Eastbourne Town Football Club is an English football club based in Eastbourne, East Sussex. It is currently a member of the , and the team play at The Saffrons.

Founded on 19 October 1881 as Devonshire Park F.C., it was a founding member of the Sussex County F.A. in 1882, the Southern Amateur Football League in 1907 and the Sussex County Football League in 1920. Eastbourne Town is considered the oldest senior football club in Sussex.

The club is a FA Chartered Standard Community club affiliated to the Sussex County Football Association.

History

Early history (1880-1905)

The 13 November 1880 edition of the Eastbourne Chronicle first reported the formation of Eastbourne United Football Club as a result of the amalgamation of Eastbourne Rovers and Eastbourne FC. The club briefly changed its name to Eastbourne Football Club at a meeting on 5 October 1881. Having failed to secure the use of a ground in South Fields (near Guildredge Park), permission was sought to play on the grounds of Devonshire Park. Part of the deal was to change the name to Devonshire Park; in return, the park company would supply all match materials and pay travelling expenses to away games. At a meeting on 19 October 1881, it was agreed that the club would be known as Devonshire Park F.C. named after the original ground at which the team played; this is now occupied by the Devonshire Park Lawn Tennis Club, and is also the venue for the Eastbourne International tennis tournament.

The first recorded game was against Clifton House School on 26 October 1881, which was won by Devonshire Park 5–1. The first loss was against New College on 12 November 1881. A game in which Devonshire Park lost 5–0. Their first recorded away win was on 26 November 1881 with an away game at Ardingly College, although the game was played in a 'downpour of rain' and the pitch was in a bad state. Devonshire Park won the game by 4 goals to 1. On 23 September 1882, at a meeting in Brighton with other clubs in Sussex, Devonshire Park became one of eleven clubs that formed the Sussex County Football Association, with Captain Cardwell being nominated as one of the vice-presidents for the first season. In the same year was the creation of the Sussex Senior Cup, following a dispute with a cup tie, Devonshire Park withdrew from the Sussex County FA.

Playing at Devonshire Park for 5 years with the Tennis club and a cricket club, they moved to the then newly opened Saffrons Field in 1886 when tennis became a predominant sport there and the success of the South of England Championships. It has been their home since, along with Eastbourne Cricket Club and Eastbourne Hockey Club. In 1888, Devonshire Park rejoined the Sussex FA and competed again in the Sussex Senior Cup, reaching the semi-finals with Burgess Hill

In 1889 the club changed its name to Eastbourne F.C. to reflect the expansion of the town after the railway brought in tourism. Although not in a league and still an amateur team, they competed in the Sussex Senior Cup reaching the final and beating Chichester 4–0. The following season the club founder, Rev. Willis, was elected as the club secretary, and the senior cup was done on a league basis in which Eastbourne won, playing 15 games, winning 14 and drawing a game with Chichester. Eastbourne reached the Sussex Senior Cup final ten times between 1889 and 1903, winning eight times in that period. Around the turn of the century, Eastbourne played professional teams such as Woolwich Arsenal, Derby County and West Ham United. It has been recorded that Eastbourne played and won in two international tournaments: in 1904 the 'Meeting du Nouvel' and in 1909, the Challenge International du Nord, both cups were invitations for amateur clubs to compete in.

South Eastern League (1905-1907) In 1905 Eastbourne FC joined the South Eastern League replacing local rivals, Eastbourne Swifts, who were playing in Division One in the league unable to raise a team. Eastbourne wrote to the league asking to take over from the Swifts team in which the league agreed. The first season wasn't a success, playing mainly against professional reserve teams in the Football League and were relegated into Division Two. The second season was also unsuccessful and Eastbourne withdrew at the end of the 1906–07 season.

Amateur Football Alliance (1907-1976) Southern Amateur League (1907-1946) In 1907 the club split from the Football Association, as they did not recognise amateur clubs. At a meeting on 25 July 1907, the club committee decided to join the Amateur Football Association and became founding members of the Southern Amateur Football League. Along with Ipswich Town, they remained in the league until 1946, winning the Sussex Senior Cup a further three times in that period. In 1909 Eastbourne was invited to play in the Challenge International du Nord, a competition for amateur teams in both England and France, reaching the final after beating Le Havre AC 2–0. The final was played in front of 2,000 spectators against RC Roubaix, and Eastbourne won 5–0. Town entered the competition in December 1909 but withdrew after a dispute with their opponents and at Christmas hosted Paris University, winning 10–1; the following Easter Red Star Paris visited and beat Eastbourne 8–1. On Boxing Day 1910, Eastbourne were defeated 3–2 by Racing Club Paris.

