HISTORY OF RINGWOOD TOWN FOOTBALL CLUB

Few football clubs in Hampshire can boast that they are over 140 years old, but an ancient copy of the old Ringwood Almanac reveal that Ringwood Town Football Club was formed in 1879. The club is first mentioned in county records in 1886 when it used the title of Ringwood Hornets.

The team was disbanded during the 1914-1918 war and was re-established in 1918 as Ringwood Comrades, consisting mainly of servicemen returning from the battlefields. In 1936 the club reverted to the name of Ringwood Town Football Club but was disbanded again during the Second World War. In 1946 the club was listed as Ringwood and Welworthy Football Club but soon reverted back to the title of Ringwood Town and has played under that name ever since.

The club played at Carvers Playing Fields during the 1950s and 1960s but an ambitious club committee, encouraged by Ringwood Town Council, laid the foundations for the club to move to the present Long Lane ground.
Successive committees have continued to improve the facilities at the ground such that the club was able to join the Wessex League in 2004.

Ringwood Town have won the Bournemouth Senior Cup on 4 occasions and runner up on a further four. In 1980 the club recorded its most memorable achievement when Southern League opponents were defeated to win the Russell Cotes Cup. Since then the club was promoted to Hampshire League Division One only to be relegated the following season. The club has had notable success in the Bournemouth Leagues and in the Bournemouth F.A. Page Croft Cup.

During 2003-04 season the 1st team reached the final of the Hampshire League Floodlit Cup whilst the reserve team won the Hampshire League Combination 2 Division. In 2005-06 the 1st team finished 9th, with the reserve team 5th in their respective decision. The re-formed Sunday team won Bournemouth F.A. Division 3 with an unbeaten league record and a new League record, conceding only 9 goals in 22 matches. This improvement was not maintained in 2006-07, with the club finishing next to bottom of the Wessex League Premier Division.

The club strives to improve all aspects of its structure as one club with over 25 youth teams from Under 6 through to Under 16 which flows into the Under 18 team in the Bournemouth League. In 2017 the Under 18s won Division One Dorset and the Hampshire Cup in their 2nd season! We have now formed the next step of the Development team playing in the Bournemouth Premier League which we are pleased to see is having players involved in the Wessex One Division week in week out.
Strenuous efforts continue to maintain the excellent playing surface which has been extensively overhauled in recent times by volunteers within the club.

Ringwood FC continues to develop as a footballing hub for the Town with plans in place, and under Council review, for a major re-development with a new clubhouse and 3G playing surface.