Little Common F.C.

Little Common
Full name	Little Common Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Green Lane Boys
Founded	1966 (as Albion United)
Ground	Little Common Recreation Ground, Bexhill-on-Sea
Chairman	Daniel Eldridge
Manager	Russell Eldridge
League	Southern Combination Premier Division
2020–21	Southern Combination Premier Division (season curtailed)
Home colours	Away colours

Little Common Football Club is a football club based in the Little Common area of Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, England. They are currently members of the Southern Combination Premier Division and play at the Little Common Recreation Ground.

History[]

The club was established by Ken Cherry in 1966 as a youth club under the name Albion United, initially fielding under-14 and under-16 teams.^[1] They later started an adult team, which entered the Hastings League.^[2] In 1970 the club joined Division Three of the East Sussex League, which they won at the first attempt, earning promotion to Division Two.^[3] They won Division Two the following season, resulting in promotion to Division One.^[3] A third successive league title in 1972–73 saw the club win Division One and earn promotion to the Premier Division.^[3]

In 1976–77 Albion United were Premier Division champions, remaining unbeaten through the entire league season.^[3] The club then moved up to Division Two of the Sussex County League.^[4] They finished bottom of Division Two in 1980–81 and 1981–82, but were not relegated.^[4] In 1986 the club were renamed Little Common Albion.^[4] After finishing bottom of Division Two in 1993–94, they were relegated to Division Three.^[5] The following season saw them finish second-from-bottom of Division Three,^[5] after which they dropped back into the East Sussex League. In 2002 the club dropped Albion from their name.^[6]

After winning the East Sussex League Premier Division in 2004–05,^[6] Little Common were promoted back to Division Three of the Sussex County League.^[7] They were Division Three runners-up in 2008–09, earning promotion to Division Two.^[7] In 2015 the league was renamed the Southern Combination, with Division Two becoming Division One.^[7] In 2016–17 the club were Division One runners-up, but were unable to take promotion as their ground did not meet the required criteria.^[8] However, after winning the division the following season, they were promoted after moving to Eastbourne United's the Oval ground.^[8]

Ground[]

After playing at grounds with no facilities, in 1974 the club purchased two prefabricated buildings that had been built in Fulham after World War II for £500 and moved them to their Little Common Recreation Ground to create a clubhouse and changing rooms.^[2] A new pavilion was opened in November 2002.^[2]

In 2018 the club relocated to Eastbourne United's Oval ground in order to secure promotion. However, after fully enclosing the ground and installing two new stands, the club is due to return to the Recreation Ground in December 2021.^[9]^[10]

Honours[]

Southern Combination
- Division One champions 2017–18
East Sussex League
- Premier Division champions 1976–77, 2004–05
- Division One champions 1972–73
- Division Two champions 1971–72
- Division Three champions 1970–71

Records[]

Best FA Cup performance: First qualifying round, 2019–20, 2020–21^[7]
Best FA Vase performance: Second qualifying round, 2016–17, 2018–19, 2021–22^[7]

References[]

^ "Welcome to Little Common Football Club". Little Common F.C.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Little Common". Pyramid Passion.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "East Sussex League 1970's". Hastings Football History.
^ ^a ^b ^c Albion United at the Football Club History Database
^ ^a ^b Little Common Athletic at the Football Club History Database
^ ^a ^b "East Sussex League 2000's". Hastings Football History.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Little Common at the Football Club History Database
^ ^a ^b "Senior clubs from the Rother and surrounding area". Hastings Football History.
^ "Sussex football team ready for first home game since 2017". Bexhill-on-Sea Observer. 17 December 2021.
^ "Common return to home". The Non-League Football Paper. 19 December 2021.

External links[]

Official website

Coordinates: 50°50′56″N 0°26′22″E / 50.8489°N 0.4394°E / 50.8489; 0.4394

[1] "Welcome to Little Common Football Club". Little Common F.C.

[PP-2] "Little Common". Pyramid Passion.

[ESL70s-3] "East Sussex League 1970's". Hastings Football History.

[FCHD1-4] Albion United at the Football Club History Database

[FCHD2-5] Little Common Athletic at the Football Club History Database

[ESL2000s-6] "East Sussex League 2000's". Hastings Football History.

[FCHD3-7] Little Common at the Football Club History Database

[HFH-8] "Senior clubs from the Rother and surrounding area". Hastings Football History.

[9] "Sussex football team ready for first home game since 2017". Bexhill-on-Sea Observer. 17 December 2021.

[10] "Common return to home". The Non-League Football Paper. 19 December 2021.

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v t Southern Combination League
2021–22 Premier Division	AFC Uckfield Town AFC Varndeanians Alfold Bexhill United Broadbridge Heath Crawley Down Gatwick East Preston Eastbourne Town Eastbourne United Association Hassocks Horsham YMCA Lingfield Little Common Littlehampton Town Loxwood Newhaven Pagham Peacehaven & Telscombe Saltdean United Steyning Town
2021–22 Division One	Arundel Billingshurst Dorking Wanderers Reserves Epsom & Ewell Forest Row Godalming Town Hailsham Town Midhurst & Easebourne Mile Oak Montpelier Villa Oakwood Roffey Seaford Town Selsey Shoreham Storrington Wick Worthing United
2021–22 Division Two	Bosham Brighton Electricity Charlwood Copthorne Ferring Jarvis Brook Littlehampton United Rottingdean Village Rustington St Francis Rangers Southwater TD Shipley Upper Beeding Worthing Town
Seasons	1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22