History
The League was started in the 1962-63 season, just in time to fall victim to the most severe winter for many years. Undaunted, we got in to full stride the following season when 16 teams eagerly kicked off the first official Sunday League in the area. Knellwood Park, from Farnborough, achieved the double. Standards were good with players and Referees from senior football taking part. We continued to grow steadily and by 1968-69 embraced four divisions and continued to attract quality players and teams, from Camberley, Haslemere, Alton and Woking as well as the immediate locality. 1971-72 saw a fifth division added but 1975 onwards witnessed a gradual diminishing of interest so that by 2004-05 we were once again running just one division, albeit bolstered by the ever growing Veterans Competition.
This section, the brainchild of the then Chairman Mike Parker, continued to grow, and has proved to be the saviour of the League. Dominated in the early years by Cherry Tree Athletic, under various team guises an influx of former Ash United players then spread the honours but in 2008-09 and 2009-10 Cherry Tree regained the ascendancy. An over 40’s Super vets Division was introduced for the 2009-10 season but after 2 season 2 of the 4 teams wished to compete against more varied opposition so the Super Vets was shelved and merged into the Veterans from 2011-12.
Villagereal won the League title in 2012-13 then French Horn 2013-14 and 2014-15 before Overton Utd Veterans took the title 3 seasons on a trot from 2015-16 to 2017-18 before ROW 1st took the honours in 2018-19. The global Coronavirus pandemic brought an abrupt and premature end to the 2019-20 season with all competitions declared null and void.
The 2020-21 season convened with 8 Veterans Divisions consisting of 37 Clubs fielding 59 teams including 2 newly affiliated Clubs. Overton United clinched the title on goal difference over Ropley and ROW United with all 3 Teams finishing on 31 points apiece.
Controversy marred the 2021-22 season when outside Cup competitions and late rescheduled matches caused fixture congestion late on in Div 1. Unplayed matches were awarded but then overturned by Hants FA on appeal. When the dust finally settled ROW United emerged as League title winners.
With a dozen new (or reformed) Clubs the League has expanded to 9 Divisions for 2022-23 with 48 Clubs fielding 67 Teams and the top Division being renamed to the Premiership.
As Veterans football continues to flourish new players and teams are always welcome.
The League has been especially lucky over the years to attract the services of extremely competent administrators. Men of the calibre of Peter Hobdell, Tony Cobbett, Mike Parker, Dave Parsells, John Donnellan, Dave Havenhand and Colin Barnett, have ensured the reputation of the League has remained high throughout its history. The present incumbents will attempt to maintain those high standards and we encourage new volunteer members to join our ranks.
