Sussex Senior Challenge Cup


The Sussex Senior Cup is an annual association football knock-out cup competition for men's football clubs in the English county of Sussex and is the county senior cup of the Sussex FA. Its official name is the Sussex Senior Challenge Cup. For sponsorship purposes, from 2012 to 2018 it is also known as the Parafix Sussex Senior Cup after a new three-year sponsorship deal was agreed in 2015.
First played in the 1882-83 season, shortly after the founding of the Sussex County Football Association in 1882, the first winners of the cup were Brighton Rangers. Other teams who won the cup in its early history are Burgess Hill, Lancing College and Eastbourne.
The team with most title wins in the competition's history are Worthing but teams who have been successful in the cup recently are Sussex's two Football League teams, Brighton & Hove Albion and Crawley Town. Bognor Regis Town won the competition a record five times in succession between 1980 and 1984.
Winners also qualify for a place in the Sussex FA Community Shield match, traditionally the opening match each season in Sussex football. Bognor Regis Town are the current holders of the Sussex Senior Cup, having beaten Burgess Hill Town 2–1 in the 2019 final under manager Jack Pearce who won his first Sussex Senior Cup with the Rocks since 1987.

History

Shortly after the Sussex County Football Association was founded in 1882 the inaugural competition of the Sussex Senior Club took place for the 1882-83 season. Brighton Rangers won the final of the first competition 3-0. Founder members of Sussex County FA include the public schools of Lancing College, Brighton College and Ardingly College and their old-boy teams dominated the cup early on, along with clubs such as Burgess Hill and Eastbourne, whose teams were made up of upper and middle class players.
The cup was initially contested only by amateur clubs. At the time Sussex's only professional club, Brighton and Hove Albion tried to enter the competition in 1905 but had to withdraw because of clashing dates. Albion won the Sussex Wartime Cup in 1943 but only entered the normal competition in 1946. Albion entered the competition again in 1975-76 following the abolition of the distinction between amateur and professional clubs in the English game.
Following the 1913–14 competition, the cup was suspended due to the First World War, and resumed in 1919–20. During the Second World War the winners of the Sussex Wartime Cup were awarded the Sussex Senior Cup. The Sussex Wartime Cup took place on a league basis and a competition was held in every year during the Second World War except for 1940-41 when no competition for the Sussex Senior Cup was held.
Under Jack Pearce, Bognor Regis Town dominated the Sussex Senior Cup in the 1980s, winning the cup six times, including a record five times in succession, and finishing runners-up once.
From 1950–51 the cup final took place at the Goldstone Ground every year until 1995 when Brighton sold their ground to developers. A crowd of over 7,000, the cup's highest attendance in recent years, saw the 2010–11 season final take place at Brighton's new American Express Community Stadium on 16 July 2011. It was the first competitive match to be played there. Brighton won the game 2–0 with Gary Hart scoring the first ever goal at the new ground. The cup final has taken place there every year since 2011.

Eligibility

The Sussex Senior Cup is open to all men's senior clubs in the historic county of Sussex that are affiliated to the Sussex County Football Association. In 2016–17 this was 50 clubs that play in the top ten tiers of the English football league system.

Competition format

Overview

Beginning in September, the competition proceeds as a knockout tournament throughout its duration, consisting of three rounds, then quarter-finals, semi-finals and final, usually in May. A system of byes ensures that the highest placed 14 clubs in Sussex enter the competition in the second round. For reasons of fairness to other clubs, the Brighton & Hove Albion and Crawley Town reserve teams compete in the Sussex Senior Cup since, as full time professional squads, their first teams play many levels of the football league pyramid ahead of other teams.

Distribution

The tournament is organised so that 32 clubs remain by the second round. 35 of the 37 clubs in the Southern Combination League Premier Division and Division One and one club from the Southern Counties East Premier Division enter in the first round. In the second round, the two highest ranked Southern Combination League Premier Division clubs from 2015–16 enter the cup, as well as Bognor Regis Town, Brighton & Hove Albion, Burgess Hill Town, Crawley Town, East Grinstead Town, Eastbourne Borough, Hastings United, Horsham, Lewes, Three Bridges, Whitehawk and Worthing who all receive a bye to the second round.
Clubs entering in this roundClubs advancing from previous round
First round

  • 18 clubs from Southern Combination Division One
  • 17 clubs from Southern Combination Premier Division
  • 1 club from Southern Counties East Premier Division
Second round
  • 18 winners from first round
    • Third round
    • 16 winners from second round
    Fourth round
    • 8 winners from third round
    Semi-finals
    • 4 winners from quarter-finals
    Final
    • 2 winners from semi-finals

    Qualification for subsequent competitions

    Sussex Community Shield

    The winners of the Sussex Senior Cup traditionally play the winners of the Sussex County Football League for the Sussex Community Shield (also known as the Sussex County FA Community Shield. The 2019 competition saw Chichester City, the winners of the 2018−19 SCFL play Bognor Regis Town, the winners of the 2018−19 Sussex Senior Cup. Bognor won the 2019 Sussex Community Shield 1−0 with a goal from Dan Smith.

