Forest F.C.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Forest FC are a football club based in Horsham, England. They were established in 1958 and joined the Sussex County Football League in 1988. For the 2007-08 season, they are members of the Sussex County Football League Division Three.
The club was founded in 1958 under the name Forest Old Boys. The team was originally for former pupils of Forest Boys' School in Comptons Lane, Horsham.
Matches were played at the school playing fields and the club progressed through the Horsham League and Crawley League into the now-defunct Southern Counties Combination.
From the late 1970s until the mid-1980s Forest were arguably the most successful side in the town with Horsham struggling in the lower reaches of the Isthmian League and Horsham YMCA failing to make an impression in the County League.
1987-88 was a turning point for the club. A move from Forest School to the better facilities at Roffey Social & Sports Club in Spooners Road meant Forest were eligible for promotion to the County League.
During their one season in the Mid Sussex League, the first-team won both the premier division title and the Sussex Intermediate Cup.
Forest's 15 years in county football have produced many ups and downs, but the club remains in division three. The current committee has major plans to upgrade the ground with new fencing, a training area and floodlights. Improved guard rails and hard-standing areas were installed in the summer of 2001.
The club enjoyed its most successful season ever in 2001-02 when finishing in third place in Division Three, just one spot away from promotion to senior football for the first time. An important landmark was reached when the reserve team was elected to the County League's reserve section and the under-18 team re-joined the County League.
Forest was only the second club in the Sussex County League (after Oving) to have a presence on the internet when its website was first produced in January 1999.
PREVIOUS HONOURS: Joined Horsham League (1958) Horsham & District Junior Charity Cup finalists (1960-61) Horsham & District FA Cup finalists (1961-62) Horsham & District KO Cup winners (1962-63)
Elected to Crawley League (1963) Premier Division champions (1976-77) First Division champions (1964-65, 1973-74) Third Division champions (1963-64, 1968-69) Crawley Charity Shield winners (1967-68, 1975-76) Crawley Charity Shield finalists (1969-70) Crawley Jubilee Cup winners (1976-77) Sussex Intermediate Cup semi-finalists (1976-77, 1978-79) Mid Sussex Senior Cup winners (1976-77)
Elected to Southern Counties Combination League (1979) Mid Sussex Senior Cup winners (1984-85, 1985-86, 1986-87) Mick Hastain (Horsham FC) Floodlight Cup winners (1983-84, 1984-85, 1998-99) Premier Division runners-up (1984-85, 1985-86) Division One runners-up (1982-83)
Elected to Mid Sussex League (1987) Premier Division champions (1987-88) Montgomery Cup winners (1987-88) Sussex Intermediate Cup winners (1987-88)
Promoted to Unijet Sussex County League (1988) Best finish (3rd, 2001-02)
County League record: All seasons in division three:
2006-07: (5th, 37 points)
2005-06: (5th, 46 points)
2004-05: (10th, 26 points)
2003-04: (11th, 24 points)
2002-03: (8th, 36 points)
2001-02: (3rd, 58 points)
2000-01: (12th, 28 points)
1999-2000: (9th, 45 points)
1998-99: (12th, 36 points)
1997-98: (15th, 22 points)
1996-97: (14th, 26pts)
1995-96: (7th, 43pts)
1994-95: (8th, 41pts)
1993-94: (8th, 42pts)
1992-93: (5th, 41pts)
1991-92: (12th, 22pts)
1990-91: (7th, 31pts)
1989-90: (9th, 32pts)
1988-89: (6th, 48pts)
RESERVE and THIRD TEAM HONOURS (all in the West Sussex League): Reserves: Division Four (North) champions (1984-85) Division Four Charity Cup winners (1984-85) Division Three (North) champions (1985-86, 1994-95) Tony Kopp Cup winners (1992-93) Division Three Charity Cup winners (1993-94)
Third Team: Lower divisions team of the season (1996-97)
REPRESENTATIVE HONOURS: Sussex: Russell Penticost (1968-69); Micky Ansell (1976-77); Micky Peacock (1978-79); Clive Limbrick (1982-83); Colin Johnson, Neil Liley, Stewart McCreadie (all 1985-86); Scott Milford (1988-89); Danny Lucas (1990-91); John Mitchell, Selwyn Brooks (1991-92); Tim Brown (1999-2000).
Sussex County League: Danny Lucas, Stewart McCreadie, Scott Milford, Colin Johnson (all 1988-89); Selwyn Brooks (1991-92); Adam Piggott, Gary Panton (1992-93); Nigel Beyer, Andrew Price (1993-94); Adam Piggott, Julian Bridgman (1996-97); Ian Cullern, Matt Holmes (1997-98).
Sussex Youth: Stewart McCreadie (1983-84).
Southern Counties Combination League: Grahame Funnell, Paul Greig (1980-81); Neil Liley, Alan Ross, Colin Johnson (all 1982-83); John Brown, Stewart McCreadie, Gary Hales (1983-84); Garry Cherriman (1984-85); Titch Pusey, Andy Boulter (1986-87).
Mid Sussex League: Kevin Smith, Alan Ross, Danny Lucas, Andy Boulter, Titch Pusey, Colin Johnson, Stewart McCreadie, Neil Liley (all 1987-88).
Crawley League Intermediate XI: Russell Penticost, John Smith, Dapper Dale (all 1975-76); Clive Williams. Micky Ansell, Clive Limbrick, Kevin O'Neill (all 1976-77); Alan Ross (1978-79).
