Club News
Isthmian South Central League
The FA have today announced their league allocations for the 26/27 season and we are absolutely delighted to have been placed in the Isthmian South Central League.
This will be our first ever season at Step 4 football in our 107 year history.
We are now at the same level as some clubs that we could never have dreamed of being with a few years ago!
We look forward to reverting back to being big underdogs for every game!
New Ladies First Team Manager appointed.
AFC Stoneham is delighted to announce the appointment of Adam Buffery as the new Ladies First Team Manager. Adam joins the club from Sholing.
Speaking on accepting the role, Adam said:
“I’m incredibly proud to join a club with such a clear and exciting vision. What stood out to me immediately was the strength of the project, from the short-term ambition to achieve success on the pitch, to the long-term aspirations of building something sustainable and impactful within the women’s game.
The club’s commitment and investment in developing female football is something I’m passionate about being part of. Together, we want to create an environment where women and girls can truly thrive, enjoy the game, and reach their full potential both on and off the pitch.
There’s a real opportunity here to build something special, and I’m excited to get started.”
The club looks forward to an exciting new chapter under Adam’s leadership.
SDFA Senior Cup Final
AFC Stoneham 2 Millbrook 1
Scorers: Martins and Annetts
We won our third piece of silverware of the season tonight as we retained the SDFA Senior Cup with a 2-1 win over Millbrook.
The boys have now played three cup finals in the last eight days with minds understandably very much on Sundays FA Vase Cup Final at Wembley.
Our squad strength was clearly utilised again tonight as we went into a 2-0 lead just before half time. We would have hoped to have increased the lead against 10 men however we missed chances before Millbrook reduced the deficit with 18 minutes remaining.
The boys managed the game well to earn more silverware despite big efforts from a determined Millbrook team.
Our fantastic season continues and we are now delighted to have three pieces of silverware in the trophy cabinet allowing us to now focus purely on our once in a lifetime experience at Wembley on Sunday.
Well done boys!
First Team visit Saints
As part of our partnership with Saints our first team were delighted to be invited to train at Marchwood tonight in preparation for both our SDFA Cup Final on Monday and our FA Vase Final at Wembley next Sunday lunchtime.
The boys enjoyed a two hour training session in the dome and we would like to send a big thank you to everyone at Southampton FC for arranging the invite.
U16 Athletic - National JPL Champions
A huge well done to our U16 Athletic who travelled to Sheffield yesterday and won their national trophy final against Lower Breck from Liverpool.
The game was a thriller and dispite a thunderous strike from Sanchez giving us the lead they found themselves 3-1 down with just 11 minutes to play.
The lads showed great desire to get the game back to 3-3 with goals from Owen and Theo .
A mammoth penalty shoot out eventually saw Charlie save the defining penalty and the trophy would be heading back to Stoneham.
Our coaches, Lee and Brett, are obviously absolutely delighted with the character shown by the team which has been a running theme throughout this competition.
Huge congratulations to Lee, Brett and all of the players!
Well done.
Hants FA Russell Cotes Cup Final
AFC Stoneham 5
Fareham Town 2
Scorers: Laycock(4), Sampson.
Tonight we lifted our second piece of silverware this season with a convincing 5-2 win over Isthmian League Fareham Town in the Russell Cotes Cup Final.
Fareham were the better team for 15 minutes and took a deserved lead before the boys took control for the remaining 75 minutes with an excellent all round team performance.
Four goal Cal Laycock was deservedly awarded man of the match by the match sponsors
We now move onto our third cup final at Eastleigh FC on Monday when we meet Millbrook in the SDFA Senior Cup Final.
Well done boys on another great night for the club in a truly outstanding season!
Wessex League Cup Final
Hamble 3 AFC Stomeham 2 Scorers: Sampson, Martins.
We lost the first of our four cup finals yesterday having led 2-1 at half time in a very close and keenly contested game.
We now move on to the Russell Cotes Cup Final on Thursday at Stoneham Lane with a 7.45pm ko v Isthmian League Fareham Town.
We would like to congratulate Hamble on their victory yesterday and for a good game.
U12 Girls JPL - County Cup Winners!!
Hampshire Cup Final – U12 Girls vs AFC Bournemouth
Off the back of a huge midweek league win, the girls faced AFCB once again in the Hampshire Cup Final and what a game it turned out to be!
AFC Stoneham came flying out of the blocks, scoring 4 goals in the opening 13 minutes. Clinical finishing from Florence G, a stunning long-range effort from Seren, and a superb team move finished by Florence O gave the girls a dream start.
AFCB responded well, pulling two goals back before half-time to make it 4-2 at the break.
The second half saw AFCB carry that momentum, scoring twice more to level the game at 4-4.
Showing real grit and determination, Stoneham made changes and pushed on, with Seren calmly slotting home into the bottom corner following a deflected cross to restore the lead.
But the drama wasn’t over, AFCB found a late equaliser after a mix-up at the back, sending the game to penalties.
