History
In 1998 Havant Town and Waterlooville merged to play at Havant Town's West Leigh Park ground. In their first season as a merged team, Havant & Waterlooville won the Southern League Southern Division under the management of former Crystal Palace and Portsmouth defender Billy Gilbert. There was also instant success in the FA Cup, a penalty shoot-out defeat to Hayes was all that denied the Hawks an opportunity to visit league side Mansfield Town in the first round proper.
After Billy Gilbert left Havant & Waterlooville, Mick Jenkins and Liam Daish were appointed joint managers in April 2000. Jenkins and Daish guided the Hawks to notable successes in the FA Cup where they reached the first round, the first of four occasions achieved by the club. In 2000–01, Havant & Waterlooville lost 2–1 at home to Southport of the Conference North, and 3–2 away to another Conference side, Dagenham & Redbridge in 2002–03. The 2002–03 season was also notable for the Hawks' FA Trophy run when Havant & Waterlooville 'giant-killed' Forest Green Rovers en route to the semi-final where Hawks lost 2–1 on aggregate to Tamworth. During a 5 year stay in the Premier Division, Havant & Waterlooville's best season came in 2001–02, finishing 3rd after leading the table during September. In the 2003–04 season the club struggled and this led to the pair being dismissed in January 2004. However the club recovered and finished 12th in the Southern League and qualified for a place in the re-structured Conference South.
Ian Baird took over the part-time managerial post at Havant & Waterlooville in November 2004. In 2005–06, Havant & Waterlooville missed out on a place in the end of season play-offs by a single point because of a controversial three-point deduction for breaking a gentleman's agreement with Weymouth that Havant & Waterlooville's ex-Weymouth player Tony Taggart would not play against his former club. Hawks manager Ian Baird claimed that an injury crisis had forced him to field Taggart in the home game with Weymouth.
In the 2006–07 season the Hawks qualified for the end-of-season promotion play-offs but were beaten in the semi-final by Braintree Town.The club met a Football League club in a competitive match for the first time in the 2006–07 competition, losing 2–1 to Millwall in a home match played at Fratton Park.
Baird resigned as Havant manager on 1 October 2007 to become manager of Eastleigh and was replaced by Shaun Gale. In the 2007–08 FA Cup, Hawks beat Bognor Regis, Fleet Town, Leighton Town, York City and Notts County, before causing a shock by defeating League One side Swansea City 4–2 in a third round replay. In the fourth round they played Premier League Liverpool at Anfield, and caused a sensation by leading twice before losing 5–2. Havant & Waterlooville player Alfie Potter, on loan at the time from Peterborough United, was voted player of the round.
The Hawks were involved in a relegation battle in the 2008–09 season despite being among the favourites to win the league at the start of the season, but ultimately secured Conference South survival with three games remaining. 2008–09 did, however, see diverting runs in the FA Cup, which ended with a first round home defeat to League Two Brentford and to the FA Trophy quarter final (2–0 defeat away to York City).
In 2009–10, Havant & Waterlooville made a late run that almost got them to the play-offs but Woking pipped them to the post by one point.
In July 2011, the club played a "once in a lifetime" game against La Liga side Real Betis, losing 7–0, after the Spanish club's original friendly opponents (Portsmouth) found themselves unable to play the game.
The 2011–12 season was a poor one for Havant & Waterlooville, and after dropping to second from bottom in the league following a defeat at Basingstoke Town, Shaun Gale was sacked on 1 April. Assistant manager Steve Johnson and stadium manager/fitness coach Adrian Aymes were placed in charge on a caretaker basis. In a tense finale, the Hawks avoided relegation with literally the last kick by a Havant & Waterlooville player in the entire season; Joe Dolan's 93rd minute winner in the final match against Staines Town ensuring that Maidenhead United (who believed themselves to be safe having scored a last minute winner themselves) would fill the final relegation spot.
On 8 May 2012, the Hawks appointed Stuart Ritchie as manager and Sean New as his assistant, the combination having been very successful in partnership during eight years at AFC Totton. Ritchie played 53 games for the Hawks in their first two seasons as a combined club (1998-2000). Sean New was replaced just 1 month after by Barry Blankley over a "failure to disclose particular information" scandal. Just ten games into his reign, Stuart Ritchie was sacked after just one win in those ten and a shock loss to Southern League South & West side North Leigh F.C. in the FA Cup.
On 9 October 2012, Lee Bradbury was appointed manager.
Read more about this topic: Havant & Waterlooville F.C.
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