Sussex County Football Association

Last updated

Sussex County Football Association
Formation23 September 1882;142 years ago (1882-09-23)
PurposeFootball association
HeadquartersCulver Road
Location
Region served
Sussex
Chief executive
Ken Benham
Chairman
Thura KT Win
Affiliations The Football Association
Website www.sussexfa.com

The Sussex County Football Association, also simply known as Sussex County FA or Sussex FA, is the governing body of football in the county of Sussex, England. The Sussex County FA was founded on 23 September 1882 [1] [2] and run a number of County Cup competitions at various levels for teams all across the county. It is affiliated to The Football Association. [2]

Contents

History

Founded on 23 September 1882, [2] the Sussex County FA was founded by several football clubs including Burgess Hill, Chichester City and Horsham. The 1882/83 season saw the Sussex FA create the Sussex Senior Cup, which was won for the first time by Brighton Rangers. The competition continues to run and is the longest-running football competition administered by the Sussex County FA. [2]

Whilst the main aim of county football associations was to ensure clubs had many matches to play, a secondary aim was to help organise the recreation of schoolchildren. [3] The Sussex County FA was formed at the time when parents in Sussex were pressing local schools to introduce games on Saturdays, with the intention of keeping children out of mischief. [3]

In July 1981 the Sussex County FA purchased Lancing F.C., to which it moved its operations, effectively making Lancing F.C.'s home of Culver Road the headquarters of the Sussex County FA. [2] On 2 November 1999 the Sussex County FA became incorporated as a private limited company. At this time, a new board of directors was created, with a second tier of volunteers called 'the Council', which was replaced in 2017 with 'County Members' and a series of working committees, designed to run football matters more effectively and inclusively. [2]

In January 2024, Thura KT Win [4] was appointed as Chair, taking the reins from the late Mathew Major, who died in April 2023. [5]

County leagues

The Southern Combination Football League, formerly known as the Sussex County League until 2015 is the highest level league in Sussex with the Premier Division winners being promoted to the Isthmian League or the Southern League. There are three divisions in the SCFL; Premier Division (level 9), Division One (level 10) and Division Two (level 11). Division Two being of intermediate level and a feeder league alongside the Mid-Sussex Football League. Other feeder leagues at level 12 and below include East Sussex, West Sussex and the. Brighton Worthing & District.

In addition there are also Sunday leagues and Youth leagues.

Cup competitions

The Sussex County FA run several cup competitions: [6]

There are also various other cups and trophies for all levels of football in Sussex.

Sussex Community Shield

The champions of the Southern Combination Football League and the winners of the Sussex Senior Challenge Cup play each other in this competition

SeasonWinnersFinal resultRunners-upVenueAttendanceNotes
2005 Crawley Town 2–1 Horsham YMCA Gorings MeadN/A
2006 Horsham YMCA 0–0 Lewes Gorings MeadN/A
2007 Brighton & Hove Albion 3–0 Eastbourne Town The Saffrons N/A
2008 Crowborough Athletic 1–0 Brighton & Hove Albion AlderbrookN/A
2009 Eastbourne Borough 4–0 Eastbourne United Priory Lane N/A
2010 Whitehawk 2–3 Brighton & Hove Albion Culver RoadN/A
2011 Brighton & Hove Albion 4–0 Crawley Down Gatwick Culver RoadN/A
2012 Whitehawk 4–1 Three Bridge Jubilee FieldN/A
2013 Brighton & Hove Albion 3–1 Peacehaven & Telscombe Falmer Stadium N/A
2015 Littlehampton Town 3–0 Whitehawk Culver RoadN/A
2016 Eastbourne Borough 3–0 Horsham Priory Lane N/A
2017 Brighton & Hove Albion 7–0 Shoreham American Express Elite Football Performance CentreN/A
2018 Haywards Heath Town 1–0 Brighton & Hove Albion Culver RoadN/A
2019 Bognor Regis Town 1–0 Chichester City Culver RoadN/A
2022 Brighton & Hove Albion 2–2 4–3 pens Littlehampton Town Culver RoadN/A
2023 Worthing 3–3 5–4 pens Broadbridge Heath Culver Road275
2024 Horsham 5–0 Steyning Town Culver Road318

