Eastleigh FC

[ View the story "Eastleigh 2-1 Bath City" on Storify ] Bath City Home 28.12.13 by Eastleigh FC

DORCHESTER TOWN v EASTLEIGH Thursday 26th December 2013 Skrill South http://www.eastleighfc.com/2013/12/30/dorchester-town-1-eastleigh-2/ Dorchester Away 26.12.13 by Eastleigh FC

The Eastleigh v Chelmsford City Skrill South fixture was postponed at 2.15pm by match referee Chris Powell.  The referee gave all chances possible to try and get the pitch playable to the band of Eastleigh workers who had tirelessly continued to work on the pitch but with another downpour at that time, the decision to postpone the fixture was given.  The revised date for the fixture should be in February.

DOVER ATHLETIC v EASTLEIGH Tuesday 17th December 2013 Skrill South http://www.eastleighfc.com/2013/12/21/dover-athletic-1-eastleigh-2/ Dover Athletic Away 17.12.13 by Eastleigh FC

Eastleigh FC are delighted to announce that first team manager Richard Hill has signed a contract till the end of next season with an option to extend for a further twelve months. Eastleigh Chairman Stewart Donald commented: "As a board we are very pleased to have been able to secure Richard on a contractual basis.  "It is no secret he has been attracting interest from other clubs higher up the pyramid. I am not surprised this is the case and shows what positive impact he has had in his first twelve months.  "It was an easy conversation as Richard had no desire to leave. He did not negotiate or try to get an improved deal despite knowing there was interest in him, which speaks volumes about his character. "We have a great working relationship and do not need a contract, but it will hopefully settle a few people down around the club who were concerned that there was no formal agreement.  "In modern football after two wins everyone gets exc...

Eastleigh have been drawn at home to fellow Skrill South side Dover Athletic in the Third Round of the FA Carlsberg Challenge Trophy. The game will be played at The Silverlake Stadium on Saturday 11th January at 3pm. The full Third Round draw reads: Cambridge United v Luton Town Aldershot Town v Guiseley Hungerford Town v Gosport Borough or Nuneaton Town Eastleigh v Dover Athletic Tamworth v Chorley or Forest Green Rovers Lincoln City v North Ferriby United Grimsby Town v Maidenhead United Whitehawk or Havant & Waterlooville v Ebbsfleet United The winners purse for the tie is £7,000.

[ View the story "Eastleigh 2-0 Gateshead - FA Trophy" on Storify ] Gateshead Home FA Trophy 14.12.13 by Eastleigh FC

Eastleigh Football Club Fixture List December 2013  FIRST XI Saturday 14th Home to Gateshead , FA Trophy Second Round - 3pm Tuesday 17th away to Dover Athletic , The Skrill South - 7.45pm Saturday 21st Home to Chelmsford City , The Skrill South - 3pm Thursday 26th away to Dorchester Town , The Skrill South - 3pm Saturday 28th Home to Bath City , The Skrill South - 3pm FCYA Wednesday 11th away to Basingstoke Town , 2pm Wednesday 18th away to Weston-Super-Mare , 2pm U18s Sunday 15th away to Sholing , 2pm Sunday 22nd Home to Moneyfields , 2pm U16s Blue Sunday 8th away to Sholing Red 10am Sunday 15th away to Winchester Castle 10am Sunday 22nd Home to AFC Totton 10am White Sunday 8th away to Pace Yth , 10am Sunday 22nd away to Sholing Yth , 10am

The eagerly awaited clash with current Skrill South table toppers Bromley and ourselves, originally scheduled for Saturday 14th December now has a new date. Bromley v Eastleigh has now been postponed following our success at Bury Town yesterday in the FA Trophy (the Second Round of which is played on 14th December), and has now been rescheduled for Tuesday 28th January at 7.45pm .  The full list of recently updated fixtures are as follows: Tuesday 14th January - 7.45pm: Eastleigh v Dover Athletic Tuesday 21st January - 7.45pm: Weston Super Mare v Eastleigh Tuesday 28th January - 7.45pm: Bromley v Eastleigh  The draw for the Second Round of the FA Trophy is made at lunchtime tomorrow (Monday 2nd December).

