Portland United Football Club is a football club based on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England. In the 2015–16 season, they are members of the Wessex League Premier Division. The club is affiliated to the Dorset County Football Association and is a FA chartered Standard club.[1] Their nickname is "The Blues"[2]

Portland United
Full namePortland United Football Club
Nickname(s)The Blues
Founded1921
GroundCamp & Satherley Stadium, Grove Corner, Isle of Portland
Capacity1,300
ChairmanMatthew Lucas
ManagerShaun Bessant/Joshua Hickman
LeagueWessex League Premier Division
2023–24Wessex League Premier Division, 7th of 20

History

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The club was established in 1920 following a meeting at the Drill Hall on Monday 7th June, 1920 and joined the Dorset County & District League. They were continuously amongst the top clubs in the league but without actually taking the title. They joined the Western League Division Two in 1925.[3] The club went on to win this division twice before the Second World War, but never achieved promotion to Division One.[4] During this time the club made its debut in the FA Cup in the 1928–29 season and the club won the Dorset Senior Cup on four occasions.[3][5]

After the Second World War the club rejoined the Western Football League for the 1946–47 season but this time were placed in Division One.[6] The club then spent the next 24 seasons in this division, during which time they finished as runners-up once and went on to win six more Dorset Senior Cup finals.[3] The club then left the Western League to join the Dorset Football Combination League for the start of the 1970–71 season.[5] The club then won the league at their first attempt.[3] However, it would be another 28 seasons that the club would have to wait for another league title in the 1998–99 campaign, when they achieved the double by winning the league cup as well.[3] They repeated this success the following season as well.[3]

In 1994, the club moved from their original home of Grove Corner to New Grove Corner, when the Crown decided it needed the land for mineral extraction.[2] After finishing as league runners-up and with improvements made to their new ground, the club joined the Wessex Football League for the start of the 2001–02 season.[5] The club then remained in the Wessex League until the end of the 2005–06 season, when they dropped back into the Dorset Premier Football League. Since then the club won the league two times more, once in the 2007–08 season, though they made the decision not to seek promotion, and again the following season.[7][8]

In the 2013–14 season the club became winners of the Dorset Premier League for the seventh time in their history.[9] After a 9-season absence, they were promoted to the 2015–16 Wessex League via a runners-up finish which was approved by the FA Leagues Committee.[10]

Current squad

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
GK   ENG Harrison Bruton
DF   ENG George Stuttle
DF   ENG Shaun Bessant
DF   ENG Connor Callow
DF   ENG Sam Gadsby
DF   ENG Crit Clarke
MF   ENG Jamie Cleaver
MF   ENG Joshua Williams
MF   ENG Jacob Coombs
MF   ENG Lewis Toms
No. Pos. Nation Player
MF   ENG Hayden Scott
MF   ENG Jack Delves
MF   ENG Joseph Wickham
MF   ENG Archie Woolford
FW   ENG Gregory Borthwick
FW   ENG Joshua Camp
FW   ENG Freddie Beale
FW   ENG Jamie Symes
FW   ENG Patrick Jenkins

Ground

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Portland United play their home games at Camp & Satherley Stadium, Grove Corner, Grove Road, Portland. DT5 1DP.

Honours

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League Honours

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Cup Honours

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Records

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  • Highest League Position:[5] 2nd in Western Football League 1965–66
  • FA Cup best performance:[5] Fourth qualifying round – 1928–29, 1929–30, 1953–54, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1965–66,
  • FA Trophy best performance:[5] First qualifying round – 1969–70
  • FA Amateur Cup best performance:[5] Third round – 1930–31, 1931–32
  • FA Vase best performance:[5] Second round – 2001–02, 2023–24
  • Highest Attendance:[3] 4,127 vs Weymouth January 1949

Former coaches

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  1. Managers/Coaches that have played/managed in the football league or any foreign equivalent to this level (i.e. fully professional league).
  2. Managers/Coaches with full international caps.

References

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  1. ^ "Dorset CS Clubs". DorsetFA. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Portland United". Pyramidpassion.co.uk. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Portland". S299639758.websitehome.co.uk. Archived from the original on 23 April 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
  4. ^ "Website created using 350pages at www.350.com". Nonleaguematters.net. Archived from the original on 14 November 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Portland United at the Football Club History Database
  6. ^ "Western League 1945–1965". Nonleaguematters.net. 5 June 1947. Archived from the original on 12 May 2012. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
  7. ^ "Dorset Premier League 2003–2011". Nonleaguematters.net. Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
  8. ^ Graham Pauley. "Poole Borough Football Club". Poolefsc.freeserve.co.uk. Archived from the original on 7 March 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
  9. ^ "Portland in island jig (From Dorset Echo)". Dorsetecho.co.uk. 20 May 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  10. ^ "Football: Portland United to play in Wessex League (From Dorset Echo)". Dorsetecho.co.uk. 23 May 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  11. ^ "Magna Dorset Premier League". Full-time.thefa.com. Archived from the original on 5 June 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  12. ^ "Magna Dorset Premier League". Full-time.thefa.com. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2013.

50°33′04″N 2°25′52″W / 50.55111°N 2.43111°W / 50.55111; -2.43111