Seaford Town F.C.
![]() Logo of Seaford Town Football Club | |||
Full name | Seaford Town Football Club | ||
---|---|---|---|
Nickname(s) | The Badgers | ||
Founded | 1888 | ||
Ground | The Crouch, Seaford | ||
Chairman | Tom Webster | ||
Manager | Paul Wise | ||
League | Southern Combination Division One | ||
2023–24 | Southern Combination Division One, 2nd of 18 | ||
Website | Club website | ||
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Seaford Town Football Club are a football club based in Seaford, East Sussex, England. They are currently members of the Southern Combination Division One and play at the Crouch.
History
[edit]Seaford Town was first founded in 1888 as Seaford F.C. allegedly succeeding the first competitive Seaford club, the Seaford Rovers FC. who were founded around 1882.[1] In 1910 Seaford FC won the Sussex Junior Cup. Like all other Sussex clubs they didn't play any games during the First World War, and part of their pitch was dug up to grow food.[1]
After the Great War, Seaford FC played in the Mid Sussex League and won the Montgomery Cup in 1936 and 1939, but again the club had to stop playing games due to world war 2.[1]
After the Second World War, they were among the founding members of the Sussex County League Division Two in 1952.[2]
They won promotion to Division One in the 1963–64 season and were an ever-present in the top division until being relegated in 1971. During that period they achieved their highest ever league position – 4th place in 1965–66.
The club left the County League in 1978 but rejoined as of the founder members of the new Division Three in 1983. Seaford Town won Division Three in 1985–86 and followed up this success with winning the Division Two title in 1988–89 earning promotion back to the top flight. This spell in Division One only lasted two seasons before they were relegated back in 1991 after finishing 17th. Further relegations followed in 1992–93 and in 1996–97 which saw the club leaving the Sussex County League altogether.[2]
After two seasons in the East Sussex League, they regained their County League status and also changed their name to just Seaford as opposed to 'Seaford Town' as they merged with the youth sides Seaford Seagulls which had teams ranging from under 7s all the way through to under 16s. This saw Seaford change from their traditional all red strip, to a red shirt with blue sleeves and blue shorts. Seaford was changed back to Seaford Town in 2005.[3]
Seaford were promoted to Division Two in 2000–01 where they have been ever since, with 6th being their best finish achieved in 2004–05 and 2006–07 (adopting the "Town" suffix once more in 2005).
The club installed floodlights at their ground (which is known as 'The Crouch') for the 2007–08 season and won their first game under the floodlights with a 3–2 win against Lancing in the league.
The club have only competed in the FA Vase on two occasions – a Preliminary Round defeat at the hands of Cowes Sports in 1975–76, but after the erection of the floodlights, became eligible for the national competition from the 2008–09 season and were subsequently knocked out by Chichester City United in the preliminary round that season.[4] After recent ground improvements the club has once again entered the competition.
The club is purely amateur and run by local volunteers. As well as First and Reserve Teams playing Senior level football, the club has a youth section for teams in the Under 8 to Under 18 age-groups, which play and compete in the Sussex Sunday Youth League.
Ground
[edit]Seaford Town play their home games at The Crouch Recreation Ground, Bramber Lane, Seaford BN25 1AF.
Honours
[edit]League honours
[edit]- Sussex County League Division Two[4]
- Winners: 1988–89
- Runners Up: 1963–64
- Sussex County League Division Three[4]
- Winners: 1985–86
- Runners Up: 2000–01
- Lewes League[4]
- Winners: 1907–08
- East Sussex League Premier[4]
- Winners: 1998–99
Cup honours
[edit]- The Sussex Royal Ulster Rifles Charity Cup[5]
- Runners Up: 1966–67, 1973–74
- Sussex County Football League Division Two Cup:[6]
- Winners: 2012–13
- Sussex County Football League Division Three Cup:[7]
- Winners: 1985–86
- Sussex Junior Cup[4]
- Winners: 1910
- Mid Sussex League Montgomery Cup[1]
- Winners: 1936, 1939
Club records
[edit]- Highest league position:[4]
- 4th in Sussex County League Division one: 1965/66
- FA Vase best performance[4]
- Second Round: 2019/20
- Highest attendance:
- 931 vs Wick FC: 2023/24
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d http://www.stfc.org.uk/forms/SeafordTownFC.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ a b Nomad Online Archived 2013-01-28 at archive.today Nomad Online – Seaford Town
- ^ Homepage Seaford Town Club website
- ^ a b c d e f g h FCHD Football Club History Database
- ^ "R.U.R. Cup Final Results – Sussex County Football Association". Sussexcountyleague.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2010. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
- ^ "Seaford Looking for New Boss | Pitchero Non League". Nonleague.pitchero.com. 12 June 2013. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
- ^ "Division 3 Cup - Sussex County Football League". Sussexcountyleague.com. Archived from the original on 6 December 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2013.