Burgess Hill Town
Vs
Newhaven
Matchday Programme
Gaffers Thoughts
Good afternoon and welcome back to the Medical Travel Compared Stadium for this County Cup fixture against today’s opponents, Newhaven.
Today represents a big challenge for us against a side two divisions higher, and we must be brave and bold enough to punch up and compete in order to bridge the gap. This game comes at the beginning of a big week for the team, as our focus- no matter the result today- will shift swiftly towards a tough encounter away from home at TD Shipley next weekend. I am going to use this opportunity, shamelessly, to encourage as many Hillians fans as possible to cancel any Sunday afternoon plans for next week (25th October) and back the team- as you always do so brilliantly- at Dragons Lane. Since their inception, TD Shipley have never lost a home game in 90 minutes. So, my plea to you all, is to come and help us change that.
Now, returning to the matter at hand- Newhaven this afternoon. As stated earlier, this match represents a big challenge. In recent matches we have been able to get on the front foot, and dominate possession and territory for much of the match. While today may not represent the exact same type of game, we will still be seeking to show bravery and imagination in our approach, and to play without fear when we have the ball.
The crucial element today, no matter the result, is to keep building and maintaining high performance levels no matter the challenges that we face within the game (or any game for that matter). We will, as always, require your ever-present and always exceptional support to be able to do this.
Enjoy the game.
Tom
Last Time Out
Burgess Hill Town Women produced another emphatic and professional team performance this afternoon, securing an impressive 9-1 victory over Hassocks at the Medical Travel Compared Stadium. The Hillians were in control for much of the contest, combining attacking quality with excellent teamwork to claim another three valuable points in their league campaign. The hosts made a bright start, pressing high up the pitch and moving the ball confidently to create several promising opportunities. Their positive approach paid off after just 10 minutes, when Phoebe Casco finished confidently following an excellent attacking move down the left-hand side to give the Hillians an early lead. Burgess Hill continued to dictate the tempo and doubled their advantage on the 20-minute mark. Ellie Livingstone timed her run perfectly to meet a superb through ball from Brogan Kirk before slotting home to make it 2-0. The Hillians remained firmly on the front foot, moving the ball well and stretching the visitors' defence. Their dominance was rewarded just before half-time when Kirk produced a superb lob over the goalkeeper to make it three and give the hosts a comfortable advantage at the break.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with the Hillians maintaining their intensity and attacking intent. Eight minutes after the restart, Casco claimed her second goal of the afternoon, finishing neatly into the far corner after excellent work from Alicia down the right. Just after the hour mark, Kirk added her second and Burgess Hill's fifth, lifting a finish over the goalkeeper after the ball fell kindly to her on the edge of the box. Hassocks responded moments later with an excellent finish of their own, briefly reducing the deficit, but the goal did little to disrupt the hosts' rhythm. Grace Tindall quickly restored the Hillians' momentum, finding the net to make it six before adding her second shortly afterwards. Played through by Livingstone, Tindall kept her composure to slot home and extend the advantage to 7-1, underlining the hosts' continued threat in the final third. With 77 minutes played, substitute Jacey got in on the action, having threatened on a few occasions since coming on. She finished from close range to register Burgess Hill's eighth goal of the afternoon. The scoring was completed with just over five minutes remaining, as Tindall struck again to secure her hat-trick and cap an outstanding individual display. The final whistle confirmed a thoroughly deserved 9-1 victory for Burgess Hill Town Women. With goals shared across the team, excellent attacking movement and a committed performance throughout, the Hillians delivered another impressive display and strengthened their league campaign with three well-earned points.
The Hillians Pathway
This season marked the launch of our first ever Women’s Pathway, charting a route for talented young local players towards the Women’s First Team. Here’s how things have been going this past week!
UNDER-18s:
It has been an exciting week for the U18s, who progressed to semi-finals of the Sussex County Cup with a storming 4-0 victory over Crawley Down Gatwick. The side featured Emilia Mason- who has been a regular fixture with the Women’s First Team this season. The Hillians will face Eastbourne Borough away from home in the semi-final on November 11th.
Excitingly, goalkeeper and BHTFC Youth graduate Mia Day is expected to start in goal for the First Team today against Newhaven in the County Cup. Day featured 3 times for the First Team in pre-season, against Saltdean United DS, The View and Merstham respectively.
The U18s face Lancing Rangers away from home today and will be hoping to add their second league victory of the season to their record and carry the good momentum forwards.
UNDER-16s:
The U16s picked up a highly creditable point last week against early Premier Division pace-setters Withdean. The visitors took the lead in the opening minutes before the young Hillians fought back, leading 4-2 with 10 minutes to go. Unfortunately, Withdean were able to recover back to earn an away point leaving Hill frustrated, but proud of their performance. The U16s will look to learn from the final 10 minutes and take opportunities to develop their game management and understanding to close out future matches.
The team travel to take on Uckfield Grasshoppers in the County Cup today, with the hosts seeking to bridge a two-division gap and cause a cup upset. It will pose an intriguing challenge and more opportunities to learn for the Hillians of the future!
Two weeks ago, five Hillians joined a local brownie group as they took part in a football taster session led by the women’s management team at BHTFC.
Tom Clingo and Jacob Bennett were joined by club captain Alice Horton, Ellie Stow, Mia Fenton, Rachel Walker and Phoebe Casco for the event. The group consisted of local girls ranging from ages four to eight years old.
The brownies worked on developing their football knowledge, with exercises focused on fundamental ball skills such as control, dribbling and passing. Plenty of great technique and skill was on show from Burgess Hill’s next generation of talent!
