Milton United - Potash Lane

Milton United FC

The Heights
Potash Lane
Milton Heights
Oxfordshire
OX13 6AG

01235 832999

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Ground Number: 489
Saturday 11th April 2015
Faringdon Town 'A' 3-0 Wallingford Town Reserves
North Berks League Cup Final








MILTON UNITED FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

The club was established in 1909 as Milton Hill. They began in the North Berkshire League as founding members, where they stayed for many years. Initially members of the Wallingford Division, they were transferred to the Abingdon Division. After struggling, they left the league for a short while, rejoining as Milton. Returning to Division 2 (Wantage). Though they finished bottom in 1922, they were runners-up the following season. Another geographical switch saw the club, now under the name Milton United, win Division 2 (Abingdon) in 1927. They would last for three seasons in Division 1 (Wantage) before relegation. By 1938, they were champions of Division 2, now in a non-regionalised format. They remained in Division 1 until World War 2, returning to Division 2 afterwards. Various reshuffles saw them moved to Division 1 East, Division 2, Division 1, then Division 2 in the late 1940s. They finished bottom of the league in 1954 and went into abeyance for four years. Milton rejoined at Division 3 in 1958 and won the title in their first season. Two successive championships saw them in the Premier Division for the first time, and they were North Berkshire League champions four times in the 1960s. This was renamed Division 1 in 1974. They were relegated to Division 2 in 1979 but came back in 1981.

Milton United were Division 1 runners-up in 1985 and went on to capture three more titles. In 1989, the club moved up to the Hellenic League and were Division 1 runners-up to Carterton Town. Promoted to the Premier Division, they were Hellenic League champions in 1991. Ground grading prevented promotion, and indeed, their lack of floodlights saw them demoted to Division 1 in 1994. Now with the required lights, they were promoted back to the Premier Division in 1999 after a 4th-place Division 1 finish. Two bottom-place finishes saw Milton back in Division 1 East by 2001. A 3rd-place finish in 2004 was good enough for another promotion; this time Milton achieved two 7th-place finishes before relegation in 2009. Five years later, they were Division 1 East champions in 2014, spending two more seasons in the Hellenic Premier before relegation once more in 2016. A 3rd place finish in 2023 saw promotion to the Combined Counties Premier North, where they spent three seasons. Forced to play in exile as far away as Beaconsfield, their council and residents effectively forced them to resign from the league despite a 13th-place finish. They regrouped in the Oxfordshire Senior Premier at the start of this season.

 

Milton United have competed in twelve FA Cup campaigns. Their best run came in 2013 when they beat Chertsey Town and Marlow before losing to local rivals Abingdon Town in the 1st Qualifying Round. They've also reached the FA Vase 2nd Round on four occasions. Local cup wins include the Hellenic D1 Cup in 1990 and the Berks & Bucks Intermediate Cup in 1990 & 1991. The club moved to Potash Lane in Milton Heights in 1998. The record attendance at the ground of 608 was set in May 2005 when Carterton played Didcot Town in the Hellenic League Cup Final. Lease problems and objections from residents relating to their clubhouse saw the club relocate to Wallingford & Crowmarsh and then to Beaconsfield Town between 2023 & 2025. The village of Milton is three miles from Didcot and has a population of just under 1,300. In 1841, the Great Western Main Line was built through the parish about 1⁄2 mile (800 m) south of the village. In 1955, a British Railways excursion train was derailed at Milton, killing 11 people and injuring 163. During the Second World War, the British Army had a large depot on land between Milton village and the railway line. The site is now Milton Park Business Park. Milton has one public house, which for many decades was called the Admiral Benbow, and later it was controlled by Greene King Brewery. It is now renamed The Plum Pudding.

MY FIRST VISIT

Around 6 weeks ago, I saw on Facebook that fellow groundhopper, friend and North Berkshire aficionado Laurence Reade had been chosen to present the Trophy at the North Berks League Cup final. He asked as many people to support the event as possible, and as it was on Saturday night, at a ground I had not been to yet, I pencilled it in nice and early. The kick-off time of 7 was ideal - it would give me enough time to get to the ground after the Wycombe Wanderers v Cheltenham Town game, and would also mean that I got back home in time for Match of the Day. Perfect. It would also leave me with just Brimscombe & Thrupp to do to complete the Hellenic Premier, a feat which I hope to achieve before the end of the season.

The North Berkshire League has been a staple of Groundhop UK's schedule for some time now. It is mainly park pitches, so it does not interest me so much. That said, I might dip my toe in the water for the hop next season; it will just depend on what else there is on the day. Founded in 1908, it has five Divisions, with the top one, Division 1, sitting at step 9 of the Non-League pyramid. It can be a feeder league to the Hellenic if the clubs desire, but most of the teams with the facilities to go up - such as Abingdon Town and Wallingford Town, have opted to stay in the league for financial reasons. A few entertaining stories are coming from the hops held so far - most notably a rather foolish hopper, who without the credentials to get into a game, tried to cheat the system. This may sound daft, but the game was being held at an RAF base, and the said person had sneaked in by hiding in the back of someone's car. As you can imagine, you do not mess with RAF security, and when they found out, the person was picked out very quickly to avoid the whole party being thrown off the base.

