AFC Totton
VENUE
Macra Community Stadium, Long Lane, Ringwood, Hampshire BH24 3AW
AFC Totton will begin their defence of the Southampton Divisional Football Association (SDFA) Saturday Senior Cup on Tuesday night with a short trip along the A31 to take on Wessex League Division One opposition in the shape of Ringwood Town.
The Stags racked up a total of 35 goals on their way to lifting the trophy in May for the first time in 40 years, culminating in a 3-0 win over Folland Sports in the Final at St. Mary’s Stadium. For their part, Ringwood successfully navigated last season’s 1st Round tie at home to Tendown Athletic with a comfortable 3-0 win but then came unstuck at Brockenhurst in the 2nd Round, finishing on the wrong end of a 1-5 defeat. This season, both Totton and Ringwood were granted byes into the 2nd Round.
Midfielder Lewis Waterfield celebrates scoring AFC Totton's third goal in the Southampton Senior Cup Final victory over Folland Sports at St. Mary's Stadium in May.
The club now known as Ringwood Town was originally formed in 1879, although their first mention in the county records came in 1886 when they were Ringwood Hornets. Having disbanded for the duration of the First World War, the club was re-established in 1918 as Ringwood Comrades, consisting mainly of servicemen returning from the battlefields. The moniker of Ringwood Town was adopted in 1936 and has remained ever since, despite the club temporarily disbanding again during the Second World War.
Ringwood Town have won the Bournemouth Senior Cup on four occasions and also lifted the Russell Cotes Cup in the early 1980s. Crowned Hampshire League Division Three Champions in 1995/96, Ringwood Town joined the Wessex League in 2004. They have since won the Wyvern Combination West Division One in 2013/14 and an invitational tournament at St. Mary’s Stadium in 2016.
Last season, they finished 14th in the Wessex League Division One table, with 33 points from 36 matches and a negative goal difference of 42. They currently sit 6th in the table with four wins from their first seven games of the 2022/23 season, although their recent league form has been poor.
There tend to be goals when Ringwood are around. They opened the month of September with a handsome 4-1 win at Amesbury Town, but then lost 2-4 at Verwood Town on the following Tuesday night. After having their home fixture against Andover New Street postponed following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, they returned to Wessex League Division One action with another 2-4 defeat at Fleetlands. And then New Milton Town became the third team in as many matches to put four goals past Ringwood when they inflicted a 1-4 defeat on their hosts at the Macra Community Stadium on Saturday.
AFC Totton and Ringwood Town have met five times since the 2005/06 season, The Stags winning on all five occasions.
Jamie Austen scored the only goal in the first of those encounters in a Hampshire Senior Cup 2nd Round tie at Testwook Park in November 2005. The highest scoring match was at Ringwood at the start of the 2007/08 season when striker Nathaniel Sherborne struck a hat-trick, Mark Osman scored twice and Jonathan Davies also made the scoresheet in a 6-3 win. Sherborne helped himself to two more goals in the return match in October 2007, with Mike Gosney and Mark Godden – making his AFC Totton first team debut – completing a 4-0 triumph.
Speaking after Saturday afternoon’s Isuzu FA Trophy victory over Berkhamsted, AFC Totton manager Jimmy Ball made it clear that he aims for his team to successfully defend the Southampton Senior Cup title, last season’s success having marked the first trophy of his reign since taking the Snows Stadium hot seat in March of this year.
With Paulton Rovers’ continued involvement in the Emirates FA Cup necessitating the postponement of their Southern League Div.1 South visit to the Snows Stadium, originally scheduled for Saturday 01 October, The Stags will have an 11-day gap between their trip to Ringwood and their next competitive outing – which will be the FA Trophy 3rd Round Qualifying tie; opponents to be determined pending the draw on Monday lunchtime.
By Ben Rochey-Adams and Malcolm Tombs, Club Historian
Image courtesy of Craig Hobbs Photography
