Hampshire Record Office in Winchester are going football crazy with a display of fascinating memorabilia of Hampshire football clubs from days gone by. Running until the end of October the small exhibition will be showcasing photos and club records telling the stories of buy-outs, closures and transfers of the South’s top teams.

Not just big names the display is also a celebration of the small town village clubs which made up the early Hampshire leagues – clubs such as Fordingbridge Turks, Ringwood Hornets, Portsmouth Sunflowers, Bournemouth Gasworks Athletic and Bournemouth Arabs. There are also some more unusual photographs - including motorcycle football and ladies football teams which started during the First World War.

Hampshire football has changed in many ways over the years. The early league fixtures were a mix of mostly small town, armed forces, Church and works teams. Public schools such as Winchester College led the way in 1863 by devising rules similar to rugby. These rules were then adapted by local Football Associations in Hampshire to become ‘soccer’, the game we know today.

The event, sponsored by Hampshire Learning can be seen on the top floor of the Hampshire Record Office, Sussex Street, Winchester.Opening hours are Monday to Friday, 9am-7pm, Saturday, 9am-4pm, and admission is free. For more details call  01962 846154.

Our local team Locks Heath FC are in desperate need of sponsorship. For more information on the club take a look at Locks Heath FC website.