On the day of the game, I woke at 9 as it was my day off from work. I had a bath and got dressed before going down the shops and getting a paper amongst other things. With the information contained therein, I placed £15 worth of bets on the Grand National and today's football. After lunch, it was time to go to the footy, with a win for Wycombe essential if they were to maintain their push for promotion. We took the lead just before half-time with a great shot by Aaron Pierre, but true to form, we conceded a daft equaliser. Paul Hayes mistake let Cheltenham in for an equaliser. Thankfully Wycombe went straight up the other end and restored their lead with a header by Alfie Mawson. It could prove to be a poor year for Cheltenham football with Town, Saracens and Bishops Cleeve all in relegation spots.

From the Wycombe game, it was a 45-minute drive to Milton United, with mainly fast-moving roads making the journey easy. I got there just before 6 and had myself a pint of Stowford Press at £3.30 and sausage and chips at £2.40. I checked Facebook and read the glossy programme (a good value £3 with entry) while I waited for the game to start. The game started at a slow pace but with some good passing football.  I learned from Laurence that the cup involves sides from the bottom two divisions of the North Berkshire League and must be the club's lowest-ranked side - hence no first teams in the competition. It was Faringdon Town's 'A' team that would be competing in this final. They had got here with victories over the reserve teams of Drayton, Stanford ITV and Long Wittenden. They competed in Division 4 of the North Berkshire League this season and were currently 6th in the league. Wallingford Town Reserves reached the final by beating the reserve sides of Marcham, Grove and Berinsfield. They were a league lower, but doing a lot better, sitting in 2nd place before the game.

 

There were not many clear-cut chances, but on 30 minutes Wallingford took the lead. That's how it stayed at half-time, and during the break I went back to my car to get my coat as it was getting quite chilly. Wallingford doubled their lead on the hour mark when a good run down the right culminated in the Faringdon keeper being beaten at his near post and only being able to parry the ball into the net. It wasn't the greatest of games, but Wallingford were the better team. Just before full time, they forced the Faringdon keeper into a good save to prevent them from getting a third. Afterwards, I watched Laurence present the medals to both teams, as well as a little keepsake for the ball boys that had helped out. While it had not been the best of games with Faringdon not turning up in an attacking sense, it had a lovely community feel at the game. The £3 was a nominal charge to pay for entry, especially seeing as it included a programme. I think Milton United did well out of the day too, selling a fair amount of food and drink. I had done well on the day too, making a £23 profit on my bets, and it was a short drive home with me getting back in time for a couple of ciders with Match of the Day, before my shortest night's sleep of the week - just a few hours before waking at 4am.

VISIT 2

4-0 v Cholsey United - OSL Presidents Cup 1st Round (25/09/26)

I only decided to revisit Milton United the day before. I'd ideally have had Colin to help out with the 80-mile round trip, but he was out at his parents'. The lure of Friday night football and the chance to revisit a ground I'd not been to since 2014 had strong appeal, though. Back to work on Wednesday, a harder slog than expected, mainly because of the constant negativity and criticism around the place. It did not help that I was knackered, as my body clock struggled to adjust back to work. I had a three-hour nap in the afternoon and went out for a walk to get my 10k steps in. The same went for Thursday and Friday, though the atmosphere was better. I got my walk in the afternoon and left after dinner at 6.15. It was a good drive over, unlike the crap roads to Didcot. Aside from the last two miles, it was all well-lit dual carriageways. I was at the ground at 7.25, and no admission fee was asked for. There were no drinks I fancied, so I'd be getting chips at half time. The game kicked off four minutes late.

 

Milton United had enjoyed a solid start to life back in county football for the first time since 1999. They were 3rd in the Oxfordshire Senior League Premier Division and had won two (beating Thame United Reserves 2-0 and Chalgrove Cavaliers 4-2), drawn one (3-3 against Chinnor) and lost one (4-0 at Witney Town). Cholsey United were 9th and had won one (4-1 at Longford Park) and lost two (4-2 to Launton Sports and 5-2 to Kennington Athletic). They'd also progressed in the Charles Twelthtree Trophy, beating Kintbury Rangers Reserves 4-0. Milton United featured John Mills who scored 140 goals over three seasons for Hereford as their player-manager. He looked a cut above at the ripe old age of 36. On 8 minutes, the hosts took the lead, Harry Pitman heading home a cross. It was 2-0 on 12 minutes, through Matty Hardwick, despite an attempted overhead clearance from a Cholsey player. The visitors had a man sent off for a heavy tackle towards the end of the half. The break was less than ten minutes, so much so that I missed John Mills' goal at the start of the second period. The second half was a bit more sedate; Milton United made it 4-0 in the last stages of the game with an excellent volley by Mitch Larman at the back post. A good crowd of around 115 were in attendance.