Manager Tom Clingo said
“Firstly, thank you to the brownies group for coming down and putting their faith in us to put on a quality session! Also thanks to Alice Horton who has worked hard to facilitate the session and to Jacob Bennett for delivering it.
Ultimately we are here to inspire the next generation of local footballers, coaches, officials and anyone who might want to be involved in the game- whatever their ability level or background!
It’s been a fantastic evening and everyone has had a lot of fun. I know our players really enjoy working with young people and sharing their passion for the game and the club and we are very fortunate to have such a great group of ambassadors here at BHTFC.
I
Hillians Trivia
THIS WEEK IN BHTFC HISTORY: BHTFC Women 4-1 Eastbourne Town, 12/10/2025
Following promotion to the SCWGFL Premier Division, the Hillians had to wait to open their league campaign due to cup backlogs and fixture issues and they got off to a flying start in Sussex’s top division. For some now familiar names in the side, this game represented league debuts for talented young players who had been brought in over the summer.
The host’s lineup that day was as follows:
Evie Herridge, Alice Horton ©️, Misha West, Katie Smyth, Rachel Walker, Brogan Kirk, Lottie Cheverton, Heidi Bryant, Ellie Livingstone, Erin Oakley, Becky Geraghty-Shewan
SUBS (all used):
Mia Fenton, Alicia Haworth, Jazz Ross, Jacey McNaboe, Emma Johnson
After more than FIVE MONTHS since their last SCWGFL fixture, the Hillians finally returned to league action on Sunday under wonderful clear blue autumn skies at the MTC.
The hosts could have been forgiven for starting slowly in their first ever game in Sussex’s Premier Division, but began well with the lively Lottie Cheverton hitting the side netting early on. Eastbourne however, provided threats of their own and called Herridge into action on multiple occasions in the opening exchanges.
After riding out some nervy moments- Hill struck first. A sweeping move from back to front resulted in Brogan Kirk picking out the tenacious Katie Smyth who arrowed in a well-hit strike off the post to grab her first ever goal in green. Just 5 minutes later, Hill’s lightning speed in attacking areas was on show once more when Ellis Livingstone’s direct ball was latched onto by Lottie Cheverton. The striker kept her composure brilliantly to lob the Eastbourne keeper- adding another new name to the Hillians scoring stats book and doubling the lead. HT 2-0.
The second half began with the visitors, naturally, fired up and with intensity in their pressing. Hill were unfazed, maintaining their possession-based style and finding the gaps. Perhaps the highest-quality moment of the game came when Heidi Bryant showed intelligence beyond her years to put her foot on the ball, slow the game down and play an exquisite pass with the outside of her boot to Cheverton, who made it a brilliant brace lashing past the keeper to make it 3-0.
Eastbourne- to their credit, refused to go away quietly and cut into the lead with a brilliant lob that proved to be just beyond the reach of Evie Herridge (who was sensational all afternoon). It set up a potentially nervy ending as the away side smelled blood and piled on the pressure. Tom Clingo rang changes, including bringing on another debutant in Jacey McNaboe. The forward, originally deployed on the right wing, showed her skill getting the better of the Eastbourne full back to deliver a right footed cross which was flicked in the direction of Kirk, who judged the flight of the ball beautifully to guide home a left-footed volley and seal a brilliant 3 points for the hosts. FT 4-1.
Newhaven Football Club History
Newhaven Football Club was founded in 1889 under the original name ‘Newhaven & Cement Works’, following a trend at the time of local football clubs being formed within factories and trade circles. The club bounced between various different leagues in the early decades from their formation- including the East Sussex, Mid Sussex and Brighton Leagues before becoming founder members of the Sussex County Football League in 1920.
Over the next half century The Dockers lived and up and down existence, bouncing between SCFL divisions to varying degrees of success. Their high point in that period came in 1954, when the club were crowned Sussex County League champions. A historic low patch for the East Sussex club came from 1999 to 2012- in which they found themselves in the Third Division of the SCFL and outside of senior football until promotion back to non-league Step 6. In addition, Newhaven also rounded off this dark period with victory in the Sussex Intermediate Cup.
Since 2013, the club have been a mainstay at the top division of the SCFL. Having narrowly missed out on promotion on numerous occasions, The Dockers have recorded trophy winning success in the form of back-to-back RUR Charity Cup victories in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
Newhaven FC entered the female game in 2017, forming a competitive women’s side having run various community-based football projects for women and girls of all ages. Their first season in the Sussex County Women’s League (SCWGFL) was highly successful- with the ‘Lady Dockers’ mopping up a County Treble of the League, County Trophy and League Cup. Moving into Tier 6, Newhaven stabilised at that level for a number of years (punctuated by curtailed seasons due to the Covid Pandemic) before winning London and South East Division One South in 2024 and earning promotion to the Premier Division. The club have stayed at Tier 5 with relative comfortability ever since.
BHTFC
MANAGEMENT:
Manager: Tom Clingo
Assistant Manager: Jacob Bennett
Coaches: Callum Jewel Charlotte Ress
Goalkeeper Coach: Aaron Stevens
1. Ellie Stow
2. Mia Fenton
3. Phoebe Brown
4. Alice Horton
5. Misha West
6. Alicia Haworth
7. Chloe Chesworth
8. Rachel Walker
9. Brogan Kirk
10. Jacey Mcnaboe
11. Hannah Sparrshott
12. Jazz Ross
13. Grace Tindall
15. Heidi Bryant
17. Ellie Livingstone
18. Emma Johnson
19. Phoebe Casco
20. Laura Chapman
21. Emily Harris
22. Erin Oakley
23. Becky Geraghty-Shewan
25. Emila Mason
Hassocks FC
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