Midhurst & Easebourne Fc v Little Common

THE STAGS

THE OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME OF MIDHURST & EASEBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB

SCFL PREMIER DIVISION MIDHURST & EASEBOURNE

VS LITTLE COMMON SATURDAY 22 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 Little Common, I extend a warm welcome to our visitors their officials, players, supporters along with the match officials.

Little Common are in a relegation battle and will be looking to back the good win they had midweek up here. Since I’ve announced I’m stepping down, as I expected our results have dropped off, I’m hoping the lads have had the few weeks to deal with it and we can step back up and finish strong. The atmosphere is back where I expect it to be so we now need to carry that onto the pitch.

Squad wise we have a lot of injuries and a suspension to deal with.

Harry, Marcus, Rolfey, are all injured Bowza is suspended. Rusty is with Chi which is brilliant for him I’m hoping he can step up and show what he’s about.

Duncs in unavailable at the moment with the birth of his son, congratulations to him and Jade.

We have Aaron back today from Horndean which will be a big plus along with Lidds who has been out since August, he has been playing with Liss these last 8 weeks so he comes back fit which is great news.

Last week we made the long trip to Bexhill we played well in spells we had a lot of youngsters and made mistakes defensively and didn’t take our chances the other end. If you’re not good in both boxes you won’t compete in games of football. I’m expecting a good reaction today.

Enjoy the game.

Lemmy

LEAGUE TABLE

SCFL PREMIER DIVISION

POS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

P Hassocks 31 Crowborough Athletic 31 Haywards Heath Town 32 Petersfield Town 32 Crawley Down Gatwick 31 Roffey 32 Eastbourne United 32 Peacehaven & Tels.

32 Newhaven 31 Bexhill United 32 Midhurst & Ease.

32 Wick 32 Pagham 32 AFC Varndeanians 32 Horsham YMCA 32 Lingfield 31 Shoreham 32 Loxwood 31 Little Common 31 Saltdean United 31

W 25 20 19 17 18 16 17 16 15 13 11 10 9 10 8 7 6 7 6 3

D 3 5 6 8 5 8 5 6 3 9 8 6 7 4 8 9 7 4 4 11

L 3 6 7 7 8 8 10 10 13 10 13 16 16 18 16 15 19 20 21 17

F 80 76 64 71 75 60 53 63 60 59 38 45 41 42 49 36 33 42 28 39

A 27 31 31 37 54 32 41 46 59 44 54 67 47 72 59 63 75 87 64 64

=/53 45 33 34 21 28 12 17 1 15 -16 -22 -6 -30 -10 -27 -42 -45 -36 -25

PTS 78 65 63 59 59 56 56 54 48 47 * 41 36 34 34 32 30 25 25 22 20

FIXTURES & RESULTS LEAGUE AND CUP 24/25

DATE OPPOSITION 27 July Lingfield 30 July Wick 3 Aug Balham 10 Aug Saltdean United 13 Aug Shoreham 20 Aug Infinity 24 Aug Sutton Athletic 26 Aug Horsham YMCA 4 Sept Banstead Athletic 7 Sept Roffey 10 Sept Montpelier Villa 14 Sept Peacehaven & Tels.

17 Sept Crawley Down Gatwick 24 Sept Loxwood 28 Sept Newhaven 1 Oct Pagham 5 Oct Bexhill United 8 Oct Haywards Heath 12 Oct Crowborough Athletic 15 Oct Haywards Heath 29 Oct Haywards Heath 2 Nov Crawley Down Gatwick 9 Nov AFC Varndeanians 16 Nov Hassocks 19 Nov Fleet Town 30 Nov Little Common 14 Dec Shoreham 21 Dec Horsham YMCA 26 Dec Petersfield Town 28 Dec Loxwood 3 Jan Peacehaven & Tels.

