Whitehawk

Whitehawk FC 

Ground: McLaren Enclosed Ground

Capacity: 3,126

Club Founded: 1945

League: Isthmian League Premier Division - Step 3/7th Tier (current level)

Whitehawk FC have built gradually after playing local football, moving through the divisions to become a prominent non-league club focusing on its community in the east Brighton suburb.

Whitehawk FC - The Early Years

The club was formed in 1945 as Whitehawk & Manor Farm Old Boys FC, playing games at Brighton Corporation pitch No. 2 in East Brighton Park. Initially, Whitehawk competed in the nine-team Brighton Junior Cup before they joined the Brighton, Hove & District Football League after one season. 

The club sailed through the four divisions, winning leagues and cups along the way. This led to permission to occasionally ‘enclose’ a pitch in East Brighton Park in 1950. The Hawks were admitted into the Sussex County League a couple of years later, in which grounds had to be enclosed for every match. 

The Enclosed Ground

Brighton Corporation gave permission for the club to move permanently into a new ground at the north end of the park, adjacent to the Sheepcote Valley campsite, in 1954 as the Enclosed Ground was created. Young defender Derek Tharme was signed by Tottenham Hotspur in 1956 before the club changed its title to Whitehawk FC in 1961.

‘The Hawks’ lifted the league title under manager Billy Thew as Billy Ford banged in the goals as the team completed a treble with cup victories, leading to a civic reception, open-top bus tour, and the construction of a grandstand at the Enclosed Ground. Whitehawk went on to retain the league title. 

League Titles and Youngsters Progression

The side was relegated before going back up with Billy Miller in charge of the team. A clubhouse was constructed in 1980, as Whitehawk won promotion, recovering after dropping down a level under manager Sammy Donnelly. A third Sussex County League title followed, before youth player Ian Chapman was signed by Brighton & Hove Albion. 

Steve Brown was another club youngster snapped up, joining Charlton Athletic.

Whitehawk. He was followed into the pro game by Darren Freeman. Chapman remembered his roots and returned as manager in 2002, taking his side to two runners-up finishes, before new boss Russell Bromage also led the team to second place.

Promotion to the Isthmian League

Freeman returned as manager to oversee a fourth Sussex County League title in 2009-10, with promotion to the Isthmian League the reward. The same season saw Whitehawk reach the semi-final of the FA Vase before going out to Wroxham. 

With the help of wealthy backers, Whitehawk were denied promotion in their debut season, losing to Leatherhead in the playoffs. However, the 2011-12 campaign saw the Division One South title being secured as well as a Sussex Senior Cup triumph. An application to use Withdean Stadium while the Enclosed Ground was developed was rejected.

Step 2 Football and Controversy

The team won the Isthmian League in 2012-13 to reach the Conference South. The Enclosed Ground installed the temporary seating from Withdean while the FA rejected an application to change the club's name to Brighton City FC. 

The squad was strengthened before the club was embroiled in controversy as former players Michael Boateng, Hakeem Adelakun, and Moses Swaibu were charged with conspiracy to defraud as part of an investigation into match-fixing. Freeman was dismissed as manager in January 2014 and replaced by Steve King.

The Hawks reached the playoffs of the renamed National League South in 2014-15 and then reached the first round of the FA Cup the following season, defeating Lincoln City before going out in a home replay to Dagenham & Redbridge, with the game shown live on BT Sport.

Pablo Asensio took over from King, leading the team to the play-offs once again. He was replaced by Richard Hill after eight games of the 2016-17 campaign. Managers came and went while the side was weakened by the departure of star player Sergio Torres. The club was relegated to the Isthmian League after King had returned in the boss's chair

The team continued to slump, relegated to Division One South East at the end of the 2018-19 season, as more managerial changes led to further instability. Shaun Saunders restored calm and took Whitehawk back to the Premier Division through the playoffs in 2022-23, with Hythe Town defeated in the final. 

Saunders would return in November 2024 after a spell away while Whitehawk again tinkered with managerial appointments. He moved upstairs in the summer of 2026 to become director of football with Jay Lovett the new team boss. 

