Littlehampton Town F.C.

{{Infobox football club

| clubname = Littlehampton Town

| image = Littlehampton Town F.C. logo.png

| image_size = 135px

| fullname = Littlehampton Town Football Club

| nickname = The Marigolds, The Golds

| founded = 1896 (as Littlehampton)

| ground = The Sportsfield, Littlehampton

| capacity = 4,000

| chairman = Rob McAlees

| manager = Mitchell Hand, George Gaskin

| league = {{English football updater|LittlehT}}

| season = {{English football updater|LittlehT2}}

| position = {{English football updater|LittlehT3}}

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| pattern_b1 = _paisdegales17t

| pattern_ra1 = _paisdegales17t

| leftarm1 = FFF

| body1 = FFF

| rightarm1 = FFF

| shorts1 = 000

| socks1 = 000

| pattern_la2 =

| pattern_b2 = _whitecollar

| pattern_ra2 =

| leftarm2 = 0000FF

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Littlehampton Town Football Club is a football club based in Littlehampton, England. They were established in 1896 and joined the Sussex County League in 1928. In the 1990–91 season, they reached the 1st round of the FA Cup, and in the 2021–22 season they reached the FA Vase final at Wembley Stadium. They are currently members of the {{English football updater|LittlehT}} (8th tier) and play at The Sportsfield.

History

Littlehampton F.C. was formed in 1896, adding the Town suffix in 1938. The club became founding members of the West Sussex Football League in 1896, joining the Junior Division.{{cite web|url=http://www.shorehambysea.com/shoreham-fc-the-glory-years.html |title=Shoreham F.C. – Early football in Shoreham and the 'Glory Years |publisher=Shoreham History Portal |access-date=2013-04-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626224039/http://www.shorehambysea.com/shoreham-fc-the-glory-years.html |archive-date=2015-06-26 }} In 1928 the club joined the Sussex County League. Despite finishing as runners-up in Division One on six occasions, they had to wait until 1990–91 before lifting the championship – the only time they have done so, having finished as runners-up to Wick the previous season – clinching the title on the last day of the season, at nearest rivals Peacehaven & Telscombe.

That season was undoubtedly the finest in the Marigolds’ history. As well as finishing as Division One champions, the club also reached the 1st Round of the FA Cup where they were beaten 4–0 by Northampton Town in front of a crowd of 4,000 at The Sportsfield. A League & Cup ‘double’ was completed with a 3–0 win over Burgess Hill Town. If that wasn't enough, Littlehampton also reached the semi-finals of the FA Vase,{{cite web |url=http://2ndyellow.com/2009/littlehampton-town-in-the-fa-cup-and-vase |title=The amazing adventures of Littlehampton Town |work=2nd Yellow |access-date=5 November 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713014857/http://2ndyellow.com/2009/littlehampton-town-in-the-fa-cup-and-vase |archive-date=13 July 2011 }} which was the furthest any Sussex club had reached in the competition until the Golds went one step further and reached the final in 2022.

The following season, Littlehampton finished third behind Peacehaven & Telscombe and Langney Sports (now Eastbourne Borough). However, fortunes declined to the extent that they were relegated at the end of the 1994–95 season.

Two seasons later Littlehampton returned to the top division as champions of Division Two, and finished runners-up to Division One champions Burgess Hill Town in 1997–98. Once more however, the club suffered a sustained period of mediocrity, culminating in a miserable 2002–03 season, including a 22–1 defeat at Horsham YMCA; and relegation once again, ironically with Wick and Peacehaven & Telscombe... together, the three most dominant clubs in the early 1990s.

The club responded by investing heavily in the playing squad for 2003–04 and began the season as hot favourites to bounce back at the first attempt. This they duly did, finishing seven points clear of runners-up Worthing United. The two clubs also met in the League Cup final, with the Marigolds again coming out on top. There was no significant difference in the average attendance from the previous wretched season.

The club were the favourites of many to secure back-to-back championships, which was probably a little too ambitious. Nevertheless, they did well to finish in a creditable 4th place, a position they occupied once again at the end of 2005–06. Unfortunately, and as so often appears to be the case in West Sussex, the club lost manager Carl Stabler and most of the previous season's squad during the close season (many to Wick) and from being amongst the championship favourites the previous season, were now hotly tipped as relegation fodder. That proved to be the case and the Marigolds were always struggling throughout 2006–07, under new manager Trevor Waller, with a largely young and inexperienced squad.

The 2012–13 season saw the club finish as champions of Division Two, gaining promotion to Division One.{{cite web|url=http://www.littlehamptongazette.co.uk/sport/football/local-football/golds-crowned-champions-1-5047624 |title=Golds crowned champions – Local Football |publisher=Littlehampton Gazette |date=2013-05-01 |access-date=2013-06-16}}

