Shoreham F.C.

Shoreham Football Club is a football club based in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, England. The club is affiliated to the Sussex County Football Association.[1] They are currently members of the Southern Combination Division One and their home stadium is Middle Road. The club are nicknamed "The Musselmen" after the town's ancient mussel collecting tradition. The club's home kit is all royal blue, and the away kit is all red with white trim.

Shoreham
Full nameShoreham Football Club
Nickname(s)The Musselmen
Founded1892
GroundMiddle Road, Shoreham-by-Sea
Capacity2,000
ManagerMark Pulling
LeagueSouthern Combination Division One
2019–20Southern Combination Division One (season abandoned)

History

The club was established in 1892 and was one of the founding members of the West Sussex Football League in 1896.[2] After their first season in the league they were relegated to the Junior Division, but returned as champions the following season.[2] The 1901–02 season saw the club achieve their first senior honours when they beat Hailsham Town 3–0 in the final to lift the Sussex Senior Challenge Cup.[2] More success followed the season later when the club won the West Sussex Football League and the Sussex RUR Cup.[2] They repeated the league success two seasons later, but had to settle as runners up in the Sussex RUR and challenge cups.[2] The 1905–06 campaign saw the club achieve a treble of competition wins when they took the league title, and both the Sussex RUR and challenge cups.[3]

After the First World War the club played in the Brighton, Hove & District Football League, until the end of the 1919–20 season when they became one of the founder members of Sussex County Football League.[4][5] After seven seasons the club left the Sussex League after finishing bottom with just five points at the end of the 1926–27 campaign, however the club rejoined the Sussex League again for the start of the 1932–33 competition, from the Brighton League.[6][7] The club then remained in the league up until the Second World War, when play was suspended, during which time they finished as runners-up in the 1934–35 season.[8]

After hostilities had ceased, the club rejoined the Sussex County League when it resumed normal competition in the 1946–47 season.[7] That season also saw the club make their debut in the FA Cup, where they met East Grinstead in the Preliminary qualifying round, but were soundly beaten 11–0.[9]

The 1951–52 season saw the club become champions of the Sussex County League for the first time, and they successfully defended their title the following season.[7] The club saw themselves finish bottom of Division One at the end of the 1960–61 Campaign, but immediately bounced back up as champions of Division Two the following season.[10] The club remained in Division One for four more seasons, before being relegated back to Division Two, but this time did not return for a further six seasons, when they finished as runners-up in the 1972–73 campaign.[10] However their stay in Division One could only last a single season, and it took the club another three seasons to gain promotion again as Champions.[10] The club maintained their winning ways the next season, as they then went on to win the Division One title for the third time in their history.[11]

Four seasons after their Championship win, the club were relegated back to Division two, and it took the club till the end of the 1984–85 campaign to gain promotion, when they finished at the top of division two.[12] The 1991–92 season saw their seven year stay in Division One come to an end, after finishing in the bottom two.[12] The club regained promotion to Division One in the 1993–94 season, when they topped Division Two.[13] The club again was relegated six seasons later in the 1999-00 campaign, and again bounced back up after just two seasons in Division two as runners-up.[13] The club then remained in the top division, except for the 2004–05 season when they were in Division Two but were promoted immediately back to Division One.[14] In 2013 Shoreham had a new owner, Stuart Slaney, who oversaw major expansion; within two years, the club trebled in playing size with a new youth section which gave the club over twenty different age group teams, becoming one of the largest and most vibrant football clubs in the area. In 2015 Ralph Prodger joined Stuart Slaney as joint owner and chairman.

In 2016–17, having led the league for most of the season, the club finished as runners-up in the Premier Division to Haywards Heath Town. However, after Haywards Heath were penalised with a nine points deduction for fielding an ineligible player for several games, Shoreham became champions and were thus promoted to Division One South of the Isthmian League, the highest level the club had reached in its history.[15] A subsequent appeal by Haywards Heath was eventually turned down by the FA, but the delay meant that Shoreham had no confirmation as to which league they would be competing in until only eight days before the start of the new season. The lack of time to prepare fully for the Isthmian League proved telling and the team struggled throughout the 2017-18 season, winning only four matches and being deducted 6 points and eventually being relegated back to the Southern Combination Premier Division.

