US Portsmouth celebrate fifth Hampshire Hockey League promotion in eight years – and skipper is targeting even more in years to come

They have been promoted for the fifth time in eight seasons and will now start the 2020/21 campaign in Division 2 of the Hampshire League.

US finished the 2019/20 season second in Hampshire 3, six points behind Fleet & Ewshot with a game in hand when the pandemic struck.

They could still have won the title, but they needed Fleet to lose their last game at lowly Gosport while winning their two remaining games.

For captain Tim Mallett, though, promotion was all that mattered after agonisingly missing out 12 months earlier.

On the final day of the 2018/19 season, US would have won promotion had they beaten City of Portsmouth. As it was, they could only draw 3-3 so Havant 4ths went up in the second promotion slot.

‘That was massively, massively frustrating,’ recalled Mallett. ‘Before this season started I said to the boys that third wasn’t an option again. I didn’t want to put them under any massive pressure, but I told them we needed to go up!

‘Fleet were a good side, they’re a military team - they have a lot of army players. It turned out to be a race to see who could score the most goals.’

It certainly was - Fleet ended up belting 105 in 21 games, but US’ rate was even better with 104 goals in 20 matches.

Mallett’s men began the season in remarkable fashion - scoring six goals in each of their opening four matches: 6-0 v Salisbury 2nds, 6-1 v Aldershot & Farnham, 6-1 v Gosport, and 6-3 v Portsmouth 2nds.

They then dropped their first points in a 1-1 draw with Fleet before an extraordinary 8-2 drubbing at a Weymouth side who finished second bottom.

Further heavy wins were recorded against Weymouth 10-1, Haslemere 7-0, Gosport 6-0, Portsmouth 2nds 6-0 and Swanage 8-2, with their only other defeat a 4-2 home loss to champions Fleet.

Mallett confessed he wasn’t sure his side would end up being promoted due to the season being brought to a premature end.

In the same way the Football Association declared five levels of non-league football null and void, so he thought his team’s results would end up counting for nothing.

‘I thought they would scrap everything,’ he said. ‘We’d played the games, that was the important part. I’d accepted we’d have to go again in the same division next season - and the boys had accepted that as well - but fortunately we don’t have to.’

Mallett was appointed captain of the 1sts at the start of 2018/19, having previously been club captain for six years. At 42, he is the elder statesman of his side with the next oldest in their early 30s.

The current scenario is a far cry from when he first played for the club a decade ago after being redeployed by the Navy from Worthing to Portsmouth.

‘About 10 years ago the then club captain took the decision to fold the 1st XI due to a lack of numbers,’ Mallett recalled.

‘We were left with just one team playing in the lower divisions, so we’ve had to climb right back up from the bottom.

‘Now we’re in a great position, but we want to get better, we want to bring in more players. We want to get out of the Hampshire Leagues. We’ve got players who’ve played at a much higher level and we’ve got the capability to play in the regional leagues.’

Though their name can suggest something different, US - United Services - welcome civilian players as well.

Their latest promotion-winning squad is certainly a mixture of both.

On the services side, the likes of Tom Miller, Jamie Martin, Geoff Cooke and Todd Straughan all play for the Royal Navy team in the County Championships.

Cooke was the only new addition to the 2019/20 season, after being redeployed to HMS Collingwood.

But Mallett admits the squad could not do without a civilian ‘core’ including vice captain Elliott Ferrett, Ryan Carey, Ben Hickman, John Veck and Si Massiah.

‘The civilians bring us the stability we need,’ explained Mallett. ‘They are always there, while those in the services might have to miss a week here and there.

‘Around five years ago, when we started to get really focussed, we said we need to bring in more civilians. The club is obviously set up to support the military players, but we welcome all civilians.

‘The plan is to keep on progressing. No-one has told me they’re leaving and the plan next season will be to go up again.’

US Portsmouth 2nds have also been promoted.

US Portsmouth’s recent history

2011/12 won Division 7 - promoted

2012/13 3rd Division 6 promoted

2013/14 8th Division 5

2014/15 won Division 5 promoted

2015/16 3rd Division 4

2016/17 4th Division 4

2017/18 won Division 4 promoted

2018/19 - 3rd in Division 3

2019/20 promoted from Division 3