United Services Portsmouth

Yet another postponed game on Tuesday meant the players trained once again and I’ve written yet another review that I’m afraid is going to get shorter for the third time!

However United Services Portsmouth is a different matter. They arrived in North Dorset in August and were one of the best sides we have seen up here with obviously Moneyfields being the best.

That day it was Brett Pitman’s penalty and his second goal for the club that earned us a 1-0 win. Having arrived from AFC Portchester there was much talk going on yet Brett is more invested in this club than critics understood and the project moving forward.

United Services Portsmouth were worth a draw that day and we knew it. These were the early shoots of what Jim Milligan and chairman Steve Coffen are building here. Remember they won 2-1 here in 2022/23 before we made an incredible late comeback to win 4-2 down there.

The Victory Stadium, Burnaby Road is a ground we have a long history with since United Services Portsmouth (originally Portsmouth Royal Navy in the early Wessex League years) took that direction. So the review will focus on that as the Shaftesbury side of things was covered in the Laverstock & Ford review.

What’s your USP? We all need to think about that whoever we are!

Currently United Services Portsmouth sit second bottom with 17 points with Lymington Town below them on 9 points with only one relegation place. Lymington drew 2-2 with Sherborne Town in the week yet remain 8 points adrift of United Services Portsmouth.

United Services Portsmouth last game saw them lose 2-1 to Portland United at Burnaby Road which had followed the same scoreline to fellow strugglers Hythe & Dibden who are getting things together now a bit. That’s for another day.

A 3-1 defeat at Petersfield Town in the much heralded Portsmouth Senior Cup followed their last win on February 3rd by defeating Bournemouth 2-1 at home with Nathan Clements and Bradey Norton on target. United Services Portsmouth had responded to a 2-1 home defeat to Blackfield & Langley who also needed the points to move up the league.

After a 6-1 loss at Laverstock & Ford, Services responded with a 1-1 draw with Christchurch with Simon Woods goal earning a vital point. Previously to that they had lost 5-0 at Westleigh Park to Moneyfields, 2-0 to Brockenhurst and 2-1 at Portland United.

⚓ United Services Portsmouth top scorers – Joshua Bailey 7, Nathan Clements 5, Luke Richards 5, Thomas Rolls 5, Dylan Holgate 3, Liam Kelly 3, Simon Woods 3, Jimmy Walters 3, Dominic Cupid 2, Bradey Norton 2.

United Services Portsmouth – Simon Woods has a decent record over recent seasons though only two goals this season. Bradey Norton and Liam Kelly are other players that have performed well vs Shaftesbury. Joshua Bailey has top scored with 7 goals.

Shaftesbury – Eddie Perrett and Liam Farrugia are two players that have put in good performances recently. Perrett is having a renaissance having been away from the club for a while at Andover New Street.

🐿️ Interesting Facts – After our record Wessex League defeat 14-1 at Whitchurch United in 2009/10 the club found itself in desperate times. Following such a loss the next game up was against United Services Portsmouth. We lost 4-7. Dark days for the club with relegation to the Dorset Premier League in the next season.

🐿️ Here’s one for Carol and Trevor Coffen. In the previous 2008/09 season son James scored in a 3-2 win over United Services Portsmouth here in February 2009. Current ‘Rockies’ Ladies manager Dan Horsman also was in the team that day.

🐿️ Portsmouth Royal Navy played in newly founded Wessex League joining as a founder member in 1986/87. By 2001/02 they were back in the Hampshire League. In 1986 the Wessex League only had one division.

In 2004/05 the club became members of the newly founded Wessex League Division 2 and renamed themselves as United Services Portsmouth to represent the wider spectrum further with regards to team selection.

⚽ 2023/24

Velocity Wessex League Premier Division

12/08/23 – Shaftesbury 1(Pitman Pen)

United Services Portsmouth 0

Attendance – 85

⚽2022/23

Wessex League Premier Division

21/01/23 – United Services Portsmouth 2

(Sibley, Burroughs)

Shaftesbury 4

(Farrugia, Bayston, Walker, Shepherd)

Attendance – 41

11/10/22 – Shaftesbury 1 (Delaney)

United Services Portsmouth 2 (Jatta 2)

Attendance – 101

⚽2021/22

Wessex League Premier Division

19/03/22- United Services Portsmouth 0

Shaftesbury 4 (Peel 2, Burbidge, Philips)

Attendance – 56

26/02/22 – Shaftesbury 5 (Peel, Whickham, Philips, Delaney, Burbidge)

United Services Portsmouth 1 (Quirke)

Attendance – 95

⚽2020/21⬆️ United Services Portsmouth promoted to Premier Division in 4th Place (PPG) – Covid 19.