In 1920, the "Town" was one of the founding teams of the Sussex County Football League. Finishing third in the 1920-21 season and finishing 8th in the Southern Amateur League the same season. They returned fully committed to the Southern Amateur Football League, winning the league twice in 1923 and 1926 and, in four consecutive seasons, reaching the AFA Senior Cup final, winning the trophy twice and beating Ealing Association 1–0 in 1922 and 2–0 in 1925. Also winning the Sussex Senior Cup in 1922.

April 1931 saw the retirement of David Noakes, who had managed the club for the past 25 years, and his role was taken over by the club captain Mr W. S. Grevett. In his first two seasons he lifted the Sussex Senior Cup twice and the Sussex RUR Cup in 1933 at their first attempt but still struggled in the Southern Amateur League, finishing mid-table in most seasons. At the end of the 1937–38 season, Eastbourne were relegated into Division 2 A, but came back up the following season after winning the league. The Second World War brought a halt to the league and regular friendly fixtures being played. Eastbourne played the 1939–40 season in the Sussex County league and came sixth in the Eastern Division. 1943 saw their heaviest defeat with an army team. The Southern Amateur League restarted in 1945. The 1945–46 season saw Eastbourne finish 5th in the table.

Corinthian and Athenian Leagues (1946-1976) In 1946 Eastbourne left the Southern Amateur League and joined the Corinthian League, another amateur football league for teams based in the south of England. Attendances averaged around 3000 and the ground was improved; the pitch was moved closer to the cricket ground to allow the Town Hall side to be terraced. Town won the R.U.R. Cup twice again in 1948 and in 1950 under manager W.E. Collings but were hovering around mid-table around that period. In December 1950, defender Eric Beardsley became the club's first amateur international player, being selected to play for the England amateur team against the Republic of Ireland on 6 January 1951. He lasted 4 minutes into his debut when he broke his ankle.⁣ In June 1951, Collings resigned from his role as manager after 9 years.

The 1950s saw George Duke, a professional coach between 1949 and 1954, and manager Bob Baker, winning the Sussex Senior Cup in 1953, the last time Eastbourne won this competition. Both were found guilty along with other officials in the club in a fraud conspiracy where amateur players were being paid more than the F.A. amateur salary cap. Duke was banned from football and football management for a period of one year, and the club was fined £50. The club recorded their highest attendance on 10 October 1953, when 7,378 spectators watched local rivals Hastings United play in the FA Cup 2nd qualifying round. Eastbourne lost the game 7–2. 1954 saw Scottish-born Alex White, a former Chelsea defender, briefly manage the team until the end of the season, and George Skinner took over from June 1954 until 1959, later becoming the chief coach for the Sussex FA and later the national coach for Libya, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.

Skinner left in the summer of 1959 and was replaced by Jock McGuire, who lifted the Sussex Intermediate Cup for the first time at the end of the season and was replaced by Don Gold, who the previous season was coaching the minors' team and played for the Town for years before that. Whilst in charge, 1961 saw another milestone in the club's history. A game versus Moulsecoomb Rovers in the FA Amateur Cup saw the Town win 13–1, a feat that has yet to be beaten. Town were finishing around mid-table at this point. In 1963 the Corinthian League merged with the Athenian League and placed in the first division for the first three seasons before being relegated into the second division. Town again was finishing around mid-table. In 1967 Town reached the 4th Qualifying Round of the F.A. Cup but lost at home to a strong Margate side 9–0 and finished that season in 15th. Town missed out on promotion in the 1968–69 season and finished 3rd by four points, and again nearly reached the 1st round proper of the F.A. Cup drawing Canterbury City 2–2 at the Saffrons in the 4th Qualifying Round, but losing the replay 4–2.

1969–70 season saw success in the A.F.A. Invitation Cup but finished 4th in the league and in 1971 the club being nicknamed as the "town club" for over 80 years, became Eastbourne Town F.C. their present name today. Town reached the finals of the 1971–72 Sussex Senior Cup losing 1–0 to Ringmer at the Goldstone Ground. Attendances were falling in this period, although reaching the 5th round of the FA Vase in the 1975–76 season, the club resigned from the Athenian League at the end of that season as became uneconomic to remain.

Sussex County League (1976–2007)