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Pagham —A Brief History
The club was formed in 1903, starting in the Bognor
& Chichester Football league, and then joining
the West Sussex league.
The club at the end of the 1965–66 season became
champions of the West Sussex league
Premier Division for the first time and repeated
this success two more times in the 1968–69 and
1969–70 seasons. As well as the league success
the club also achieved two Sussex Intermediate
Cup wins.
in 1988–89. The club firmly established itself as a
Division One club subsequently, without reaching
the heights of the late 1980s — the best season
being 1992–93, when Pagham finished as runners-up
to Peacehaven. 2003–04 however, saw
the club finish in the bottom three, with only the
earlier liquidation of St. Leonards sparing them
the drop into Division Two. There was no escape
in 2004–05 however, and a similarly wretched
campaign saw the Lions drop back down into Division
Two.
Before moving to Nyetimber lane the club spent
their first 47 years of existence playing on various
farmers’ fields until they moved onto a field adjoining
the cricket club in Nyetimber Lane in 1950.
A small wooded shed was provided by a local
farmer which served as a changing room until the
club applied to enter the County League in 1970.
Originally there was a cricket-type pavilion erected,
alongside the current breeze block stand
which at the time had no seats. The pavilion and
an old wooden building that served as a bar were
eventually replaced by the current clubhouse,
with dressing rooms behind.
The 1966–67 and 1968–69 season.
After achieving success in the West Sussex
league the club joined Division Two of the Sussex
County League for the 1970–71 campaign, finishing
third in their first three seasons. I
In the 1972–73 season the club played their first
ever FA Cup game drawing 0–0 with Chichester
City, before losing 2–1 in the replay.
In 1978–79 Pagham finished as champions of Division
Two, winning promotion to the top division.
[3] The club finished fourth the following season,
behind champions Chichester City, but lifted the
title in 1980–81 – three points clear of runnersup
Peacehaven & Telscombe, who went on to win
the next two titles.
Just three years later however, Pagham were relegated.
Two third placings followed before the
Division Two championship was lifted for the second
time in 1986–87. Better was to follow over
the next two seasons, with successive Division
One titles, as well as the League Challenge Cup
In what could be viewed as a season of consolidation
after a couple of poor years, 2005–06 saw
the Lions only able to manage 13th place but
2006–07 saw them comfortably return to the top
flight as champions, ten points clear of runnersup
St. Francis Rangers.
Gary Block the manager took the chairmans’ position
full time in 2008/9 however Brent Williams
took over for the latter half of the season.
A new management team came in for the
2010/11 season and Pagham were never out of
the top four. 2011/12 and 2012/13 seasons both
ended in top half finishes.
2014/15 season saw a new era at the top with the
present chairman Tony Shea taking over as chairman
and Gary Block returned to mentor the new
manager Jon Tucker.
2015/16 started well for the club, now in the renamed
Southern Combination League, with Corinthian-Casuals
being defeated in the FA, Cup
but form fell away and Tucker left.
From Littlehampton came joint managers Mark
Bennett and Richie Hellens and there was a 6th
place finish.
The 2016/17 season saw the main stay of the
2015/16 team staying. And after a draw in the FA
Cup against Canterbury City Pagham won the
replay. The next round against Dulwich Hamlet
saw the Hamlet run out 3-0 winners.
It was a good season with Pagham finishing 4th,
20 points behind the eventual winners Shoreham.
who were promoted to the Bostik league South
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