Hamworthy Recreation Football Club was formed in 1948 as Hamworthy Engineering FC and played on the Sports Ground opposite the factory at Fleetsbridge in Poole (where the Tesco supermarket now stands). When the site at Fleetsbridge was sold to Tesco in the late 1980’s the football, along with the Sports & Social Club, moved to its current home at Magna Road, Canford.

 

At the time of the move ‘Hamworthy Engineering FC’ were playing in the Bournemouth League (Division 1).  The Club won the Bournemouth Senior Cup in the 1988-89 season, and after winning the Bournemouth League Division One Championship in 1991-92 ‘The Rec’ successfully applied to join the Dorset Combination League for season 92/93 when they finished 5th.

 

Success soon followed when the Club won the Combination League Championship in 1993-94, and went on to gain a hat-trick of wins by repeating the feat in 1994-95 and 1995-96.

 

‘The Rec’ have lifted the League Championship Trophy on another three occasions, 2000-01, 2001-02 and 2004-05.  In 2000-01 the Club completed the League and Cup double when they defeated Hamworthy United FC in the Final of the League Cup.

 

“The Rec’ consider that their greatest achievement was in 1995, when not only did they win the League Championship, they also won the Dorset Senior Cup, defeating Weymouth Football Club from the Southern League by 3 goals to nil at Magna Road in the Semi-Final, and Poole Town FC, another Southern League team, 4 - 1 in the Final.

 

The 2001-01 season saw the Club change it’s name to Hamworthy Recreation FC to reflect the name of it’s current headquarters. That season also saw ‘The Rec’ pip Portland United FC for the League title, although it was the Islanders who were promoted to the Wessex League as the Magna Road ground cannot be brought up to the required standard.

 

Pat Notley, who had served the club as a player and manager for 25 years, assembling an excellent squad of players who have remained loyal to him and the Club, stood down as Manager after the 04-05 season before taking on a different role within the Club.

 

The Manager’s role was taken on by Steve Manuel, who stepped up from managing the Club’s Reserve side.  Steve has a long association with the Club, and is very much regarded as part of the ‘Ham Rec family’.

 

Steve’s first success was in pipping Portland Utd 4-2 in a penalty shoot out in the League Cup Final in 2007 after the match finished 1-1 AET.

 

The following season (2008) Steve again took the team to the League Cup Final, this time not waiting for extra time, beating Westland Sports 3-0.  They also beat Westland Sports in the League’s Charity Shield by 4-3  The team finished very strongly, playing 11 League and Cup games during April and winning them all, hoisting themselves to 3rd place in the league.

 

2008/09 was not so successful with probably the biggest disappointment being losing to Chickerell Utd in the semi-final replay at Magna Road by 6-7.

 

Having given his best for some years, as both a player and manager, Steve announced he was “having a rest” for the immediate future.  His position as first team manager will be taken by Gareth Daniel, another long time stalwart of the Club.  Again, promoting from within, Derek Chambers will take over from Gareth as Reserve team manager.  May we wish the best for both of them.