My visits

Thursday 25th September 2008

It was a lovely September early morning with Yorkshire playing Sussex on day two in the County Championship and looking in real bother with relegation a real possibility. I headed down to the coast and decided to have breakfast at the Wetherspoon outlet, The West Quay. It was a delight to sit and overlook the sea, and it put me in good form for the day.

My other reason for my choice was the chance to visit Whitehawk for some photos. The walk up to Wilson's Avenue was longer than I thought. The lane down to the ground was certainly a surprise, with the steep banking and pitches of East Brighton Park on one side and the hills of the South Downs on the other. Brighton Racecourse was at the top of the hill, looking down on proceedings.

The gates to the ground were locked, so I continued past the camp and caravan site and eventually found a way in at the top end. The Enclosed Ground was a basic venue, with one stand containing seats in the middle, on either side of the players' tunnel, and standing flanking them.

The rest of the ground had a hard-standing walkway around it. The side opposite the stand appeared to be out of bounds. The clubhouse was down in the far corner. The pitch sloped down to that end and again in the corner.

I made my way back and caught a bus to Hove, where David Wainwright and Adil Rashid performed a miraculous comeback batting for Yorkshire, eventually declaring on 400-9 after being 80-6 at one stage! The sun shone, I got a deckchair, and the bar sold real ale from the wood. It was a perfect day!

Whitehawk 3 Staines Town 3 

Conference South - Tuesday 7th January 2014

👨‍👨‍👧‍👧 126 🎟️ £10

The weather was so different from my previous visit to Whitehawk. My list of possible fixtures was diminishing, so I had a decision to make. I’ve never shirked away from an opportunity for a ride down to Brighton, and with me having the week off work and Twitter confirming the match was definitely on, my mind was made up.

I took the train from West Hampstead, changing at King's Cross for a fast service to the coast. The rain that was blighting the area had stopped, and it wasn’t too cold. The evening’s entertainment got underway in the Evening Star near Brighton station. The Hophead was excellent as ever, but steep at £3.30. The pub, while good, was heading up in the pretentious stakes; in my humble opinion, anyway.

I decided to change scenery and take a bus down to the Marina. I was armed with my CAMRA Wetherspoons vouchers, offering me 50p off a pint of real ale. I considered this offer at £23 a year, with £20 returned in beer vouchers, to be wonderful value, and I never tired of using the discounts!

However, there is a downside. The West Quay is a grand pub, but it was busy with shoppers and those down there for pre-entertainment refreshments. There was not enough staff to deal with the hordes, so I left after just one pint to seek out the clubhouse at The Enclosed Ground instead.

The lane down to the ground was unlit, so I had to use the torch on my phone. The turnstiles seemed extremely narrow as I paid my very reasonable £10 entrance fee. Well, either that or Christmas excess had caught up with me? I headed straight to the bar to read the £2 match programme. The bar had a selection of bottled real ale. 

I ordered a Snecklifter from the cheery barmaid for £3.40. A decent gathering of Staines fans had made the journey south to cheer on their side, making themselves heard all evening. A few minutes before kick-off, it was time to go outside to survey my surroundings.

The Enclosed Ground had received some poor reviews the previous season from visiting Isthmian League clubs after temporary seating was installed, but I wanted to see it properly for myself. Many a bitter fan over the years has been unfair after seeing their team defeated. The original stand was now all seated, but still stood back from the pitch. 

The far side was still banked and out of bounds to fans. Both ends had great semi-temporary banks of seating previously used at Withdean Stadium when Brighton & Hove Albion were residents. The clubhouse end had some covering over the centre, but the scaffolding holding up the roof restricted some views. 

The floorboards of the structures creaked badly in places. It did the job but looked really strange, adding to the severe undulations of the pitch, making it look like a venue that Picasso would have been proud of. The playing surface was OK, but it cut up early on. The rainfall then added to the already slippery surface, increasing the errors and excitement. 

Whitehawk began the game in the relegation zone, but with signs of recent good form. Indeed, they started the evening in fine style against mid-table Staines. The home side took charge in the first sixteen minutes as goals from Tommy Fraser and David Da Silva put them 2-0 up. It could and should have been more, as the Staines defence looked in total disarray. 

