this is a series similer to the likes of Church Micro and SideTracked where i or anyone who wishes to expand highlights there local football ground and history of the club playing there this series is designed for the average football fan traveling to see there faverite team big or small or locals to come and look at these quaint little grounds or great stadiums
Eastbourne United AFC Badge
Eastbourne United AFC Ground
History
Early history
Eastbourne United AFC's roots can be traced back to 1894, when the club was founded as the 1st Sussex Royal Engineers FC. In this early period the club played nearby to where the Saffrons (home of Eastbourne Town) now stands, and at the South Lynn ground in Tutts Barn Road, the site of their ground at this time is now covered by the St. Thomas a Beckett RC Primary School. The club then changed ground again in 1901 when Eastbourne Council gave the club permission to use Gildredge Park. The club then changed its name in 1913 to 1st Home Counties Royal Engineers (Eastbourne) FC to reflect a merger between the RA Volunteers with the Territorial Army.
After the War the club continued to play at Gildredge park and in 1920 the club name was changed to Eastbourne Royal Engineers Old Comrades as the Volunteers disbanded due to the end of the war. During their first season as Eastbourne Royal Engineers Old Comrades the club got to the final of the East Sussex Cup beating the Royal Corps of Signals, the game however may be notable as the first ever outside broadcast of a sporting event in England as the Signals brought wireless equipment with them to send match reports back to their camp in Maresfield. The club joined the Sussex County League in 1921 and made a permanent move from Gildredge Park to their Lynchmere ground. In 1922 they changed their name again when ties with the Royal Engineers were broken and dropped the "Royal Engineers" part of the name, Eastbourne Old Comrades FC and started wearing the white and black stripes on their shirts. At the end of the 1927–28 season they broke away from the Sussex County League and joined the Spartan League, shortening their name to Eastbourne Comrades FC. They left the Spartan league at the end of the 1931–32 season and joined the Brighton, Hove & District League. They won Division One in 1932–33 and were runners-up the following season. In 1935 they re-joined the Sussex County League. After the end of the Second World War they rejoined the Sussex County League for the 1946–47 season. During this period, the club experienced difficult times. They moved to their current home, The Oval, after losing their Lynchmere Ground to development and could only manage mediocre league results. In 1951 the name was changed for a sixth time to Eastbourne United.
Metropolitan and Athenian Leagues
The club’s fortunes changed with the new name and a new coach, George Smith, and between 1953 and 1956 they were twice County League champions, and runners-up once. That success saw them move into the Metropolitan & District League in 1956 (subsequently the Metropolitan League), and in 1964 United joined Division Two of the Athenian League, winning the championship in 1966–67.
Two seasons later, another promotion followed (as runners-up) and United were promoted to the Premier Division. After just one season though, they were relegated back to Division One. However, in 1973/74 the League was re-organised and the Premier Division scrapped.
In 1975 United were relegated to Division Two, and when the Athenian League was disbanded in 1977, joined Division Two of the Isthmian League, and subsequently Division Two (South) following reorganisation in 1984. When further changes to the Isthmian structure were made in 1991, United found themselves in the new Division Three and after one season, opted to rejoin the County League.
Sussex County League
Placed in Division Two of the County League they struggled initially and in 1996 came perilously close to dropping down into intermediate football after finishing bottom. They recovered however, and within two years had won promotion to Division One as runners-up to East Preston. In 2001–02 however, United were relegated once more.
The decision was made to amalgamate with fellow Division Two club Shinewater Association FC at the end of the 2002–03 season. A terrible playing surface at Shine’s ground in Shinewater Lane, and failure to gain permission to erect the floodlights necessary to advance any further, made it difficult to attract players of sufficient quality in a town where they were already at a premium. In addition, the ground was subject to constant vandalism.
