THE STAGS
THE OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME OF
MIDHURST & EASEBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB
SCFL PREMIER DIVISION
MIDHURST & EASEBOURNE VS HASSOCKS
SATURDAY 1 MARCH 2025 KICK-OFF 3PM
MIDHURST & EASEBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB
Full Name Midhurst & Easebourne Football Club Nickname The Stags Founded 1946 Ground The Rotherfield
Chairman
Mark Broughton
Secretary
Mark Broughton
Treasurer
Barry McMahon
First Team Manager
Andy Ewen
First Team Assistant Dan Trussler
First Team Coach
Jamie Angell
First Team Coach
Arnie Miron
First Team Physio
Lewis Sandy
Reserve Team Manager
Mark Broughton
Reserve Team Physio
Maddie Mantel
Groundsman
Tom Merritt-Smith
Bernie Penney
Stephen Ewen
Matchday Programme JMA Programmes
The club has 2 senior teams and 8 youth teams. The First Team are currently members of the Southern Combination Football League and compete in Premier Division , whilst the Reserves play in the Premier Division of the Hampshire Development League.
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 also 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 last seasons achievements, and subsequent promotion to step 5 football we now find ourselves competing in the Fa Cup for the first time in our history. 2022-23 is sure to be an exciting historical season for everyone involved in the club and town.
MANAGER’S MESSAGE LEMMY
Good afternoon welcome to The Rotherfield for this Southern Combination League fixture against Hassocks,
I extend a warm welcome to our visitors their officials, players, supporters along with the match officials.
When I was looking back our last Home game on a Saturday goes all the way back to 14th December, the weather has played its part. We now start a run of 3 consecutive Home games against sides who are all hunting down promotion. From our remaining 10 fixtures 6 sides we face currently have a chance of the title or play offs so I’m sure we’re going to see some good games.
Hassocks today are the run away leaders, it’s their title to lose now.
When we played them back in November we only went down to a last minute winner. I’m hoping we can give them another good game today. We are a better side when we’re an underdog.
Our recent results have been mixed we travelled to Saltdean 2 weeks ago and come away with the 3 points, 1st half we were good. Second half we allowed them back in it eventually seeing it out.
Our midweek trip to Wick we just didn’t turn up waste of an evening.
Last week at Varndeanians similar story to Saltdean 1st half very good we went in 2 up at half time should have been 4. Second half we again let them in and had to settle for a point. Our game management needs to improve, we can compete with anyone we with just make poor decisions and let sides back in games which at times is frustrating,
I hope the lads learn to get this right in the remaining games.
Enjoy the game
Lemmy
FIXTURES & RESULTS LEAGUE AND CUP 24/25
TODAY’S VISITORS HASSOCKS
THE BEACON
CHAIRMAN
DAVE JOHN MANAGER
JAMES WESTLAKE
Hassocks Football Club was founded in 1902 and spent the first 80 years of its existence competing in the Mid Sussex Football League and Brighton and Hove and District Football League, playing at Adastra Park in the middle of the village. The Robins first piece of silverware
came when lifting the Mid Sussex League's prestigious Mowatt Cup in 1928 and they added the showpiece trophy of the Montgomery Cup in 1960.
The club really began to get noticed with the move into the Brighton and Hove League in the mid 60's, winning promotion from Division Three to Division One in back-to-back seasons in 1965 and 1966 and then eventually lifting the league championship in 1972 after finishing runners up the previous year.
The Sussex Intermediate Cup was added in 1975 to complete a golden era for Hassocks and ambitions of senior football were finally realised for 1981-82 when the club became members of Division Two of the Sussex County Football League.
They finished that first season in 12th place and consolidated that hard earned senior status with a succession of top half placings in the division until a change in ground grading rules saw them demoted into Division Three and a return to intermediate football.
1991 saw huge changes, with Jim Goodrum taking over as chairman, Dave John arriving as general manager from Haywards Heath Town and a new coaching team of Nick Greenwood and Peter Liddell taking over first team affairs with a massive influx of players.
Results were immediate as Greenwood and Liddell led Hassocks to the Division Three title by 10 points in 199192 but more importantly the progress on the pitch was matched off it with the club finally leaving Adastra Park to move into its own purpose built ground, The Beacon.
The improved facilities at the venue that members worked so hard to secure meant promotion and a return to senior football and just three years later the runners up spot in Division Two was secured.
To take their place in Division One of the Sussex County League for the first time, quality floodlights had to be provided and they came through fundraising and a generous donation from Chelsea vice-chairman Matthew Harding who lived locally and whose sons Pat and Joel would all onto represent the club.
The floodlights were officially opened when a Chelsea XI featuring Graham Rix and Liam Brady made the journey to the Beacon, one season later they made their debut in the FA Vase and then a year on in the FA Cup with a remarkable run to the third qualifying round coming in 2001-2002 which was finally ended by Lewes en route to meeting Stoke City in the first round proper.
2002 saw Hassocks mark their centenary by facing an ex-Arsenal and
Celebrity XI while Steve Coppell took charge of Brighton and Hove Albion for the first time when the Seagulls visited the Beacon to open the new Maurice Boxall Stand, funded in part by the previous seasons FA Cup run. In 2007, the ground was improved further with the opening of one of the finest clubhouses in the County League after a long fundraising and building process.
The Robins enjoyed their most successful season on record in 2011-12 when manager Mickey Jewell led his side to a best fourth place finish in Division One as well as the semi-finals of the RUR Cup.
Jewell stepped down at the end of the 2013-14 season, since when club legend John returned for a brief third spell at the helm followed by Mark Dalgleish and Phil Wickwar who have guided the side to solid if not spectacular lower mid table finishes in recent years, with Mark then taking sole charge from 2018-19.
Following the curtailed 2019-2020 it was felt a change in management was required, which has seen Dave John taking back over as overall manager. He has a number of coaches and explayers assisting him, as the club look to progress through some exciting young talent.
TODAY’S TEAMS
SCFL PREMIER DIVISION
MIDHURST HASSOCKS
Harry
Marcus
Tom
Jack
Alex
Noah
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Joshua Plumb
Assistants: Dominic Fairhurst and Greg Van Wyk