Burgess Hill Town F.C.
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| Full name | Burgess Hill Town Football Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nickname(s) | The Hillians | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Founded | 1882 (as Burgess Hill) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | Leylands Park, Burgess Hill, West Sussex (Capacity 2,000 (307 seated)) |
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| Chairman | Jack Lake | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manager | Gary Croydon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | Isthmian League Division One South |
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| 2007–08 | Isthmian League Division One South, 12th |
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Burgess Hill Town Football Club is an English football (soccer) club currently playing in the Isthmian League First Division South, the eighth tier of English football. The club plays its home games at Leylands Park in Burgess Hill.
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[edit] History
Burgess Hill Town Football Club was founded in 1882 and was a founder member of the Sussex County Football Association. The Club attained the unique achievement of winning the Sussex Senior Cup three years running thus retaining it permanently in the process. The Cup is on display in the Trophy Cabinet in the Club Boardroom. The current Trophy was presented to the S.C.F.A. by Burgess Hill Town Football Club. In 1998 the Club reached the Senior Cup Final for the first time in 110 years but were narrowly beaten 2-1 by Hastings Town F.C. In the Club's formative years they were also founder members of the Mid-Sussex Football League, and won the League Championship in it's inaugural season.
Following several successful seasons the Club joined the Sussex County League for the 1958-59 season, and stayed until the Clubs promotion to the Dr Martens Southern League in 2003. In 1969 the Club amalgamated with Worlds End F.C. and with the help of Burgess Hill Town Council were able to move to Leylands Park, the Clubs current home. In 1971, the Club gained promotion to Division One, only to be relegated two seasons later. 1974 saw the 'Hillians' reach another landmark achievement by becoming the only Club ever to have won both the League Challenge Cup and the Division Two Cup in the same season. In 1976 a hat trick of achievements were completed by winning the Division One Championship by six points, having secured the Division Two title the previous season.
During the ensuing twenty years in the top flight of the County League success was modest. In 1980 the League Challenge Cup was secured and in 1992 the RUR Cup was added. However, all this changed in season 96-97 under the guidance of Club Manager, Alan Pook. The Club became Division One Champions by twelve points, won the Floodlight Cup, and were runners up in the League Challenge Cup. The 2nd XI finished runners up in the Reserve Premier and won the Mid-Sussex Charity Cup, while the Youth XI won their overall Championship. In 97-98, the Club 1st XI attained even more success by again winning the League Championship and the League Challenge Cup, also reaching the last sixteen in the F.A. Vase. Additionally they reached the Sussex Senior Cup Final and were top of the County's Merit Table. The Youth XI also finished as 'Double Champions' in the sector.
The magnificent 98-99 season saw the Hillians achieve a unique treble in winning the Championship for a post war record third time and again securing a league and cup double, back to back. The 2nd XI won their Cup and were runners up in the league, missing out by a single point. Not to be out done, the Youth XI won their league and only missed out on a double by goal difference. All in all an historic season.
The Club then welcomed new manager, Gary Croydon for season 1999-2000. He led the Hillians to take runners up spot in the League and to a record Forth Qualifying Round FA Cup tie against Hereford United. Again a last 16 place was achieved in the F.A Vase as well as winning the RUR Cup and the Floodlit Cup.
The new Millennium season saw Hillians take the league championship with the team remaining unbeaten in the league till April; the Club also had its best ever run in the FA Vase only being beaten after extra time by eventual finalists Tiptree United in the last 8, before a Club record attendance of 1598. With plans being laid for Southern League football, Club Directors, Gary Croydon and Eddie Benson appointed Danny Bloor as manager for season 2002 - 2003. The Club was rewarded with yet another Championship Crown, the 5th in 7 seasons. With further success at Reserve and Youth team levels the BHTFC has collected over two dozen pieces of silverware during this most prolific period in the clubs history.
Gary Croydon took over the Hillians again as the Club entered the Southern League for the first ever time. After just missing out on the play offs, Burgess Hill Town moved over to the Isthmian League due to the restructuring of the Non-League Pyramid. After the first season in the Isthmian League Manager Gary Croydon stepped down and was replaced by Steve Johnson in May 2005. But 6 months later with the Hillians bottom of the League, Croydon took over again with assistance from Jim Thompson and Peter Miles as the Club avoided relegation.
After another season of consolidation in the Isthmian League the Hillians now move into their 125th year with the future of the Club looking positive with the appointment of four new directors, Kevin Newell, Clive Dryden, Phil Keenlyside and Hillian Legend Ashley Carr to work closely with Gary Croydon.
For the 2007/2008 season, the club appointed former Professional player and former Bognor Regis Town player Jamie Howell as First Team Manager
[edit] Club honours
- Sussex County League - Division 1 champions 1976, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003
- Sussex County League - Division 2 Champions: 1975
- Floodlit Cup winners: 1997, 2000
- RUR Cup winners: 1992, 2000
- John O’Hara League Challenge Cup winners: 1974, 1980, 1998, 1999
- Sussex Senior Cup winners: 1884, 1885, 1886
- Roy Hayden Trophy winners: 2004
- Norman Wingate Trophy winners: 2003
- Sussex County Reserve Section champions: 1978, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1992
- Sussex County Reserve Section Cup winners: 1983, 1990, 1993, 1999, 2003
- Sussex Intermediate Cup winners: 1977
- Sussex County Youth League champions: 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2005
- Sussex County Youth League Cup winners: 1992, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2005
- Sussex Youth Cup winners: 2005
- Mid-Sussex Football League champions: 1901, 1904, 1940, 1947, 1957
- Mid Sussex Senior Charity cup winners: 1993, 1997, 2002
- Mowatt Cup winners: 1946
- Montgomery Cup winners: 1940, 1957
- Sussex Junior Cup winners: 1890
[edit] Club records
- Best league performance: 9th in Southern League Eastern Division, 2003-04
- Best FA Cup performance: 4th qualifying round, 1999-00 (Lost 4-1 vs. Hereford United)
- Best FA Trophy performance: 2nd round proper, 2003-04 and 2004-05
- Best FA Vase performance: Quarter-finals, 2001-02 (Lost 2-1 vs. Tiptree United)
- Record Attendance, 2,005 vs. AFC Wimbledon, (30th April 2005)
[edit] Sources
- Burgess Hill Town at the Football Club History Database
- Burgess Hill at the Football Club History Database
[edit] External links
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Ashford Town | Burgess Hill Town | Chipstead | Corinthian-Casuals | Cray Wanderers | Crowborough Athletic | Croydon Athletic | Dulwich Hamlet | Eastbourne Town | Fleet Town | Folkestone Invicta | Godalming Town | Kingstonian | Leatherhead | Merstham | Metropolitan Police | Sittingbourne | Walton & Hersham | Walton Casuals | Whitstable Town | Whyteleafe | Worthing |
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