OUR HISTORY

The club's first recorded fixture was in 1922 but was officially formed in 1923 following the merger of Peacehaven Rangers and Telscombe Tye. The newly formed club originally played on a piece of land called The Tye, owned by the local squire.

Peacehaven (the abridged name is most commonly used) joined Division Two of the Sussex County League in 1969-70 after winning the Brighton League with a 100% record. In 1975-76 they won promotion as runners-up to Selsey. After finishing as runners-up to Shoreham in 1977/78, Peacehaven lifted what was to be the first of seven Division One titles the following season. After finishing a disappointing 12th in 1979/80, the club once again finished as runners-up, this time to Pagham, in 1980/81, before adding a further two League titles in 1981/82 and 1982/83.

A comparatively mediocre spell then ensued but a third runners-up spot in 1990/91, when they lost out on goal difference to champions Littlehampton Town, was to herald a period of dominance in the County League. Between 1992 and 1997, Peacehaven lifted the Division One championship on four occasions, and in the other two seasons finished 4th (1993/94) and 3rd (1996/97). The club also won the League Challenge Cup in 1991 and 1992, and enjoyed great runs in the FA Cup and FA Vase.

Peacehaven’s best run in the FA Cup was in 1990/91, when they reached the 4th Qualifying Round, only to lose 2-3 at Tiverton Town. That season, eventual champions Littlehampton also reached the 1st Round proper of the competition. The club reached the 5th Round of the FA Vase in 1992/93 before losing to a solitary goal at Gresley Rovers; and went one better in 1995/96 when they were beaten by the same score at Clitheroe at the Quarter Final stage.

April 1995 saw the first ever Sunday fixture in the County League, when just over a 1,000 spectators saw Peacehaven beat eventual runners-up Stamco (later St. Leonards, now defunct) at Piddinghoe Avenue. The irony was that it was the runners-up who were promoted to the Southern League at the end of that season, whilst with their emphasis on the team rather than their facilities, Peacehaven had little hope of further progression.

That lack of ambition, foresight, and dwindling finances ultimately told, with Peacehaven relegated to Division Two at the end of the 1997/98 season. After three seasons however, they returned to the top flight as runners-up to Southwick (another club with an illustrious history), and also won the Division Two League Cup.

Sadly though, Peacehaven were relegated once more at the end of the 2002/03 season, with attendances plummeting to the lowest in Division Two the following season. 2004/05 saw an improvement in the latter but things were no better on the pitch as The Magpies were relegated to Division Three and Intermediate football for the first time in the club’s history - something that would have been unthinkable just ten years earlier.

Fortunately the stay in Division Three was brief, and the club won promotion at the first attempt, two points ahead of runners-up Lingfield. The season also saw a memorable ‘double’ with a 2-1 victory over Eastbourne Town Reserves in the Final of the Sussex Intermediate Cup. However, The Magpies were unable to complete a treble, as holders Rustington retained the Vernon Wentworth Cup, winning 1-0.

After two seasons of agonisingly missing promotion on the last game of the season, the Club's return to the top flight was finally secured in 2009 - winning Division 2 for the first time (and so becoming one of the few sides to win all 3 Divisions of the County League)

Most pundits predicted 2009-10 to be a season of consolidation, but the first season back in Division 1 nearly saw Peacehaven complete a famous treble - winning the R.U.R. and League Cup's, but finishing as Runners-Up in the League to Whitehawk.

In recent years the club's success has continued. After the loss of many players in 2011-12 Peacehaven had to rebuild their squad and finished a creditable 4th. Much work then took place on the ground with the refurbishment of the clubhouse bar area, a lot of work behind the scenes was needed and the long awaited stand that would allow Ryman League football was introduced.

On the pitch Shaun Saunders had taken charge with Tony Coade and the team continued to progress. Peacehaven won the County League title for the eighth time in its 50 year spell in the County League. The groundwork was completed and the club moved forward into the Ryman South Division.

2013/14 season saw Saunders and Coade remaining in charge with the one aim of maintaining Ryman League status which they did and in fact romped to the title breaking several Ryman South League records in the process.

