A Season of Soccer

Sussex (ss’ks): An Anglo-Saxon kingdom of southern With only one club in the higher echelons of the Football bordering on the English Channel. Founded in the fifth century Pyramid it is perhaps not surprising that the non-League AD, it was captured by the kingdom of Wessex in 825. scene in Sussex is so vibrant, with representatives in each of the Conference National and Southern Divisions; through the Useful things, Dictionaries, but do they always tell you what you Isthmian Premier and Division One South; and into the three really want to know? That no Football Club from the County Divisions of the Sussex County League… not to mention its has ever won the FA Cup, FA Trophy, or FA Vase for example? five feeder Leagues.

That really useful information underlines the fact that, in terms This book is a celebration of just one football season in this of its football heritage at least, the County of Sussex remains small part of South East England, that nevertheless serves as one of the country’s great under-achievers. For all that, the a microcosm of The National Game elsewhere in the UK. On enthusiasm for the National Game remains undiminished and undertaking such a project the authors had no idea how the as fervent as anywhere else. season would turn out: who would be celebrating promotion and who would be despairing at relegation come the end of the Sussex has only professional club – & Hove Albion season? Would there be a great cup run… or even an elusive – whose brief stay in the old Division One, and FA Cup Final Wembley appearance? What other drama might unfold behind the defeat by Manchester United remains the pinnacle of their scenes? Despite such unknowns it was decided from the outset achievement amid years of ups and downs, that almost that the story of the season would be conveyed warts and all, in as culminated in their relegation from the Football League varied a way as possible largely using the medium of photography altogether. Having said that, success and prosperity for the alone, and that events both on and o the pitch would dictate Albion is vital for the good health of football further down where the authors would find themselves on a Saturday afternoon the ‘football chain’, with youngsters that pass through the or wet evening in December. Seagulls’ books benefiting from the experience of being with a professional club and invariably finding their way into county’s We hope you enjoy it. non-League ranks. DAVID BAUCKHAM & TERRY BUCKMAN Behind The Scenes United stewards strike a pose before a pre-season friendly at . David Bauckham Shoreham 1 Horsham YMCA 0. Norman Wingate Trophy, 29 July 2006. Attendance: 96 YM keeper Gary Elliott denies Owen Callaghan with his legs but The Musselmen go on to lift the first trophy of the new season, courtesy of a first half penalty. After such an inauspicious opening the season could only get better. David Bauckham Arundel 5 Dorking 0. FA Cup Extra-Preliminary Round, 19 August 2006. Attendance: 84 No sooner has the new season begun than it’s FA Cup time, and Arundel show no mercy to their opponents from the Combined Counties League as they romp to an easy victory at Mill Road at the very first stage of the competition. David Bauckham Wick 4 Littlehampton Town 0. Sussex County League Division One, 28 August 2006. Attendance: 153 Wick comfortably defeat neighbours Littlehampton in this Bank Holday derby fixture. Worse was to come for The Marigolds who were relegated at the end of the season. David Bauckham Wick 3 Lancing 1. FA Vase 2nd Qualifying Round. 23 September 2006. Attendance: 60. A small crowd but a cracking tie as Wick snatch a late equaliser and go on to win in extra-time. Terry Buckman City United 4 Ringmer 1. RUR Charity Cup 2nd Round, 21 October 2006. Attendance: 55 As the heavens suddenly open Chichester have the ball in the net, only for the ‘goal’ to be ruled out for oside. This minor setback however, didn’t stop Chi from winning the tie and going on to beat Whitehawk in the Final. Terry Buckman Behind The Scenes Steyning Town turnstile operator Tom Doolan & grandson Thomas in replica Steyning shirt. David Bauckham Borough 2 1. Conference South, 26 December 2006. Attendance: 1,148 Eastbourne Borough take the lead on the stroke of half-time before going to beat arch-rivals Lewes in the first leg of their annual Boxing Day & New Years Day derby. The re-match at the Dripping Pan ends in a 1-1 draw. David Bauckham Rustington 2 Bosham 0. Sussex County League Division Three, 30 December 2006. Attendance: 218 In atrocious conditions, and in front of TV cameras, Andy Smart scores for Rustington. Smart scored again later and Rustington achieved the unique record of winning all 34 games in 2006. Terry Buckman Chichester City United 2 Redhill 1. Sussex County League Division One, 13 January 2006. Attendance: 63 No place for the faint hearted during a full-blooded encounter at Church Road involving one of the two non-Sussex based clubs competing in the County League during the 2006-07 season. Terry Buckman Hat-trick heroes Matt Huckett (left) celebrates a hat-trick in Arundel’s 7-2 mauling of United in February. Remarkably, Matt’s brother Mike also bagged three goals in the same match. Right: Lee Farrell on the ball for Horsham, and on the way to another three- timer as the Hornets beat Littlehampton Town 6-2 in the Final of the Brighton Charity Cup in January. Terry Buckman Whitehawk 2 Quorn 1. FA Vase 5th Round. 10 February 2007. Attendance: 376. Whilst the majority of spectators seek refuge under cover, one ventures out to watch Whitehawk come from behind to beat their Midland Alliance rivals and set up a Quarter Final tie against favourites Truro City, who go on to lift the Vase at Wembley Stadium. David Bauckham Behind The Scenes Little Common helpers pause for a photo opportunity on their way to the home dugout. David Bauckham Ifield Edwards 1 Rustington 0. Sussex County League Division Three, 5 May 2007. Attendance: 85 Ifield Edwards players form a Guard of Honour to applaud champions Rustington on to the pitch prior to the last game of the season. Rustington had comfortably taken the title but Ifield were to become only the third side to defeat them in what proved to be something of an anti-climax to the end of the season. David Bauckham Crowborough Athletic 2 Sidley United 1. John O’Hara Challenge Cup Final. 6 April 2007. Attendance: 612. Justin Harris cracks open the bubbly as The Crows celebrate their cup final success over Sidley United at The Caburn Ground. Crowborough had to come from behind to land the trophy with goals from captain Craig Bishop & MOM Ross Treleaven. David Bauckham The Authors

