BRICKIES BACK HOME, SO’S BRAD - AND SO ARE ROMSEY FOR A SECOND TIME THIS SEASON

THEY say there’s no place like home - as the Brickies found this week when Brad Snelling, a standout star of the 2024/25 promotion season, returned to the club. Brad left for Blackfield & Langley, and this season moved on to Fleetlands. Now he’s back in yellow and blue and keen to pick up where he left off.

Having scored twice for the Under-23s in their 2-0 wn at Downton on Tuesday, he’s likely to be straight back into the first team this weekend when New Milton are back from a couple of blank league weeks and raring to go. And talking of “home”, it’s handy sometimes when you can enjoy pitch advantage against the same opposition twice in the same league season. That’s the case (Saturday 3pm) when Romsey Town come to the GD Print Stadium, having played their original “home” game against the Brickies here as well.

Back in September, Romsey were unlucky enough not to have use of their own stadium midweek because of a floodlight problem which was no fault of their own. So they came here for their “home” date and subsequently lost 2-1. It was a tight enough game, however, for there to be no doubt this weekend could be a tricky task again as the Brickies try to regain top spot in the Wessex League Division One.

Romsey currently sit 11th in the table, with one of those “symmetrical” records - won 6, drawn 1, lost 6. Their recent form, however, raises a few warming flags, not least that they have frequently been scoring goals for fun. Since mid-September they have won 5-0 at Lymington, beat Blackfield & Langley 5-2 in the Russell-Cotes Cup, BTC Southampton 6-0 in the Southampton Cup, plus beat Kintbury 4-1 and Folland Sports 6-2 (away) in the league.

There have been some recent dips as well though, losing 3-1 at home to Ringwood, 2-0 at Ash, and 2-0 at Cove. So it all depends “which” Romsey turns up this time - although the suspicion must be that they will be all guns blazing, not only to avenge that earlier narrow defeat here, but to play the “local derby” card which has proved difficult for the Brickies at home against both Lymo and Ringwood.

It seems a long while since New Milton’s last league outing, the 1-1 draw at rock-bottom Totton & Eling, a result which would seem inexplicable were it not for a handful of interventions by the frame of the goal on Totton’s behalf. Meanwhile, there has been a postponement, and that unfortunate FA Vase defeat at Downton which means that although the Brickies have three games in hand and equal points, Sandhurst now top the table on the back of one extra goal in the GD column.

Niall Dixon’s strike power may be missing through injury, but the Brickies have Joe Roberts available again after his early-season injury, Cal Clarke remains in good form, and this week’s re-signing of 2024/25 title wining skipper and leading scorer could be crucially significant.

So what else do we know about the opposition as a club. Romsey Town FC was formed in 1886, 12 years before New Milton, and played in local league football with successful spells before joining the Southampton League as founder members in 1908. The 1920s was a good decade for Romsey Town and after winning the Hampshire Intermediate Cup and Southampton Senior League, the club joined the Hampshire League.

In 1930 Romsey moved to its second ground at Priestlands, before moving again to its current home, The By-Pass Ground, in 1956. In 1964 it was relegated from the league and dropped down to Junior Division 1 of the Southampton League only returning to its senior section in 1968. In the 1970s success returned and after three successive promotions and a Southampton Senior Cup triumph in 1974, the club regained its Hampshire League status in 1975 and a year later won the Hampshire Senior Cup unexpectedly defeating Farnborough Town 1-0 in a final played at The Dell, then home of Southampton FC.

In 1986 Romsey became a founder member of the Wessex League, clinching the title and reaching the Fourth Qualifying Round of the FA Cup in 1990. Another reversal in fortune saw the club relegated to the Hampshire League in 1998 and hit an all time low in 2003 when finishing bottom of the league’s third division and had to seek re-election.

When the Wessex League absorbed the original Hampshire League in 2004, Romsey were placed in Division 1 and won promotion back to the top flight in 2007. The Town enjoyed one of their most successful seasons in 2011/12 finishing eighth but this signalled a further period of turmoil and relegated again 2014 to their status in Wessex League Division 1.

In the Brickies’ glory year of 2024/25, Romsey finished 16th, four points above the drop zone, having finished a more respectable 10th the season before. Last season was another improvement, up to an eight-place finish, although slightly flattering because they were still 18 points off the play-off zone.

So all down to the GD Print Stadium on Saturday with the usual warm welcome for the fans, the league's. best matchday programme (just £2 to you!), Greener's legendary burgers - and hopefully three more points in the bag. See you there!