5 Newhaven by Donna Laycock

Chairman

Tom Merrit-Smith

Vice-Chairman

Barry McMahon

Club/Matchday

Secretary

Donna Laycock

Assistant Secretary

Gavin Laycock

Treasurer

Barry McMahon

Groundsman

Bernie Penny Social Media

Libby Adey

Bar Manager

Heather Good Café Manager

Lucinda Davis

Photographer

Teresa Bright Manager

Tylan Borachan

Assistant Manager

Adam Brice Lead Coach

Ollie Maynard

Physio

Lewis Sandy

Matchday Programme

JMA Programmes

Welcome to The Rotherfield

Good afternoon and a very warm welcome to The Rotherfield for today's SCFL Premier Division

Fixture against Newhaven FC.

We would like to give our best wishes to the players, management, supporters and our Match Officials, we trust that you all enjoy your visit with us today.

Our last outing was to Lancing FC on a bank holiday Monday morning, our lads played well, and we ended with a 2-2 draw, the scoreline did not reflect the effort and positive spells of football shown by our team. We worked hard and remained strong throughout, time just got away, but we move on a remain positive.

Our clubhouse bar is open this afternoon along with our kitchen so please do enjoy a drink and refreshments while backing the team, as always, your backing makes a real difference so let's get behind the lads and cheer them on to what we hope will be a successful a game.

Up the Stags!

Tylan Borachan

The club has 2 senior teams, and we currently have 7 youth teams. The First Team are currently members of the Southern Combination Football League and compete in Premier Division, whilst the Community Team play in the West Sussex League Division 2.

The club was established in 1946 by a merger of Midhurst, whose ground had been used to build a school on, and Easebourne, who had lost several officials and players during the World War II. They joined the West Sussex League and went on to win the title in 1955–56, 1962–63 and 1964–65, as well as the Malcolm Simmonds Memorial Cup in 1959–60. After the top division was renamed the Premier Division, the club won the league again in 1967–68, the Bareham Cup in 1970–71 and the Malcolm Simmonds Memorial Cup in 1973–74. They won the Premier Division and Malcolm Simmonds Memorial Cup double in 1976–77 and retained the cup the following season, before winning another league and cup double in 1979–80. Although an application to join the Sussex County League was rejected in 1980, they were accepted into the league the following year, becoming members of Division Two. In their first season in Division Two, Midhurst & Easebourne were runners-up, earning promotion to Division One. The club finished bottom of Division One in 1986–87 and were relegated back to Division Two. They won the Division Two Cup in 1988–89, beating Newhaven 5–3 on penalties in a replay. The club returned to Division One after finishing second in 1991–92 but were relegated back to Division Two at the end of the following season. A second successive relegation in 1993–94 saw them drop into Division Three. Although they won Division Three at the first attempt, the club were relegated back to the division at the end of the 1997–98 season.

In 1998–99 Midhurst & Easebourne finished bottom of Division Three and were relegated to the Premier Division of the West Sussex League. They were Premier Division champions and Centenary Cup winners in 2001–02 and were

promoted back to Division Three of the Sussex County League. The following season saw them win the Division Three title and the Division Three Cup, earning promotion to Division Two. Although they finished bottom of Division Two in 2009–10, the club avoided being relegated to Division Three. In 2015 the Sussex County League was renamed the Southern Combination, with Division Two becoming Division One. Midway through the 2018-19 season, the club found themselves bottom of Division One and appointed Liphook United Manager, Andrew 'Lemmy' Ewen as First Team Manager, who subsequently saved the club from relegation to Division Two. The 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons were both ended early and deemed null and void due to COVID-19, with the club sitting 6th and 4th in respective seasons.

The 2021-22 saw a return of success to the club. With the first team winning promotion to the premier division via the playoffs and winning the league cup. A real triumph for Lemmy and his team after having the two previous seasons curtailed when in strong positions. The reserve team also enjoyed success with a second-place finish, securing promotion to their respective premier division.

With that season's achievements, and subsequent promotion to step 5 football we found ourselves competing in the FA Cup for the first time in our history. 2022-23 was sure an exciting historical season for everyone involved in the club and town.

2025-2026 Started with us looking for a new Chairman and Team Manager as Mark Broughton and Lemmy Ewen stepped down from their roles, which leads us to now where we welcomed Tom Merritt –Smith as our new Chairman and Tylan Borachan as our First Team Manager and we did a rebrand for our reserve team into our new Community Team which is co -managed by Sean Brockhurst and Wayne Hyde. Their will to succeed and passion of the game hope to propel the club forward to a successful future.

Newhaven FC is one of the oldest clubs in Sussex, and was formed by the Towner family, who were brewers in the town during the latter 19th century, plus some of their enthusiastic friends. A meeting took place at the Bridge Hotel in December 1887 when it decided to form the Club and 20 members signed up on the day.

Newhaven are one of the founding members of the Sussex County Football League, joining in 1920, but it was not until 1948/49 that any silverware of note found its way to the Dockers’ trophy cabinet, when the club won the Sussex County FA Invitation Cup.

In 1950/51 Newhaven finished in fourth place and in 1953/54 won the League, ahead of Rye United and Cuckfield. Although finishing fifth the following season, success eluded Newhaven, and the club was relegated to Division Two in 1964/65.

Newhaven made an immediate return as runners-up to Horsham YMCA, only to be relegated again two years later.

Newhaven once again returned to the top division in 1971/72, and won the Division One championship in 1973/74, finishing two points ahead of Littlehampton Town. Just two years later though the club was relegated for a third time.

After fifteen years in Division Two, the club was promoted to Division One as champions in 1990/91, and in 1992/3 finished sixth. The following year Newhaven won the Sussex RUR Cup, only to be relegated in 1994/95. Further relegation to Division Three followed in 1998/99 and the club narrowly escaped dropping down to the East Sussex League the season afterwards.

In the 2004/05 season Newhaven made it

to the Final of the Vernon Wentworth Cup –losing to cup specialists Rustington.

Newhaven remained in Division Three until 2012, when they beat local rivals Saltdean United to the League Championship on ‘Goals Scored’. The Dockers also completed a league and cup double with victory over Saltdean in the Intermediate Cup Final.

2012/13 saw Newhaven finish as runners-up in Division Two meaning a second consecutive promotion and a first return to Division One since 1995.

The Dockers gained a top seven finish during the 2014/15 season, under new managers Sean Breach and Andy Cook, and picked up their first piece of senior silverware since 1994 when they beat Arundel 3-1 at Gorings Mead to win the inaugural Peter Bentley Challenge Cup.

That cup win was to breed more success over the following two seasons as the club won back-to-back RUR Charity Cups. A 4-2 final victory against Chichester City in 201516 was followed by a 5-0 hammering of Crawley Down Gatwick a year later.

The Surrey County Cup, the West Sussex Premier League and most recent the Chichester Charity Cup, all outstanding achievements for a village side.

2015-16 became a landmark in Alfold Football Club’s history with the first team

Playing in the Macron Store Southern Combination Football League Division 2

This is the old prestigious Sussex County Football League. The reserves continue to play in the Brickability West Sussex Football League Division 1 (North).

Harry Adey