The home fans were cheered on by half a dozen fanatics behind the goal open to the elements, including one blowing a hunting horn. From the dry at the other end, I saw big striker Louie Theophanous score with a fine finish after some good close control to reduce the arrears. This signalled the time for me to get some nourishment. 

I had intended to eat at the pub, but the queues were just too big. I settled for a bacon cheeseburger, which was nice but overpriced at £4.20, and a Bovril. I took a seat in the Main Stand near a fella who looked very much like a coach or scout from another club, who resembled AFC Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe. Was it him? 

The game was a cracker for the neutral as Whitehawk continued to pour forward in search of sealing a vital three points. They continued to miss opportunities, while Staines gradually got into the game. Their boss, Marcus Gayle, made a couple of smart substitutions and with ten minutes remaining, Theophanous nipped in at the near post to finish a free kick.

The home support groaned. The coach and I laughed and reflected on how typical it was if you continually miss chances. The away fans really had something to celebrate a few minutes from full-time as substitute Bajram Pashaj fired home to complete a remarkable comeback. My bus back for a fast train was due, so I departed as the game headed into stoppage time. 

I missed the equaliser as Sam Gargan rescued a point for Whitehawk. Surely they would have still been disappointed with just one point from a game that they generally dominated?

I climbed the hill past the East Brighton Park pitches to catch a bus that took me on a tour of the area and past the racecourse to bring back some happy memories before dropping me in the town centre. The rain was getting heavy as I got my train back to the capital after another fine evening out in a town I had a lot of time for.

Whitehawk 4 Hendon 1

FA Trophy Second Qualifying Round - Saturday 26th October 2019

👨‍👨‍👧‍👧 207 🎟️ £10

You sometimes have days when you wonder why you bothered choosing your particular game. This was up there, yet things had started out well. I woke fresh and eager, watching an incredible England rugby performance as they dominated New Zealand in the World Cup semi-final.

Fed nicely, I headed to West Hampstead to take the direct train to Brighton. The weather was fine, and I was cheered by a couple of cock on pints of Hophead in the Evening Star, where service was excellent despite the growing crowds before the Brighton v Everton match.

With a one-day bus ticket obtained, I boarded the number 7 bus to the Roedean Road stop before taking a brisk ten-minute walk to the ground. Admission was £10. I was given a ticket which was for the Sussex County Cup v Pagham. The gent inside told me he’d programmed the machine wrongly!

Grabbing the £2 programme, I joined the other fans in the clubhouse, with the usual suspects from NW9 in attendance. The bar was selling American Brown Ale straight out of the barrel from the local Dark Star Brewery.

The “café” looked like a stall on Brighton seafront and sold similar wares. Some were moaning that their fried chicken was taking a long time, so I went for a hot dog, which was OK if a little on the expensive side. I listened to the woes of those who’d travelled on the team coach. One of the windows had inexplicably fallen out at Pease Pottage services. 

It should have been a warning of what was to come. I chatted to the chaps who’d talked me into making the journey after Hendon’s fine performance the previous Tuesday, when I was wavering and considering going elsewhere and ticking off a new ground. Their names were heavily pencilled into my memory!

With the kick-off approaching, the rain started to fall heavily. We took up a position behind the goal under the leaking cover and next to the Whitehawk “Ultras” as the Dons were to play into the wind but down the slope in the first half.

I’d read all about the young vocal support on the Wealdstone forum. The Stones fans were not particularly keen, but I was well aware that they had moments of their own. However, I soon realised that they had a valid point.

The whole ultra phenomenon was wearing a bit thin with me, if truth be told. Maybe it was an age thing, but it all seemed to have a feel of virtue signalling about it. I just want a game of football and to support my team rather than going all political and campaigning.

Sure, it’s fantastic to see increased gates and youngsters taking an interest in their local clubs, but there was something a bit sickly about it all. As I say, it’s probably an age thing. It was certainly the first time I’d seen a disco glitter ball hanging from a stand's roof.

Hendon’s pressing and intense performance against Walton Casuals earlier in the week was soon a distant memory. The lineup had changed owing to unavailability and looked hugely weak in midfield. The large, undulating pitch and smart opponents would soon expose it.

