Lederle Lane

The ground sits on Privett Road in Gosport, though everyone calls it Privett Park. The Alan Chase stand dominates the scene; it has been there since 1937. Built for cricket and hockey as much as football, it keeps that open-air feel.

The surface is now an artificial pitch, laid down after a long wait for planning approval. It replaces the natural grass that had served the club for decades. The change came through late in the calendar year, shifting the running surface permanently. The capacity is 4,500, but the old head of the place remembers a time when the crowd was smaller.

The AEI Stadium is the current name, carrying the weight of Associated Electrical Industries. Before that it was the Aerial Direct Stadium, and before that the GDL Stadium. The sponsors have come and gone, but the park remains. The club is Gosport Borough F.C., formed in 1944, and they have played there since the war ended.

The highlight came in November 2014. The club reached the First Round Proper of the FA Cup, hosting Colchester United. The gates opened wider that day, lifting the limit to 4,800. A sell-out crowd of 2,013 came to watch, and the visitors won 6–3. They also made it to the FA Trophy Final at Wembley that same season, losing to Cambridge United, but the cup run against the League One side is the memory that sticks.

The ground is not a temple of football; it is a community centre with a pitch.