Penalty Shootout Drama!
A brilliant save from Paris, combined with an AFCB miss, meant that all four Stoneham penalties converted was enough to secure the trophy!
What an incredible match, both teams showed outstanding quality, determination, and spirit from start to finish.
A final to remember!
The whole club is very proud of the girls and their achievements this season. They are a huge credit to AFC Stoneham.
A big well done to Rob and all of the girls!!
History Makers - U13 Girls
League Champions in a mixed league
History was made last weekend when for the first time in the 57 year old Southampton Tyro League a girls team won a league title!
That girls team was our Super U13 Tigers.
We would also like to recognise the sportsmanship of Romsey Town Jaguars who gave the girls a guard of honour as they entered the pitch on Sunday.
The club is immensely proud of the girls and manager Mike. What a fantastic and wonderful achievement!!
Well done to everyone.
Please share
Southampton Tyro League post
History made today!
Our Tyro league has its first ever all girls team to win their division, an incredible achievement that shows what determination, teamwork, and belief can accomplish. Massive congratulations to AFC Stoneham U13 Tigers.
A special mention as well to Romsey Town U13 Jaguars for the fantastic sportsmanship shown this morning, lining up to applaud the girls as they entered the pitch. Huge respect and true fair play being shown
A day to remember for everyone involved!
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U14 Spitfires - 4 in a row!
Congratulations to our U14 Spitfires who
won the Tyro Cup today for the fourth consecutive season when they defeated Hamble.
Well done to Jon and the boys!
Abby's Heroes
Our Community Partnership with Abbys Heroes continues to flourish as we recently attended the charities Family Fun Day and also had the pleasure of Abbycorn visiting our U10 girls who are sponsored by Abby's Heroes.
The Partnership is sponsored by Womble Bond Dickinson and Nikki Powell said;
"We’re incredibly proud to support Abby’s Heroes through a partnership with AFC Stoneham, backed by Womble Bond Dickinson sponsorship.
This is about more than branding — it’s about bringing community, visibility and fundraising together in a way that can genuinely help local families.
By supporting girls’ teams at AFC Stoneham, the partnership helps give more girls the chance to play, be seen and feel proud to represent both their club and Abby’s Heroes, reinforcing the positive role that grassroots football can play in confidence, inclusion and aspiration all while helping to raise awareness of and funds for this charity’s vital work.”
Nikki Powell, Partner and Community Engagement Lead, Womble Bond Dickinson
AFC Stoneham are very proud to be involved with Abbys Heroes and such a great community partnership supported by Womble Bond Dickinson.
Fourth Cup Final !!
Russell Cotes Cup Semi Final
Baffins Milton Rovers 2
AFC Stoneham 3
Scorers: OG, Sampson, Martins
Our remarkable season continued tonight as the boys reached their fourth cup final of the season in addition to being crowned Wessex Premier League Champions
Tonight's game was goalless at half time but burst into life as an own goal and a Sampson thunderbolt gave us a 2-0 lead.
Baffins took the ascendancy and two quick goals put them back on equal terms with twelve minutes remaining with the hosts looking to go on and win the game.
Testimony to our teams determination and togetherness, despite numerous injuries and absentee's, was highlighted with a fine Duarte Martins header with only 5 minutes remaining securing an unprecedented fourth cup final
A truly outstanding season has four games remaining........all cup finals!!
Well done to every one of our players and management.
#upthepurps
AFC Stoneham - Kenya
A remarkable story!
We have posted below an article from the Mozzart Sports Paper highlighting AFC Stoneham - Kenya and the progress being made.
Our club coach,Jacob, returned to Kenya a couple of weeks ago to continue building and moving the project forward which now has four teams.
The progress is quite remarkable and having a hugely positive effect on the local community.
The article is very detailed and quite brilliant so we have just extracted some paragraphs below to give a flavour.....
In a village called Guu, football is being built from almost nothing, and yet somehow from everything.
Coach Jacob is the Chair of AFC Stoneham Kenya and International Lead for AFC Stoneham, a club founded in 1919 that has just recorded its highest-ever league finish, earning promotion to the eighth tier of English football.
He arrived carrying around a hundred donated kits, tops and shorts stitched with a badge that had never been meant for this place. The gesture was simple, but the response reshaped everything.
"We started with just one ball, a patch of very uneven grass and no equipment,” he says. “It’s incredible to see the growth and impact already. We are very excited for what is next.”
Growth here is not abstract. There are now four teams, close to a hundred children involved, and a senior side competing in the sub-county league while junior and girls teams play friendlies across the region.
."The desire and pure love of football from everyone here immediately showed me that this needed to be a long-term project for this community.”
"We very much see ourselves as a Kenyan club with English roots,”
"She’s massively gained confidence and ability,” Dockree says. “She helped keep the girls' heads up in a friendly defeat to Shabana Starlets in December.” The detail is important, not a victory, but a response to defeat. Growth measured, not in scorelines, but in behaviour.
