Sussex County Football Association

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
AffiliationsThe Football Association
Websitewww.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]

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

Season Winners Final result Runners-up Venue Attendance Notes
2005 Crawley Town 2–1 Horsham YMCA Gorings Mead N/A
2006 Horsham YMCA 0–0 Lewes Gorings Mead N/A
2007 Brighton & Hove Albion 3–0 Eastbourne Town The Saffrons N/A
2008 Crowborough Athletic 1–0 Brighton & Hove Albion Alderbrook N/A
2009 Eastbourne Borough 4–0 Eastbourne United Priory Lane N/A
2010 Whitehawk 2–3 Brighton & Hove Albion Culver Road N/A
2011 Brighton & Hove Albion 4–0 Crawley Down Gatwick Culver Road N/A
2012 Whitehawk 4–1 Three Bridge Jubilee Field N/A
2013 Brighton & Hove Albion 3–1 Peacehaven & Telscombe Falmer Stadium N/A
2015 Littlehampton Town 3–0 Whitehawk Culver Road N/A
2016 Eastbourne Borough 3–0 Horsham Priory Lane N/A
2017 Brighton & Hove Albion 7–0 Shoreham American Express Elite Football Performance Centre N/A
2018 Haywards Heath Town 1–0 Brighton & Hove Albion Culver Road N/A
2019 Bognor Regis Town 1–0 Chichester City Culver Road N/A
2022 Brighton & Hove Albion 2–2 4–3 pens Littlehampton Town Culver Road N/A
2023 Worthing 3–3 5–4 pens Broadbridge Heath Culver Road 275

Principals

Office-holders
Office Name Tenure
President The Duke of Norfolk 1900–1920
Lord Leconfield 1920–1935
Sir Charles Kirkpatrick 1935–1937
S.C. Thompson 1937–1946
H.P. Brazier 1946–1947
H.A. Ayling 1947–1948
H.C. Hunt 1948–1949
H.B. Cox 1949–1950
A.E. Bailey 1950–1951
H.G. Cottrell 1951–1952
E.C. Martin 1952–1953
R.S. Chatfield 1953–1954
Sir Alan Saunders 1954–1955
Dr. John O'Hara 1955–1992
J.E. Davey 1992–2010
Les Kempster [7] 2010–2023
Chairman/person Rev J. Walker 1882–1883
Rev S. Walker 1883–1889
George Cole 1889–1903
R.H. Whittaker 1903–1905
E.A. Newman 1905–1906
E. Denne 1906–1907
J.H. Jordan 1907–1908
S.C. Thompson 1908–1909
W.O. Norman 1909–1910
C.F. Butcher 1910–1911
R.N. Collins 1911–1912
G.T. Apps 1912–1913
H.B. Cox 1913–1914
F.C. Winton 1914–1920
H.A. Ayling 1920–1921
G.E. West 1921–1922
W. Stephens 1922–1923
M.W.T. Ridley 1923–1924
H.G. Cottrell 1924–1925
A.E. Bailey 1925–1926
W.B. Stone 1926–1927
F.A. Cull 1927–1928
J. Morrin 1928–1929
H.G. Duvall 1929–1930
H.J. Carnaghan 1930–1931
A.G. Whittaker 1931–1932
E. Ford 1932–1933
H.F. Gentry 1933–1934
P.F. Chambers 1934–1935
F.C. Gates 1935–1936
W.A. Grainger 1936–1937
F.C. Wells 1937–1938
R.H. Willmer 1938–1939
D Noakes 1939–1944
F.C. Winton 1944–1945
H.G. Cottrell 1945–1946
F.J. Comber 1946–1947
G. Aucock 1947–1948
J.T. Mengham 1948–1949
J. Rabson 1949–1950
A.C. Cruttenden 1950–1951
M.W. Simmonds 1951–1952
F.C. Crouch 1952–1953
J.E. Kibblewhite 1953–1954
E.J. Wood 1954–1955
J.C. Langmaid 1955–1956
F.C. Sparkes 1956–1957
A. Slee 1957–1958
H.C. White 1958–1959
W.M. Pritchard 1959–1960
K.V. Baker 1960–1961
R.E. Tarratt 1961–1962
E. Walmsley 1962–1963
A.C. Penny 1963–1964
W.R. Dunlop 1964–1965
M. Farncombe 1965–1966
J.E. Davey 1966–1967
H.A. Skinner 1967–1968
C.C. Stevens 1968–1969
P.G. Cunningham 1969–1970
W.A. Saunders 1970–1971
A. Holdstock 1971–1972
A.C. Adfield 1972–1973
R.G.T. Ginnaw 1973–1974
R.P. Dudley 1974–1975
R.A. Pavey 1975–1976
T. Parry 1976–1977
S.E.L. Viccars 1977–1978
R.F. Wood 1978–1979
G.H. Cannons 1979–1980
K. Sommerville 1980–1981
F.R. Stenning 1981–1982
J. Ades 1982–1983
P. Wilkins 1983–1984
D.M. Bennett 1984–1985
H.G. Brown 1985–1986
P.R. Bentley 1986–1987
P.B. Hiscox 1987–1988
D.C.L. Chilton 1988–1989
J.M. Smith 1989–1990
L.J. Cornford 1990–1991
M.G. Witherden 1991–1992
P.J. Huggins 1992–1993
D.M. Leonard 1993–1994
D.N. Best 1994–1995
J.R. Burns 1995–1996
A.J. Woodland 1996–1997
J.P.S. Cripps 1997–1998
C.F.B. Groves 1998–1999
A.K. Knight 1999–2000
R.A. Pavey 2000–2004
Peter Bentley [8] 2003–2013
Matthew Major [9] 2013–2023
Thura KT Win[4] 2024–present
Deputy Chairman/person P.R. Bentley 1999–2004
P.M. Chaplin 2004–2013
Matthew Major 2013
E. Potter 2014–2015
G.R. Flemmington 2015–2017
John Edwards 2018–present
Secretary Sturgis Jones 1881–1882
Rev. Spencer Walker 1882–1886
F.C. Lingard 1886–1887
Dr. C. Smith 1887–1888
F. Pollock 1888–1889
Rev. C.H. Bond 1889
E.W. Everest 1889–1945
F.C. Wells 1945–1956
C.H. Izard 1956–1968
R.F. Reeve 1968–1988
D.M. Worsfold 1987–1999
Chief executive Ken Benham 2000–present

References

  1. ^ Harvey, Adrian (2005). Football: The First Hundred Years: The Untold Story. Abingdon: Routledge.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Sussex County FA - History". Sussex FA. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  3. ^ a b Harvey, Adrian (2013). Football: The First Hundred Years: The Untold Story. Routledge. p. 210.
  4. ^ a b 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.