Broadbridge Heath F.C.

Broadbridge Heath
Full name Broadbridge Heath Football Club
Nickname(s) The Bears
Founded 1919
Ground The Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre
Broadbridge Heath
Chairman Keith Soane
Manager Steve Painter
League Sussex County League
Division One
2014–15 Sussex County League
Division One, 9th

Broadbridge Heath F.C. are a football club based in Broadbridge Heath, near Horsham, in West Sussex, England currently playing their home fixtures at the Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre on Wickhurst Lane.

History

Broadbridge Heath FC was founded in 1919 by local ex-members of the armed forces who had just returned from the 1914–18 Great War. In the very first season of competitive football, with only 12 registered players, the club won the Horsham & District Championship, and Challenge Cup. In 1970–71, the League amalgamated with the West Sussex Football League with the Club joining Division Three.

Promotion was won to Division Two the following season.

In 1978–79, following promotion from the Premier Division of the WSFL, Broadbridge Heath joined the Southern Counties Combination League, which at that time, was a feeder to the Sussex County League. The SCCL amalgamated with the County League in 1983–84, with Broadbridge Heath becoming founder members of Division Three.

The club moved to its current facilities at the Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre in Wickhurst Lane in 1987 where they had exclusive use of the stadium pitch, bar and social area. At the end of the 1987-88 season the Club were promoted to senior football in Division 2 for the very first time. Heath remained in senior football for 20 years, with one season (1998–99) in Division One. Despite succeeding on the pitch off the field events deteriorated when their Landlord decided not to renew the clubs lease to run the bar and social area and for several years with no home and no assets, the Club struggled to survive.

At the end of the 2007-08 season Heath were relegated to Division 3, things got even worse for the Club when the team finished second from bottom 2 years later and only avoided demotion because there were not enough clubs in the feeder leagues with facilities to satisfy County League requirements.

The appointment of Steve Painter as First team Manager saw an improvement in the clubs fortunes. In his first full season as manager 2010-11 the team finished in sixth position and a year later they finished one place higher behind some very good intermediate sides. As a result of restructuring in the leagues above and despite finishing fifth, Broadbridge Heath were promoted back to Division 2 at the end of the 2011-12 season.

Back in Div 2 after a 5-year break the team finished in 6th position and reached the final of the SCFA RUR Cup where they narrowly lost to Div One runners up East Preston by 1-0. A year later Painter's team went even better by finishing the season as runners up to Eastbourne United AFC and with that promotion back to Division One for only the second time in the clubs history.

Off the Field things are also looking good with work on the clubs new purpose-built facilities expected to start in Q1, 2015 with the objective of them being ready for the start of the 2016-2017 season.

Broadbridge Heath first entered the FA Cup in the 2004–05 season.[1]

Ground

Broadbridge Heath play their home games at Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre, Wickhurst Lane, Broadbridge Heath, West Sussex, RH12 3YS.

Management team

The current management team at Broadbridge Heath F.C.[2]

Manager: Steve Painter

Assistant Manager: Sam Chapman & Steve Whiting

Club Coaches: Steve Hoare, Martin Firmo & Nik Mulcahy

Club Physio: Kevin Petersen

Reserve Team Manager: Mick Robinson

Assistant Reserve Team Manager: Mike Balfour

Youth Team Managers: Under 18s, Paul Chapman, Under 17s, Alan White

Honours

References

  1. ↑ "Broadbridge Heath". Football Club History Database. Richard Rundle. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
  2. ↑ "All you need to know about BBH FC". Broadbridge Heath F.C. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
  3. ↑ "West Sussex Football League – Cup Details". Yourgolfclub.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
  4. ↑ "East Preston lift Sussex RUR Cup – Local Football". Littlehampton Gazette. 2013-05-08. Retrieved 2013-06-16.

External links

Coordinates: 51°3′54.641″N 0°21′35.791″W / 51.06517806°N 0.35994194°W / 51.06517806; -0.35994194

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