Former Premier League and EFL footballer Charlie Austin signs for non league club Basingstoke Town with his wages being funded by fans.
The 36-year-old, known for his goal-scoring prowess, joins from National League South newboys AFC Totton. Chairman Jack Miller praised Austin’s passion, leadership, and experience, noting his potential to elevate the team.
The signing was facilitated through a connection with manager Dan Brownlie and fan support, marking an exciting step for the club.
ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴜɴꜱ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ꜰᴀʟʟᴇɴ ꜱɪʟᴇɴᴛ.
ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛᴀʀꜱ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀʟɪɢɴᴇᴅ.
ᴛʜᴇ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ ᴡᴀɪᴛ ɪꜱ ᴏᴠᴇʀ.
ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ꜱᴇᴇ.
ɪᴛ ᴡɪʟʟ ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴇ ᴛᴇʟᴇᴠɪꜱᴇᴅ pic.twitter.com/uCJIehWKEi— Basingstoke Town FC (@Basingstoke_FC) August 8, 2025
Welcome to Basingstoke, @chazaustin10!
Made possible by our community.
Made real by you.— Basingstoke Town FC (@Basingstoke_FC) August 8, 2025
All I can really say is thank you @Basingstoke_FC and all connected with the club for making this happen! Patience and transparency are important and that’s two of the reasons why this happened but most importantly the way the club is run and supported!! See you Saturday
— Charlie Austin (@chazaustin10) August 8, 2025
BASINGSTOKE STATEMENT:
Every so often, football hands you a moment you know will be talked about for years.
For us, for our supporters, this is one of those moments.
We are immensely proud, and beyond excited, to officially welcome Charlie Austin and his family to Basingstoke Town Football Club.
This is more than just a signing. It’s a statement about who we are and what we can achieve together. Quite simply, without the power of our members, our supporters, and the Supporters Club, this wouldn’t have happened.
Charlie’s name is synonymous with big moments right across the football pyramid, from scoring a debut winner for Southampton at Old Trafford, to becoming Burnley’s fastest-ever player to hit 20 goals, firing QPR into the Premier League, and, just months ago, finding the net in the Play-Off Final to send AFC Totton into National League South.
Manager Dan Brownlie noted:
“This is a huge moment for the club, and it starts with one word: thanks. Our fans made this happen. We were nervous about even sending the email [to our members] to see if there was an appetite to help make it happen. It’s not how things are usually done, but it proved the power of this football club. That mix of willingness, positivity, and a shared sense of responsibility turned the seemingly impossible into reality. I’ve had countless conversations with Jack & Liz, and without their proactiveness it would have fallen short. It’s been so heartening the way everyone has played their part.
Charlie’s been first-class throughout. While he’s thanked us for our patience, the truth is we owe him the same. I didn’t think it was possible, but his openness, honesty, and good nature made it work.
On the pitch, he’s exactly what you want, a brilliant goalscorer, a leader, an organiser, and someone who makes those around him better. He wants to win, he loves scoring goals. He said the same again on Thursday, ‘I just love scoring goals, Dan, that will never change’. I watched him talking to Brad and Galla about how he can move into spaces to get the best out of them, that’s what winners do.
There’s always noise around Charlie because he wears his heart on his sleeve, and I love him for that, it was refreshing to hear a pro talk with genuine passion. Sometimes it can be taken out of context or positioned negatively, but it’s all driven by the desire to improve and help the team. He’s going to be a brilliant teammate. No question about it.
We’re really looking forward with Charlie. Whilst many QPR fans will disagree, the guy isn’t superhuman. It will take a bit of time for him to bed in, and for us to adapt when purposeful to bring the best out of him in forward areas. But if Thursday was anything to go by, his willingness to maximise every opportunity will speed that process up.”
From his early days in non-league football to the Premier League and beyond, Charlie’s career has been defined by goals, leadership, and a fierce will to win. Now, he brings all of that back into the heart of a community club that dared to believe it could happen.
Chairman Jack Miller added
“Thank you to everyone who made the seemingly impossible, possible. I for one am very excited about what this signing represents for our club, and I’d like to extend a very warm welcome to Charlie and his family to Basingstoke Town FC.”
We’re looking forward to seeing Charlie out there and welcoming his family to Winklebury. Welcome to Basingstoke Town, Charlie.
This is your signing, Basingstoke. Well done!
So how did it happen?
Dan Brownlie explains…
The story began with the hunt for a striker. You don’t need me to tell you how good Liam Ferdinand is, but we knew he needed support up top. As always, we drew up a profile and a list of desirables, but our finances don’t stretch to simply plucking the best from the leagues around us. More often than not, we have to unearth one, think Ezio and Dan Warre as proof. We looked at a few during pre-season, but when Ferdi picked up an injury, I just felt we needed something different.
And then… a simple tweet changed everything. Back in early July, I posted a tongue-in-cheek message to Charlie after he announced he was leaving our neighbours AFC Totton. A few hours later, I get a message from Ben Jefford his old teammate: “Chaz says call him, don’t just put it on Twitter.” Well… that backfired. Now he thought we were actually interested. Which, of course, we were — but it wouldn’t be possible… right?
So, I called him. We reminisced for a good hour, we’ve known each other since we were kids but it was only recent games that we’d reconnected, and then on the call came the moment: “Dan, I’m really open to it.” The obstacle? Finance. And trust me, for what Charlie is, has been, and still is, it was fair, more than fair. My first thought was that it was tantalisingly close to being doable, and that I almost wished he’d named something ridiculous so I could politely move on.
