Forest F.C.

For the club active in the Victorian era, see Wanderers F.C.
Forest
Full name Forest Football Club
Founded 1958
Ground Roffey Sports & Social Club, Horsham
Ground Capacity 1000 (approx.)
Chairman John Bellamy
2011–12 Sussex County League
Division Three, 6th

Forest F.C. is a football club based in Horsham, England. They were established in 1958 and joined the Sussex County League in 1988. For the 2012-13 season, they were due to be members of the Sussex County League Division Three but withdrew from the league in June 2012.[1]

History

The club was founded in 1958 under the name Forest Old Boys, being originally for former pupils of Forest Boys' School in Comptons Lane, Horsham. Matches were played at the school playing fields and the club progressed through the Horsham League and Crawley & District League into the now-defunct Southern Counties Combination.

1987-88 was a turning point for the club. A move from Forest School to the better facilities at Roffey Social & Sports Club in Spooners Road meant Forest were eligible for promotion to the County League.

During their one season in the Mid Sussex League, the first-team won both the Premier Division title and the Sussex Intermediate Cup.

Forest's 20 seasons in the County League have produced many ups and downs, but the club has always remained in Division Three. The current committee has major plans to upgrade the ground with new fencing, a training area and floodlights. Improved guard rails and hard-standing areas were installed in the summer of 2001.

The club enjoyed its most successful season ever in 2001-02 when finishing in third place in Division Three, just one spot away from promotion to senior football for the first time. An important landmark was reached when the reserve team was elected to the County League's reserve section and the under-18 team re-joined the County League.

Forest was only the second club in the Sussex County League (after Oving) to have a presence on the internet when this website was first produced in January 1999. With many transitions and changes the fortunes of the club can still be followed on its website which is found here on www.forestfc.hitsports.com

The 2008-9 season saw the club not only celebrating its 50th anniversary but also returning to its original club colours of Tangerine & White. Completing the season with a decent league finish of 6th place was enhanced by winning the Sussex FA's Intermediate Cup in a 1-0 win over fellow Division Three team Bosham. A Jake Holmes goal enough to separate the teams and ensure Forest's name was added to the trophy for a second time.

It was the turn of the reformed Reserve team to take the honours in the 2009-10 season as they won West Sussex League Division 4 (North) and gain promotion in their first competitive season. The club as a whole benchmarked the season as it gained recognition from the Sussex County Football Association with the award of the FA Charter Standard.

Honours

Joined Horsham League (1958) Horsham & District Junior Charity Cup finalists (1960–61) Horsham & District FA Cup finalists (1961–62) Horsham & District KO Cup winners (1962–63)

Elected to Crawley League (1963) Premier Division champions (1976–77) First Division champions (1964–65, 1973–74) Third Division champions (1963–64, 1968–69) Crawley Charity Shield winners (1967–68, 1975–76) Crawley Charity Shield finalists (1969–70) Crawley Jubilee Cup winners (1976–77) Sussex Intermediate Cup semi-finalists (1976–77, 1978–79) Mid Sussex Senior Cup winners (1976–77)

Elected to Southern Counties Combination League (1979) Mid Sussex Senior Cup winners (1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87) Mick Hastain (Horsham FC) Floodlight Cup winners (1983–84, 1984–85, 1998–99) Premier Division runners-up (1984–85, 1985–86) Division One runners-up (1982–83)

Elected to Mid Sussex League (1987) Premier Division champions (1987–88) Montgomery Cup winners (1987–88) Sussex Intermediate Cup winners (1987–88, 2008–09)

Promoted to Sussex County League (1988) Best finish (3rd in Division Three, 2001–02)

Sussex County League record

All seasons in Division Three:

Reserve and Third Team Honours (all in the West Sussex League)

Reserves: Division Four (North) champions (1984–85, 2009–10) Division Four Charity Cup winners (1984–85) Division Three (North) champions (1985–86, 1994–95) Tony Kopp Cup winners (1992–93) Division Three Charity Cup winners (1993–94)

Third Team: Lower divisions team of the season (1996–97)

Representative Honours

Sussex

Russell Penticost (1968–69); Micky Ansell (1976–77); Micky Peacock (1978–79); Clive Limbrick (1982–83); Colin Johnson, Neil Liley, Stewart McCreadie (all 1985-86); Scott Milford (1988–89); Danny Lucas (1990–91); John Mitchell, Selwyn Brooks (1991–92); Tim Brown (1999–2000).

Sussex County League

Danny Lucas, Stewart McCreadie, Scott Milford, Colin Johnson (all 1988-89); Selwyn Brooks (1991–92); Adam Piggott, Gary Panton (1992–93); Nigel Beyer, Andrew Price (1993–94); Adam Piggott, Julian Bridgman (1996–97); Ian Cullern, Matt Holmes (1997–98).

Sussex Youth

Stewart McCreadie (1983–84).

Southern Counties Combination League

Grahame Funnell, Paul Greig (1980–81); Neil Liley, Alan Ross, Colin Johnson (all 1982-83); John Brown, Stewart McCreadie, Gary Hales (1983–84); Garry Cherriman (1984–85); Titch Pusey, Andy Boulter (1986–87).

Mid Sussex League

Kevin Smith, Alan Ross, Danny Lucas, Andy Boulter, Titch Pusey, Colin Johnson, Stewart McCreadie, Neil Liley (all 1987-88).

Crawley League Intermediate XI

Russell Penticost, John Smith, Dapper Dale (all 1975-76); Clive Williams. Micky Ansell, Clive Limbrick, Kevin O'Neill (all 1976-77); Alan Ross (1978–79).

References

  1. ↑ "Uncertain Future For Forest F.C.". NonLeagueDaily.com. Retrieved 5 July 2012.

External links

Coordinates: 51°04′34.99″N 0°18′00.29″W / 51.0763861°N 0.3000806°W / 51.0763861; -0.3000806

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