Portals Athletic F.C.
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Portals Athletic F.C. were a successful works football side based at Overton, near Basingstoke in north Hampshire.
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[edit] Club History
After successfully climbing up through the local Basingstoke League, Portals were elected to Hampshire League Division 3 in 1967. They finished in a respectable mid-table final position before being placed in Division 3 West where they finished 3rd before clinching promotion as runners-up in 1969-70. Portals quickly adapdted well to life in what was then a highly competitive Division 2 as they clinched a final position of 3rd which was enough to secure a second successive promotion.
Life in the top flight was tough for Portals and they were relgated straight back again to Division 2 where they remained until the 1983-84 when they bounced back as champions. Portals consolidated in Division 1 for two seasons until in 1986 they (along with the leagues top clubs with the required facilities) broke away to form the new Wessex League.
[edit] Demise
In the league's inaugural season Portals finished in a steady 12th position but at the end of the season the parent company withdrew their support forcing the club to withdraw from the competition and sadly disband.
[edit] Stadium
The ground used by Portals Athletics has some fine facilities and remains in use today. During the 1999-2000 it was leased to the short-lived Hampshire League side AFC Basingstoke.
