Pirelli General F.C.
| Full name | Pirelli General Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Cablemen | ||
| Founded | 1916 | ||
| Dissolved | 2003 | ||
| Ground |
Chestnut Avenue, Eastleigh | ||
| |||
Pirelli General F.C. was a long-running and highly successful works football club based in Eastleigh, Hampshire. They played in the Hampshire League for many years until their demise in 2003.
History
Pirelli General FC were founded in 1916 and joined the Winchester and District League in 1923 before later joining the Eastleigh League then Southampton League.
By 1933 the club were fielding six sides and had been elected to the Hampshire League Division 2 where they finished runners-up in their debut season before winning the title the following year and establishing themselves in Division 1.
Once normal football had resumed after World War II, Pirelli's returned to the county league where they were placed in Division 2 and 'The Cablemen' were regular FA Cup entrants at this time, although never progressing beyond the preliminary rounds. However, despite winning the Hampshire Intermediate Cup in 1955-56, it was not until 1962-63 that Pirelli's returned to top flight when they won the Division 2 title.
In 1965 Pirelli's moved to their best known home ground at Chestnut Avenue in Eastleigh and with some good facilities the club remained a steady Division 1 outfit, twice finishing 3rd in the late Sixties.
Golden years
The Seventies was the golden age for Pirelli's, especially the 1971-72 season when they were Division 1 Champions. The next fourteen years saw the club remain regular title contenders and in 1976-77 they caused a big upset when they defeated favourites Farnborough Town to win the Hampshire Senior Cup.
In 1986 the Wessex League was formed (mostly by the Hampshire League's top clubs) but Pirelli's remained with the county league and were again champions in 1991-92.
Demise
Despite the parent company moving out of Eastleigh, Pirelli's remained a prominent force in the Hampshire League but the controversial loss of their ground in 2003 saw the club reluctantly withdraw from the league and fold.
Although sadly far too late to save the club, football made a long overdue but very welcome return to Chestnut Avenue in 2010 when local Hampshire League side AFC Stoneham (formerly Ordnance Survey) took up residence.
During their existence Pirelli General (who played in a blue/white strip) won the Southampton Senior Cup four times and won the national All-England Cable Makers Cup three times.
External links
- Pirelli General Cables on Football Club History Database
- Pirelli General on Football Club History Database
- Pirelli General Reserves on Football Club History Database