East Preston F.C.

East Preston
Full name	East Preston Football Club
Nickname(s)	EP, EPFC
Founded	1966
Ground	The Lashmar, East Preston
Chairman	Tim Teasel
Manager	Kevin Raynor
League	Southern Combination Division One
2023–24	Southern Combination Division One, 17th of 18
Home colours	Away colours

East Preston Football Club is a football club based in East Preston, near Littlehampton, West Sussex, England. They are currently members of the Southern Combination Division One and play at the Lashmar.

History

The original East Preston Football Club was established in 1947, but folded within a decade.^[1] A new club was formed in 1966 and joined the Worthing & District League. They moved up to the West Sussex League in 1968, going on to win the league's Premier Division in 1977–78 and then three consecutive titles between 1980–81 and 1982–83. In 1983 the club were founder members of the new Division Three of the Sussex County League. Although they won the division at the first attempt, they were not promoted due to their ground failing to meet the requirements,^[1] and remained in Division Three until finishing as runners-up in 1990–91, after which they were promoted to Division Two.^[2] However, the club were immediately relegated back to Division Three after finishing bottom of Division Two in 1991–92.^[2]

East Preston were promoted to Division Two again after finishing as Division Three runners-up in 1994–95; the season also saw them win the Division Three Cup and the Sussex Intermediate Cup.^[1] They spent three seasons in Division Two before winning it in 1997–98, earning promotion to Division One.^[2] Although the club was relegated back to Division Two after finishing bottom of Division One in 2001–02, they were promoted back to Division One at the end of the following season after a third-place finish.^[2] The club remained in Division One until the end of the 2008–09 season, when they were relegated to Division Two. However, after winning Division Two and the Division Two Cup in 2011–12,^[1] they returned to Division One.^[2] They won the Sussex RUR Cup the following season, beating Broadbridge Heath 1–0 in the final.^[3] The club went on to win the Division One title in 2013–14, but were denied promotion to the Isthmian League after failing a ground grading inspection; league runners-up East Grinstead Town were promoted in their place.^[4]

In 2015 the Sussex County League was renamed the Southern Combination, with Division One becoming the Premier Division. After finishing second-from-bottom of the Premier Division in 2015–16, East Preston were relegated to Division One.^[2] The following season they finished third in Division One and were promoted back to the Premier Division. In 2021–22 the club finished bottom of the Premier Division, winning one league game all season, and were relegated to Division One.

Ground

The club play at The Lashmar on Roundstone Drive.^[5] Floodlights were installed in the early 2000s and a 50-seat stand built during the 2002–03 season.^[5]

Honours

Southern Combination
- Division One Champions 2013–14
- Division Two champions 1997–98, 2011–12
- Division Three champions 1983–84
- Division Two Cup winners 2011–12
- Division Three Cup winners 1987–88, 1994–95
West Sussex League
- Premier Division champions 1977–78, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83
- Malcolm Simmonds memorial Cup winners 1980–81, 1982–83^[6]
Sussex RUR Cup
- Winners 2012–13
Sussex Intermediate Cup
- Winners 1994–95
Brighton Charity Cup
- Winners 2009–10

Records

Best FA Cup performance: Third qualifying round, 2004–05^[2]
Best FA Vase performance: Fifth round, 2013–14^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Club history East Preston F.C.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h East Preston at the Football Club History Database
^ East Preston lift Sussex RUR Cup^{[permanent dead link‍]} Littlehampton Gazette, 8 May 2013
^ EP denied Ryman League promotion^{[permanent dead link‍]} Littlehampton Gazette, 22 May 2014
^ ^a ^b East Preston Nomad Online
^ 2013–14 Handbook West Sussex League

External links

Official website

50°48′49.820″N 0°28′56.730″W / 50.81383889°N 0.48242500°W / 50.81383889; -0.48242500

[H-1] Club history East Preston F.C.

[FCHD-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h East Preston at the Football Club History Database

[3] East Preston lift Sussex RUR Cup^{[permanent dead link‍]} Littlehampton Gazette, 8 May 2013

[4] EP denied Ryman League promotion^{[permanent dead link‍]} Littlehampton Gazette, 22 May 2014

[PP-5] East Preston Nomad Online

[HB-6] 2013–14 Handbook West Sussex League

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[3]

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[5]

[6]

v t e Southern Combination League
2024–25 Premier Division	AFC Varndeanians Bexhill United Crawley Down Gatwick Crowborough Athletic Eastbourne United Association Hassocks Haywards Heath Town Horsham YMCA Lingfield Little Common Loxwood Midhurst & Easebourne Newhaven Pagham Peacehaven & Telscombe Petersfield Town Roffey Saltdean United Shoreham Wick
2024–25 Division One	AFC Uckfield Town Alfold Arundel Banstead Athletic Billingshurst Chessington & Hook United Copthorne Dorking Wanderers Reserves East Preston Forest Row Godalming Town Infinity Mile Oak Montpelier Villa Oakwood Reigate Priory Seaford Town Selsey Storrington Community Worthing United
2024–25 Division Two	Bosham Brighton Electricity Capel Chichester City B Ferring Hailsham Town Jarvis Brook Rustington Southwater St Francis Rangers TD Shipley Upper Beeding Worthing Town
Seasons	1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25