    Winners and finalists

    1883-1900

    1901-1945

    Post-1945 winners

    SeasonWinnersRunners-upFinal resultVenueAttendanceNotes
    1945–46WorthingHastings and St. Leonards3–2 ??N/A
    1946–47WorthingHaywards Heath1–0The Dripping PanN/A
    1947–48SouthwickHorsham2–1Goldstone GroundN/A
    1948–49Littlehampton TownSouthwick3–2Queen StreetN/A
    1949–50HorshamSkyways F.C.2–1Woodside RoadN/A
    1950–51Whitehawk & Manor Farm Old BoysEastbourne1–0Woodside RoadN/A
    1951–52WorthingBognor Regis Town3–2Goldstone GroundN/A
    1952–53EastbourneNewhaven2–1Goldstone GroundN/A
    1953–54HorshamWhitehawk & Manor Farm Old Boys1–0Goldstone GroundN/A
    1954–55Bognor Regis TownHorsham2–1Goldstone GroundN/A
    1955–56Bognor Regis TownEastbourne United3–2Goldstone GroundN/A
    1956–57WorthingEastbourne United2–1Goldstone GroundN/A
    1957–58Haywards HeathWorthing2–1Goldstone GroundN/A
    1958–59WorthingCrawley Town2–1Goldstone GroundN/A
    1959–60Eastbourne UnitedBognor Regis Town1–0Goldstone GroundN/A
    1960–61WorthingHorsham4–3Goldstone GroundN/A
    1961–62WhitehawkEastbourne United4–0Goldstone GroundN/A
    1962–63Eastbourne UnitedSelsey1–0Goldstone GroundN/A
    1963–64Eastbourne UnitedLewes2–0Goldstone GroundN/A
    1964–65LewesLittlehampton Town6–3Goldstone GroundN/A
    1965–66Eastbourne UnitedChichester City5–1Goldstone GroundN/A
    1966–67Eastbourne UnitedHorsham2–0Goldstone GroundN/A
    1967–68SouthwickHorsham5–3 A.E.TGoldstone GroundN/A
    1968–69Eastbourne UnitedHorsham3–0Goldstone GroundN/A
    1969–70Littlehampton TownWorthing1–0Goldstone GroundN/A
    1970–71LewesEastbourne United2–0Goldstone GroundN/A
    1971–72HorshamWhitehawk2–1Goldstone GroundN/A
    1972–73RingmerEastbourne Town1–0Goldstone GroundN/A
    1973–74HorshamWorthing2–1Goldstone GroundN/A
    1974–75WorthingLewes1–0Goldstone GroundN/A
    1975–76HorshamHastings United F.C. 2–1Goldstone GroundN/A
    1976–77WorthingSouthwick2–0Goldstone GroundN/A
    1977–78WorthingEastbourne Town4–0Goldstone GroundN/A
    1978–79Hastings United F.C. Horsham1–0Goldstone GroundN/A
    1979–80Bognor Regis TownLewes1–0Goldstone GroundN/A
    1980–81Bognor Regis TownRingmer4–1Goldstone GroundN/A
    1981–82Bognor Regis TownPeacehaven & Telscombe1–0Goldstone GroundN/A
    1982–83Bognor Regis TownLewes3–0Goldstone GroundN/A
    1983–84Bognor Regis TownLittlehampton Town1–0Goldstone GroundN/A
    1984–85LewesBognor Regis Town2–2, replay 2–1Goldstone Ground/replay at Woodside RoadN/A
    1985–86Steyning TownHastings Town1–0Goldstone GroundN/A
    1986–87Bognor Regis TownArundel1–1, replay 3–0Goldstone Ground/replay at Woodside RoadN/A
    1987–88Brighton & Hove AlbionLewes3–0Goldstone GroundN/A
    1988–89Steyning TownHastings Town3–2Goldstone GroundN/A
    1989–90Crawley TownEastbourne United2–1Goldstone Ground1,531
    1990–91Crawley TownLittlehampton Town2–1Goldstone Ground1,682
    1991–92Brighton & Hove AlbionLangney Sports1–0Goldstone Ground1,336
    1992–93WickOakwood3–1Goldstone GroundN/A
    1993–94Brighton & Hove AlbionPeacehaven & Telscombe1–0Goldstone GroundN/A
    1994–95Brighton & Hove AlbionBognor Regis Town2–0Goldstone GroundN/A
    1995–96Hastings TownCrawley Town1–0Woodside Road1,153
    1996–97St LeonardsSaltdean United2–1Woodside RoadN/A
    1997–98Hastings TownBurgess Hill Town2–1Broadfield Stadium1,256
    1998–99WorthingHastings Town3–0Broadfield StadiumN/A
    1999-00Brighton & Hove AlbionHastings Town1–1, 4–3 pensPriory Lane1,355
    2000–01LewesBognor Regis Town2–1Priory Lane1,031
    2001–02Eastbourne BoroughLewes2–1Priory Lane1,588
    2002–03Crawley TownEastbourne Borough0–0, 6–5 pensPriory Lane1,705
    2003–04Brighton & Hove AlbionWorthing2–0Priory Lane1,022
    2004–05Crawley TownRingmer2–0Priory Lane1,009
    2005–06LewesHorsham3–1Priory Lane880
    2006–07Brighton & Hove AlbionWorthing2–0Priory Lane873
    2007–08Brighton & Hove AlbionCrawley Town1–0Priory Lane685
    2008–09Eastbourne BoroughBrighton & Hove Albion0–0, 1–0 A.E.TPriory Lane1,204
    2009–10Brighton & Hove AlbionBognor Regis Town4–0Priory Lane605
    2010–11Brighton & Hove AlbionEastbourne Borough2–0Falmer Stadium7,104
    2011–12WhitehawkCrawley Down2–1Falmer Stadium1,896
    2012–13Brighton & Hove AlbionBognor Regis Town4–0Falmer Stadium2,435
    2013–14Peacehaven & TelscombeBognor Regis Town3–0Falmer Stadium2,003
    2014–15WhitehawkLewes5–0Falmer Stadium2,585
    2015-16Eastbourne BoroughWorthing1-0Falmer Stadium2,899
    2016-17Brighton & Hove AlbionCrawley Town0-0, 3-0 A.E.TFalmer Stadium1,316
    2017-18Brighton & Hove AlbionCrawley Town2-1Falmer Stadium1,503
    2018–19Bognor Regis TownBurgess Hill Town1–1, 2–1 A.E.T.Falmer Stadium1,616