Bury Town Away FA Trophy 30.11.13 by Eastleigh FC

[ View the story "Eastleigh 1-2 Tonbridge Angels" on Storify ] Tonbridge Angels Home 23.11.13 by Eastleigh FC

Young striker Sam Wilson has extended his short term loan deal to Calor Gas League South & West Division side Fleet Town for a further month. This loan now expires on 19th December. Despite receiving a red card last Saturday Sam has played in four games so far at Fleet Town and scored two goals.

By Paul McNamara As a footballer who was an essential cog in the Hereford United team which, within the space of three years between 2005 and 2008, leapt from the Conference Premier into League One, Dean Beckwith is well versed with what is required to achieve promotion. Conversely, during eleven months in an Eastleigh shirt when he has become extremely familiar with the winning feeling, the central-defender’s one major low in that time administered a stark reminder of how tough a challenge his side face in attempting to fight their way out of an acutely competitive Conference South league.  Beckwith’s plugging of what was a porous Spitfires back-four contributed enormously to last term’s second-half resurgence that eventually earned Richard Hill’s team a season finishing play-off spot. When the promotion dream was ended in the semi-final tie at Dover, the man signed four months previously from Luton Town was one of two Eastleigh players to have their penalty saved in...

The draw for the First Round Proper of the Carlsberg FA Trophy was made at Wembley today and Eastleigh have been drawn away to Ryman League Premier Division side Bury Town who are in ninth position in the league table, the same division in which Maidstone United compete. On Saturday they defeated another one of their league counterparts Grays Athletic at home 5-1. The match will be played on Saturday 30th November at 3pm with the winners of the tie gaining a place in the last 32 of the competition. There is also a £5,000 purse for the winners of the game too from the Football Association. This is Eastleigh’s fifth ever appearance in the competition at this round. Having been defeated at the Third Qualifying Round stage for the past two seasons, Eastleigh now look to try and reach their best ever performance in the competition which was in 2010/11 when they reached the Third Round before losing at home to Chasetown 1-3.

MAIDSTONE UNITED v EASTLEIGH Saturday 16th November 2013 FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round http://www.eastleighfc.com/2013/11/17/maidstone-united-1-eastleigh-2/ Maidstone United Away FA Trophy 16.11.13 by Eastleigh FC

http://www.eastleighfc.com/2013/11/13/gosport-borough-0-eastleigh-2/ Gosport Borough Away 12.11.13.pdf by Eastleigh FC

[ View the story "Eastleigh leave it late to beat Farnborough" on Storify ] Farnborough Home 09.11.13.pdf by Eastleigh FC

Following a lunch time pitch inspection at Dover Athletic, the persistent heavy rain that has been across the area all morning has seen The Crabble pitch as passed unplayable owing to waterlogged areas at the ground, this evenings match has therefore been postponed. We await confirmation of a new date for this fixture.

By Paul McNamara It should be of little surprise that Jamie Collins’ strong bond with Havant & Waterlooville didn’t warrant any consideration when he opted to sign for local rivals Eastleigh at the close of last season. After all, the midfielder, who has excelled during his first few months at the Silverlake Stadium, has overcome greater challenges than any negative supporter reaction he might ever encounter from disaffected Hawks. At the age of nine, Collins was the victim of a horrific freak accident which, with an extra dash of misfortune would have resulted in the amputation of his right leg from the knee downwards. The player, understandably, can recall events of that day with assured clarity. ‘I was on the way to watch my Dad’s friend play cricket at the local park. The game got cancelled, so we went to walk over to the shop and saw a car on fire. Being kids, as we were, we stood about watching, from about 40ft away. The car exploded, and the rod that ...

