NEWPORT IoW - HISTORY
NEWPORT was formed in January 1888. Like many others around in these times it is inaugurated from a public meeting, this one being held at the Warburton Hotel. Once more, a vote was taken whether to play rugby or soccer. The earliest recorded game was on 7th March when the team was defeated 2-1 by Lugley House School.
The first ground was ‘Wells Field’ which became known as Church Litten, their home for 100 years. In 1911 the club merged with another side to become Newport United, but that title lasted for just the 1911/12 season, when the club were beaten finalists in the Hampshire Junior Cup. Port were one of the Wessex League’s founders and are current members having re-joined in 2008.
The modern Newport IOW Football Club, with its well-appointed St George's Park facilities, (which the club officially vacated at the end of the 2018/19 season), presented a different picture from that conjured up by the club’s origins on January 27th 1888.
The actual date of formation can be established from the original minute book, which is still in the club's possession.
At that time, over 130 years ago, Newport played on a piece of land known as Well’s Field, which later became known as Church Litten. Those early days meant a walk from the local public house, where the players changed, to a field, in order to clear the cows before play could commence. Newport became founder members of the Isle Of Wight League in 1898 and were League Champions on four occasions.
In 1927 the club became members of the Hampshire League, taking over the fixtures of the defunct Gosport Albion Club in mid-season and within three seasons Newport had won the County League championship for the first time. The 1930's saw further wins in the Hampshire League and also the Hampshire Senior Cup being won in 1932. The 1935/36 season saw Newport reach the 2nd Round of the FA Cup for the first time, bowing out at Southall.
In the 1960's we had further Hampshire Senior Cup wins in 1961 and 1966 and in the 1970s a hat trick of Hampshire League titles in 1979, 1989 and 1981 and two Hampshire Senior Cup successes in 1980 and 1981
In 1986, Newport became founder members of the Wessex League, finishing a creditable fourth place in that debut season. In the 1989/90 season Newport were promoted to the Southern League. The 2000/01 season saw us win the Dr Martens League Eastern Division Championship. However we found the top flight too much and returned the Eastern Division after just one season.
Soon after in the 2003/04 season the club was in administration and the fight to keep the club alive was taken up by the supporters, with The Save Newport (FC) Action Group saving the club. 2004/05 saw Newport make its debut in the Isthmian League.
The 2006/07 season saw a return to the more familiar Southern League, playing in the South and West division. On 1st August 2007 The Port played a friendly against a full strength Portsmouth team which drew 3112 supporters to St George’s Park, the highest crowd ever to watch a match at the ground. The club was relegated back to the Wessex league at the end of the 2007/08 season after finishing bottom of Division One South and West of the Southern league. The club then remained in the Wessex League Premier Division but went on to win the Russell Cotes Cup in 2010/11.
Andy Sampson took over at the start of the 2015-16 season with the club finishing 7th in the Wessex Premier, followed by 10th and 15th in the two following seasons. At the end of the 2017/18 season the club was relegated to Wessex Division One. Soon after the start of the 2020/21 season Andy stepped down, with Stewart Shepherd and Steve Brougham taking the reins as joint managers.
The club finally moved from St. George’s Park at the end of the 2018-19 season and, for the past five seasons we have ground-shared at East Cowes Vics or at Smallbrook Stadium, home of Isle of Wight Speedway and Ryde Saints FC.
2024-25 promises to be an exciting season. Our new joint managers Joe Butcher and Martin McDonough have assembled an exciting squad of both young and experienced players as the club looks to build for the future on and off the pitch.
