Match Information
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Hartpury University 1-0 Fareham Town
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When: Sunday 19th January 2025
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Kick-off: 3pm
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Where: ‘4ED Hartpury Stadium, with Vodafone’, Hartpury University and Hartpury College, Hartpury, Gloucestershire GL19 3BE
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Competition: The Isuzu FA Vase – Fourth Round Proper
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Attendance: 251
This was the Isuzu FA Vase Fourth Round match of choice in my roaming reporter filming role for competition sponsors Isuzu.
Originally scheduled the preceding weekend, it was postponed as a result of extremely frosty conditions. Due to rugby taking place on the Saturday at ‘4ED Hartpury Stadium, with Vodafone’, a Sunday kick-off was necessary.
I had previously groundhopped a Hartpury University home fixture for 888sport blogging on Saturday 3rd December 2022 watching Bovey Tracey being hammered 7-0 in The Isuzu FA Vase Third Round (attendance 113).
On that occasion, ‘Football Pitch 1’ was utilised within the university’s impressive 360-hectare sports academy. It was quite a basic pitch offering just one covered standing area for 50 spectators.
But at the start of 2024/25 season, football activities relocated approximately 50 yards to the pre-existing university rugby stadium to facilitate Hartpury University FC’s ambitions of climbing the Non-League Pyramid.
Some pioneering groundhoppers back in the 1970’s would probably not have counted it as a “new ground” since it forms part of the same complex.
Although under my own personal rules, it is definitely “new” because the playing surface footprint has moved. So I set off on an already familiar 260 mile round trek to meet the Isuzu camera crew.
Hartpury itself is a small village housing 1,600 people situated five miles north of Gloucester. Incidentally, the university’s football squad was only launched in 2020.
It predominantly comprises students aged 16-24 years old studying a variety of subjects - the vast majority in sport. They also have both academic and performance services staff representing the Hellenic League team alongside their careers.
Each week is suitably tailored to the football fixture list. Consequently training, strength and conditioning, performance analysis, recovery and psychology sessions are undertaken.
Hartpury University has invested £10 million in considerable infrastructure, amenities and staffing to deliver significant resources for all sports academy programmes thus enabling the right football pathway and playing opportunity.
Overall it has become a successful springboard for individual careers whereby 40 former students and staff are now working across professional football in different capacities.
Ground Description
Used to staging matches in the second tier of English rugby union’s league system, ‘4ED Hartpury Stadium, with Vodafone’ is very well appointed. An excellent 480-seater main grandstand consisting of four rows adjoins one touchline.
Clubhouse, dressing rooms and office facilities are attached. Uncovered grass banking opposite gives another good vantage point for supporters and is topped by a state-of-the-art electric scoreboard.
Enticing aromas filled my nostrils throughout the afternoon emanating from a mobile wood fired pizza dispensing unit which resembled a horse box and proved really popular amongst the hungry football crowd.
There is plentiful car parking capacity too. Moreover, I noticed the aforementioned ‘Football Pitch 1’ remains entirely intact and a small seated stand has been added.
Programme Details
Hartpury University normally issue an online programme brimming full of video footage.
Yet for this Isuzu FA Vase tie, a 12 page printed version was available and therefore much appreciated by old school football memorabilia collecting enthusiasts like me.
On sale at £1 via the stadium’s entry gate, contents included the manager’s message, respective histories of both teams, current form tables, sponsorship details and the squad lists.
Furthermore, an up to date duplicated teamsheet was distributed prior to kick-off.
The Match
Hartpury University were sitting three points clear - holding games in hand - at the top of the Hellenic League Premier Division (Step 5 of our National League System).
Indeed when I participated in the live radio Isuzu FA Vase Fourth Round draw on talkSPORT2 two weeks ago, I confidently told listeners Hartpury were favourites to win the competition in my opinion.
Meanwhile, Fareham Town compete in a similar level occupying sixth position amidst Wessex League Premier Division circles. Hence anyone possessing expert football betting knowledge in the betting stakes would’ve fancied a home victory.
It turned out to be tight and tense. Hartpury University shaded first half exchanges forging ahead on 16 minutes as Louis Manning crisply converted six yards out.
Fareham Town piled forward after half-time roared on by a coachload of vociferous fans who had made the 120 mile trip. I admired their array of flags proclaiming “FAREHAM TOWN CREEKSIDERS”, “FAREHAM’S FINEST” and “WILTSHIRE REDS” plus a spirited song slightly adapting famous Millwall lyrics: “We are Fareham…Super Fareham…No one knows us, we don’t care…”.
However those visiting ‘Creeksiders’ were ultimately thwarted courtesy of courageous goalkeeping and several near misses. Accordingly, Hartpury University defended stoutly before almost grabbing a second goal towards the end.
Football grounds visited: 2,618 – having driven to Redditch Borough FC 24 hours earlier, this re-completed all the Hellenic League venues in both National League System divisions for me once more.
*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Tony Incenzo*