The Hawks came close to opening the scoring in the fourth minute when Connor Tighe latched onto the first of many defensive errors to set up John Paul Kissock, whose shot was narrowly off target. It was a warning that the visitors failed to heed.

Henry Muggeridge was pulling the strings in midfield with skilful play. David Martin crossed low for Tighe, who got in front of Kraig Noel-McLeod to steer his effort past keeper Chris Grace in the seventh minute.

Hendon offered some attacking play, but all too often procrastinated and played as individuals rather than as a unit. Muggeridge made his opposing and overstretched midfielders look leaden-footed.

The hosts made it 2-0 after twenty minutes. Muggeridge was played in through the porous defence. Grace managed to block his effort on the edge of the box, with the rebound falling to Tighe, who scored with a delightful lob into the empty net.

The mood among the away support was not good, and not particularly helped by the taunting by the posse to our right, who I described as the focus group led by Graham Norton’s Father Noel Furlong character on Father Ted.

Their brief chorus of “We hate Wealdstone” raised amusement. It wasn’t hard to understand how those polar opposite sets of fans had disagreed in the past. We definitely needed something to smile about, as there was precious little fun on the pitch as an away fan.

Hendon continued to lose possession in attacking areas or overelaborate when shooting in the difficult conditions for goalkeepers was the obvious option. To be fair, Reece Mitchell went close with a bending effort.

Photo: Derek Beech

We retired to the bar at the break to try and warm up and work out what was happening on the pitch. At least the beer was decent. After the interval, a hardy gathering went behind the open end with the wind and rain in our faces, hoping to see a comeback.

Francis Amartey had a shot saved by Hawks keeper James Broadbent within a few minutes. Tighe came close to completing a hat-trick when Grace made a good stop following a Muggeridge centre. Hendon were definitely still in the tie, but they were stretched without the ball. 

Kissock was having a good game at the base of the host's midfield, which offered additional help to his side. Whitehawk were simply set up better. Hendon’s shooting was all too often inaccurate. With just over twenty minutes remaining, the Dons had a gilt-edged chance to get back into the tie. 

Amartey’s shot was pushed out by Broadbent to Connor Calcutt, who took far too long to put away the chance and saw his effort smothered by a defender. Whitehawk had a goal ruled out for offside shortly after, when Muggeridge put in a delightful centre for the big substitute Duane Ofori-Acheampong to head in. 

Photo: Derek Beech

The visitors went straight up the other end to reduce the arrears when Calcutt steered a cross home. We said that the next ten minutes were vital, but didn’t have to wait that long before Hendon conceded a farcical goal. The referee awarded them a free kick in the right-back position. Keeper Grace passed it to defender Luke Tingey in the area.

Whether he didn’t hear the whistle or just lost track of proceedings, only he would know. He stopped the rolling ball with his hand to take what he thought was a free kick. The man in black pointed to the spot where Martin made no mistake to make it 3-1.

That was about it as far as the Dons were concerned, as any remaining stuffing was knocked clean out of them. Eight minutes from the end, Lewis Unwin saw his twenty-five-yard effort gather pace off the wet pitch and go past Grace to complete the rout.

It was a pasting looking at the scoreline, yet Hendon had more than enough chances to get a draw out of the game with better finishing; even if they did fly on the seat of their pants at times when the Hawks streamed forward. Make no mistake. The better team had won.

It was appreciated that a couple of players and a member of the coaching staff thanked us for our support and apologised before disappearing down the tunnel. I’d had enough and set off to find a bus back into town.

Even that wasn’t without incident as I eventually got back into the centre in a worse state than I left the ground. I was of a mind just to take the train straight back to the capital. However, I gathered myself and decided to find a nice warm pub.

The 3 Jolly Butchers wasn’t cheap, but the Hophead was good; as was the old punk and new wave background music. It must have been alright as I stayed for a second pint before heading back to the Evening Star for a swiftie before the train.

The journey allowed me some shut-eye, so I was ready to go again on alighting. The Railway at West Hampstead had a DJ playing 80s, where I inadvertently bumped into my niece Sally. The evening finished in JJ Moons in Kingsbury, where I caught up with the tales from pals who’d been to other games. I certainly rested well the following day!