Exclusive:'It's not ideal': New Waterlooville club must play in Southampton league after double rejection
The reformed club will be playing in the Southampton Saturday League Premier in 2026-27
Waterlooville are back on the local football calendar - with home games in Portchester and now informed they will compete in a Southampton league.
The club, resurrected by Lee Stainton after a 27-year absence, have successfully won admission to the Southampton Saturday League Premier for the 2026-27 campaign.
The Hampshire League and Mid-Solent Football League had both rejected approaches from the newly-formed Waterlooville AFC, although thankfully their Southampton neighbours were far more receptive.
It will pitch them into a 10-team division which last term included the likes of Fordingbridge Turks, Braishfield, Select Generation, Dynamo Dockside and Nursling & Shirley reserves.
For owner Stainton, who has also overseen a three-year arrangement to groundshare with AFC Portchester, it's a relief the ambitious club now has a league to compete in.
And he admits that, while membership of a Southampton league isn’t ideal, Waterlooville are relishing the challenge ahead.
‘I am actually excited to be part of it’
He told The News: ‘I didn't have an option for the league, it was taken out of my hands.
‘The Southampton Saturday Football League reached out to us, we spoke to them and we had some good talks. To me, Southampton is still a local league. How more local can you be than Pompey and Southampton?
‘The Hampshire League held a vote at their AGM about admitting us and apparently we didn’t succeed. While the Mid-Solent League was initially an option, but, once they realised what sort of players we were signing, they didn’t want us.
‘They see it as a development league, which we agree with. However, we are a developing club and feel our side was a development team as well, but that was taken out of our hands.
‘Okay, it’s not ideal that we’re in a Southampton league, but I have no regrets, I am actually excited to be part of it. If they want to achieve a better standard of football in the Southampton Premier League why shouldn’t we be a part of that and help them out, as much as they are helping us out?
‘We can’t be fussy in our first season, we’re going into a good standard of football and I’ve got to take what I’ve got to take. If we play 24 games next season, I’ve just got to make sure we win those 24 games.
‘Ideally, our youth set-up is at Jubilee Park and we’re doing whatever we can to make part of the club within Waterlooville. We will achieve it, but it’s going to take time.’
Last season’s Southampton Saturday League Premier winners, Lyndhurst, are now in the Hampshire Premier League Senior Division.
While runners-up Sporting Wessex, who are based in Otterbourne, will be in Hampshire Premier League Division One next term.
Meanwhile, under new first-team manager Lisa Gale, Waterlooville have been busy recruiting ahead of next month’s opening pre-season friendly against Folland Sports.
‘The players have come on board knowing the situation’
Stainton added: ‘I think we’ll do very well in the Southampton Saturday League, I’ll be disappointed if we didn’t achieve the goal of promotion. As far as I’m concerned, it’s about promotion for the next 3-4 years.
‘We have to set our goal and stick with it. For several weeks now, all the players have been aware that we’re going into the Southampton Saturday League.
‘Obviously we haven’t made it public, but the players have come on board knowing the situation, they haven’t been blinded. We’ve been fully open and they want to be there on the journey.
‘It’s a good level to go in at, I am more than happy with the level.’