Stacey Nick sees the project through a broader emotional lens. “AFC Stoneham Kenya represents everything beautiful about football,” she says.
“The club is proof that dedication and belief can take you all the way.” Her perspective carries a sense of ownership that reflects the club’s evolution from an introduced idea into a locally embedded institution.
At the same time, AFC Stoneham will play at Wembley Stadium in the FA Vase final, a historic moment for the English club. In Guu, preparations are already underway to ensure the match is watched collectively, turning a distant event into a shared experience.
“This project is proof of how much impact this game we love can really have. To be able to be a part of these kids and this club’s journey is a privilege.”
The connection between a club founded in England in 1919 and a village in Kenya in 2025 is not straightforward. It is shaped by people, by decisions, by moments that could easily have gone another way. But it exists, and it continues to grow. And in Guu, the game goes on.
Our club is so proud to be part of this story having been able to drive the idea and concept with Jacob who has then gone to Kenya and led the project superbly. Well done Jacob!
We are still in the early stages however the journey and progress to date is wonderful!!
WESSEX PREMIER LEAGUE CHAMPIONS!
Yesterday was another truly fantastic day for our club as we were presented with the Wessex Premier League Championship for the first time in our 107 year history following our 5-1 win over Hythe and Dibden.
In the last three seasons the team has been denied promotion on goal difference and then in the play offs twice having finished runners up on both occasions and surpassing 90 points in all three seasons.
After the heartache of last seasons penalty shootout defeat the group stuck together and were focussed solely on winning the league this season. Yesterday they had their richly deserved "day in the sun"!
If a year ago, almost to the day, someone had offered "give it another year and the team will be crowned champions with 6 games remaining and still be in four cup competitions including a trip to Wembley", we would have taken that!
We were delighted to be joined by so many of our youth managers, coaches and young players yesterday who made it such a special day. Thank you to everyone.
A wonderful day when lifelong memories were made. Never give up on your dreams!
Wessex Premier League Champions !
Bemerton Heath Harlequins 1
AFC Stoneham 3
Scorers: Martins(2) Sampson
An incredible three days for our club was sealed tonight as we won the Wessex Premier League title for the first time in our history with six games remaining having reached Wembley on Saturday.
The league title was won with a 3-1 away win at Bemerton with a brace from Duarte Martins
and an excellent Tyrrell Sampson finish.
These three days have been the culmination of many years of hard work by numerous players, management and volunteers. We thank everyone of them from the bottom of our hearts tonight.
Over the last four seasons the players and management have shown great resilience having missed out on goal difference and the play offs twice over the last three seasons having amassed 91 points and 95 points twice.
We lost out on a penalty shoot out last season in the plays off, having finished second by 19 points, it would have been very easy for many to walk away. They didn't and stuck together determined to reach our goal of promotion
Every piece of credit they are receiving now is very well earned and the Wembley appearance is beyond our wildest dreams!
Thank you to everyone who has stuck with us and been on the incredible journey that is AFC Stoneham
Tonight we got our reward!
Thank you!
As the dust starts to settle on the most memorable day in our clubs 107 year history we would like to take the opportunity to thank the 851 supporters who came out to support the boys yesterday.
This was the largest crowd by some 200 to attend a match at Stoneham Lane.
The atmosphere and support created was brilliant and inspired the boys to create history.
We would also like to thank our small band of hard working volunteers who ensured that the whole day ran incredibly smoothly.
Finally, we would like to thank everyone who has sent some lovely congratulations messages since yesterday. They all mean a huge amount.
Thank you.
FA Vase Semi Final - Second Leg
AFC Stoneham 3
Hallen 1
Scorers: Welch(2), Sampson.
A Facebook post can't possibly articulate the elation and pride that our club feels tonight.
Having won 3-0 last Saturday at Hallen our boys finished the job today with a 3-1 second leg victory to secure an FA Vase Final at Wembley Stadium on May 17th.
Over 650 teams entered the competition and only two remain to battle out the final. Ourselves and Cockfosters from North London.
We would like to thank the 851 spectator's who joined us today to support the boys. A record attendance at Stoneham Lane.
Today was undoubtedly the greatest day in our clubs history. Many players and volunteers have contributed along the way over many years. Without those people today would not have been possible. Thank you to every one of you.
A truly wonderful day that will live in the memory forever for everyone connected with AFC Stoneham.
Thank you
FA Vase Semi Final-First Leg
Hallen 0
AFC Stoneham 3
Scorers: Sampson, Annetts, Jenkins.
An excellent away win in the first leg of the FA Vase Semi Final today.
We raced into a 3-0 first half lead and managed the second half very well to come away with a good lead for next Saturdays Second Leg at Stoneham Lane.
We are however very conscious that we are only at "half time" with a lot of work still to do next Saturday to secure a cup final place.
The team would like to send a huge thank you to the many fans who made the trip giving us nearly 50% of the crowd on our side which makes a huge difference. Thank you!
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