STONEHAM'S DATE AT NO. 10

February 2, 2024

AFC Stoneham were delighted to be invited to 10 Downing Street this week to celebrate the club's positive impact on the community.

With 113 teams and 1500 players, the Stoneham Lane side is one of the largest community grassroots sports clubs in the country, gaining national recognition for our work as a volunteer-run, community club.


The Right Honourable Lucy Frazer, The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport invited the club to No. 10, with the Purps represented by Chairman, Mark Stupple (pictured).

He said: "It was great to visit Downing Street and represent the whole club. We discussed our recent growth, our positive impact on the local community and our future plans which were very well received"

"The club is acutely aware that this recognition is a very proud moment for the whole club and every volunteer that contributes to both our success and the positive impact on our community.

"We would therefore like to send a huge thank you to every manager, coach and club volunteer who contributes towards our club and made this national recognition possible.

Without these great people there is no national recognition. A very proud day for AFC Stoneham."

VASE GLORY FOR STONEHAM

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AFC Stoneham capped a historic campaign by beating Cockfosters in the Isuzu FA Vase final at Wembley Stadium. The Velocity Wessex League Premier Division champions triumphed 4-2 on penalties, after a ninety minutes of deadlock to conclude a quite remarkable season for James Phillips' side that yielded a total of four trophies.

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Hamble Club celebrated their second Velocity Wessex League Cup in three years after defeating Premier Division champions, AFC Stoneham by the odd goal in five at Downton on Bank Holiday Monday. Tyrrell Sampson put the Purps in the ascendency after fifteen, but it was short-lived as Matt Casey drilled home from the edge of the box shortly after to draw level. CUP FINAL - PROGRAMME DOWNLOAD Duarte Martins made no mistake from a loose ball to restore Stoneham's advantage going into the interval, before substitute, Chase Michel restored parity for a second time just before the hour mark with his first touch of the game.

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May 3, 2026
Yateley United's rise continued on Saturday, as they reached Step 5 for the first time in the club's short history in emphatic fashion, with 6-1 victory over Whitchurch United. A Wessex League season best crowd of 908 witnessed the Division One play-off final at Yateley's Sean Devereux Park - a venue hosting Step 7 football as recently as 2022/23 in the Thames Valley Premier. Read more in our latest Wessex Post Newsletter Both sides came through their respective midweek play-off semi-finals against Colden Common (2-1) and Folland Sports (0-1) respectively, but Yateley prevailed in the final courtesy of Lynford Sackey (2), Harvey Seeman, Tyler Robinson - and two in the closing moments from Josh Blackwood and Callum Scott to add gloss. James Batchelor's netted Whitchurch's reply with fifteen to go, to reduce the arrears to 3-1, but almost immediately after, Robinson restored the host's three-goal advantage. Our congratulations to Yateley United on your achievement, and commiserations to Whitchurch United. Photo: Greg Dickson
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