action with a stalemate at Hamble where neither Follands nor Bemerton Heath could trouble the scorers. No such problems at Beatrice Road where Newport defeated East Cowes Vics by six goals to one. Aaron Burford scored twice with singles from Jordan Browne, Joe Craig, Jake Wright and Joe Butcher with Toby Snow getting the Vics consolation. As usual a good crowd. 239, for the meeting of the two sides. New Milton returned to winning ways with a two nil home win over Fawley – Luke Stone and Ben Cooper on target – but the scheduled fixture between Verwood and Infinity was postponed as the latter continue to try and resolve their problems.

Brockenhurst became the fourth side to reach the semi-finals of the Russell Cotes Cup wIth a best of three goals victory at AFC Stoneham. Matt Bainbridge gave the home side an early lead but a Mitch Speechley Price penalty levelled the scores at the break and Ben Dukes’ second half goal proved decisive. Premier Division leaders Horndean exited the Portsmouth Senior Cup at the quarter final stage going down two one at home to Petersfield Town. Lewis Martin was on the mark for the Deans with Brandon Jewell and Max Paddon clinching victory for the Division One side in front of an attendance in excess of 150.

Andover New Street lost their hold on the North Hants Cup at the semi final stage as Alresford achieved an ultimately comfortable four nil victory at Foxcotte Park with two goals in each half - Marcus Neves, Andry Demira, James Parker Trott and Noah Chengun the marksmen. Lastly on Tuesday two more games in the Southampton Senior Cup with creditable performances from the two Junior sides. Ringwood Town scored three without reply against Tendown Athletic - Charlie Ritchings, Ben Harris and Josh Taylor on target - and Jack Odam with a hat trick and George Pooley scored for Romsey against Compton.

Three matches on Wednesday to complete the midweek and Baffins Milton Rovers missed the chance to take over the top spot in the Premier Division when they went down by five goals to four at home to Fareham Town. Rudi Blenkson with two, Jason Parish and Craig McAllister scored for the home side but doubles from Stuart Morgan and Josh Benfield plus a single strike from Charlie Cooper gave Fareham the points. Attendances in the League have been improving all season and, seemingly, especially in the Portsmouth area with 256 watching the nine goal bonanza. In Division One a goal in each half from Cameron Butler and Sam Bell gave Downton a two nil victory at Whitchurch while US Portsmouth exited the Portsmouth Senior Cup after a four nil defeat at Gosport Borough.

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AUGUST - CLUBS OF THE MONTH

September 15, 2025

Laverstock & Ford are our Premier Division 'Club of the Month' for August, following their exploits in the FA Cup, with progression into the second round qualifying. Liam McConnell's side also enjoyed progression in the FA Vase with victory at US Portsmouth, and commenced their League campaign with a 5-0 success over Baffins Milton Rovers.

LAVVY RELISH FA CUP DERBY DRAW

September 1, 2025

Laverstock & Ford fly the Velocity Wessex League flag in the Emirates FA Cup, with the Bulldog's 2-1 win at Hythe & Dibden earning a local derby against Salisbury in the second round qualifying. Liam McConnell's side came from behind to advance - and equal the club's best ever season in the Cup - courtesy of strikes from Archie Lovegrove and Chae Sykes which cancelled out Ollie Davies free-kick for the hosts. LISTEN - HEAR LIAM MCCONNELL'S FA CUP REACTION ON THE WESSEX LEAGUE PODCAST