Season suspended.

⚽ 2019/20 – United Services Portsmouth top of the table after 28 matches played with 64 points – Covid 19. Season suspended.

⚽2016/17

Sydenhams Wessex League Division 1

18/02/17 – Shaftesbury 4

(Gale 2, Finnigan, Kauppinen)

United Services Portsmouth 4

(Clenahan, Neal, Smith, Dark)

Attendance – 40

26/11/16 – United Services Portsmouth 3

(Clenahan, Kanjanda, Jackson)

Shaftesbury 1 (Gale)

Attendance – 18

⬆️ 2016/17-Shaftesbury promoted in 3rd place to Premier Division.

⬆️ 2015/16- Shaftesbury promoted to Sydenhams Wessex League Division 1 as Dorset Premier League champions.

➡️ United Services Portsmouth – Sydenhams Wessex League Division 1.

⚽2010/11

Sydenhams Wessex League Division 1

15/01/11- Shaftesbury 0

United Services Portsmouth 3

(Lines, Pottage, Magro)

25/09/10 – United Services Portsmouth 3

(Holmes 2, Grice)

Shaftesbury 0

⬇️ Shaftesbury relegated to Dorset Premier League

⚽2009/10

Sydenhams Wessex League Division 1

03/04/10 – United Services Portsmouth 3

(Sandham 2, Bass)

Shaftesbury 1 (Crane)

26/09/09

Shaftesbury 4 (Thomson 3, Guy)

United Services Portsmouth 7

(Robinson 3, Holmes 2, Stock, Lines)

⚽2008/09

Sydenhams Wessex League Division 1

28/02/09 – Shaftesbury 3

(Gale 2, J.Coffen)

United Services Portsmouth 2

(Robinson, West)

06/09/08

United Services Portsmouth 0

Shaftesbury 0

⚽ 2007/08

Sydenhams Wessex League Division 1

19/04/08

United Services Portsmouth 5

(Cullis 3, Grice, Robinson)

Shaftesbury 1 (Creese)

22/09/07

Shaftesbury 2 (Gale, Hale)

United Services Portsmouth 2

(Grice, Robinson)

➡️ League Restructured – Premier Division, Division 1.

⚽2006/07

Sydenhams Wessex League Division 1

31/03/07

United Services Portsmouth 0

Shaftesbury 2 (Blunn, A.Ferguson)

19/08/06

Shaftesbury 3 (Allen, Ward, Gale)

United Services Portsmouth 3

(Barnes, Robinson, Yoxall)

➡️ League Restructured – Premier Division, Division 1, Division 2. Shaftesbury & United Services Portsmouth now in Division 1. Division 3 is disbanded with clubs returning to County leagues or going out of existance.

⚽2005/06

Sydenhams Wessex League Division 2

11/04/06

United Services Portsmouth 4

(Collis 2, Magro, Burney)

Shaftesbury 1 (Bryant)

20/08/05 – Shaftesbury 3 (Bryant 2, Ford)

United Services Portsmouth 3

(Barker, Carpenter, Cook)

⚽2004/05

Sydenhams Wessex League Division 2

16/04/05 – United Services Portsmouth 2 Shaftesbury 2 (Gale, Herouard)

18/12/04

Shaftesbury 4

(Rose, Carter, Nuttall, Newent)

United Services Portsmouth 0

Played 21 Won 7 Drawn 5 Lost  9 Goals For 46 Against 49 Points won 26

Goal Difference  -3

➡️ The Wessex League founded three divisions Division 1, Division 2, Division 3 incorporating clubs from Hampshire League, Dorset Premier League, Wiltshire County League.

Shaftesbury are admitted from the Dorset Premier League and the newly named United Services Portsmouth from the Hampshire League. Both are placed in Division 2 based on ground facilities.

Review/Photos – Avril Lancaster 🐌⚽

Action at Cockrams in August in our 1-0 win over United Services Portsmouth.

The players warm up at the Victory Stadium in January 2023.

Boss Jim Milligan and Cam Beard will be focused for a trip to United Services Portsmouth.