Bexhill United F.C.

Bexhill United
Full name Bexhill United Football Club
Nickname(s) The Pirates
Founded 2002
Ground The Polegrove, Bexhill-on-Sea
Chairman Colin Dunstall
Manager Ryan Light
League Southern Combination Division One
2017–18 Southern Combination Division One, 7th of 18

Bexhill United Football Club is a football club based in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, England. They are currently members of the Southern Combination Division One and play at the Polegrove. Formed in 2002 as a merger of Bexhill AAC and Bexhill Town, the club are affiliated to the Sussex County Football Association.[1]

History

Bexhill Town

Initially known as Allen West, the club won Division One of the Brighton, Hove & District League in 1922–23 and moved up to the Sussex County League in 1923–24.[2][3] before becoming Bexhill at the end of the 1926–27 season.[3] After the war the club changed their name again this time to Bexhill Town Athletic ready for the 1946–47 season in the Sussex County League.[3]

In 1950 the club merged with local club Bexhill Amateur Athletic club, maintaining the Bexhill Town Athletic name.[4] The Sussex League gained a second division in 1952, with the club placed in Division One. They won the League Cup in 1955–56, and the following season saw them win their first Sussex County League title.[5] In 1957–58 they finished as runners-up the following season and won the Sussex Royal Ulster Rifles Charity Cup. The club would go on to win back-to-back league titles in 1965–66 and 1966–67 before finishing as runners-up in 1968–69.[5]

In 1969 the club split from Bexhill Amateur Athletic club and changed their name to Bexhill Town.[4][5] They then spent the next twelve seasons in Division One, winning the RUR Cup for a second time in 1973–74, before being relegated to Division Two at the end of the 1980–81 season, in which they finished bottom of the table.[6] They were relegated again after finishing bottom of Division Two in 1984–85, but were promoted from Division Three at the first attempt as runners-up in the 1985–86 season.[7] After winning Division Two in 1989–90, the club returned to Division One.[7] However, the club were relegated to Division Two again at the end of the 1993–94 season and then to Division Three at the end of the 1997–98 season after finishing bottom of Division Two.[7] In 1999–2000 they won the Division Three Cup.

In 2002 the club merged with Bexhill Amateur Athletic again and changed their name to Bexhill United.[8]

Bexhill United

In 2004–05 the new club finished as runners-up in Division Three, earning promotion to Division Two.[9] However the following season saw the club finish bottom of the table, after which they were relegated back to Division Three.[10] The two clubs de-merged again in 2005,[4] but Bexhill United retained their name.

In 2007–08 Bexhill finished as runners-up in Division Three, earning promotion back to Division Two. They also won both the Division Three Challenge Cup and the Sussex Intermediate Cup.[11] Although they were relegated back to Division Three at the end of the following season, they returned to Division Two again after finishing as runners-up in Division Three in 2009–10.[9] In 2011–12 they won the Hastings Senior Cup with a 4–3 win over Sidley United.[12] In 2015 the league was renamed the Southern Combination, with Division Two becoming Division One.[9]

Ground

Bexhill United play their home games at the Polegrove on Brockley Road. The ground features a grade 2 listed wooden stand.[13]

Honours

  • Southern Combination
    • Champions 1956–57, 1965–66, 1966–67
    • Division Two champions 1989–90
    • John O'Hara League Cup winners 1955–56
    • Division Three Cup winners 1999–2000, 2007–08
  • Sussex RUR Cup
    • Winners 1957–58, 1973–74
  • Hastings Senior Cup
    • Winners 2011–12
  • Sussex Intermediate Cup
    • Winners 2007–08

Records

  • Highest league position: 1st in the Sussex County League Division One 1956–57, 1965–66, 1966–67[7]
  • Best FA Cup performance: Second qualifying round, 1946–47, 1948–49, 1962–63, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1970–71, 1972–73, 1976–77[7]
  • Best FA Vase performance: Fourth round, 1976–77[7]

References

  1. ↑ Bexhill United Sussex County FA
  2. ↑ Season 1922–1923 Brighton, Worthing & District League
  3. 1 2 3 Sussex County League 1920–1960 Non-League Matters
  4. 1 2 3 A Brief History Bexhill AAC
  5. 1 2 3 Bexhill Town Athletic at the Football Club History Database
  6. ↑ Sussex County League 1980-1993 Non-League Matters
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bexhill Town at the Football Club History Database
  8. ↑ Town merger targets the big-time Bexhill Observer, 13 June 2002
  9. 1 2 3 Bexhill United at the Football Club History Database
  10. ↑ Sussex County League 2003-2012 Non-League Matters
  11. ↑ Tuppenney returns as Bexhill boss Rye and Battle Observer, 9 June 2011
  12. ↑ Bexhill cup win “a bit special” Hastings & St Leonards Observer, 28 March 2012
  13. ↑ Snapshots (Bexhill United) Pyramid Passion

Coordinates: 50°50′14″N 0°27′41″E / 50.837346°N 0.46128362°E / 50.837346; 0.46128362

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