A.F.C. Newbury
| Full name | Association Football Club Newbury |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1996 |
| Dissolved | 2006 |
| Ground | Town Ground, Faraday Road, Newbury, Berkshire |
| Capacity | 2,500 |
A.F.C. Newbury were a football club based in Newbury, Berkshire, in England. At their peak they were a strong force in the Wessex League and had over 30 teams from seven years old through to veterans including junior teams, a senior squad, a ladies and several girls teams competing in national, regional and local football leagues and competitions throughout the year. However, it all came to an abrupt end in 2006 when the club lost their ground and financial backing.
They were famous for producing Arsenal winger Theo Walcott.
AFC Newbury were formed in 1996 to replace the now defunct Newbury Town and bring senior football back to Faraday Road.
The new club was formed from the resources of three local clubs – Ecchinswell (founded 1906) (link to the village rather than the football team), Shaw Boys & Belles Juniors (established in 1972) and Wickham U17 Youth Team.
Prior to this, Ecchinswell had a long history playing in the North Hants League and Basingstoke League. In 1991 they were elected to the reformed Division 3 of the Hampshire League and after a slow start their fortunes dramatically took off when they won the Division 2 and Division 1 titles in 1993–94 and 1994–95 seasons. However they were unable to progress further due to the lack of facilities at their ground so upon formation of AFC Newbury they became the new club's First Team.
The 1st Team quickly achieved Wessex League status after finishing runners-up in 1996–97 and winning the League Cup – defeating run-away league champions Moneyfields 2–0 in the final.
Upon joining the Wessex League the club soon became a strong force, twice finishing 3rd and regularly found towards the top of the table in what was a tough league. After finishing 3rd in 1998–99 the club applied for promotion to the Southern League but were unsuccessful.
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