Eastleigh Football Club, nicknamed “The Spitfires,” is a non-league football club based in Eastleigh, Hampshire.
Established in 1946, they currently compete in the Vanarama National League, which is part of the fifth tier of English football. The team calls Ten Acres their home ground.
Eastleigh FC, originally Swaythling Athletic, was founded in 1946 in Southampton. The club, which played in the Southampton Senior League, was promoted to the Hampshire League in 1950 and quickly achieved success, winning Division Three (West) and the Hampshire Intermediate Cup. By 1955/56, they were competing in the Hampshire League Division 1 and reclaimed this level as champions in 1970.
In 1980, the club rebranded as Eastleigh FC. They became founders of the Wessex League in 1986 and won it in 2002/03, leading to promotion to the Southern League Division One East. Subsequently, Eastleigh progressed to the Isthmian League Premier Division and then to the Conference South.
During nine years in the Conference South, Eastleigh narrowly missed promotion to non-league’s top tier twice, had a notable FA Cup run, and won the Hampshire Senior Cup in 2011/2012. In 2014, they won the Skrill South title, securing promotion to the National League, where they have now competed for ten seasons.