Solent University F.C.
 | |||
| Full name | Team Solent Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Sparks | ||
| Founded | 2005 | ||
| Dissolved | 2020 | ||
| Ground | Test Park Sports Ground Southampton | ||
| | |||
Team Solent was a football club attached to Solent University, based in Southampton, Hampshire. They were affiliated to the Hampshire Football Association, as a FA Charter Standard club [1] and from 2011-20 were members of the Wessex League.
History
[edit]Team Solent FC were formed in 2005 as the competitive sporting arm of Southampton Solent University.
A side was entered in the Southampton League and enjoyed immediate success winning trophies galore, before becoming a founder member of the Hampshire Premier League in 2007. They were winners of the inaugural League Cup in 2008 and won their first Southampton Senior Cup in 2009. Further successes followed, and after moving to a redeveloped Test Park, they won promotion to the Wessex League Division One in 2011. The next few seasons, saw Team Solent narrowly miss out on promotion before going up in 2015 as champions. They quickly adjusted to life in the Premier Division and in 2016 won the Southampton Senior Cup for the fourth time and also the Wessex League Cup. In 2017 Team Solent enjoyed an extended run in the national FA Vase, reaching Round 5 before going down 2-5 at home against eventual winners South Shields.
In 2019, the club was renamed Solent University FC but on 10th June 2020, they were suddenly disbanded with the University citing the "changing landscape of Higher Education which has caused a realignment of the priorities and the desire to support other sporting ambitions" as the reason for this decision.[2]
Ground
[edit]The club's home ground was Test Park Sports Ground, Lower Brownhill Road, Southampton SO16 9QZ.
The venue has several pitches (including an artificial one) and remains very much in use today. Solent University continue to run student sides in the national BUCS (British University & Colleges Sports) competitions and happily, in 2021 Wessex League football returned when neighbours Millbrook took up residence.
Honours
[edit]- Wessex League
- Division 1 Champions 2014/15
- League Cup Winners 2015/16
- Hampshire Premier League
- Senior Division Runners-up 2009/10 and 2010/11
- League Cup Winners 2007/08 and 2010/11
- Hampshire FA
- Junior 'A' Cup Winners 2005/06
- Southampton FA
- Senior Cup Winners 2008/09, 2010/11, 2014/15 and 2015/16
- Senior Cup Finalists 2009/10 and 2016/17
- Junior 'A' Cup Winners 2005/06
- Southampton League
- Senior Division 1 Champions 2006/07
- Junior Division 1 Champions 2005/06
References
[edit]- ^ "Clubs". HampshireFA. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
- ^ https://www.wessexleague.co.uk/solent-university-resign [dead link]