18 Jan Lingfield 1 Feb Haywards Heath 4 Feb Eastbourne United 15 Feb Saltdean United 18 Feb Wick 22 Feb AFC Varndeanians 1 Mar Hassocks 4 Mar Roffey 8 Mar Crowborough Athletic 15 Mar Bexhill United 22 Mar Little Common 5 Apr Eastbourne United 12 Apr Newhaven 19 Apr Pagham 21 Apr Petersfield Town 26 Apr Crawley Down Gatwick

H/A H H A H A A H H A A H H A H A H H A A A H A H A A A H A H A A A A H A A A H H H A H A H A A H

COMP KO/RES SCFL W 3-1 SCFL L 1-2 FAC EP L 1-3 SCFL W 1-0 SCFL D 0-0 SCFA 1 W 1-0 FAV 1Q D 3-3 SCFL L 0-3 PBC 2 W 3-1 SCFL L 0-2 SSC 1 W 3-2 SCFL W 2-0 SCFA 2 L 1-2 SCFL W 3-0 SCFL W 3-2 SCFL D 1-1 SCFL L 0-5 SSC 2 L 0-5 SCFL W 1-0 PBC 3 L 0-1 SCFL L 0-3 SCFL D 2-2 SCFL W 2-1 SCFL L 1-2 ASC 1 L 1-4 SCFL W 2-1 SCFL D 1-1 SCFL L 0-3 SCFL W 3-1 SCFL D 4-4 SCFL D 1-1 SCFL D 0-0 SCFL L 0-1 SCFL L 0-2 SCFL W 2-1 SCFL L 1-3 SCFL D 2-2 SCFL L 0-2 SCFL W 2-0 SCFL L 0-4 SCFL L 0-4 SCFL 3pm SCFL 3pm SCFL 3pm SCFL 3pm SCFL 11am SCFL 3pm

GOALSCORERS Rustell 2, Hamilton Rustell Rustell Hubble

Hubble Hamilton, Rolfe, Tremlett [L 4-5 on Pens] Rustell 2, Cobbold Hamilton, Rustell, Rowland Rustell 2 Hewett Rustell 2 Rustell 2, Sheriff Rustell

Rustell

Bedford, Carter Giles, O’Brien Rustell Rustell Giles, Bowerman Briffa O’Brien, Sheriff, Bowerman Giles, Hamilton, Carter, Hewett Rustell

Rustell, Sheriff Rustell Bowerman, Rustell Hamilton, Sheriff

TODAY’S VISITORS LITTLE COMMON FOUNDED

1966 GROUND

LITTLE COMMON RECREATION GROUND CAPACITY

N/A CHAIRMAN

DANIEL ELDRIDGE MANAGER

RUSSELL ELDRIDGE Little Common Football Club formed originally as Albion United in 1966, when Ken Cherry had a vision for youth football in the area. Initially two youth teams were formed one at Under 16 level and one at Under 14 level. However, the two teams grew like topsy and today the club runs sixteen youth and four senior teams.

Albion United started life in the Hastings League and was very soon running two sides instead of the planned one and they moved to the East Sussex league. That league held no bounds for the highly successful United sides and after the double winning success of the 1977/78 season the club successfully applied to join the Sussex County League Division Two.

In 1974 the club committee decided to provide the club with its own club house and changing rooms, to include showers and a bar after spending eight years on grounds which did not have such facilities. The club obtained two prefabricated houses which were built in Fulham at the end of the Second World War. They cost £250 each and the necessary planning permissions were given. The club erected these two buildings, joined together, to make one large building; half was changing rooms, showers and toilets and the other half lounge and bar.

This became the clubs home on entry to the Sussex County League and their first season saw them finish in the top five and they reached the Division 2 Cup Final only to be beaten by Crowborough Athletic. Subsequent seasons saw the club occupy a mid to lower position in the table, actually finishing bottom in 1980/81 and 1981/82 (Division Three was not formed until 1983). Albion enjoyed their best placing since entering the League when they finished 6th in 1985/86 and changed their name to Little Common Albion at the end of that season.