 

THE GROUND

POTASH LANE (or The Heights as it is sometimes known) is a decent enough step 5 venue. All the accommodation is on one side, with seating for around 100, and cover for another 150 people standing. It's in the middle of nowhere, but that's no problem as the bar has a fair range of stuff and the food is good too. It does take a while sometimes, but at least it is freshly cooked for each person.  

2026 GROUND UPDATE

This venue had seen some deterioration since my last visit, as the roof had disappeared from the stand. The ground was also more open, thnaks to a new build housing estate. However, it's the people that make a club, and Milton is still worth a visit. The clubhouse has seen better days, but you can still get food and drink there. Parking is plentiful, and it's a decent place to go.

New Milton Town - Fawcetts Field

New Milton Town FC

Fawcetts Field

Christchurch Road

New Milton 

Hampshire

BH25 6QF

Official Website

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Ground Number: 1589
Saturday 19th September 2026

New Milton Town 1-0 AFC Stoneham
Wessex D1

NEW MILTON TOWN FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

Despite an official formation date of 1998, the club can trace its roots back to a hundred years previously, when New Milton FC were established. They played recreational football up until the end of the Second World War, when they were renamed New Milton Argyll for a few years before reverting to their original name. They later joined the Hampshire League and spent around two decades in its lowest tier, earning promotion to Division 1 with a third-place finish in 1992. The following year, they changed their name to New Milton Town and remained in Division 1 until 1997, when they were relegated, continuing to struggle for a couple more seasons, the latter of them as the leftovers of a merger before folding the following year.

Lymington & New Milton FC was established in 1998, with the other side of the club, Lymington Town, continuing to this day. They took up residence at New Milton Town's Fawcett Fields, but would take Lymington's place in the Wessex League. The first season was a huge success as they lifted the title, but were unable to take promotion due to a ground grading technicality. Two further runner-up spots followed before they won the Wessex League again in 2005. This time, they had the facilities in place to go up to step 4, firstly in the Isthmian League D1, then the Southern League D1 South & West. In 2007, the club resigned from the league at the end of the season, following the resignation of most of its officials. Dropping back into the Premier Division of the Wessex League, the club were renamed New Milton Town. Despite a 9th-place finish in 2009, the club generally struggled and was relegated to Division One after rescinding their resignation from the league when a proposed merger with Bashley fell through in 2013. New Milton continued to struggle and would finish as low as third-bottom twice. It was not until 2025 that they won the Wessex D1 to win promotion back to the Wessex Premier for the first time in twelve years. However, they came back down last season after finishing bottom.

The club has reached the 4th Qualifying Round of the FA Cup on three occasions. On the last occasion in 2004, they took Woking to a replay, drawing 1-1 at home before losing 4-2 in the replay. They also reached the FA Vase Quarter Final in 1999, beating Wellington, Hungerford Town, Mossley and Duston Federation Brewery before losing 3-1 to Taunton Town. Their record attendance of 1,500 came for the 2023 playoff final game when they played Petersfield Town and drew 1-1 before losing on penalties. Famous players to have played for the side include former Southampton striker Nicky Banger and left back Paul Hardyman, who played for Wycombe Wanderers, amongst others. The latter also managed the side during the 2010/11 season. The town of New Milton has a population of around 20,000 and is located in Hampshire. To the north is the New Forest and to the south the coast at Barton-on-Sea. It is equidistant between Lymington and Christchurch. Neil Moss, the former Southampton & AFC Bournemouth goalkeeper, was born in the town.

MY VISIT

It has not been the greatest of times since coming back from Hamburg. The upset stomach that started on Saturday morning was still there, so much so that I rang NHS 111, who sent me to the chemist for hydration sachets. They advised me to take Wednesday off work, and I began to worry about my upcoming trip to France and Malta. It only seemed right not to go to Wycombe Wanderers v Chelsea U21 in whatever the Football League Trophy is called nowadays. Having had a poor night's sleep, I dozed off at 8.10, a few minutes into the second half. I woke around 1 am to discover that Wycombe had won 2-1. To console myself, I ordered a new phone, a Pixel 11 Pro. Having been happy with my two previous Pixels, it made good sense to go again. The standout deal was on GiffGaff, so I went for that, around £35 up front and £40 a month over two years. On Thursday, I went to the doctor, and they advised me not to travel, citing the issues if the problems got worse. I started to draw up new plans and got all my cancellations in. Also, not in the happiest of moods, I treated myself to a cider, which gave me the same buzz as three or four usually do, given how little I'd eaten. I started to finalise the final steps of my migration to a new phone, which was more work than it should be, in my opinion.

