Eastleigh FC - The Rise

Why Eastleigh

I went to watch my team Arsenal play in a pre-season tournament in Southampton and we stayed in Eastleigh and I went to watch the non-league team play and since then I’ve always been in love with the club and I always check their results.

Where do they play

Eastleigh play at the Silverlake stadium. Its small but it works with the fans and is a cracking little ground.

About the club

The club was formerly known as Swaythling Athletic, which then changed to Swaythling. In 1950 they joined Hampshire League, and in 1980 were renamed Eastleigh. In 1986 they were accepted as one of the founding members of the Wessex League. In 2002–03 they won the league and were promoted to Division One East of the Southern League.
After finishing fourth in their first season, the club were promoted due to the formation of the Conference North and South taking clubs from the division above, and were transferred into the Premier Division of the Isthmian League.

The club finished third in its first season in the Premier Division, qualifying for the promotion play-offs. After beating Braintree Town 2–0 in the semi-final, they were promoted to the Conference South after a 1–0 victory over Leyton in the final. In 2008–09 they finished third, but lost to Hayes & Yeading United in the play-off semi-finals.

About this story

I intend to take Eastleigh to the heights of the premier league and make them the greatest club in the world It will take time but I believe this save will take me until FM14 and the Boreham Wood story buy Or has inspired me to do this. This will not be as good as his story but I will give it a try to beat his achievements he gained at Wood.

Good luck Wellsy, make them better than Southampton!

Good luck Wellsy

2013-03-31 09:46#88552 LJO200 : Good luck Wellsy, make them better than Southampton!

I will, thanks.

2013-03-31 09:51#88557 Blue : Good luck Wellsy

Thanks.

This month on SkySports News we are going to be looking at Non-League football clubs in England. We will be touring the ground and interviewing the people that make this club tick. Today our focus is on Eastleigh FC of the Blue Square Bet South. The club was founded in 1946 and has spent its entire lifetime in the lower leagues of the game. The spitfires play at Silverlake stadium that can hold up to 3000 fans on a match day. Unfortunately the last manager has left the club for personal reasons and Chairman, Stewart Donald is looking for a new manager.

“Well we are looking for a young talented manager who can take this club into league football and make us become a great club. We have been stuck in the league for a long time now and we want to move this club forward and have a successful team also. We are happy to respond to applicants and we will hopefully have a new manager by the 14th of July”.

I sat back in my chair ‘This was my opportunity’ I thought. I had always wanted to be a Manager and I had the chance to try to reach my dream. I scuttled away to find a pen and paper and wrote a letter to Eastleigh FC.

Dear Stewart Donald,

I am writing to apply for the position of Manager at Eastleigh Football club. I am a young manager who is dreaming of becoming a great. I gained my coaching badges early at 25 and I believe I am ready for the next step. I want to take your club forward into league football and beyond. I know the club well as I follow the team. The club has the potential to be great and I want to be part of it. I believe the team under my management could be in league football in 3 years’ time and then we would go on from there.
Thank you.
Yours Sincerely,
Matt Wells

The Reply

I woke up to hear the letterbox rattling so I went downstairs and picked up the letters, Bill, Bill, Bill, BI……. Eastleigh Fc. I had got a reply from them about the job as manager and all I was expecting was them to say no.

Dear Matt Wells
We are writing to inform you that you were the only candidate who applied for the post as manager of Eastleigh FC and we want to formally invite you to the Silverlake stadium for a tour and a meeting with the board of directors.
We look forward to seeing you soon.
Eastleigh Fc

I was jumping up and down. I had an interview with the club. I ran to the phone to call my mum but I had not paid the bill so the phone line had been cut off. “Buger” I shouted. I then calmed myself down and went out to find a new suit for my interview on Saturday.
I found a new Italian suit that set my back £165 and headed straight for Eastleigh.
As I arrived I realised the club was shadowed by local teams such as Portsmouth and even more so Southampton. I wanted to make the club bigger than the teams around it and make it a very successful club.
I pulled up outside the ground to be greeted by the very friendly staff and I was told that the Chairman and Directors were waiting for my arrival in the Boardroom. I entered the Boardroom and the 4 men in the room had 4 different personalities.

The Director, Derik Brooks looked a miserable old sod in it for the money and I wanted to stay out of his way.

Another Director, John Dunn looked friendly and was pleased to see me.

The 3rd director, Mick Geddis looked like the one with the money. He was sat there in a posh suit and with his Aston Martin parked alongside my Reliant Robin.

The chairman though looked level headed. He wanted the best for the club and wanted to help me help the club become great.

Mick Geddis looked at me and said “Do you really believe you are the man to take MY club forward”.

“Yes” I replied.

I was then told after a brief discussion behind closed doors I was to have a look around the stadium and make myself at home.

After a small tour I was told to head back to the Boardroom. I knocked on the door and my heart was pounding,
“Enter”………

The Signature that changed history

I entered the boardroom with my hands shaking.
“We are offering you the position on manager of Eastleigh FC, we want you to sign the contract here and you will be able to get straight into your job”.
I signed the contract and shook all of the board members hands. I was told to head to my new office where I could set up my desk and get straight to work. I looked out the window to find 30-50 fans cheering and I opened my window and declared “I will bring success to this club and I promise you the fans the best football you have ever seen”.

I was then greeted by the clubs oldest fan that was 98 and was slowly passing away. “Make my club great I have the full confidence in you”.


“Don’t worry Sir I have your club in safe hands”.

I was now manager of Eastleigh town and I was dedicated to getting this team to the top.

Pre-Season

The lads had a decent pre- season and they got to know each other well. The friendlies we played were money making ones but we had 1 shock involved.

(Craig McAlister)
(Mckenna, Reed, Scannel)


(Dunn)


Overall a decent pre-season and we managed to gain a profit from all of the gate receipts we gained over the 4 matches. I was very pleased with the Exeter game as we played some cracking football and we were on top the whole game. The loss to Southampton impressed me as we only conceded 2 goals and we had chances to score but their quality shone in the end. The other games I was not too concerned about but still disappointing to lose any game. Overall we have played the football I want to play and we have passed the ball about well and got some good results.

Next Update: Transfer Special.

Great victory over Exeter, bad luck in the games against Sothend and Sothampton-does the U on your keyboard not work?

2013-03-31 16:17#88696 LJO200 : Great victory over Exeter, bad luck in the games against Sothend and Sothampton-does the U on your keyboard not work?

Dont get it?

Transfer Special

We have had a busy window and I have strengthened the squad well with a budget of £6ok and a wage budget of £6k.
Signing 1: Jake Reed- Loan- Dag & Red
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Signing 2: Stephen McLaughlin- Loan- Nottingham Forest
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Signing 3: Ben McKenna- Free Agent
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Signing 4: Jack Hendry- Free Agent
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Signing 5: Danny Foster- Loan- Wycombe
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Signing 6: Rob Lainton- Loan- Bolton
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Signing 7: Steve Brooker- Free Agent
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Signing 8: Chori- Free Agent
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Signing 9: Jamie Milligan- Free- Fleetwood
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Signing 10: Adam Green- £26K- Dartford
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Signing 11: Oskar Martin- £28K- Sestao
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Very happy with these signings and I believe they can help lead this club out of this division and into the football league.
Next Update: August Update.

Good signings mate As for LJO comment it's becuase you spelt Southampton as Sothampton and Sothend as Sothend Anyway keep up the story!

This story intrigues me!

2013-03-31 19:40#88781 BeanyUnited : Good signings mate As for LJO comment it's becuase you spelt Southampton as Sothampton and Sothend as Sothend Anyway keep up the story!

Oh right cheers.