Badshot Lea F.C.

Badshot Lea Football Club is a football club based in Badshot Lea, near Farnham, Surrey, England. The club are currently members of the Combined Counties League Premier Division and play at Westfield Lane in Wrecclesham.

Badshot Lea
Full nameBadshot Lea Football Club
Nickname(s)The Baggies
Founded1904
GroundWestfield Lane, Wrecclesham
Capacity1,200[1]
ChairmanMark Broad
ManagerGavin Smith
LeagueCombined Counties League Premier Division
2019–20Combined Counties League Premier Division (season abandoned)

History

The club was established in 1904, although they only played friendly matches until affiliating with the Surrey County Football Association in 1907.[2] They subsequently played in local leagues before joining the Surrey Intermediate League, winning Division One in 1936–37 and again in 1937–38.[3] They won the division again in 1985–86,[3] earning promotion to the Surrey Premier League. However, they were relegated back to the Surrey Intermediate League the following season after finishing second bottom of the division.[2][4]

Badshot Lea won the league's Challenge Cup in 1987–88 and the Invitation Cup in 1989–90.[3] They were relegated to Division Two, but won the division in 1992–93.[3] They won the Challenge Cup for a second time in 2000–01.[3] In 2003 they moved up to Division One East of the Hellenic League.[5] They won the Supplementary Cup in 2005–06,[3] and after finishing third in 2006–07 they were promoted to the Premier Division.[5] However, after one season in the Hellenic League's top division, they were transferred to the Premier Division of the Combined Counties League, swapping leagues with AFC Wallingford.[6] Their first season in the Combined Counties League also saw them enter the FA Vase for the first time.

The following season saw Badshot Lea make their debut in the FA Cup, eventually losing 10–0 by Ashford Town (Middlesex).[7] After finishing in the bottom three of the Premier Division in 2016–17 the club were relegated to Division One.

Ground

The club played at the Badshot Lea Recreation Ground until 2007, when they were forced to leave due to it failing ground grading regulations.[8] They then spent several years groundsharing, playing home matches at Cherrywood Road in Farnborough, Godalming Town's Weycourt and Ash United's Shawfield Stadium. The club moved to Camberley Town's Krooner Park for the 2017–18 season, during which the club started redeveloping Westfield Lane in Wrecclesham, the former home ground of Farnham Rugby Club.[9] Ahead of the 2019–20 season, Badshot Lea moved into Westfield Lane, playing the inaugural match at the ground against Aldershot Town in a friendly on 6 July.[10]

Honours
  • Hellenic League
    • Supplementary Cup winners 2005–06
  • Surrey Intermediate League
    • Division One champions 1936–37, 1937–38, 1985–86
    • Division Two champions 1992–93
    • Challenge Cup winners 1987–88, 2000–01
    • Invitation Cup winners 1989–90
  • Surrey Junior Cup
    • Winners 1937–38
  • Kenny Warner Memorial Shield
    • Winners 2003–04, 2004–05
  • Runwick Charity Cup
    • Winners 1937–38, 1986–87, 1988–89

Records
  • Highest league position: 6th in the Combined Counties Premier Division, 2010–11[5]
  • Best FA Cup performance: Third qualifying round, 2012–13[5]
  • Best FA Vase performance: Third round, 2009–10[5]
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See also
  • Badshot Lea F.C. players
  • Badshot Lea F.C. managers

References
  1. Lea relish end to nomadic lifestyle Farnham Herald, 17 January 2019
  2. History Badshot Lea F.C.
  3. Honours Badshot Lea F.C.
  4. Non League Tables for 1986–1987 Non-League Matters
  5. Badshot League at the Football Club History Database
  6. Ten Years Ago! Combined Counties League
  7. Weekend football round-up Get Surrey, 28 September 2009
  8. "Badshot Lea", Groundtastic, issue 95, winter 2018, p23
  9. Work progressing on new ground for Badshot Lea Surrey & Hants News, 8 August 2017
  10. "Trialists and academy players impress Aldershot Town boss at Badshot Lea". Surrey Live. 10 July 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2019.

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