Whitehawk F.C.

Football club infobox
clubname = Whitehawk


fullname = Whitehawk Football Club
nickname = The Hawks
founded = 1945 (as Whitehawk & Manor Farm Old Boys)
ground = The Enclosed Ground,
Whitehawk, East Sussex
capacity =
vice-chairmen = John Summers & Peter Mc Donald
chairman = Walter Sweetman
manager = George Parris
league = Sussex County League
Division One
season = 2007-08
position = Sussex County League
Division One, 2nd |pattern_la1=_redshoulders|pattern_b1=_redshoulders|pattern_ra1=_redshoulders
leftarm1=FF0000|body1=FF0000|rightarm1=FF0000|shorts1=FF0000|socks1=FF0000
pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=
leftarm2=0000FF|body2=0000FF|rightarm2=0000FF|shorts2=0000FF|socks2=0000FF

Whitehawk F.C. is a football club based in Whitehawk, near Brighton, England.

History

Whitehawk F.C was created in 1945. Originally called Whitehawk & Manor Farm Old Boys, the club changed their name to Whitehawk F.C. in 1960.

The first season the club played in the Sussex County Football League they placed third overall. For the following three seasons the team placed 2nd overall and for every year up until their name change they remained in the top five teams.

The next few years for the club were outstanding; they won two Division 1 league championships in a row. After the championships, however, the club suffered a huge downturn in form dropping into Division 2. A few seasons later however they were back in Division 1 after taking the Division 2 championship.

For the next decade or so the club continued to play in the top league but they couldn’t manage a championship win. Their only real success came in 1976 in the Sussex Senior Six a Side tournament,where a team of Richard Watts, Colin Banks, Phil Godley, Phil and Dave Fisher, Neal Bryce and 15 year old keeper Paul Hubbard who went on to play professionally for Brighton, won the Trophy at Ringmer. They were eventually relegated again to Division 2. Soon after the demotion to Division 2, the club earned their promotion back to Division 1 with a huge championship win in the 1980-81 season, under legendary manager Sammy Donnelly.

The 1983-84 season was a great season for “the Hawks.” They won their third ever first division title and reached the fourth round of the FA Vase.

Ten years later, in the 1993-94 season, the team,under the stewardship of manager Butch Reeves and Player/Coach Paul Hubbard, placed second in the league and reached the fifth round of the FA Vase before being knocked out of the tournament by Boston. During this season they also won the John O'Hara League Challenge Cup and the Robbie Cox Memorial Trophy. However problems off the pitch saw the departure of coach Paul Hubbard during the 1994/95 season, leaving Butch Reeves in sole charge.

Hubbard returned during season 1996/97 with the club marooned at the bottom of division one and staring relegation in the face. Hawks managed to pick up nine wins and two draws from their last fourteen games to stay up on the last day of the season, achieved when with the last kick of the game when Wayne Bolingbroke netted in the 96th minute to beat Shoreham 2-1.

Hawks consolidated on a tight budget over the next few seasons, winning a hat trick of Brighton Charity cups between 1997/2000.Hubbard stood down as manager in 2001 to stand as chairman against the long standing Ken Powell, being successful meant the end of the Powell Dynasty at the club. This change at the top signalled a financial upturn at the club, which has been the cornerstone of recent improvement on and off the pitch. Having stabilised the club, Hubbard handed over the chairmanship to Walter Sweetman, who remains at the helm today.

For the past six years the club has been extremely unlucky, constantly reaching Cup Finals but without success.

Unfortunately the team underachieved yet again in season 2006/2007. After a good run in the FA Vase they were knocked out by Truro City from a lower league. They were beaten finalists in the RUR Cup and finished up as runners up in the league to Eastbourne Town. Manager Ian Chapman failed to win a Trophy in six years as manager and resigned his position at the club to take a coaching role at Brighton and Hove Albion, where he was a player. Former Southwick, Littlehampton Town and Shoreham Manager Russell Bromage has been appointed as Manager for season 2007/2008. Goalkeeper Ross Standen has been appointed as his assistant. Former player and ex Hurstpierpoint manager Paul Stevenson completes the management team, coming in as coach.Yet again in season 2007/2008 Whitehawk has finished as the bridesmaid rather than the bride, finishing second to Crowborough Athletic in the league and unable to secure any other trophy. Having won nothing for eight seasons now, Russell Bromage has been sacked and former West Ham and Brighton favourite George Parris has been called to step up to the plate.Formerly coach of St Margarets School team in Rottingdean, Parris has little experience at Senior level. A large budget has been promised, and nothing short of the County League title will be acceptable come the end of season 2008/2009.

More info

Whitehawk F.C. wear all red when they are at home and all blue when they are away. Their match secretary is Mr. Fred Moore.

References

*http://www.scfl.org.uk/
*http://www.nomad-online.co.uk/html/whitehawk.html
*fchd|id=WHITEHAW|name=Whitehawk