David Bauckham spent the first 27 years of his life living in Terry Buckman spent his early years in Hampton, Middlesex. In Peckham, South London and discovered non-League football those formative years most of his spare time was spent watching through his local club, Dulwich Hamlet in the early 1970s. motor-cycle racing or going to local jazz clubs such as Eel Pie Island and Thames Hotel. He then settled in Chessington for David moved to Eastbourne in 1987, and after 13 years of about 28 years and, after a career in sales & computers, retired following Langney Sports (now Eastbourne Borough) he launched and moved to Wick, near littlehampton in 2002. ‘Nomad-Online’, dedicated to non-League football in Sussex and named after a pseudonym adopted whilst writing in the Having followed Wimbledon for some 25 years until their re- Sports’ programme. In 2003 the website led to the publication branding as MK Dons, he ‘rediscovered’ non-League football of ‘The Non League Football Grounds of Sussex’. through AFC Wimbledon and the local clubs in . Always interested in photography, the arrival of digital cameras Not content with Sussex, David soon began travelling further and associated software allowed him to develop that interest afield and amassing a collection of photographs of other more seriously and Terry soon became a familiar face around grounds. In 2004 he set up ‘Pyramid Passion’ as a means of the grounds of Wick, Arundel, East Preston, and latterly getting these online. The site proved an instant success and Rustington. resulted in the publication of David’s second book ‘Dugouts’ in 2006 which to date has sold over 9,000 copies. Terry’s photographs found their way on to the internet via his website ‘LittlehampDon’, a clever play on his love of AFC David’s photographs have been published in ‘The Mail On Wimbledon and his new abode and which has proved a great Sunday’, ‘Four Four Two’, and the German football magazine success with more than 6,000 images in its various galleries. ‘11 Freunde’; whilst his websites have received positive reviews in the popular ‘When Saturday Comes’ magazine. He is also a Terry’s skill behind the lens has seen his photographs sought regular contributor to ‘Groundtastic’ magazine. after by the local media, and also the Non League Paper. ‘A Season of Sussex Soccer’ is his first book. David works as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Brighton and occasionally bumps into his wife and teenage son. Terry is is married with three children & three grandchildren.