Littlehampton won the 2014–15 Sussex County Football League, finishing 1st. They however were not promoted after not applying for the Isthmian League. Their Twitter account said that "we don't want to", although it is likely they couldn't because their ground would not pass the grading test for Step 4 teams.{{Cite news |title=Littlehampton TownFC on Twitter |url=https://twitter.com/LittlehamptonFC/status/584398215203676160 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20170611165240/https://twitter.com/LittlehamptonFC/status/584398215203676160 |archive-date=2017-06-11 |access-date=2025-03-19 |work=Twitter |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Littlehampton Town -ground grading and promotion |url=https://nomad-forum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=14910 |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=Nomad Forum |language=en-gb}} The 2021–22 season saw Littlehampton win the league and gain promotion to the Isthmian League for the first time in their history,{{cite web|url=https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/sport/football/how-champions-littlehampton-town-made-sure-of-scfl-top-spot-3667265|title=How champions Littlehampton Town made sure of SCFL top spot|publisher=Sussex Express|last1=Knell|first1=Trevor|date=25 April 2022}} in addition to reaching three cup finals, where they won the Peter Bentley Southern Combination Challenge Cup, {{cite web|url=https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/sport/football/26-pictures-as-littlehampton-town-lift-peter-bentley-cup-3697189|title=26 pictures as Littlehampton Town lift Peter Bentley Cup|publisher=Sussex Express|last1=Bone|first1=Steve|date=17 May 2022|accessdate=22 May 2022}} lost 3–0 in the 2022 FA Vase Final to Newport Pagnell Town at Wembley Stadium,{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61541786|title=FA Vase final: Littlehampton Town 0–3 Newport Pagnell Town|publisher=BBC Sport|date=22 May 2022}} and finally won the Sussex RUR Cup. This success saw Littlehampton achieve a historic treble,{{Cite web |title=Treble winners! Benn's 60th of season helps Littlehampton Town win another cup |url=https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/sport/football/treble-winners-benns-60th-of-season-helps-littlehampton-town-win-another-cup-3710255 |access-date=2022-06-04 |website=www.sussexexpress.co.uk |language=en}} in addition to becoming the 'first team in Sussex to reach an FA Vase final'.{{Cite web |title=Non-league club 'won't be changing approach' ahead of historic game at Wembley |url=https://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/20151935.littlehampton-town-fc-will-maintain-attacking-style-wembley-final/ |access-date=2022-06-04 |website=The Argus |language=en}} On Tuesday 24th September 2024, a film celebrating the clubs 'greatest season', was shown at The White Hart in Littlehampton. The film, titled 'We're the L.A. Boys Making All the Noise', was put together by fan Steve Darken and local historian Chris Hare using a grant from Historic England.{{Cite web |date=2024-08-29 |title=Premiere date set for film celebrating Littlehampton Town Football Club's greatest season in its 127-year history |url=https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/sport/football/premiere-date-set-for-film-celebrating-littlehampton-town-football-clubs-greatest-season-in-its-127-year-history-4761526 |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=SussexWorld |language=en}}{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1TSC4XsSFY |title=We're The L.A. Boys Making All The Noise. A history of Littlehampton Town Football Club |date=2025-03-23 |last=Littlehampton Town FC |access-date=2025-03-25 |via=YouTube}}

During their 2024–25 season, Littlehampton reached the final of the Sussex Transport Senior Cup, the longest running cup competition in the county.{{Cite web |title=Sussex Transport Senior Cup |url=https://www.sussexfa.com/cups-and-competitions/county-cups/cups/2024-2025/sussex-senior-challenge-cup |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=Sussex County FA}} The final is being held at the Amex, and will be played against Isthmian League Premier Division team Horsham FC.{{Cite news |title=SussexCountyFA on Twitter |url=https://x.com/SussexCountyFA/status/1902112818754695376 |access-date=2025-03-19 |work=Twitter |language=en}}

Ground

Littlehampton Town play their home games at The Sportsfield, St Floras Road, Littlehampton, West Sussex, BN17 6BD.

The ground formerly consisted of an old, predominantly wooden, main stand with two smaller covered terraces either side of it. The club passed plans for a modernised, 154-seater main stand in 2023, with construction taking place in May 2024 and completing in June 2024 after a successful crowd fund and a £100,000 grant from the Football Foundation Premier League Stadium Fund.{{Cite web |title= |url=https://x.com/LittlehamptonFC/status/1728388855592636883 |website=}}

Honours

Southern Combination Premier Division
Winners (1): 2021–22
Sussex County League Division One{{cite web|url=https://www.fchd.info/LITTLEHT.HTM |title=Football Club History Database – Littlehampton Town |publisher=Fchd.info |access-date=2013-06-16}}
Winners (1): 1990–91,
Runners Up (9): 1946–47, 1971–72, 1973–74, 1975–76, 1981–82, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1989–90, 1997–98
Sussex County League Division Two{{cite web|url=http://www.littlehamptongazette.co.uk/sport/football/local-football/golds-see-red-in-cup-final-loss-1-5094432 |title=Golds see red in cup final loss – Local Football |publisher=Littlehampton Gazette |date=2013-05-16 |access-date=2013-06-16}}
Winners (3): 1996–97, 2003–04, 2012–13

=Cup honours=

Sussex Senior Winners 1969/70

The Sussex Royal Ulster Rifles Charity Cup{{cite web|url=http://www.sussexcountyleague.com/rurcup/index.htm |title=R.U.R. Cup Final Results – Sussex County Football Association |publisher=Sussexcountyleague.com |access-date=2012-11-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100304012550/http://www.sussexcountyleague.com/rurcup/index.htm |archive-date=2010-03-04 }}
Winners (5): 1946–47, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1983–84, 2021–22
Runners Up (3): 1976–77, 1981–82, 1988–89
Sussex County Football League John O'hara League Cup
Runners Up (1): 2012–13
Sussex County Football League Division Two Cup
Runners Up (1): 2012–13
Peter Bentley Southern Combination Challenge Cup
Winners (1): 2021–22
Sussex Principle Royal Ulster Rifles (RUR) Charity Cup{{Cite web |last=Spoor |first=Jamie |date=May 25, 2022 |title=Littlehampton Town completed a historic and record-breaking treble as Joe Benn's 60th goal of the season fired them to victory over Saltdean at Culver Road. |url=https://www.sussexfa.com/news/2022/may/26/golds-cruise-to-treble-win |access-date=June 4, 2022 |website=Sussex FA}}
Winners (1): 2021–22