Bass Alton F.C.

Bass (Alton) F.C.
Full nameBass (Alton) Football Club
NicknameThe Brewers
Founded1920
Dissolved1991
GroundBass Sports Ground, Alton

Bass (Alton) F.C. were a long running amateur football club based in Alton, a market town in east Hampshire, England.

'The Brewers' were long standing members of the Hampshire League until 1991 when they merged with neighbours and league rivals Alton Town to create Alton F.C.

History

The club were formed circa 1920 as Courage & Co - they were the works side of the large brewery site based in Alton, and played on the company owned sports ground.

Courages began in the Aldershot League before progressing on to the Hampshire League Division 2 in 1928 and winning the Hampshire Intermediate Cup.[1] The following year they won the title and were promoted to Division 1 which at the time was of a very high standard. During this time they also began entering national competitions, and performed well in both the F.A. Cup and F.A. Amateur Cup.[2]

After World War II, Courages found themselves living in the shadow of the recently formed Alton Town, who would soon enjoy great success.[3] This saw 'the Brewers' spend many years playing in the Aldershot League, apart from the 1954/55 campaign when they took part in the Hampshire League's short-lived North Division.[4]

In 1972 Courages returned to the county league and were placed in Division 4. They initially performed well and won promotion in 1975, but then only lasted two seasons before being relegated.[5]

When the brewery was taken over by Bass in 1979, the club was renamed Bass (Alton), and with Alton Town now in decline, they then re-emerged as the top team in the area. A series of promotions saw them return to Division 1 in 1983 after a 45-year absence.[6] Bass then did well to consolidate in a very strong top-flight, although the competition was weakened in 1986 after the Wessex League was formed.[7]

A year later, their resurgent neighbours joined them in Division 1 for what was the first time that the two rivals had played at the same level.[8] However, after a poor 1990/91 campaign (which saw Bass finish rock bottom and Town a few places above) it had become clear that the area could not sustain two successful senior clubs. There had always been a close friendly relationship between the two camps so they then decided to join forces to create the present day Alton F.C..[9]

The merger was successful and has enabled the club to progress further up the pyramid system.

Honours

  • Hampshire Football Association [10]
    • Intermediate Cup Winners 1928/29
  • Hampshire League
    • Division 2 Champions 1929/30, Runners-up 1982/83
  • Aldershot Football Association [11]
    • Senior Cup Finalists 1984/85 and 1987/88
  • Aldershot League
    • Division 1 Champions
    • Division 2 Champions

Playing Records

Hampshire League

FA Cup

FA Amateur Cup

Ground

Bass (Alton) played at the Bass Sports Ground, London Road, Alton.

The venue was enclosed with a large wooden stand, fixed pitch barrier, floodlights and pavilion. The 1935 FA Amateur Cup tie against Woking attracted a record crowd of 750. [12]

The ground continued to be used by the merged club until 2015 when it was sold for housing. However, brewery owners Coors financed a return to a redeveloped Anstey Park (the former home of Alton Town).

Local rivalries

Bass (Alton) enjoyed a healthy rivalry with number of clubs in the east Hampshire area including Liss Athletic, Petersfield Town, Liphook and most notably Alton Town - with whom they eventually merged with.

Successor Club

References

  1. ↑ A History of the Hampshire League 1896-1996 by Norman Gannaway
  2. ↑ The FA Cup Club by Club Record compiled by James Wright ISBN 10869833-41-4 {{isbn}}: Check isbn value: length (help)
  3. ↑ https://fchd.info/ALTONT-1.HTM
  4. ↑ Hampshire Football Association Centenary History 1887-1987 by Norman Gannaway
  5. ↑ https://fchd.info/COURAGEC.HTM
  6. ↑ https://fchd.info/BASSALTO.HTM
  7. ↑ Bass (Alton) FC matchday programme 1985/86 compiled by Tony Hillman
  8. ↑ A Tabulated History of the Hampshire League by Stephen Farmery
  9. ↑ https://www.altonfc.com/history
  10. ↑ Hampshire Football Association Handbook & Directory 2012/13
  11. ↑ https://www.aldershotdfa.com/adfa-saturday-senior-cup-roll-of-honour/
  12. ↑ Page 233, Beyond The Cemetery End by Paul Claydon & Vince Taylor. Groundtastic Publications ISBN 978-0-9529435-6-3
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