Football in and around Bournemouth

Nestled along a picturesque stretch of the South Coast and surrounded by some of England’s most unspoilt countryside, Bournemouth is the perfect place for a kick-about on the beach or in one of our beautiful parks and gardens.

In good weather you will often see people kicking a ball around especially in the lower gardens and on the beach. If you don’t fancy getting stuck in with a team of your own, there are plenty of places to watch the beautiful game – including AFC Bournemouth’s home ground, the Vitality Stadium in King’s Park.

Having a high profile sports team in town reflects well on the region, shining a spotlight not only on the stadium and professional players but also on the many other aspects of Bournemouth that make it a wonderful place to live, work and visit.

Most notably, Bournemouth’s seven miles of golden sandy beaches lend themselves to huge variety of outdoor activities as well as a Brazilian variation on the game. Enjoy a casual game of beach football with friends and family by the sea.

Somewhere between the hallowed turf of a Premier League team and the soft golden sand, there are of course many grass-roots youth, junior, mens and womens teams across the conurbation, overseen by the Bournemouth Divisional Football Association.

The Bournemouth Divisional FA has been established and has been overseeing local league football since 1920. The Association is based at Hurn Bridge in Christchurch, and is responsible for the management of the league and cup competitions. They run 7 cup competitions each year, with the finals being held at the M.A. Hart Stadium, Hurn Bridge. The cup finals usually run between March and May each season with over 3,000 spectators attending these finals.  You can email direct for further information.

There are also the Bournemouth Bobcats who bring the thrill and excitement of American Football to our British seaside resort!

On the more recreational side, there are lots of astro turf pitches (ATPs) at our local leisure centres which lend themselves to various 5-a-side tournaments and leagues, as well as opportunities to play Sunday league and walking football.

For more information about teams and pitches in Bournemouth, head to the Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Council website bcpcouncil.gov.uk.