AN ISLE of Wight football club with a proud history, Oakfield FC, has folded after struggles to meet its fixture obligations in Division 2 of the Island League this season.

The club, based at Slade Road, in Oakfield, Ryde, were relegated to Division 2 last season after many of their players left the club.

They took voluntary relegation last season in a bid to rebuild and eventually mount another promotion campaign.

It has been an uphill battle for Oakfield — established in 1957 — to field a side this season, relying on a lot of young players who were in their reserves last season.

After seeing their side get hammered in the opening three fixtures this season, they were unable to raise a side in the following five and the difficult decision to fold was made. 

Oakfield's decline has been shocking. They won the Division 2 title and the Ryde and District Senior Cup in 2021, held their own for most of the campaign, then struggled to put a side out for the remaining third of the season, with the reserves folding.

After seeing their side get hammered in the opening three fixtures, Oakfield were forced to forfeit the next five, unable to field a side and took the difficult decision to dissolve.

Oakfield are not the only club to fall by the wayside. Carisbrooke United and Yarmouth and Calbourne FC also folded at the start of the season.

Ventnor and ECS had similar problems during Covid, but have successfully bounced back.   

The Isle of Wight Divisional Football Association's league management committee will discuss the consequences of Oakfield's withdrawal from Division 2, which now only leaves eight teams in it,  at their next meeting on Monday.

Oakfield were the last Island League club to win the Isle of Wight Gold Cup, back in 2001.