Then came the idea: what if — WHAT IF — we put this to our members? No expectations, no pressure, just an honest question: would you like to make this happen? We worded an email… then reworded it… then reworded it again, determined to make sure it didn’t feel like a demand. The response was humbling. Message after message of interest and enthusiasm, often starting with, “Sorry it’s not much…” But here’s the magic of community: all those “not much” messages added up to something extraordinary. They brought Charlie Austin to Basingstoke Town. Incredible.
Here’s to the power of community. The power of you.
Charlie Austin scores last minute winner in 7th tier playoff with astonishing late comeback
AFC TOTTON STATEMENT:
Charlie Austin has departed the Snows Stadium club, after playing his part in helping The Stags to a successful 2024/25 campaign that ended with promotion to The Enterprise National League South via the end of season Play-Offs.
The former Southampton and QPR hitman signs-off from his spell in SO40 having scored one of the most important goals in the entire history of the club. His strike against Dorchester Town just one minute before the completion of extra-time in the Southern League Premier Division South Play-Off semi-final at the end of April 2025 completed a now famous barnstorming 4-3 victory for Totton, who had looked down and out when trailing two-nil as the clock ticked past the 90-minute mark.
That unlikely revival enabled The Stags to go on and defeat Gloucester City in the final and secure Step 2 football for the first time since the club’s original formation in 1886.
Austin joined Totton shortly before the start of the 2024/25 season, and made his competitive debut for the club as a substitute in the opening day home win over Walton & Hersham. His second Stags appearance also came from the bench in a 3-0 midweek away success at Sholing, before he made his full Totton debut at the home of his former club Poole Town, on Saturday 17 August 2024.
Quickly regaining match fitness having missed the bulk of pre-season, he began September in fine form with three goals in as many matches against the relatively local Town rivals of Basingstoke, Wimborne and Dorchester, setting him on his way to an eventual total of 13 goals in 33 starts and 11 substitute appearances across all competitions.
AFC Totton manager Jimmy Ball said:
“Our thanks go to Charlie for the time he has been with us here at AFC Totton. When he joined us, we had a mission and a clear goal, and when all is said and done, we achieved our objectives together.
“For me as a manager, Charlie has been absolutely fantastic and a pleasure to work with both on and off the pitch. His commitment and work ethic have been excellent throughout his time here, and many of the other players in the squad have genuinely benefitted from having the chance to work alongside him and to learn from him.
“His will always be an important name in the history of AFC Totton, not least for scoring that crucial goal against Dorchester in the Play-Off semi-final that enabled us to go on and reach new heights as a football club. We all wish him the very best for the future.”
Austin’s football journey originally began in non-league football with Kintbury Rangers, Hungerford Town and Thatcham Town, prior to him catching the eye of Football League scouts as a prolific marksman for The Dolphins, for whom he scored 48 league goals in the 2008/09 campaign to earn himself a move to League One side Swindon Town. More goals followed and the Berkshire-born striker continued to enjoy successful spells with Burnley and QPR, before joining Southampton – then in the Premier League – in January 2016, and scoring on his Saints debut to win the game against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Spells at West Bromwich Albion and in Australia, playing for Brisbane Roar, preceded an 18-month return to Swindon Town, before AFC Totton stunned the non-league football community by securing the services of the popular frontman, who will turn 36 years-old on Saturday 05 July.
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AUSTIN’S CAREER:
Youth career
2005 – Reading
Senior
2006–2007 – Kintbury Rangers – 28 games (21 goals)
2007–2008 – Hungerford Town – 37 games (11 goals)
2008 – Thatcham Town
2008–2009 – Poole Town – 57 games (64 goals)
2009–2011 – Swindon Town – 65 games (37 goals)
2011–2013 – Burnley – 90 games (45 goals)
2013–2016 – Queens Park Rangers – 89 games (48 goals)
2016–2019 – Southampton – 81 games (20 goals)
2019–2021 – West Bromwich Albion – 45 games (11 goals)
2021–2022 – Queens Park Rangers – 59 games (15 goals)
2022 – Brisbane Roar – 11 games (4 goals)
2022–2024 – Swindon Town – 68 games (23 goals)
2024- AFC Totton – 44 games (13 goals)
Here’s how fans reacted as Charlie Austin signs for non league club Basingstoke with his wages being funded by fans…
@steve_the_tank: Well i didn’t see that coming @chazaustin10 🤣🤣 welcome to the madhouse mate and YOU definitely owe me a pint. And at least @BenJefford gets to see the minder again lol. 💛💙🍺🍺
@SteveG01660490: You can tell by the face Charlie pulled to the camera that he is going to have some fun here, and everyone is going to learn so much having someone like him around. Along with the other signings we have had some quality joining us, fans it’s gonna be a good one.
@AaronLinstead: Unreal signing for you, ‘Stoke! An absolute legend at QPR. I’ll have to come to a couple matches as you’re now my local team! 🫡
@rseka1979: Somebody pinch me! 😍
@acostar1411_: We’re gonna have a lot of fun
@SkitsB4ck: Speak it, believe it, achieve it.
@gammell_t: What a legend 🔵⚪️
@Dan_Gardner8: Holy shit we’re massive. Welcome to Basingstoke 😎
@dom_lane7: Some club, and some manager to be able to do this. @chazaustin10 welcome. You will get back out what you put in and some. This is going to be fun
@laurenthfcc: my god what a signing
@zackgif: I fucking love @chazaustin10