In the FA Carlsberg Trophy Third Qualifying Round draw made at Wembley Stadium lunchtime today (Monday 4th November), Eastleigh have been drawn away to the winners of the Wealdstone v Maidstone United replay of the game that ended 2-2 on Saturday. Both Wealdstone and Maidstone United play in the Premier Division of the Ryman Premier League and current league leaders Maidstone United recovered from a two-goal deficit to draw on Saturday against their sixth-placed rivals Wealdstone. Maidstone United have only been defeated once in the league so far this season that being away at Margate and in the FA Cup lost at home to Boreham Wood. Maidstone United’s ground the Gallagher Stadium has a 3G synthetic pitch which they are allowed to use in Ryman League games, FA Cup Qualifying Rounds matches and FA Trophy matches. If they were to win promotion this season at the moment they would not be allowed promotion to the Football Conference because of the playing surface. Wealdstone FC ...

Eastleigh Football Club Fixture List November 2013  FIRST XI  Saturday 2nd away to Sutton United , The Skrill South - 3pm  Tuesday 5th away to Dover Athletic , The Skrill South - 7:45pm Saturday 9th Home to Farnborough, The Skrill South - 3pm  Tuesday 12th away to Gosport Borough , The Skrill South - 7.45pm  Saturday 16th away to Maidstone United,  FA Challenge Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round - 3pm Saturday 23rd Home to Tonbridge Angels , The Skrill South - 3pm  Saturday 30th away to Bury Town , FA Challenge Trophy 1st Round Proper - 3pm FCYA Monday 4th away to Gosport Borough (Cup) - 1.30pm Wednesday 6th away to Whyteleafe , (Cup) - 2pm Wednesday 13th away to JMA Reading - 2pm Wednesday 20th Home to Gosport Borough - 2pm Wednesday 27th Home to JMA Reading or Weston-Super-Mare (League Cup) - 2pm U18’s Sunday 3rd away to Fleet Town Sunday 10th Home to Camberley - 2pm Sunday 17th away to Moneyfields - 2pm ...

SUTTON UNITED 1-1 EASTLEIGH Saturday 2nd November 2013 Skrill South http://www.eastleighfc.com/2013/11/03/sutton-united-1-eastleigh-1/ Sutton United Away 02.11.13.pdf by Eastleigh FC

By Paul McNamara Stewart Donald is fast approaching the second anniversary of his all-consuming involvement with Eastleigh Football Club. The on-going progress that has been achieved in that period is evident to anybody who has witnessed developments at the Silverlake Stadium since Donald arrived. In November 2011, the Spitfires were in the midst of a cost cutting operation which had seen the departure of a number of key players, and a gutsy but predominantly inexperienced side was languishing in the wrong half of the Conference South table. Fast forward to today and the picture is very different. An Eastleigh team that is blessed with a playing staff which is the envy of their league rivals and, one would imagine a fair number of clubs operating further up the ladder, sit proudly at the head of the early season standings.  The club’s support is wholly appreciative of a man whose personal commitment and financial backing has made possible the seismic transformati...

Striker Sam Wilson who turned nineteen earlier this month has been allowed to sign for Calor League South & West Side Fleet Town on a months loan and made his debut for them against Didcot Town last Saturday. Sam who returned to the Club in the summer after spells at Poole Town and Gosport Borough, has seen restricted opportunities to gain a first team place so far this season owing to the form of the current strike-force. Sam has only made one start this season so far for the first team in competitive fixtures and that was in the Hampshire Senior Cup, whilst only three appearances have been made by coming off the bench in Skrill League and F A Cup fixtures although netting one goal from those bench appearances. Fleet Town looking for addition to their forward line are managed by former Cardiff City, Salisbury City and Bashley midfielder Craig Davis assisted by ex-Eastleigh Reserve and Youth team manager Wayne Mew. Sam’s loan initially ends on 21st November though this co...