    Venues

    For rounds before the semi-final stage, the venue of each match is determined when the fixtures are drawn; the first club drawn in a fixture is usually the home team and matches are played at the club's home ground. The semi-finals are played at a neutral venue, usually at the Sussex FA at Culver Road in Lancing.
    The final of the Sussex Senior Cup was held at Preston Park in Brighton for the first four competitions, from 1883 to 1886. It was then held at the County Cricket Ground in Hove for 18 editions of the cup, with the exception of the 1891 season, which was held on a league basis. In 1906 the first cup final took place to have been played at the Goldstone Ground in Hove. At the time the Goldstone Ground was the home stadium of Brighton and Hove Albion, which for some time was Sussex's only professional football club. The Goldstone Ground was known to have hosted the final of the Sussex Senior Cup a record 55 times between 1906 and 1995. Other stadiums to have hosted the Susssex Senior Cup include The Dripping Pan in Lewes, The Trafalgar Ground in Newhaven, Woodside Road in Worthing, The Saffrons in Eastbourne, Queen Street in Horsham, Broadfield Stadium in Crawley and Priory Lane in Eastbourne. Since 2011 the final of the Sussex Senior Cup has been played at the Falmer Stadium in Brighton.

    Records

    Performance by club

    Total cups won by town or city

    34 different clubs have won the cup, and the majority of cups have been won by clubs from Brighton and Hove, Eastbourne and Worthing.
    Town or cityNumber of cups wonClubs
    Brighton and Hove24Brighton and Hove Albion, Whitehawk, Hove F.C., Brighton Hornets, Brighton College, Brighton Rangers
    Eastbourne23Eastbourne Town, Eastbourne United, Eastbourne Borough, Eastbourne Old Town, Eastbourne Swifts
    Worthing21Worthing
    Southwick10Southwick
    Bognor Regis9Bognor Regis Town
    Horsham7Horsham
    Hastings7Hastings United, Hastings United , St Leonards Amateurs, St Leonards
    Lewes5Lewes
    Crawley4Crawley Town
    UK armed forces4Royal Corps of Signals, RAF , Royal Irish Rifles
    Burgess Hill3Burgess Hill
    Littlehampton3Littlehampton Town, Wick
    Lancing2Lancing College
    Haywards Heath2Haywards Heath Town
    Shoreham-by-Sea2Shoreham
    Steyning2Steyning Town
    Chichester1Chichester City
    Ringmer1Ringmer
    Peacehaven1Peacehaven & Telscombe