HYTHE FACE BULLDOGS IN FA CUP

August 18, 2025

Hythe & Dibden will host Laverstock & Ford in an intriguing all-Wessex League tie, after the Premier Division rivals were drawn together in the FA Cup first round qualifying. It's a third home outing on the spin for Hythe, who have already dispatched fellow Wessex League sides Portland United and New Milton Town on their own patch to reach this stage for only the second time. Meanwhile the Bulldogs needed a replay and penalties to edge past Cowes Sports in the extra preliminary stage, before an impressive 2-0 victory on the road at former Wessex League champions, Horndean - now plying their trade in the Isthmian South Central. Laverstock have reached the first round qualifying in three of the last four seasons - and will be looking to emulate 2022/23 when they went one better, bowing out at the second round qualifying stage by a single goal at Taunton Town. AFC Stoneham are our third representative in the draw - they travel to Southern League Premier South side, Hungerford Town, following home victories over Fleet Town and Paulton Rovers (main picture). The Purps have also previously reached a club-best of the second round qualifying in each of the last two campaigns, with identical 1-7 defeats at higher-ranked Yeovil Town and Salisbury, respectively. Winners of the ties on August 30 will receive £2,250, with the losers netting £750. FA CUP - FIRST ROUND QUALIFYING - DRAW IN FULL Article Photo: Robin Caddy

'ONLY THE CAPTAIN' PROTOCOL

August 12, 2025

As part of the recent changes to the Laws of the Game (2025/26) approved by IFAB in March, the “Only the Captain” protocol will be applied across all competitions in England starting from the new season. Purpose and Rationale The protocol is designed to strengthen respect between players and referees by formalising that only the team captain may approach the referee to discuss key decisions. The aim is to reduce incidents of mobbing, dissent, and intimidation of match officials — improving the environment for everyone involved in the game. Key Points Normal, respectful interactions with referees are still permitted; however, dissent (by word or action) remains a yellow card offence — even for captains. Only the captain from each team is allowed to approach the referee on major decisions. Captains are responsible for ensuring teammates stay away from the referee during these moments. Referees may delay the restart to allow captains to communicate messages back to their teams if necessary. Additional Details If the goalkeeper is the team captain, an outfield player must be nominated to fulfil this role for referee interactions. A “captain-only zone” of 4 metres will be established around the referee; no other players are permitted within this area. Any non-captain entering this zone should be cautioned for dissent by action. If multiple players enter, at least one must be cautioned, and the incident will be reported to the relevant authorities. Competition organisers are encouraged to introduce sanctions for repeated breaches across the season. National Implementation This protocol will be implemented consistently across: All professional competitions The National League Pyramids County FA-administered football Our approach is to create alignment and consistency from the top tiers to grassroots , improving behaviour towards match officials at every level. Education and Communication We are currently rolling out education for referees, County FAs, Referee Development Officers, and other stakeholders to ensure clear understanding and consistent application. Clarification for Youth, Veterans, Disability, and Grassroots Levels Although IFAB have included an arm signal to initiate the protocol at these levels, in England we will not adopt this . Referees will manage the protocol themselves, using their existing match management skills. If you have any questions or would like to discuss the details further, please don’t hesitate to get in touch through refereedevelopment@thefa.com Article Photo: Ian Grainger

FA CUP ROUND-UP

August 4, 2025

The Emirates FA Cup made a welcome return to Velocity Wessex League club schedules on Saturday, however it proved to be a challenging afternoon for many, with four of our sides guaranteeing themselves a Preliminary Round place on August 16. Last season's Premier Division runners-up, AFC Stoneham, were looking to emulate last season's run to the Second Round Qualifying - with the Purps once again overcoming Fleet Town, 2-0 and booked another home date with Paulton Rovers next. FA CUP - FIXTURES & RESULTS (Wessex League only) Christchurch overcame returning Wessex side, Bemerton Heath Harlequins 3-0 at Hurn Bridge and will have home comforts once more in the Preliminary Round against Tadley Calleva, while in other all-Wessex affairs, New Milton Town came away from Andover New Street with a solitary goal to nil victory to set-up a meeting with Hythe & Dibden - themselves beating Portland United 3-1.

SUPPORT OUR CHARITY CUP

July 14, 2025

The Velocity Wessex League Charity Cup sees Premier Division winners, AFC Portchester, take on fellow cup finalists, Hamble Club at the OnSite Group Stadium on July 26 (3pm). CHARITY CUP - PROGRAMME DOWNLOAD This year proceeds from the curtain raising fixture will go to our charity partner, YoungMinds, who champion mental health and wellbeing amongst young people.