Where does Havant and Waterlooville FC play, and why not in Waterlooville?

Waterlooville's most famous football club does not actually play in Waterlooville. Havant and Waterlooville play at Westleigh Park, in Havant. The club formed in 1998 when two clubs merged. The club's own nickname is "the Hawks".

Why not in Waterlooville?

We have not found a source that explains why the merged club settled in Havant, so we will not guess. What we can say is that Wikipedia places the club at Westleigh Park in Havant, and that a separate club, Waterlooville AFC, was founded in 2025 and is set to share a ground with AFC Portchester. Check the clubs' own pages for current fixtures, because these arrangements can change.

The day they led Liverpool at Anfield

In the 2007-08 FA Cup fourth round, played on 26 January 2008, sixth-tier Havant and Waterlooville led Liverpool twice at Anfield. Richard Pacquette scored in the 8th minute and Alfie Potter made it 2-1 in the 31st. They lost 5-2 in front of 42,566.

How they got there

Before Anfield they won away at York City and Notts County, one nil each. The first-round win at York came in November 2007 and the second-round win at Notts County on 1 December 2007.

A record crowd at Fratton Park

On 13 November 2006, in the FA Cup first round, the Hawks lost 2-1 to Millwall in a home tie played at Fratton Park. The crowd of 5,793 is a club record for any home game. Some sources describe it as a home game moved to Fratton Park, so we say only that it was played there.

Real Betis at Westleigh Park

On 30 July 2011, Real Betis of La Liga visited Westleigh Park for a friendly and won 7-0. Wikipedia says the original opponents, Portsmouth, were unable to play. We rely on Wikipedia for that reason.

Two league titles in a row

The Hawks were Isthmian League Premier champions in 2016-17 and then National League South champions in 2017-18. The second title was won on 28 April 2018, 3-2 against Concord Rangers, with Jason Prior's 89th-minute winner.

Swansea in the replay

In the 2008 FA Cup third round, the Hawks drew 1-1 at Swansea City, who were three divisions higher. The replay at Westleigh Park finished 4-2 to Havant and Waterlooville, in front of 4,400. That is a record attendance for the ground.

Sharing the ground

Clanfield FC, nicknamed the Clan, have shared Westleigh Park since 2020-21. The arrangement has been reported as running to 2027-28, but check before you rely on it.

The Hawks by numbers

Three crowds tell the story. 42,566 watched the Anfield tie. 5,793 came to Fratton Park for the Millwall game, the biggest home crowd in the club's history. And 4,400 packed into Westleigh Park for the Swansea replay, a ground record. The sixth-tier tag in the Liverpool game means Conference South, which sat at level six of English football, while Swansea were in League One, at level three. Wikipedia and Planet Football both cover the Anfield game.

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