Pirelli General F.C.


Pirelli General F.C. were a long-running amateur football club based in Eastleigh, Hampshire. For a time they were the top club in the town and played in the Hampshire League until they ceased to exist in football (soccer)|2003].

History

Pirelli General were founded in 1916 as the works side of the Pirelli General cable making company. They initially played in the Winchester & District and Eastleigh Leagues before transferring to the larger Southampton League.
By 1933 the club were playing at Dew Lane and were fielding six sides. The 1st Team enjoyed an excellent season, winning the Senior Division 1 title and the Southampton Senior Cup for first time. This saw them elected to the Hampshire League Division 2 where they finished runners-up in their debut season before winning the title the following year and establishing themselves in Division 1.
Once normal football had resumed after World War II, Pirelli's returned to the county league where they were placed in Division 2 and 'The Cablemen' were regular FA Cup entrants at this time, although never progressing beyond the preliminary rounds. However, despite winning the Hampshire Intermediate Cup in 1955–56, it was not until 1962–63 that Pirelli's returned to top flight when they won the Division 2 title.
In 1965 Pirelli's moved to their best known home ground at Chestnut Avenue in Eastleigh and with some good facilities the club remained a steady Division 1 outfit, twice finishing 3rd in the late sixties.
The seventies was the golden age for Pirelli's, especially the 1971–72 season when they were Division 1 Champions. The next fourteen years saw the club remain regular title contenders and in 1976–77 they caused a big upset when they defeated favourites Farnborough Town 1–0 to win the Hampshire Senior Cup.
In 1986 the Wessex League was formed but Pirelli's remained with the county league and were again champions in 1992–93.
Despite the parent company moving out of Eastleigh, Pirelli's continued to play in the top-flight of the Hampshire League until the loss of their ground in 2003 saw the club withdraw from the competition and fold.

Honours

1st Team

  • Hampshire League
  • *Division 1 Champions 1971/72 and 1992/93
  • *Division 2 Champions 1934/35, 1962/63, Runners-up 1933/34 and 1946/47
  • Hampshire FA
  • *Senior Cup Winners 1976/77, Finalists 1968/69 and 1977/78
  • *Intermediate Cup Winners 1955/56
  • Southampton FA
  • *Senior Cup Winners 1932/33, 1935/36, 1965/66 and 1989/90, Finalists 1933/34
  • Southampton League
  • *Senior Division 1 Champions 1932/33
  • All England Cable Makers Cup
  • *Winners 1951/52, 1974/75 and 1978/79

2nd Team

  • Southampton League
  • *Senior Division 1 Champions 1935/36 and 1991/92

3rd Team

  • Southampton FA
  • *Junior 'B' Cup Winners 1971/72
  • Southampton League
  • *Junior Division 4 Champions 1957/58
  • *Junior Division 5 Champions 1990/91

Ground

Pirelli General played at the Jubilee Sports Ground at Chestnut Avenue in Eastleigh.
The 20 acre site had three adult pitches, with the main one enclosed with floodlights and a wooden stand. This, along with its easy access and large car park made the ground a popular choice for hosting local cup finals until it was redeveloped in 1993 with the addition of a golf range.
After the club's demise, the ground sat unused until 2010 when AFC Stoneham took up residence. In 2020 the venue was sold for housing.

Notable players

Scottish striker Craig McAllister began his career with Pirelli before joining neighbours Eastleigh in 2001 then going on to play professionally for a number of clubs.
  • See Pirelli General players for full list.

Local rivalries

With there being so many teams in the area, Pirelli General had many local rivals. These mostly included Eastleigh, AC Delco, Eastleigh Athletic and BTC Southampton.
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