Penn vs Sandhurst Town

Sandhurst Football Club were founded in 1910 and originally played in the Reading & District League until 1979, apart from a brief period in the East Berkshire Football League. In 1979, the club joined the Aldershot & District Football League, and five years later, in 1984, finished as runners-up before becoming founder members of the Chiltonian Football League. This move marked the club’s first step towards achieving senior status, and their best Chiltonian season came in 1986/87 when they finished second. In 1990, the club was granted senior status by the Berks & Bucks County FA upon joining the Combined Counties Football League. The early years were difficult, finishing bottom in both of the first two seasons and avoiding relegation only due to another club’s resignation. The team’s fortunes turned around under the management of Peter Browning and later John Underwood, leading to several seasons of league and cup success. The club’s first home ground was a field next to the Bull & Butcher pub, before relocating to Memorial Park where they played for many decades, with a short period in the 1950s spent on a nearby pitch in St. John’s Road. The introduction of the National Lottery in the 1990s provided the opportunity to develop a new home. With the support of Bracknell Forest Borough Council and Sandhurst Town Council, funding was secured to build the new ground at Bottom Meadow, which opened in August 1997 at a cost of £265,000. The 2010/11 season marked the club’s centenary, celebrated in style by winning the Combined Counties League Cup final and reaching two other semi-finals. By 2020, the club had embarked on a major redevelopment to secure its future for another century, investing heavily in facility upgrades at Bottom Meadow and strengthening its community presence. After work concluded, the club returned to a much-improved ground for the 2021/22 season. In 2022, Sandhurst celebrated 110 years of football in the community. Despite challenges from the Covid-19 pandemic and the cancellation of anniversary events, the club’s momentum continued with a full relaunch focused on education, community, and facility development. The completion of a pioneering state-of-the-art 3G pitch in summer 2023 made Bottom Meadow one of the most advanced football grounds in the country. That same year, under manager Jordan Ive, the Fizzers won the Combined Counties Division One title and earned promotion to Step 5 in the Combined Counties Premier South. Ive departed in December 2023 for a Step 3 side, and Adam Barnard took charge for the 2024/25 season, assisted by Carl Barrie and Lee Barefoot. Although club ambitions remained high, ownership and operational issues at Bottom Meadow led to relegation back to Division One. For the 2025/26 campaign, the SB Group regained operational control of Bottom Meadow, and Bob Ryan was appointed as first-team manager. With a rebuilt squad and renewed optimism, the aim is clear – to return Sandhurst Town to the Premier Division and continue building on its proud 115-year football legacy.