Principals

Office-holders
OfficeNameTenure
President The Duke of Norfolk 1900–1920
Lord Leconfield 1920–1935
Sir Charles Kirkpatrick1935–1937
S.C. Thompson1937–1946
H.P. Brazier1946–1947
H.A. Ayling1947–1948
H.C. Hunt1948–1949
H.B. Cox1949–1950
A.E. Bailey1950–1951
H.G. Cottrell1951–1952
E.C. Martin1952–1953
R.S. Chatfield1953–1954
Sir Alan Saunders 1954–1955
Dr. John O'Hara1955–1992
J.E. Davey1992–2010
Les Kempster [7] 2010–2023
Chairman/personRev J. Walker1882–1883
Rev S. Walker1883–1889
George Cole1889–1903
R.H. Whittaker1903–1905
E.A. Newman1905–1906
E. Denne1906–1907
J.H. Jordan1907–1908
S.C. Thompson1908–1909
W.O. Norman1909–1910
C.F. Butcher1910–1911
R.N. Collins1911–1912
G.T. Apps1912–1913
H.B. Cox1913–1914
F.C. Winton1914–1920
H.A. Ayling1920–1921
G.E. West1921–1922
W. Stephens1922–1923
M.W.T. Ridley1923–1924
H.G. Cottrell1924–1925
A.E. Bailey1925–1926
W.B. Stone1926–1927
F.A. Cull1927–1928
J. Morrin1928–1929
H.G. Duvall1929–1930
H.J. Carnaghan1930–1931
A.G. Whittaker1931–1932
E. Ford1932–1933
H.F. Gentry1933–1934
P.F. Chambers1934–1935
F.C. Gates1935–1936
W.A. Grainger1936–1937
F.C. Wells1937–1938
R.H. Willmer1938–1939
D Noakes1939–1944
F.C. Winton1944–1945
H.G. Cottrell1945–1946
F.J. Comber1946–1947
G. Aucock1947–1948
J.T. Mengham1948–1949
J. Rabson1949–1950
A.C. Cruttenden1950–1951
M.W. Simmonds1951–1952
F.C. Crouch1952–1953
J.E. Kibblewhite1953–1954
E.J. Wood1954–1955
J.C. Langmaid1955–1956
F.C. Sparkes1956–1957
A. Slee1957–1958
H.C. White1958–1959
W.M. Pritchard1959–1960
K.V. Baker1960–1961
R.E. Tarratt1961–1962
E. Walmsley1962–1963
A.C. Penny1963–1964
W.R. Dunlop1964–1965
M. Farncombe1965–1966
J.E. Davey1966–1967
H.A. Skinner1967–1968
C.C. Stevens1968–1969
P.G. Cunningham1969–1970
W.A. Saunders1970–1971
A. Holdstock1971–1972
A.C. Adfield1972–1973
R.G.T. Ginnaw1973–1974
R.P. Dudley1974–1975
R.A. Pavey1975–1976
T. Parry1976–1977
S.E.L. Viccars1977–1978
R.F. Wood1978–1979
G.H. Cannons1979–1980
K. Sommerville1980–1981
F.R. Stenning1981–1982
J. Ades1982–1983
P. Wilkins1983–1984
D.M. Bennett1984–1985
H.G. Brown1985–1986
P.R. Bentley1986–1987
P.B. Hiscox1987–1988
D.C.L. Chilton1988–1989
J.M. Smith1989–1990
L.J. Cornford1990–1991
M.G. Witherden1991–1992
P.J. Huggins1992–1993
D.M. Leonard1993–1994
D.N. Best1994–1995
J.R. Burns1995–1996
A.J. Woodland1996–1997
J.P.S. Cripps1997–1998
C.F.B. Groves1998–1999
A.K. Knight1999–2000
R.A. Pavey2000–2004
Peter Bentley [8] 2003–2013
Matthew Major [9] 2013–2023
Thura KT Win [4] 2024–present
Deputy Chairman/personP.R. Bentley1999–2004
P.M. Chaplin2004–2013
Matthew Major2013
E. Potter2014–2015
G.R. Flemmington2015–2017
John Edwards2018–present
SecretarySturgis Jones1881–1882
Rev. Spencer Walker1882–1886
F.C. Lingard1886–1887
Dr. C. Smith1887–1888
F. Pollock1888–1889
Rev. C.H. Bond1889
E.W. Everest1889–1945
F.C. Wells1945–1956
C.H. Izard1956–1968
R.F. Reeve1968–1988
D.M. Worsfold1987–1999
Chief executiveKen Benham2000–present

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References

  1. ↑ Harvey, Adrian (2005). Football: The First Hundred Years: The Untold Story. Abingdon: Routledge.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Sussex County FA - History". Sussex FA. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  3. 1 2 Harvey, Adrian (2013). Football: The First Hundred Years: The Untold Story. Routledge. p. 210.
  4. 1 2 Association, The Football. "Thura KT Win appointed as Chair". www.sussexfa.com. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  5. ↑ Association, The Football. "Mathew Major RIP". www.sussexfa.com. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  6. ↑ "Sussex County FA - Cups & Competitions". Sussex FA. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  7. ↑ "President shortlisted for BBC award". Sussex FA. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  8. ↑ "Sad loss of Peter Bentley". Sussex FA. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  9. ↑ "Matthew Major elected as Chairman". Sussex FA. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
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