A further relegation followed immediately in 2018–19, a turbulent season during which the club had three different managers, and the club found itself beginning the 2019–20 season in the second tier of the Southern Combination League for the first time in fifteen years. In May 2019 the club appointed Mark Pulling as first team manager.

Ground

Shoreham play their home games at Middle Road stadium. Floodlights were installed in 1986, funded in part from funds raised from a well attended friendly match against Wimbledon FC. The ground has a capacity of 2000, including two covered seated areas and one covered standing area.

Honours
  • Southern Combination
    • Champions 1951–52, 1952–53, 1977–78, 2016–17
    • Division Two champions 1961–62, 1976–77, 1984–85, 1993–94
    • John O'Hara League Challenge Cup winners 1957–58, 1958–59 (joint winners with Littlehampton), 1995–96, 2005–06, 2007–08[16]
    • Division Two Cup winners 1974–75, 1982–83, 1993–94[17]
    • Floodlight Cup winners 1993–94[18]
  • West Sussex League
    • Senior Division champions 1902–03, 1904–05, 1905–06
    • Junior Division champions 1897–98
  • Sussex Senior Cup[19]
    • Winners 1901–02, 1905–06
  • Sussex RUR Cup[20]
    • Winners 1902–03, 1905–06

Records
  • Best FA Cup performance: Second qualifying round, 1994–95, 2010–11, 2013–14[9]
  • Best FA Vase performance: Third round 1975–76, 1977–78, 1994–95, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2013–14[9]
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See also
  • Shoreham F.C. players
  • Shoreham F.C. managers

References
  1. "Shoreham Football Club – Links". Shorehamfc.co.uk. 2006-09-28. Archived from the original on 2013-01-15. Retrieved 2013-04-25.
  2. "Shoreham F.C. – Early football in Shoreham and the 'Glory Years". Shoreham History Portal. Archived from the original on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2013-04-16.
  3. "Bert Longstaff – Shoreham's First Professional Footballer". May 2010. Archived from the original on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2013-04-16.
  4. "Brighton, Hove & District Football League". Bhdfl.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
  5. "Shoreham Football Club – History". Shorehamfc.co.uk. 2005-01-23. Archived from the original on 2013-01-15. Retrieved 2013-04-16.
  6. "Brighton, Hove & District Football League". Bhdfl.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
  7. "Sussex County League 1920–1960". Nonleaguematters.net. Archived from the original on 2013-09-29. Retrieved 2013-04-20.
  8. "SUSSEX COUNTY FOOTBALL LEAGUE 1934–35". Sussexcountyleague.com. Archived from the original on 2013-06-30. Retrieved 2013-04-20.
  9. SHOREHAM at the Football Club History Database
  10. "Sussex County League 1960–1980". Nonleaguematters.net. Archived from the original on 2013-09-29. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
  11. "Shoreham FC – Club History". Sussexcountyleague.com. Archived from the original on 2013-06-30. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
  12. "Sussex County League 1980–1993". Nonleaguematters.net. Archived from the original on 2013-09-29. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
  13. "Sussex County League 1993–2003". Nonleaguematters.net. Archived from the original on 2013-09-29. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
  14. "Sussex County League 2003–2012". Nonleaguematters.net. Archived from the original on 2013-09-27. Retrieved 2013-04-25.
  15. Shoreham set for promotion after Haywards Heath Town handed nine-point deduction Shoreham Herald, 23 May 2017
  16. "The John O'Hara League Challenge Cup Final Results – Sussex County Football League". Sussexcountyleague.com. Retrieved 2013-04-25.
  17. "SCFL Division 2 Cup – Sussex County Football League". Sussexcountyleague.com. Retrieved 2013-04-25.
  18. "Floodlight Cup – Sussex County Football Association". Sussexcountyleague.com. Retrieved 2013-04-25.
  19. "The Sussex Senior Cup". Sussexcountyleague.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2010. Retrieved 2013-04-25.
  20. "R.U.R. Cup Final Results – Sussex County Football Association". Sussexcountyleague.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2010. Retrieved 2012-11-11.

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