| Full name | Bosham Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Robins | ||
| Founded | 1901 | ||
| Ground | [1] Walton Lane, Bosham |
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| Chairman | Alan Price | ||
| Manager | Tony Hancock | ||
| 2010–11 | Sussex County Football League Division Three, 3rd |
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| Website | Club home page | ||
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Bosham F.C. are a football club based in Bosham, near Chichester, West Sussex, England. They were formed in 1901 and after a long spell in local football, joined the Sussex County Football League as founder members of Division Three in 1983.
The following year of 1984/85, the club finished runners-up to Oakwood, winning promotion to Division Two. To cap a very successful season, Bosham also won the Division Three Challenge Cup – a feat they were to repeat in 2009/10.
Having won promotion in 1985/86, Bosham had mixed fortunes in senior football with their best effort a sixth placed finish in 1990/91, although the following season they were relegated back to Division Three after seven years at the higher level. However, in 1993/94, they were promoted back again as champions – albeit a short-live success, as the following two seasons saw successive relegations back to the West Sussex Football League.
Following an overhaul of both players and management, Bosham enjoyed a resurgence on the pitch resulting in one of their most successful seasons ever in 1998/99, winning the coveted ‘treble’ of the West Sussex Football League Premier Division; Malcolm Simmonds Cup and the Centenary Cup – a feat no other club has achieved.
1999/00 saw Bosham champions once again,[1] making a welcome return to senior football and scoring 109 goals along the way – an average of 3.6 per game - although following a mid-table finish in 2000/01, The Robins found themselves bottom of the pile the following year and ‘yo-yoed’ back down to Division Three.
The club struggled back at Intermediate level, but a late revival saw them finish one place off the bottom, five points clear of Uckfield Town. Although a relegation position, the resignation of Oving – coupled with only Wadhurst United meeting the requirements for promotion - spared them the drop.
Until 2006/07 – a year when Bosham were again reprieved after a picking up the Division Three wooden spoon – there had been signs of improvement, with the club appearing reasonably comfortable in Division Three after many up and down seasons; and in 2004/05, reached the Final of the Sussex Intermediate Cup, where they were defeated by Rustington.[2]
Cup success again afforded the Walton Lane side in 2008/09 when they were beaten by a solitary goal to nil against fellow Division Three side, Forest, in the final of the same trophy.[3]
However Bosham did find the winning formula the following season, drafting in a largely youthful squad alongside one or two more experienced heads, to lead the club to the Division Three title for the third time; the Division Three Challenge Cup,[4] and the Team of the Year award.[5]
Unfortunately, heightened league ground grading regulations were to this time go against Bosham and they were denied a place back in senior football.[6] Despite this knock, the club managed to keep the majority of the side that earned their top spot the previous season, and gallantly went on to finish in third place in 2010/11.
In September 2011, Bosham won a £20,000 sponsorship deal[7] with home improvement retailer, Wickes, and featured in national newspaper, The Sun. The prize was a welcome boost for the village club, who had previously struggled for funding and local volunteers.[8] Bosham fought off 300 other non-league clubs to win the competition, with club captain Ben Blanshard writing 250 words as to why they deserved it. The windfall funded a make over for the changing rooms, new kit, training equipment and coaching.
Although Bosham have never competed in the FA Cup, they were entrants to the FA Vase between 1986 and 1990, however in facing stiff opposition, never managed to win in this competition.[9]
Contents |
League
| Season | League | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983–84 | Sussex County League Division Three | 24 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 50 | 38 | 38 | 4/13 |
| 1984–85 | Sussex County League Division Three | 28 | 18 | 7 | 3 | 80 | 36 | 61 | 2/15 |
| 1985–86 | Sussex County League Division Two | 30 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 56 | 53 | 43 | 7/16 |
| 1986–87 | Sussex County League Division Two | 30 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 48 | 55 | 42 | 8/16 |
| 1987–88 | Sussex County League Division Two | 28 | 5 | 6 | 17 | 36 | 68 | 21 | 14/15 |
| 1988–89 | Sussex County League Division Two | 26 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 32 | 60 | 27 | 11/14 |
| 1989–90 | Sussex County League Division Two | 30 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 33 | 59 | 29 | 13/16 |
| 1990–91 | Sussex County League Division Two | 30 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 50 | 53 | 42 | 9/16 |
| 1991–92 | Sussex County League Division Two | 32 | 7 | 5 | 20 | 41 | 106 | 26 | 16/17 |
| 1992–93 | Sussex County League Division Three | 26 | 15 | 4 | 7 | 52 | 51 | 49 | 3/14 |
| 1993–94 | Sussex County League Division Three | 30 | 19 | 5 | 6 | 69 | 33 | 62 | 1/16 |
| 1994–95 | Sussex County League Division Two | 34 | 15 | 7 | 12 | 71 | 57 | 52 | 7/18 |
| 1995–96 | Sussex County League Division Two | 34 | 10 | 4 | 20 | 65 | 103 | 34 | 17/18 |
| 1996–97 | Sussex County League Division Two | 34 | 6 | 2 | 26 | 46 | 107 | 20 | 17/18 |
| 1997–98 | Sussex County League Division Three | 30 | 2 | 6 | 22 | 27 | 95 | 12 | 16/16 |
| 1998–99 | West Sussex League Premier Division | 14 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 57 | 22 | 34 | 1/8 |
| 1999–2000 | Sussex County League Division Three | 30 | 24 | 3 | 3 | 109 | 36 | 75 | 1/16 |
| 2000–01 | Sussex County League Division Two | 34 | 13 | 6 | 15 | 48 | 73 | 45 | 10/18 |
| 2001–02 | Sussex County League Division Two | 34 | 2 | 4 | 28 | 31 | 125 | 13 | 18/18 |
| 2002–03 | Sussex County League Division Three | 28 | 6 | 3 | 19 | 30 | 102 | 21 | 14/15 |
| 2003–04 | Sussex County League Division Three | 26 | 10 | 2 | 14 | 43 | 55 | 32 | 10/14 |
| 2004–05 | Sussex County League Division Three | 24 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 45 | 39 | 36 | 7/13 |
| 2005–06 | Sussex County League Division Three | 26 | 9 | 5 | 12 | 44 | 58 | 29 | 10/14 |
| 2006–07 | Sussex County League Division Three | 24 | 2 | 3 | 19 | 29 | 70 | 9 | 13/13 |
| 2007–08 | Sussex County League Division Three | 24 | 7 | 2 | 15 | 35 | 45 | 23 | 10/13 |
| 2008–09 | Sussex County League Division Three | 26 | 7 | 5 | 14 | 35 | 53 | 26 | 10/14 |
| 2009–10 | Sussex County League Division Three | 28 | 20 | 4 | 4 | 64 | 29 | 64 | 1/15 |
| 2010–11 | Sussex County League Division Three | 30 | 17 | 4 | 9 | 73 | 55 | 55 | 3/16 |
| Season | Round | Opponent | H/A | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986–87 | EP | Farleigh Rovers | H | 1–2 |
| 1987–88 | PRE | Burgess Hill Town | A | 1–1 |
| Replay | Burgess Hill Town | H | 0–4 | |
| 1988–89 | PRE | Eastleigh | A | 1–3 |
| 1989–90 | EP | Bedfont | A | 1–6 |
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