21st Century Hampshire Top Twenties: 2002/2003

Gosport Borough's large stand.

What a fabulous season for several of the county's clubs! Saints in the FA Cup Final; a magnificent Pompey squad storming to promotion from the Championship with just shy of 100 goals and 100 points; Havant & Waterlooville in the FA Trophy semi-finals (narrowly beaten by Tamworth); Aldershot Town winning promotion to the Conference; Winchester City reaching the quarter-finals of the FA Vase and gaining promotion to the Wessex League; AFC Totton winning the Wessex League Cup; and Eastleigh going up to the Southern League for the first time in their history, beating Gosport Borough to the Wessex League championship! Like I said...fabulous!

The Top Twenty ranked clubs in Hampshire, 2002/2003:


1. (1) Southampton 1/8
2. (2) Portsmouth 2/1
3. (3) Farnborough Town 5/13
4. (4) Aldershot Town 6/1
5. (6) Basingstoke Town 6/5
6. (4) Havant & Waterlooville 6/8
7. (7) Bashley 7/5
8. (9) Fleet Town 7/20
9. (16) Eastleigh 8/1
10. (11) Gosport Borough 8/2
11. (10) AFC Totton 8/3
12. (15) Fareham Town 8/5
13. (12) Lymington & New Milton 8/6
14. (8) Andover 8/7
15. (14) Moneyfields 8/10
16. (19) BAT Sports 8/11
17. (20) Hamble ASSC 8/16
18. (NE) Alton Town 8/17
19. (13) Brockenhurst 8/20
20. (17) Blackfield & Langley 8/21

I would imagine that Winchester City were stronger than many of the clubs in the Wessex League this season, but they were in the Hampshire League. I rather suspect they may be the last-ever Hampshire League club to go as far as the quarter-finals in the FA Vase, unless restructuring brings the league back up the pyramid again. Alton Town were the new entry this season - they came in at the expense of Whitchurch United.