By Paul McNamara  Sam Wilson’s eyes brighten when he is asked to express his feelings upon receiving a telephone call from Richard Hill during the summer. Eastleigh’s manager was enquiring as to whether Sam would be interested in returning, after a year away, to play his football at the Silverlake Stadium. ‘Excitement’, is the emotion to which the 18 year-old routinely refers, when recalling that initial discussion with his prospective new boss. ‘Richard spoke to my Dad, and then I got a call myself and spoke to Richard. I was debating whether to go to Winchester City at the time, but Richard persuaded me to come here. He said I’d improve with full-time football, and I believed in him and trusted him so I came here’. We are speaking early in September, immediately after one of the day-time training sessions which were a large factor in Sam’s eagerness to become a Spitfire once more. So, has the move lived up to initial expectations? ‘It’s been good so far...

Wednesday this week (30th October) sees the first game of our new look development squad as they take on Portsmouth at the Silverlake Stadium (kick off 11.00am). This will be the first of many games which the club are arranging against other professional league and non league clubs who run similar youth and reserve structures. Lee Peacock Former Spitfires first team player Lee Peacock will take charge of the team for the first time having been recently appointed in a full time role to help oversee our youth development programme in conjunction with Richard Hill. David Hazelgrove will add much needed continuity transferring his duties from the recently withdrawn Wvyern team to the development squad. This announcement follows on from the recent news concerning the Wyvern team. We feel as a club that if we are to maximise our potential in bringing through youth team players that it is essential we progress to playing fixtures against the highest calibre opposition possibl...

With the Club progressing through varying stages at this current time, the Club has had to take the unfortunate step of withdrawing the second side at the Club from the Wyvern Combination Football League. The Wyvern Football Combination is a well organised and competitive competition but it is thought that at present the calibre of player coming through would be better prepared through other avenues. With that in mind there is a plan that has been brought to fruition behind the scenes over a period of months that will be rolled out into the Club over the coming few weeks. This is an exciting time for all levels of Eastleigh Football Club and once final details have been presented to all players at all levels and management staff over the next few days, then further public announcements will be made.

[ View the story "Eastleigh 1-0 Staines Town" on Storify ] Staines Town Home 19.10.13 by Eastleigh FC

Eastleigh reserves played AFC Grains in the SDFA Senior Cup (Southampton Senior Cup) on Monday night. Eastleigh lined up against the unbeaten AFC Grains as follows: Tom Coffey was in goal with a back four made up of Ryan Fuller and Sam Griswood at full back with Tony Lee and Captain Jack Smith in the centre. In midfield James Jennings and Brad Doyle were the wide players with Elliott Cross and Harrison Weeks in the centre. Geoff Dunn then played in just behind Braiden Hamilton up front. As early as the eighth minute Tom Coffey was called into action with a good save pushing the ball round the post. Eleven minutes in and AFC Grains had a goal ruled out for offside. On seventeen minutes Coffey saved again with a push around the post. In the twenty-fifth minute with Eastleigh on the attack Brad Doyle had two efforts in quick succession well saved by the Grains keeper. In the thirty-eighth minute a shot from distance from Grains' Ben Keens just dipped over the bar. I...

Pictures courtesy of Tony Smith

By Paul McNamara During a summer in which Eastleigh’s manager, Richard Hill, made a clutch of elite acquisitions to his squad, the arrival of Stuart Fleetwood at the Silverlake Stadium perhaps spoke loudest about the Spitfires’ determination to secure Conference Premier football in time for next season. Here was a striker with considerable pedigree, in the peak years of his career, and who five years ago was putting his name to a three-year contract at Championship outfit Charlton Athletic, pledging the next stage of his career to a club playing in the Conference South. Fleetwood is quick to dismiss any theory that his latest move is the first phase in a winding down process on a football adventure that began when, as a schoolboy, his rich potential was spotted by Cardiff City. ‘It was a big decision (signing for Eastleigh). I had a few clubs interested and went and spoke to a few people. I went away for six days with Burton Albion which is a great club, but some of ...