The final of the Sussex Senior Cup was also reached for the first time in 30 - years setting up a grand finale against Bognor Regis in May at Brighton & Hove Albion's AMEX Stadium which The Magpies won 3-0.

But 2014/15 season proved a step too far, and after a difficult season which saw manager Saunders resign at Christmas, coach Tony Coade took control but the club was relegated.

A change of chairman also occurred with Andrew Melbourne standing down, to be replaced by the veteran Brian Suckling.

The financial reality of life in the top flight of the Ryman League was starting to bite. The ground required urgent upgrading and the campaign, Stand or Fall was launched.

Although successful, the money raised still fell short of what was required.

The club still could have stayed up right up until the last day of the season, but it wasn't to be and Haven were relegated back to Ryman South.

Season 2015/16 was the most difficult and traumatic in the club's history. The financial woes were beginning to bite. New manager, former Brighton player and Whitehawk manager Darren Freeman was appointed but he quit in October 2015, leaving for close rivals Lewes.

A huge chunk of the first team followed Freeman to Lewes. Chairman Suckling immediately appointed Simon Colbran into the manager's chair. The financial plight of the club was becoming more apparent and the playing budget was slashed.

In January 2016 with the club at its lowest ebb, popular chairman Brian Suckling lost his fight with cancer and passed away. Deputy chairman Sue Norwood became acting chairman but had a mountain to climb. Debts were still piling up and the playing budget was again slashed. Manager Colbran, who commendably stuck to his unenviable task could not prevent the club's second relegation in two seasons. Something big and bold had to be done to save Peacehaven & Telscombe FC.

In May 2016 the club launched its campaign to become a fan-owned club. It had six weeks to raise £35,000, the minimum requirement to become a community football club. By the June 30 deadline more than £40,000 had been raised. And the icing on the cake was when global betting giant Unibet came on board as club sponsor.

A new manager was appointed, local man Mark Shutt. He set about building a squad of players with a nil playing budget, but recruiting players who wanted to play for the shirt and not money. The club is now on its way to becoming solvent. An interim board is in place to see the club through the next 12 months. All of the club's sections have now been joined together and the club now has a positive future.

At the end of season 2016/17 Peacehaven & Telscombe finished in a respectable 14th place in the Southern Combination league with 48 points from 38 games played. The objective in its first season as a community owned club had been achieved and the slide had been halted.

Off the field the club paid off a significant chunk of its debt and by April 2018 will be debt free. It also announced that for the 2017/18 it would be fielding an under 18 and under 21 sides which means each week 20 youth and men's teams will be fielded by the club. Good progress under Mark Shutt and Dan Norwood was made during 2017/18 season with first team finishing in seventh place in the Southern Combination Premier League.

The club's under 21 side claimed silverware when they won the Sussex Under 21 Cup. The team, mamaged by Clive Blunt will compete at under 23 level for the 2018/19 season. Season 2018/19 saw the club finish in tenth place in the league but won the prestigous RUR Cup Final 3-0 against Haywards Heath from the Bostik South League. The club also announced it will be fielding three girls team for the first time and also increased the number of youth teams it will field to 19.

When the 2019/20 season was curtailed, Peacehaven were in fifth place in the league. They had also reached the final of the RUR Cup and were in the semi-final of the Peter Bentley Cup. And it took Eastbourne Borough from National League South penalties to eliminate Peacehaven at the semi-final stage of the Sussex Senior Cup after the game ended 0-0 AET.

Then in Covid year with just a few matches to go the first team reached the semi-finals of a number of cups, when covid hit and all matches were cancelled and the season ended early.

Today Peacehaven & Telscombe Football Club has not only its 1st team, there is besides our reserve & development squads, the under 23’s and under 18’s who may have opportunities to play in the senior team. The club also caters for young players covering all school ages both boys and girls.

The 2022-23 season was possibly one of the best seasons for many a year. Only for the second time in the clubs history the first team reached the quarter finals of the FA Vase and then in the very last game of a very long season Mark Shutt for the second time under his management the team went on to take the RUR Cup.

After the successes of the previous season, 2023-24 was a little disappointing from a supporters point of view. The under 18’s and under 23’s we both runners up in their respective leagues. The first team made no progress in any of the cup games and could only manage 9th in league.