[Football] AFC Southwick v Sidley, 2pm today, Whitehawk FC

Pinkie Brown said:

Sammy Donnelly is a good man and a veteran of the West Sussex managerial circuit. With a safe pair of hands there.

Southwick's opponents Sidley Utd are another club who've fallen on hard times after being higher up the ladder and losing their ground to some dubious goings on behind the scenes. I was in the area of their old ground about six years ago. It was an overgrown jungle and vandalised then. Dread to think what it's like now. Good luck for today.

Click to expand...

attila said:

Exactly the same as Old Barn Way. If you're travelling from west of Southwick to Falmer you'll see the state of it, it has been a disgrace to Southwick for years, slowly falling further and further into disrepair due to council and lease holder neglect, with both rebutting all attempts from the players, coaches and wider community to do something about it. The club died in 2020 when the lease holder finally handed the keys back to the council when the pandemic happened and he could no longer make money from the bar. The team and management stayed together, dropped two divisions and won the Mid Sussex Championship last season playing on Southwick Recreation ground next door. This season in the Mid Sussex Premier League we have to ground share due to league regs - now one step away from SCFL One and a return to senior football.

As for Old Barn Way, it will be redeveloped by the Russell Martin Foundation with help from local people: AFC aim to make an unanswerable case for a return both on the pitch and in the community.

I've already posted how much fun this is as a complement to the brilliant football the Albion are playing, and there's hardly ever a clash of fixtures

Click to expand...

attila said:

The big day is here. The banner, programmes, leaflets, beer (by Brighton Bier and Loud Shirt Beer) are ready. The excellent Whitehawk FC cafe will be open serving hot food to soak up the beer! Your pre match music selector has some bangin' punk, ska, reggae and rap ready to go. (Yes, I'm back on the PA again after 14 years bringing the noise at the Albion �� )
Free admission, with donation to club funds to help us pay the rent!

And most importantly the incredibly loyal and lovely players and management of AFC Southwick - who have stayed together after our Old Barn Way ground was closed due to lease holder and council neglect and the old club died, dropping two divisions and playing park football to get promotion last season - are ready to give their all against league favourites Sidley United. Good luck to one and all, and managers Sammy Donnelly and Gratters, playing at a proper ground again, they don't half deserve it. Thanks to Whitehawk FC and the Hawks Ultras for welcoming us.

Hope to see some of you there! And afterwards there are no less than TWO beer festivals right next to each other in Southwick - a Thornbridge v Dark Star soundclash special at Southwick Beer Engine and Southwick Beer Festival at Southwick Community Centre. Grass roots beer, music and football. The stuff of life. ��
https://www.facebook.com/events/545114563492531

Click to expand...

attila said:

Exactly the same as Old Barn Way. If you're travelling from west of Southwick to Falmer you'll see the state of it, it has been a disgrace to Southwick for years, slowly falling further and further into disrepair due to council and lease holder neglect, with both rebutting all attempts from the players, coaches and wider community to do something about it. The club died in 2020 when the lease holder finally handed the keys back to the council when the pandemic happened and he could no longer make money from the bar. The team and management stayed together, dropped two divisions and won the Mid Sussex Championship last season playing on Southwick Recreation ground next door. This season in the Mid Sussex Premier League we have to ground share due to league regs - now one step away from SCFL One and a return to senior football.

As for Old Barn Way, it will be redeveloped by the Russell Martin Foundation with help from local people: AFC aim to make an unanswerable case for a return both on the pitch and in the community.

I've already posted how much fun this is as a complement to the brilliant football the Albion are playing, and there's hardly ever a clash of fixtures

Click to expand...

attila said:

\The team and management stayed together, dropped two divisions and won the Mid Sussex Championship last season playing on Southwick Recreation ground next door.\

Click to expand...

Mental Lental said:

Wait so Southwick are now playing on The Rec? Basically "the park" then. Where we all played jumpers for goalposts footy and joked about the movie Predator being filmed in Spider Wood?

That Rec?

Click to expand...

Mental Lental said:

Wait so Southwick are now playing on The Rec? Basically "the park" then. Where we all played jumpers for goalposts footy and joked about the movie Predator being filmed in Spider Wood?

That Rec?

Click to expand...

Mental Lental said:

Wait so Southwick are now playing on The Rec? Basically "the park" then. Where we all played jumpers for goalposts footy and joked about the movie Predator being filmed in Spider Wood?

That Rec?

Click to expand...