Under the leadership of former Shinewater manager Dave Shearing, the new club won promotion back to Division One at the first attempt after finishing third behind champions Littlehampton Town, and runners-up Worthing United. That progression was maintained in 2004–05 with another excellent campaign and 5th place in the top flight of the County League.With constant rumours of disquiet off the pitch in the local media, Shearing resigned at the end of the 2005–06 season to take a break from football (he subsequently joined Bexhill United), with the Club in 14th position. He was succeeded by former Hailsham Town boss Brian Dennis.
Dennis brought success to Eastbourne United at the end of the 2008–09 season when they lifted the RUR cup for the first time since 1956 and also reached the top of the table, but the Sussex FA had spotted that Chichester City had fielded a banned player in their squad and were deducted points, the Sussex FA had talks whether to award points to sides who have played against a team fielding an ineligible player, which would mean Horsham YMCA would be promoted. However the Sussex FA declared that no points were to be given back and United were the Sussex County League champions, for the first time since 1956 giving Eastbourne United the double.
After the end of the 2009–10 season, the Eastbourne United AFC committee took the decision to focus all their efforts on the proposed redevelopment of The Oval, which meant the playing budget was cut and as a result the majority of the first team squad left. Brian Dennis left his role as manager in October 2010 and was replaced by then Reserve Team manager Paul Daubeney. Daubeney couldn't save United from relegation to Division Two however as the club was only able to muster 10 points from their 38 league games. The club remained in Division Two of the Sussex County League Until the 2013/14 Season, when under new manager Simon Rowland they were promoted as champions to Sussex County League Division one. During the 2013/14 promotion season, Rowland's men also had a long FA Vase run, ending only in defeat at the semi final stage, Losing 2-4 to Sholing FC.
Honours
League honours
Sussex County League Division One
Champions (3): 1954–55, 1955–56, 2008–09
Runners-up (3): 1922–23, 1926–27, 1953–54
Sussex County League Division Two
Champions (1): 2013-14
Runners-up (1): 1997–98
Sussex County League Division Three
Runners-up (1): 1996–97
Athenian League Division One
Runners-up (1): 1968–69
Athenian League Division Two
Champions (1): 1966–67
East Sussex League
Champions (3): 1920–21, 1991–92†, 1996–97†
Brighton, Hove & District League
Champions (1): 1932–33
Cup honours
Sussex Senior Challenge Cup
Winners (6): 1959–60, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1968–69
Runners-up (6): 1929–30, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1961–62, 1970–71, 1989–90
The Sussex Royal Ulster Rifles Charity Cup
Winners (2): 1955–56, 2008–09
Runners-up (1): 1954–55
The John O'Hara League Challenge Cup
Winners (1): 1950–51
Runners-up (1): 1951–52
Sussex Intermediate Cup
Winners (3): 1965–66, 1968–69, 1995–96
Metropolitan League Cup
Winners (1): 1959–60
Metropolitan League Amateur Cup
Winners (1): 1960–61
Sussex County League Division Three Cup
Winners (1): 1995–96
Runners-up (1): 1996–97
East Sussex Cup
Winners (2): 1920–21, 1937–38
Sussex Royal Engineers Challenge Shield
Winners (3): 1901–02, 1903–04, 1905–06
Eastbourne Charity Cup
Winners (12): 1931–32, 1937–38, 1939–40, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1971–72, 1973–7, 1978–79, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1997–98
Newhaven Charity Cup
Winners (1): 1951–52
Bognor Charity Cup
Winners (1): 1925–26
Bexhill Charity Cup
Winners (1): 1920–21
Hastings Charity Cup
Winners (2): 1927–28, 1931–32
Baldwin Cup
Winners (1): 1950/51
Borough Centeanery Cup
Winners (1): 1985–86
Seaford Centenary Cup
Winners (1): 1991–92†
College Cup
Winners (4): 1953–54, 1954–55, 1955–56, 1959–60
Eastbourne Challenge Cup
Winners (8): 1964–65, 1991–92†, 1993–94†, 1994–95†, 1996–97†, 1997–98†, 2010–11, 2011–12
Source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastbourne_United_Association_F.C.
the cache is a micro to small sized film pot