‘Who’d have thought it, little old Horndean!’ – boss Michael Birmingham celebrates stunning Wessex League title win

Last night, a club record attendance of 1,359 packed into the same Five Heads Park ground for the biggest game in the club’s history.

A stoppage-time winner from leading scorer Zack Willett against Portland gave the Deans a 32nd win in 38 league fixtures in 2022/23.

And it ensured ‘little old’ Horndean finished three points clear at the top of the Wessex Premier table.

Champions for the first time in the Wessex’s 37-year history, and with it automatic promotion to the Southern League.

It was Willett’s 50th league and cup goal of the season, and his 46th in the league - earning him the Premier’s Golden Boot.

‘Just goes to show you what you can find if you go and watch Sunday League football at Bransbury Park,’ Birmingham told The News.

In reality, the title was virtually sealed at half-time with Portchester - who had to win at Bemerton to stand any chance of overhauling the Deans - losing 2-0.

Long-time leaders Portchy ended up finishing fourth after an eventual 3-0 loss, being leapfrogged by Bemerton and AFC Stoneham as a result.

In the final reckoning, Horndean only topped the table for less than a week all season - but they were top when it mattered.

‘I knew we’d win the league,’ said Birmingham. ‘I knew it last summer, I was always that confident.

‘When I spoke to players like Tommy Scutt, Tom Jeffes, Chad Field, I told them we were going to win the league.

‘Who would have thought it, little old Hornean! They can’t ever delete this from our history.

‘It was unbelievable to see a crowd of 1,300 at Horndean, and the players fed off the buzz, the electricity - the atmosphere was amazing.’

Birmingham said he was fully aware that Portchester were losing early on, but made sure their half-time score was kept from his players.

‘We didn’t tell them,’ he said. ‘They didn’t have a clue. I knew Portchester were two down but they’ve come back from that before this season.

‘I have too much respect for Portchester to say to my lads after 45 minutes that we’ve won the league.

‘I have a lot of respect for (Portchester manager) Moby Carter and his assistant Gavin Spurway and (Royals chairman) Paul Kelly.

‘Gav Spurway messaged me after the game last night, that was a very classy act - he must have been hurting.’

Various Wessex managers have told me down the years that the club with the biggest budget will invariably win the title.

That certainly isn’t the case this season, and Birmingham added: ‘I was told you can’t win the league playing possession football. Challenge accepted! And now we’ve done it.’

Birmingham name-checked two Horndean stalwarts - former chairman David Sagar and ex-manager Michael Oliver - who have passed away in recent months.

‘It makes you very humble to meet people like them,’ he said. ‘I said to the players beforehand, don’t do it for me, don’t do it for yourselves - do it for those two boys.

‘They would hopefully have been watching and they can go the Pearly Gates with a smile on their faces.’

Horndean ended with 98 points, the fourth highest total across the 16 step 5 divisions.

Only Ascot (102, Combined Counties North), Cribbs (100, Hellenic League) and Raynes Park (99, Combined Counties South) picked up more - all four clubs playing 38 games.

No club in the top nine tiers has scored more than Horndean’s 126 league goals, while only two - Cribbs (Hellenic League, 15) and Anstey Nomads 20 (United Counties League North) conceded fewer than their 21 goals.

And no club in the top nine tiers will finish with a goal difference anywhere near their plus 105 total.

As Birmingham said, not bad for ‘little old Horndean’, a club from a ‘retirement village’...!