Hayling United F.C.
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| Full name | Hayling United Football Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Humbugs |
| Founded | 1884 (as Hayling Island) |
| Ground | Hayling Park, Hayling Island |
| Capacity | 250 |
| Chairman | Mark Griffiths |
| Manager | Mark Howard |
| League | Hampshire Premier League Senior Division |
| 2016–17 | Hampshire Premier League Senior Division, 6/15 |
Hayling United Football Club is a football club based on Hayling Island in Hampshire, England. The club is affiliated to the Hampshire Football Association, and is a FA Charter Standard club. The Humbugs were founded in 1884 as Hayling Island, but changed their name in the early seventies to the present name.
The club currently play in the Hampshire Premier League Senior Division.
Nothing can be definitively found to indicate the exact date when Hayling United F.C came into existence. However, there is a written record of two matches played by a Hayling Island team in 1884.
The first match known to have been played was against A.F.C. Portsmouth, who eventually went on to become Portsmouth F.C.. Records indicate that this match was played on 15 November 1884. Hayling lost 5–1. Appearing for Portsmouth that day was a struggling Southsea doctor who played under the name of A. C. Smith. Arthur Conan Smith has become better known as Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator and author of Sherlock Holmes.
The second such match was reported upon in the Hampshire Independent newspaper of 28 November 1884. This mentioned a match under "Association Rules" played at St. Georges recreation ground Portsmouth between Hayling Island and The North Lancashire Regiment. The northern opponents took the honours on that day with an emphatic 8–0 win.
Teams under the name of Hayling Island F.C continued to play in the Waterlooville and District League until 1952, when they entered the stronger Portsmouth League.
On 29 December 1968, two teams, made up of Hayling Island F.C players, played non-stop for six hours. This feat took the world record for the longest game away from South American sides Peñarol and Santos.
The early 1970s saw the club change its name from Hayling Island F.C to the current of Hayling United F.C. They remained in the Portsmouth League until joining the Hampshire League in 1990–91 season when an away fixture at Andrew Lloyd Webber-backed Ecchinswell (who became the now defunct A.F.C. Newbury) gave Hayling its introduction to county league football.
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