Bashley Football Club, nicknamed “The Bash,” is a non-league football club based in New Milton, Hampshire.
Established in 1947, they currently compete in the Pitching In Southern Football League Division One South, which is part of the eighth tier of English football. The team calls Bashley Road their home ground.
Founded in 1947, Bashley FC joined the Bournemouth League in 1950 and moved to the Hampshire League in 1983. They became founder members of the Wessex League in 1986, winning the title for three consecutive seasons. The club reached the semi-finals of the FA Vase in 1987-88, narrowly losing to Emley. In 1989, Bashley joined the Southern League Southern Division, winning the title in their first season. Despite contending for promotion to the Conference the following season, they finished fourth and were relegated back to the Southern Division two years later.
Bashley made it to the FA Cup First Round proper for the first time in 1994/95, winning 1-0 against Chesham but losing to Swansea in the Second Round. In 1997, Jimmy Case was appointed manager, and the club finished third in the league with a strong FA Trophy run. In 2000, young midfielder Wade Elliott transferred to AFC Bournemouth, eventually reaching the Championship with Burnley. Bashley had a notable FA Trophy run in 2001/02 and finished in the top six in 2002/03. Despite managerial changes and player departures, the club secured a place in the Isthmian Division One due to FA restructuring.
Bashley experienced a record-breaking season in the Southern League South and West Division, winning the league with 102 points and 111 goals. Richard Gillespie set a new club scoring record with 41 goals. The club finished fifth in the Southern Premier but struggled in the following seasons, leading to managerial changes and the departure of key players like Gillespie. After several managerial shifts and relegation to the Wessex League, the club stabilized with a 14th place finish in the 2016-17 season. In 2020, Paul Lucas became chairman, overseeing significant club improvements. Under Paul Morris’s management, Bashley earned promotion back to the Southern League in the 2021-22 season.