Fareham Determined To Use 'Special' Club Atmosphere To Earn Promotion

Top of the Men's Conference West after five successive wins, The Hockey Paper's Rod Gilmour previews Fareham's top-of-the-table clash with University of Bristol this weekend.

With the majority of their squad hailing from the area and boasting several exciting youngsters, their sights are set on earning promotion to the second tier while continuing to establish themselves as the 'leading Hampshire club'.

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Chris Davey, Fareham men’s vice-captain, has been at the Hampshire club “forever”. And the 29-year-old window cleaner is not the only men's 1st XI player who has a deep-rooted connection with the Men’s Conference West side, with Fareham fielding 10 homegrown players in their 16-strong squad this weekend and their continued push for promotion to Division One.

Second-placed University of Bristol are the visitors to Henry Cort for a Sunday lunchtime pushback, with the club hoping for up to 200 supporters at the clubhouse. Third before the winter break, Fareham are now top of the league after a swing of results in their favour, coupled with their own growing form.

“We struggled in the pre-season and took a few games to get going but now that everyone is together it is working really well,” said Davey, who first played for Fareham aged five.

Davey plays alongside his younger brother George, the duo having taken over the family window cleaning business from their father.

“I don’t know where I would be without hockey, probably following football and Pompey,” joked Chris. “Hockey is amazing and the whole club, having my brother there, it is a real family affair. We are all good mates and a very tight team.

“A lot of my good friends also play in the 4s and everyone follows each other’s teams. And speaking to others, it feels like we have something special. I am glad I fell into this club at such a young age.”

Another Fareham stalwart is Malcolm Davies, who has been first team manager for three seasons, having played for 33 years. 

“We had a great junior squad around four years ago and we have managed to push most of those youngsters into our first team,” said Davies.

Just to underline the depth coming through at Fareham, the club recently celebrated another England junior selection, with 14-year-old Charlie Cook, who has trained with the men’s 1s, being called up into the England under-16 squad.

Fareham also has a senior international feel to its men’s side. George Harris, the former Welsh international goalkeeper, took over from Ben Barnes, also a former England international, as coach in 2020. On the field, the current top scorer is captain Niall Stott, the former GB and Scotland international.

Stott has returned to lead the side after a potential career-ending injury on the opening day of the 2019/20 season when he suffered a double break of his ankle and leg and made what he described as a “remarkable recovery”.

Colin Bradbury, club chairman, says: “We are a young side in all with several experienced players. They have benefited from another year’s experience and gelled really nicely as a team. They are playing with more confidence as the season’s gone on.”

Fareham have been a National League side for more than a decade, relegated in the year of Stott’s injury before the England Hockey restructure. The Hampshire outfit also reached the final of the England Hockey T1 Championships two seasons ago, losing out to Premier Division side Beeston.

While qualifying into the National League remains the highlight, the annual local bragging rights with Havant and, as Bradbury says, the “prize of being the leading Hampshire club” keeps the club battling for progression.

And so to this weekend and the top-of-the-table clash at home, with Fareham heading into the encounter unbeaten in seven matches in the Conference West. “Sunday is massive,” said Davey.

“The buzz getting back to hockey after the winter break was great and if we can pick up three points on Sunday, the atmosphere at the club will be bouncing.”