Cove

Cove FC is a non-league football club that was formed in 1897, in the village of Cove, which in turn has become a suburb of Farnborough in northeast Hampshire, located around thirty-five miles southwest of central London.

For many decades after their formation, the ‘Wasps' as the club are nicknamed, played in local football league competitions, first the Aldershot Senior League and then the Surrey Intermediate League playing at Cove Green after starting out on a pitch behind a local pub.

 

Cove became members of the Hampshire League as a Division Four side for the 1973-74 season, winning promotion to Division Three after just one season following the club moving into their new Oak Farm home, before going up to Division Two in 1976-77.

The Combined Counties League expanded for the start of the 1981-82 campaign, with the Wasps joining the Western Division before the competition reverted to one division twelve months later. A third-place finish in the 1989-90 season was rewarded with a place the extended Isthmian League under manager Chick Botley.

 

The club was placed n Division Two South prior to re-organisation a year later, which placed Cove in Division Three, where they remained until returning to the Combined Counties League in 1996-97 owing to the costs involved with playing at a higher level.

Steve Beeks led the side to the league title in 2000-01 prior to Koo Dumbuya coming in as player manager to steer the ship in 2009, taking the side to third place in 2011-12 before he moved on to Chertsey Town. Ex-player Anthony Millerick came in to lead the team during the 2012-13 campaign.

 

Fourth place was achieved in 2014-15 before many players departed as the club signalled that they did not have the finances for the ground improvements that would be required if promotion was won. Former youth team coach Dave Matthews was installed as manager before being replaced by Paul Duncan.

The team was relegated to Division One of the CCL at the end of the 2015-16 season, prior to another demotion being avoided twelve months later through a technical reprieve as Salvatore Diprima took over as team boss, as well as chairman, with a new committee in place.

 

When Diprima was replaced by Josh Taylor he also resigned as club chairman, before Joe Lawlor came in as manager for the 2019-20 season following three very poor seasons on the pitch. In October 2021 Chris Powell became the new manager of the club.

Cove were transferred to Division One of the Wessex League to start the 2023-24, where they finished in a most creditable seventh spot.

Cove FC will compete in the Wessex League Division One in the 2024-25 season.

My visits

Saturday 14th September 2002

Scarborough were playing away to Farnborough Town in the Conference and I was going to the game with my mate Dave Cammish. He was rather keen to watch the live lunchtime kick off between Leeds and Man Utd, even though his faith in travelling to such games was on the wain.

We arrived at Farnborough Main station in good time and Dave had sussed out a pub called the Thatched Cottage that looked promising. We arrived as they were opening, but after a quick check the barmaid told us that they didn't have Sky. This was not good as the area looked bereft of pubs.

We set off towards the station once again, when I saw a sign that saved us a trek. My knowledge of non-league football recalled that Cove were once members of the Isthmian League, but I hadn't realised that they were based next to Farnborough. I reckoned that their clubhouse could have Sky. Surely it was worth a try?

We walked down the quite Romayne Close, which led into the remote Squirrel Lane. It was like a back lane and seemed like an unlikely way to a football ground, but we were rewarded as the ground came into view. Even better was the fact that the clubhouse was open and they did have Sky and they were fine with us watching the game.

I went outside at half time to find a very basic venue. There was a little cover on the far side, but the near side was just flat and open with a few pub benches outside. It looked like there was once a stand of some description on the land. The ground had some hard standing all the way around it, with the rugby club just over the fence behind the right hand side goal.

I went back inside and watched the second half. Dave was happy as Harry Kewell scored the only goal much to the dismay of the southern Man Utd fans, before we said thank you to those good enough to welcome us, and headed to our match.

Wednesday 20th June 2012

I was on a day off after my night shifts and I had headed to north east Hampshire and Surrey. I had just been to visit Fleet Town FC and had been taken by surprised by the distance between their Cawthorpe Park home and the railway station. However, help was at hand when I caught a bus from outside the ground all the way to Cove.

The journey took me through several villages and housing estates, before I alighted by Cove Pavilion and walked down Prospect Road under the railway to follow my route from ten years previously.

The ground was open with some works going on. It hadn't changed too much apart from the installation of spectator facilities on the far side of the pitch. Two small standing covers flanked the modern seated Ron Brown Stand.

I walked back down the lane and headed north to my next port of call, Farnborough FC.