The newly named club again finished in 6th place the next two seasons, before their fortunes began to slump once again. In 1993/94 they were relegated after finishing bottom; and left the League altogether after finishing 15th of 16 in Division Three the following season. The 1990s proved a difficult period for the club and they re-joined the East Sussex League. A third consecutive relegation was a huge blow for the club and in the space of just three seasons they had gone from playing senior football to junior football.

The club committee decided that in order for the club to progress further new facilities were

required in order to attract and retain players.

Buoyed on by a thriving youth policy the club began its rebuilding process. The club joined together with the local council and cricket club in order to develop a project to build a new sports pavilion. After many years of hard work by all involved the project finally began to get moving and in 1999 a £262,000 Sport England Lottery Grant was awarded for the project.

Building finally began in 2001 and the club moved into its new home in November 2002.

management after a disappointing start to the campaign, Russell Eldridge returned to the club and a win on the final weekend of the season saw Common finish outside of the relegation zone. The 2012/13 season saw the club finish 3rd but ground grading regulations prevented the club from being promoted. At the beginning of 2016 the club lost its founder and chairman, Ken Cherry, fifty years after forming the club. The 2016/17 season saw Common finish runners-up to Saltdean United and their highest ever league placing, once again On the pitch the clubs fortunes continued to ground grading regulations prevented them fluctuate, a successful 1998/99 season saw from being promoted to the Premier Division Common just miss out on promotion to Seaand a ground share agreement was secured ford before being relegated the following seawith Eastbourne United for the 2017/18 season. son. A rise followed with an instant return to The Commoners went on to claim the Division the Premier Division and after avoiding relega- One League and Cup double in the 2017/18 tion on the final day of the 2003/04 season the season to seal a place in the Premier Division club committee decided to make a concerted for first time in the club's history. Despite a effort the following season to realize its ambitough season the Commoners enjoyed a good tion of a return to the Sussex County League. end to the 2018/19 season to finish outside of the relegation places and secure another seaAfter spending ten seasons in the East Sussex son in the premier division. The following two League, the club were successfully crowned seasons saw the Commoners comfortably Premier Division champions in the 2004/05 placed when the league season was curtailed season and applied for a return to the County due to the Covid pandemic, during the 2020/21 League. After carrying out the essential work to season, Common’s all-time leading goal scorer, their ground to achieve promotion the club Lewis Hole, scored his 350th goal for the was successful in its application. After spending club. In September 2020, the club finally refour seasons in Division 3 the club was promot- ceived planning permission to enclose their ed to Division 2 at the end of the 2008/09 seaground and make the necessary improveson after clinching the second promotion spot ments for Step 5 football and in January 2022 on the final day of the season against Bosham. the club finally returned to its home at Little The club went on to record a 4th place finish in Common Recreation Ground. the 2009/10 season before a mid-table finish in 2010/11. The 2011/12 season saw a change in

TODAY’S

SCFL

TEAMS

PREMIER DIVISION

MIDHURST Harry Adey Marcus Bedford George Bowerman Joe Briffa Duncan Brown Pat Bullbeck Kieran Carter Seb Cobbold Jake Ebling Freddie Firman Harry Giles Lewis Hamilton Oli Herring Tony Hewitt Lewis Hyde James Liddiard Sam Mercer Harry Rolfe Lewis Rustell Owen Sheriff Joe Slater Harry Tremlett Jordan Warren Adam Williams

LITTLE COMMON Matt Cruttwell Cam Thompson Kieran Ludlow Paul Feakins Liam Ridgers Russell Eldridge Lewis Unwin Reuben Martin Lewis Hole Sam Adams Adam Smith Jacob MacArthur Logan Copley Joe Clifford Sam Atkin Harry Thompson

MATCH OFFICIALS Referee: Ryan Calver Assistants: Barry Cox and James Goodall