It had not been a great week for 1990s goalkeepers. Earlier in the week, Ludek Milkosko, the legendary West Ham keeper, passed away. I remember him especially for his part in the 1995 shutout by West Ham that denied Manchester United and handed the title to Blackburn Rovers. He was kind enough to give an autograph and have a brief chat with a 15-year-old me at the start of that year at the Wycombe Wanderers v West Ham United FA Cup game in January of that year. Around the same time, the well-travelled keeper Kevin Miller died at the young age of 57. He had played against Wycombe for Watford in some games around 1996 or 1997. My body still hadn't sorted itself out, so I dropped my sample off at the doctor's for further investigation. What a job that is, by the way; talk about going through the motions. I did consider going to Ledbury on Friday, but it was such a rubbish route along crappy country roads; I decided to save it for when I was in better condition. Bad roads had put me off many trips, especially when I have tonight. Colin had said to me he was happy to come to New Milton, so I headed home on the bus to double-check some details. My appetite was still shot, so I hadn't been eating much and, aside from Friday, hadn't got my daily 10k steps target in.

New Milton Town had proven a bit tricky to visit. Their Wednesday midweek day never really suited me, with me being up for work at 3 am either side of the game. Even when I worked an hour later, it seemed as if the weather thwarted every attempt, and I'd tried a few times. I'd usually resisted on a Saturday too, as I like to use public transport at weekends and there wasn't enough around to make it a good day and justify the cost for me. So this Saturday, when my body was not at its best was perfect. I got a decent night's sleep for once, waking at 8.30. I had breakfast and pottered around for a few hours before it was time to leave. PuffPuff was up in Scotland once again, but without his Dad, who had to turn around at Stansted Airport due to illness. Having just lost a weekend abroad due to illness, I had sympathy with him. Colin told me what bus he was on, so I was able to track it and pick an appropriate time to start getting ready to go. I got in my car and realised that I'd not got a holder for my new phone yet. Also, it was not set up with the car Bluetooth. One of many things in a long list of things to sort. I met Colin at the bus stop. It was going to be a poor journey, thanks mainly to the M4 being closed near Reading. It meant having to use a longer route and the M25, which was of course delayed. It must have been around 45 minutes added to the journey, and we got to the ground at 2.30. It was a lot better than I was expecting, although Colin, having whined that I didn't want to revisit Lymington Wetherspoons on the way despite a diversion, whined that there were no pin badges. It was a fair price of £7 to get in, plus a fiver for chicken nuggets and chips. It was a good portion, and the chicken nuggets were super tasty. It was nearly time for kickoff, so I went outside and got pictures.

 

New Milton were top of the league and had won six, drawn one and lost one. They had not won in a couple of league games, losing 2-1 to Romsey Town and drawing 2-2 with Lymington Town at home. In between, they had won on penalties at Baffins Milton Rovers in the FA Vase. Dandhurst Town were 5th and had won four, drawn two and lost two so far. They were on mixed form and had lost 5-3 to Carterton in their last game. It was fairly even and open early on. Sandhurst's defending was poor as a ball over the top found Luca Lane, who finished well on 11 minutes. There was very little quality up front, with New Milton especially wasteful with what they got. There was the ludicrous situation of us having drinks breaks despite it only being 20 degrees. Moreno was easily the standout player for Sabdh, and if something was going to happen for them, he would be the architect with his mazy runs. Both sides came close, firing wide around 80 minutes. It was a reasonable game, though Sandhurst were more concerned with not conceding when defending corners, rather than breaking away and leaving men forward. They gave it a go near the end, forcing a goalmouth scramble and a corner, but nothing came of it. In the end, the visitors didn't do enough to warrant a result. We left just after 5, thanks to plenty of added time. The journey back was better, but there was no using the M25 without delay, amounting to 20 minutes. I dropped Colin off at 7.15 and got home myself at 7.30. I was glad I'd used a Saturday to do it, given the length of the journey.

THE GROUND

FAWCETT'S FIELD is a setup that feels like that it should be far higher than step 6. The ground itself is fairly solid; the only covered accommodation is a 262-seater stand on the halfway line. The rest of the ground is open. It is with the other facilities that the club really shines. A spacious bar offers a decent range of drinks, including Thatchers ciders. There were also club cups. Food-wise, there is a good selection. I enjoyed my chicken nuggets and chips for a fiver, but the sauce selection could have been better. There are paper tickets and printed programmes available. The merch was the weakest aspect: only hats, and none of the hoppers' favourite pin badges and for me personally, fridge magnets or keyrings. Parking is plentiful, but it does fill up due to outside pitch users. The town and railway station are 25 minutes walk away.