Lymington & New Milton F.C.
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Lymington & New Milton F.C. are a football club based in New Milton, England. They were formed in 1998 by a merger between AFC Lymington and New Milton Town. They were champions of the Wessex League in 1999 and 2005. They are currently playing in the Southern League Division One South and West and their home is Fawcett's Field, New Milton.
The team's nickname is "The Linnets".
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[edit] Formation
The club was formed in the summer of 1998 as a result of the merger of AFC Lymington and New Milton Town.
AFC Lymington had won the Wessex League twice in succession but found their path to promotion into the Southern League blocked by difficulties with ground-grading. It was impossible to improve the facilites at their home ground in Southampton Road, Lymington, to meet the grading criteria of the higher league due to the sharing of the ground with Lymington Cricket Club; it would have been impossible to have completely enclosed the football pitch and installed the turnstiling and other safety features demanded by the Southern League.
New Milton Town, on the other hand, had moved into a new purpose-built ground provided for them by New Milton Town Council, but were languishing in the Hampshire League, seemingly unable to progress to a higher level.
The merger was in effect a takeover by AFC Lymington of the New Milton club in order to gain possession of a ground suitable for progression to a higher level of football, and the new team for the 1998-99 season resembled the old AFC Lymington line-up. No New Milton Town players were included in the first team.
Some dissenters resented the move from Lymington to New Milton, a distance of some eight miles, and formed a new club, Lymington Town, to use the old facilities at Southampton Road, vacated by the AFC club.
[edit] Season 1998-1999
Before the start of the Wessex League season, the newly formed club were invited to participate in a challenge match for the Jewson Champions Shield against the Eastern League champions, Wroxham. The game was played at Fawcetts Field on 31st July 1998 and resulted in a 3-1 victory for the Linnets. So, in an auspicious start, the newly merged club won its first trophy in its first competitive match.
Lymington & New Milton FC won the Wessex League at the first attempt, and also had an excellent run in the FA Vase, reaching the last eight before losing at Taunton Town.
However promotion to the Southern League was refused because Fawcett's Field narrowly failed to meet the league’s ground grading requirements, the main issue being the nature of the fence erected at the road end of the ground.
[edit] Season 1999-2000
In pre-season, the club retained the Jewson Champions Shield, again defeating Wroxham, this time away from home in Norfolk.
In the Wessex League, club gained an even higher points total and lost fewer games than in their inaugural season but only finished runners-up in the Wessex League to a truly outstanding Wimborne Town team. The club also did well in the FA Cup, reaching the Fourth Qualifying Round before losing to Aldershot Town.
Despite only finishing second in the league, the club made another application to join the Southern League, but lack of urgency in completing the needed improvements to the fencing again precluded promotion.
[edit] Season 2000-2001
The Linnets were again runners-up in the Wessex League, this time behind Andover. This time there was to be no question of promotion because the club withdrew their application, quoting financial reasons.
[edit] Season 2001-2002
This was not a successful season by the Linnets' high standards. They finished 5th in the Wessex League.
[edit] Season 2002-2003
Budgetary cuts caused the loss of many players, but the club still managed to finish a creditable sixth in the Wessex League.
[edit] Season 2003-2004
New manager Ian Robinson completely rebuilt the side employing the services of an extremely young and untried squad. Throughout the season the improvement was impressive, and a highly creditable fourth place Wessex League place was achieved. The club also had a good FA Cup run, eventually losing at Salisbury City in the 4th Qualifying Round.
[edit] Season 2004-2005
The Wessex League title returned to Fawcett’s Field with a final day victory over Gosport Borough clinching matters. The winning goal was scored direct from a free-kick taken inside the Linnets half of the field. It was the Linnets' 200th Wessex League win in 292 games.
Another good run in the FA Cup saw another 4th Qualifying Round exit, this time against Conference side Woking after a replay.
Promotion was once more on the agenda, but it did not run smoothly at first. The Ryman League rejected the clubs application on a technicality, which seemed to have more to do with trying to avoid having play-offs for the limited number of positions available than the quality of the club’s facilities.
An intervention by members of the Woking board, who had been impressed with the facilities offered by Fawcett’s Field on their trip to New Milton in the FA Cup is believed to have swayed matters, and eventually the Linnets were permitted to take their place in Ryman Division 1, especially expanded to 23 teams in their honour.
[edit] Season 2005-2006
After a tough start to the season, the team improved to finish the season in 16th place in Ryman Division 1, with hopes high for the following season.
[edit] Season 2006-2007
The club have been transferred to the Southern League Division 1 - South & West.
[edit] External links
- Official club website
- Lymington & New Milton at the Football Club History Database
| Southern League Division One South & West 2006/07 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Abingdon United | Andover | Bashley | Beaconsfield SYCOB | Bracknell Town | Brook House | Burnham | Chesham United | Didcot Town | Hanwell Town | Hillingdon Borough | Lymington & New Milton | Marlow | Newport IoW | Oxford City | Paulton Rovers | Swindon Supermarine | Taunton Town | Thatcham Town | Uxbridge | Winchester City | Windsor & Eton edit |
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