MEET THE OPPOSITION | HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE
Oxford City return to the RAW Charging Stadium having secured a Vanarama National League South play-off place as they welcome play-off outsiders Havant & Waterlooville for our final home game of the regular season.
We take a closer look at the Hoops’ opposition ahead of Saturday’s game.
History:
Havant & Waterlooville formed in 1998 as a merge between Havant Town and Waterlooville. In their inaugural season, Billy Gilbert led the side to Southern League glory alongside an impressive FA Cup run where they narrowly missed out on the first round.
Following Gilbert’s departure, Mick Jenkins and Liam Daish were appointed on a joint-manager basis in April 2000 and would lead the Hawks to the first of a total of four FA Cup first round appearances in the club’s history.
The Hawks’ most impressive season in a 5-year stay in the Southern League Premier Division came in 2001-02 finishing third before a 12th placed finish in 2004 which resulted in qualification for a restructured Conference South.
Havant & Waterlooville would then go on to become a mainstay in the division narrowly missing out on promotion through the play-offs in 05/06.
A 2007/08 FA Cup run was particularly memorable for the club as they defied odds reaching the fourth-round drawing Liverpool at Anfield where they led twice before losing 5-2. Oxford City’s Alfie Potter starred for The Hawks on the day winning ‘Player of the Round’.
The Hampshire-based side were spared relegation in the 2011-12 season by Joe Dolan’s 93rd -minute strike on the final day against Staines Town. The following year, Lee Bradbury guided the side to the play-offs before improving on that finish the following season in the 2014-15 Conference South campaign only to fall on aggregate to eventual winners Boreham Wood.
Relegation from the Conference South on goal difference saw the Hawks’ stay in the division come to an end despite Hampshire Senior Cup success the same year but would bounce straight back up with Isthmian League glory under Bradbury. Notable success for The Hawks came in winning the National League South the following year. However, inability to adapt to the National League meant they were relegated that season forcing a return to the NLS where they have remained since.
Current Form:
Ahead of their visit to Oxfordshire, Havant & Waterlooville have struggled for form in recent months with a winless run of 13 games in the VNLS extending back to February.
The Hampshire outfit’s last win was a 3-2 victory over Taunton Town in February. Following defeats to play-off chasing Worthing and St Albans City in March, Jamie Collins’ men have drawn in three consecutive outings so far in April – a run which saw them drop points to two relegation threatened sides in Weymouth and Hungerford Town.
The Hawks failed to secure the three points needed in there last outing in a 1-1 draw with Chippenham Town leaving them five points off of the VNLS play-off places with a game in hand.
A win at Oxford could boost any unlikely chances of a late breakthrough but know results will have to favour them as the season nears its finish.
Meet the gaffer: Jamie Collins
Following Paul Doswell’s decision to take up the Director of Football role at the club in March 2023, a familiar face in Jamie Collins was announced as his replacement.
Collins’ step up to the First-Team manager role is a first in the position in his career, however, had been part of Doswell’s management setup over the last two years. This being his second spell with the club as of his return in 2021.
The Hawks favourite began his career at Watford before moving to Havant & Waterlooville in 2005 where he would go on to accumulate a total of 146 appearances as well as featuring in the side’s memorable FA Cup run that culminated against Liverpool in 2007/08.
The former Aldershot Town player also gathered significant playing experience with the likes of Newport County, Eastleigh and Sutton United totalling near 500 career appearances.
Club Captain: Joe Oastler
Leading his side out is a familiar face to Hoops fans in defender Joe Oastler. The former City man made 127 appearances for the Oxfordshire-based outfit between 2017-2021 before a move to Hampshire in the Summer of 2021.
Oastler was appointed captain by former boss Doswell after joining the Hawks playing nearly every minute of the 2021/22 campaign in an ever-changing back four.
The experienced defender came through the Portsmouth academy before his release in 2008 before going on to make appearances for the likes of Queens Park Rangers, Torquay United and Aldershot Town before going on to make the bulk of his appearances for the Hoops.
Key Player: Muhammadu Faal
Amongst the VNLS top scorers is Havant & Waterlooville’s leading talisman who has 20 goals to his name in 40 appearances so far this season.
Muhammadu Faal joined the Hawks in the Summer of 2022 from Isthmian Premier side Enfield Town where he was particularly impressive in a year with 55 goal involvements to his name – a tally of 42 goals and 13 assists.
With a clear eye for goal, the towering forward has featured for the likes of Dulwich Hamlet and Kingstonian but most notably secured a move to Bolton Wanderers following his first spell with Enfield before eventually returning following a loan spell with Barnet.
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