Sussex Senior Challenge Cup

The Sussex Senior Challenge Cup, or simply Sussex Senior Cup, is the county senior cup of the Sussex FA. The first winners of the cup were Brighton Rangers, who won the cup in 1883. Other teams who won the cup in its early history are Burgess Hill, Lancing College and Eastbourne.

The teams who have been successful in the cup recently are Sussex's only Football League teams Crawley Town and Brighton & Hove Albion; whilst Bognor Regis Town won the competition a record five times in succession between 1980 and 1984. The holders are Brighton & Hove Albion who beat Bognor Regis 4-0 at Langney Sports Club, home of Eastbourne Borough.

For reasons of fairness to other clubs, the Brighton & Hove Albion reserve team competes in the Sussex Senior Cup as, depending on season, the main squad are up to Football Championship level, many stages of the football league pyramid ahead of other teams. The 2010-11 season final took place at Brighton's new American Express Community Stadium on 16 July 2011; it was the first competitive match to be played there. Brighton won the game 2-0 with Gary Hart confirming his already legendary status at the club by scoring the first goal at the new ground.

Recent winners

Season Winners Runners-up Final result
1976-77 Worthing Southwick 2-0
1977-78 Worthing Eastbourne Town 4-0
1978-79 Hastings United  
1979-80 Bognor Regis Town Lewes 1-0
1980-81 Bognor Regis Town Ringmer 4-1
1981-82 Bognor Regis Town Peacehaven & Telscombe 1-0
1982-83 Bognor Regis Town Lewes 3-0&
1983-84 Bognor Regis Town Littlehampton Town 1-0
1984-85 Lewes Bognor Regis Town 2-2, replay 2-1
1985-86 Steyning Town Hastings Town 1-0
1986-87 Bognor Regis Town Arundel 1-1, replay 3-0
1987-88 Brighton & Hove Albion Lewes 3-0
1988-89 Steyning Town Hastings Town 3-2
1989-90 Crawley Town    
1990-91 Crawley Town Littlehampton Town 2-1
1991-92 Brighton & Hove Albion Langney Sports 1-0
1992-93 Wick Oakwood 3-1
1993-94 Brighton & Hove Albion Peacehaven & Telscombe 1-0
1994-95 Brighton & Hove Albion Bognor Regis Town 2-0
1995-96 Hastings Town Crawley Town 1-0
1996-97 St Leonards Saltdean United 2-1
1997-98 Hastings Town Burgess Hill Town 2-1
1998-99 Worthing Hastings Town 3-0
1999-00 Brighton & Hove Albion Hastings Town 1-1, 4-3 pens
2000-01 Lewes Bognor Regis Town 2-1
2001-02 Eastbourne Borough Lewes 2-1
2002-03 Crawley Town Eastbourne Borough 0-0, 6-5 pens
2003-04 Brighton & Hove Albion Worthing 2-0
2004-05 Crawley Town Ringmer 2-0
2005-06 Lewes Horsham 3-1
2006-07 Brighton & Hove Albion Worthing 2-0
2007-08 Brighton & Hove Albion Crawley Town 1-0
2008-09 Eastbourne Borough Brighton & Hove Albion 0-0, 1-0 AET
2009-10 Brighton & Hove Albion Bognor Regis Town 4-0
2010-11 Brighton & Hove Albion Eastbourne Borough 2-0

External links