| Full name | Burgess Hill Town Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Hillians, 'Hill', The Yellows and Blacks | ||
| Founded | 1882 (as Burgess Hill) | ||
| Ground | Leylands Park, Burgess Hill (Capacity: 2,000 (307 seated)) |
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| Chairman | Kevin Newell | ||
| Manager | Simon Rowland | ||
| League | Isthmian League Division One South | ||
| 2010–11 | Isthmian League Division One South, 7th | ||
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Burgess Hill Town Football Club is an English association football club currently playing in Division One South of the Isthmian League, the eighth tier of English football. The club plays its home games at Leylands Park in Burgess Hill which is in West Sussex in England.
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Burgess Hill Football Club was founded in 1882 and was a founder member of the Sussex County Football Association. The club attained the unique achievement of winning the Sussex Senior Cup three years running thus retaining it permanently in the process. The cup is on display in the trophy cabinet in the club boardroom. The current trophy was presented to the S.C.F.A. by Burgess Hill Town Football Club. In 1998 the club reached the Senior Cup final for the first time in 110 years but were narrowly beaten 2-1 by Hastings Town In the club's formative years they were also founder members of the Mid-Sussex Football League, and won the League Championship in its inaugural season.
Following several successful seasons the club joined the Sussex County League for the 1958-59 season, and stayed until attaining promotion to the Southern Football League in 2003. In 1969 the club amalgamated with Worlds End F.C. and with the help of Burgess Hill Town Council were able to move to Leylands Park, the club's current home. In 1971, the club gained promotion to Division One, only to be relegated two seasons later. 1974 saw the 'Hillians' reach another landmark achievement by becoming the only club ever to have won both the League Challenge Cup and the Division Two Cup in the same season. In 1976 a hat trick of achievements were completed by winning the Division One Championship by six points, having secured the Division Two title the previous season.
During the ensuing twenty years in the top flight of the County League success was modest. In 1980 the League Challenge Cup was secured and in 1992 the RUR Cup was added. However, all this changed in season 96-97 under the guidance of club manager, Alan Pook. The club became Division One champions by twelve points, won the Floodlight Cup, and were runners up in the League Challenge Cup. The 2nd XI finished runners up in the Reserve Premier and won the Mid-Sussex Charity Cup, while the Youth XI won their overall championship. In 1997-98, the club 1st XI attained even more success by again winning the League Championship and the League Challenge Cup, also reaching the last sixteen in the F.A. Vase. Additionally they reached the Sussex Senior Cup Final and were top of the county's merit table. The Youth XI also finished as 'Double Champions' in the sector.
The magnificent 1998-99 season saw the Hillians achieve a unique treble in winning the Championship for a post war record third time and again securing a league and cup double, back to back. The 2nd XI won their cup and were runners up in the league, missing out by a single point. Not to be out done, the Youth XI won their league and only missed out on a double by goal difference. All in all an historic season.
The club then welcomed new manager, Gary Croydon for season 1999-2000. He led the Hillians to take runners' up spot in the league and to a record fourth qualifying round FA Cup tie against Hereford United. Again a last 16 place was achieved in the FA Vase as well as winning the RUR Cup and the Floodlit Cup.
The new millennium season saw Hillians take the league championship with the team remaining unbeaten in the league until April; the Club also had its best ever run in the FA Vase only being beaten after extra time by eventual finalists Tiptree United in the last eight, before a club record attendance of 1598. With plans being laid for Southern League football, club directors, Gary Croydon and Eddie Benson appointed Danny Bloor as manager for season 2002-2003. The club was rewarded with yet another championship crown, the fifth in seven seasons.
Gary Croydon took over the Hillians again as the club entered the Southern League for the first ever time. After just missing out on the play offs, Burgess Hill Town moved over to the Isthmian League due to the restructuring of the non-league pyramid. After the first season in the Isthmian League manager Gary Croydon stepped down and was replaced by Steve Johnson in May 2005. But six months later with the Hillians bottom of the League, Croydon took over again with assistance from Jim Thompson and Peter Miles as the club avoided relegation.
For the 2007-08 season, the club appointed former professional player Jamie Howell as first team manager. He was sacked on 4 March 2009. In May 2009 Gary Croydon announced his appointment as first team manager once again for the 2009-10 season.
At the start of the 2011/2012 season, manager Gary Croydon stepped down as First Team manager in order to concentrate more on his Chief Executive role as the club look for a new ground on the outskirts of the town near the Triangle Leisure Centre. Taking over the manager role was Simon Rowland who had guided AFC Uckfield to the Sussex County League Division 2 title the previous season. He will be assisted by former Brighton & Hove Albion Youth coach Ben White.
Correct as of November 20th 2011
The team have a youth team which currently plays in the Isthmian Youth League Divsion One South and is managed by former Hillians player Ashley Carr. The youth team won the Sussex County Cup in the 2010–11 season. Until the 2011–012 season the club also ran a reserve team but they disbanded due to financial problems at the club. Both teams, like the first team, play at Leylands Park.
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