Alton F.C.
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| Full name | Alton Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Brewers | ||
| Founded | 1991 (as Alton Town Bass) | ||
| Ground | Anstey Park, Alton | ||
| Chairman | Jim McKell | ||
| League | Wessex League Division One | ||
| 2015–16 | Wessex League Division One, 7th | ||
| Website | Club home page | ||
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Alton F.C. are an English association football club based in Alton, Hampshire, England. In the 1972–73 season, they reached the 1st round proper of the FA Cup. They are members of the Wessex League Division One and play their home matches at the Bass Sports Ground, which has a seating capacity of 120, including a small directors box.
Early history
Bass (Alton) F.C.
Originally known as Courage & Co, this works football club based in Alton, Hampshire enjoyed a long and distinguished history before joining forces with neighbours Alton Town in 1991.
'The Brewers' originally joined the Hampshire League in 1928 and were Division 2 champions in 1929–30. Courages remained a steady top-flight side until being relegated in 1937–38 as the bottom side.
Once normal football had resumed after World War II, Courages played in the Aldershot League apart from during the 1954–55 season, when they rejoined the Hampshire League to play in the short-lived North Hants Division.
After a successful period Courages returned to the Hampshire League in 1972, when they were placed in Division 4. Promotion was achieved in 1974–75 but two years later the team were back in the basement division.
In 1979 the club was renamed Bass (Alton) and after some tough seasons were moved back up to Division 3 a year later when the league was reduced to three divisions. This seemed to ignite the club's fortunes as they won two successive promotions to reach Division 1 for the 1983–84 campaign. Bass (Alton) did well to survive in what was at the time a very tough division before the 1986 formation of the Wessex League, which many of the league's top clubs left to join.
Bass (Alton) stayed in the Hampshire League and remained a solid mid-table side but by the early Nineties were finding the going tough. After relegation in 1990–91 the club decided to merge with local league rivals Alton Town and became known as Alton Town Bass with the town still having two county league sides as the Reserves were given a place in the newly reformed Division 3 (later being placed in the Combination Division).The Reserves also won the 2012/2013 Aldershot Intermediate Cup Final 3-2 against Old Farnboronians at the EBB Stadium.
In the 2013/2014 season, Alton Town Reserves came 2nd in the Wyvern League to local rivals Alresford Town. The newly created Under 21's side managed by Robbie Clayton came 1st in the Aldershot District Under 21's League and also were crowned champions in the Aldershot District League Cup with a 6-2 win over Badshot Lea. On 11 May Alton Town U21's became champions of Hampshire after beating Horndean United 2-1 AET in the Final. Alton's Youth set up were also crowned champions of the Allied Counties League. Alton Towns 1st team were relegated from the Combined Counties League in the same season.
In 1992 the club became known as Bass Alton Town and continued played at the Bass Sports ground, where they made further steady progress. In 1998 the club became known simply as Alton Town and after twice winning the Hampshire League title they took their place in the Wessex League in 2002, where they remained until being switched to the Premier Division of the Combined Counties League for the start of the 2013/2014 season. This enforced exile from their traditional league, which the club were never happy with and had initially complained vociferously against, lasted only two years and for the start of the 2015/16 season were back in the Wessex League (Division One). They had struggled to make an impact in the Combined Counties which is a stronger league, football wise, with a number of big Surrey and London-based clubs.
In March 2016 the club announced that they would be renamed Alton Football Club from the start of the 2016/2017 season.
League history
List not complete
Ground
Alton Town play their home games at Alton (Bass) Sports Ground, Anstey Road, Alton, GU34 2RL.
External links
- Alton FC official website
- Bass (Alton) at the Football Club History Database
- Alton Town (Bass) at the Football Club History Database
- Bass Alton Town at the Football Club History Database
- Alton Town at the Football Club History Database