After several years dominance of the Mid-Sussex Football League, Pease Pottage Village FC were finally allowed to join the Sussex County League in 2001.The club confirmed its status as one of the top clubs in Sussex intermediate football by winning Division Three at the first attempt in 2001/02, losing only two League games all season.

Pease Pottage however, found the jump to senior football to be a difficult transition to make. They finished in a relegation position but were spared a return to intermediate football due to the amalgamation of Eastbourne United FC and Shinewater Association FC; and the resignation of Oving FC.

Even so, the club had to provide assurances that a permanent stand would be in place in time for the 2003/04 season. For some time, club officials may have wished they hadn’t bothered as Village’s form in the first half of the season made them look long odds-on for relegation. Home defeats included 9-1 and 7-1 drubbings by Worthing United and Eastbourne United Association respectively. But it was even worse away from Finches Field, as Peacehaven beat them 10-1; and Westfield went beserk as they ran out 18-0 winners!

A change in management however, improved Village’s fortunes although they were equally thankful for the equally bad form shown by Lancing and Haywards Heath as they managed to escape relegation - finishing third from bottom. There was no such luck in 2004/05 however as, along with Peacehaven & Telscombe, just above them, Village finished bottom and were relegated back to Division Three with the unenviable record of being the worst supported club in the County League, with just 10 spectators watching two fixtures at Finches Field.

Back in intermediate football it was hoped that Pease Pottage would be able to re-group avoid a further slide back into the Mid-Sussex League. This they did manage to achieve, finishing 14 points clear of Wadhurst United, who finished immediately below them and subsequently resigned from the League. The club did at least not end up with the lowest average attendance in the League (an ‘honour’ that went to Upper Beeding with 30), although they did record an official attendance of 10 for the second successive season, which was the lowest across all three divisions.

Given their problems since joining the SCFL, and form over the previous few seasons, no-one would have predicted promotion and a return to senior football for the Pottage at the end of 2006/07 (well, I certainly didn't) but to achieve this, and land three trophies into the bargain capped arguably the most memorable season in the club's history. One could point to the sacking of Brighton & Hove Assistant Bob Booker in the summer of 2006 as a major catalyst, as his arrival at Finches field in a coaching capacity was undoubtedly a major boost to manager Bob Laundon and his squad.

Pottage may have finished 11 points behind runaway champions Rustington and lost to them twice in the League, but gained some revenge with a 6-3 victory in the semi-finals of the Sussex Intermediate Cup, before going to defeat Uckfield Town 3-1 in the final. Further silverware was added to the Finches Field with victories in the finals of the Division Three League Challenge Cup (beating Newhaven 4-1), and Mid-Sussex Senior Charity Cup (beating Holland Sports 1-0).

Having assembled a side that looked capable of performing well in Division Two in 2007/08, the club was rocked by the anouncement in July that Laundon and Booker were stepping down folliwng the decision by many of the squad not to return for the coming season for a variety of reasons: a number having secured trials or signed for clubs at a higher level of the Pyramid.

Description of ground
Pease Pottage FC have been dogged with problems at their Finches Field ground since attempting, and subsequently winning election to the County League in 2001. Despite their dominance of the Mid Sussex League, overhead cables which run across the pitch prevented them joining the County League, until the pitch was rotated ninety degrees. Consequently, the cables now run the length of the pitch, rather than across it.

A second problem was gaining planning permission to build a small stand in order to meet County League grading requirements for senior status. For the 2002/03 season this necessitated provision of a temporary mobile ‘stand’ quite unique in the County League on the far touchline, just behind the dugouts (see photographs). This has since been replaced with a new structure, erected in the space of one week during the 2003 close-season. It is basically a wooden shelter but nevertheless is perfectly adequate for the job, and also meets requirements. Two new uPVC dugouts (2006) are now positioned to the left, looking towards the cover, which thoughtfully has an aperture in one of its walls, to enable spectators to see what is going on at the other end of the pitch, and remain dry. Deating is provided by way of a few park benches set back behind the near goal, and picnic tables outside the clubhouse.

The temporary stand certainly raised a few eyebrows. In their review of the Nomad-Online website in May 2003, the magazine 'When Saturday Comes' wrote: “Particularly astonishing is the new stand at Pease Pottage FC, which looks like a glorified bus stop, fronted by a metal crush barrier, presumably to keep the tumultuous hordes from spilling onto the playing surface”.

The clubhouse, with dressing rooms adjacent, and picnic benches outside, is situated at the entrance to the ground, just beyond the car park and set back from the pitch.

Directions
Immediately after entering Pease Pottage village from the A23/M23, turn left into Old Brighton Road (South), signposted Finches Field. The ground is located about 800 yards down on the right.

Nearest railway station: Crawley (3 miles).

Map (link to www.streetmap.co.uk)