BRICKIES AIMING TO SPLASH BACK WITH THREE MORE POINTS

PROVIDING the two “named” storms heading our way this weekend don’t do too much damage to our usually well-drained pitch, the Brickies will aim for a return to form against mid-table Folland Sports at the GD Print Stadium on Saturday (3pm). It looks sure sure to be a soggy pitch, but Jamie Kay’s men need to get back into three-points mode after last week’s surprising hiccup of a 1-1 draw at rock-bottom Totton & Eling. There’s no doubt New Milton dominated that game, and can certainly claim to have been unlucky in three or more goal-bound efforts coming back off the woodwork. But it’s the ball in the net that counts, not near misses, and the scorebook will forever say 1-1. The Brickies started hot favourites in that one, and will do so again against Folland, whose recent form is not so much poor as disastrous. Last Saturday they lost 8-1 at Frimley Green, having been whacked 6-2 at home by Romsey in that midweek. They had showed a brief glimpse of better form with a 3-2 win at Alresford previously, but before that had lost 2-0 at home to Sandhurst and 1-0 away to Hamworthy United. Early-season, however, had been much better, with a terrific run of form which included a 5-2 defeat of Blandford United, a 3-2 win at Aldermaston, a 3-1 win at Colden Common, 3-1 also at home to Amesbury and, whisper it after the Brickies last week, a 4-0 win at Totton & Eling! As for the club itself, read on to find out “what’s in a name!” it was established in 1938 by workers of the Hamble-le-Rice aircraft factory under the name Folland Aircraft. By 1948 they had left the Hampshire League and were renamed Folland Sports. After a spell playing in the Southampton League, they rejoined the Hampshire League in 1968, and in 1987/88 moved up to the Wessex League. In 1990 the club was renamed Aerostructures S&S. In 1997–98 they won the League Cup, before adopting another new name, this time becoming Hamble ASSC. When the Wessex League gained a second division in 2004 the club became members of Division One. In 2011 the club was renamed again, as GE Hamble, although that lasted only two seasons as they reverted back to their former name of Folland Sports in 2013. They finished fourth in Division One in 2021–22, qualifying for the promotion play-offs; the club subsequently lost their semi-final against Newport (IOW) on penalties. They were Division One runners-up last season, before losing 1–0 to Whitchurch United in the play-off semi-finals. They were hoping to replicate at least that league placing this season - so hopefully they will not choose this weekend for a bounce-back to form!