St. Leonards
FC
Ground: The Firs
Capacity: 3,000
Club Founded: 1971
Club Dissolved: 2003
The club that was dissolved as St Leonards FC is a story of success through large sums of cash being spent before it ran out, leading to inevitable consequences.
Club History
Early Years
The club from the southern coastal town of St Leonards was formed in 1971 by employees of Sussex Turnery and
Moulding Company, initially playing friendlies as STAMCO FC. The club shouldn’t be confused with other incarnations of clubs with St Leonards in their name.
Football in Hastings, the town which adjoins St Leonards, is complicated and explained on the Hastings United page.
Local Success
STAMCO became members of Division Five (East) of the Eastbourne & Hastings Football League, progressing to Intermediate level within four years and then the Premier Division for the 1977-78 campaign.
The club were admitted to the Southern Counties Combination while playing at Pannel Lane, a few miles out of town. The team were crowned Division Two champions in their 1992-93 debut season, rewarded with a place in the Premier Division and then won two league titles in three years.
County League Football
Progress continued as money was invested. At the same time, Hastings United were also spending on player recruitment in a boom time for football in the area. A place in Division Three of the Sussex County League was secured for 1988-89. STAMCO finished as runners-up to win promotion.
A further runners-up berth a few seasons later led to a place in the top flight of the County League. The club moved into The Firs, the former ground of Hastings Town, positioned on Elphinstone Road above the Pilot Field.
A Club On the Up
Works were carried out on the ground. Lots of timber was used, sourced from the main club sponsors. 1994-95 proved to be a memorable season. Crowds flocked to The Firs to see a club on the up. The team finished league runners-up and embarked on a fine cup run.
The FA Vase saw STAMCO reach the fifth round before going out away to Canvey Island. The team included former Football League stars Jimmy Gilligan, Steve Gatting and Mike Trusson. Gary Chivers, another former League player, signed for the following season when STAMCO finished in second place once again.
Promotion to the Southern League
By now Croft Glass had come on board as a major sponsor. The club changed its title to St. Leonards Stamcroft in the summer of 1996 after promotion to the South Division of the Southern League. Their rules included one that each club must reference its location in their title. Further improvements were made to The Firs in preparation.
Promotion was won to the Premier Division. However, the jump proved too big; both on
the pitch and financially, as their parent company withdrew some of the funding. The team was relegated in 1997-98, which signalled the beginning of the club's decline.
Beginning of the End
Once the attraction of a
continually winning side and less glamorous signings diminished, the crowds
also dropped, with many returning to the Pilot Field to cheer on Hastings Town. The club
changed its name to St Leonards FC. Local derbies with Hastings were enjoyed for the following three seasons.
Hastings were promoted, not helping St Leonards' cause. They finished bottom of the table in
2002-03 and were relegated to the Sussex County League. The club folded having amassed debts during the 2003-04 season, with their
playing record expunged.
My visits
Tuesday 12th
December 2007
I was
enjoying a week away from work, so I decided to visit some non-league football
venues on the Sussex coast to take photographs, broaden my knowledge of the area by calling at previously unvisited towns.
Despite my left
knee giving me trouble, the cold but clear day was ideal for exercise to try
and get it back in shape. The undulating walk to the Pilot Field was far
further than I anticipated. I’d already called
at the grounds of Lewes, Eastbourne Town, Eastbourne United Association,
Eastbourne Borough and Bexhill United before arriving in Hastings.
Considering this, a bus
would have been a more prudent option in hindsight. The good
news was I gained access to The Firs. Part of the old pitch was now
covered by a caged five-a-side astroturf pitch, meaning it was unlikely that any
other club would be able to use the ground. The Firs
really was a quirky venue, and one I liked.
By now it was in a semi-dilapidated
condition, built into the steep incline of Elphinstone Road. The side by the
road had the seated stand raised high on the banking above the pitch. The top end
was also built into the hill with a covered area further
up. The other side was a combination of flat open standing and a
covered terrace towards the top half.
What really appealed to me was the amount of timber in the construction. Each
path or fenced-off section was built in wood, as were the covers. It must have
been quite a sight with over 1,000 fans in attendance during the Vase run. Once I’d
taken my snaps, I walked down the hill to the Pilot Field.
A kind gent
allowed me access as we had a nice chat about the complicated past of Hastings
football. I decided to
take a bus back into town and walk past where the majestic and historic old
Recreation Cricket Ground once stood and to the prom. A final walk took me past
the pier and onto St Leonards, where I caught the train back from Warrior
Square to London.
Saturday
27th July 2019
The final
day of my week's summer break offered the opportunity to take in the pre-season
friendly between Hastings United and Dorking Wanderers as well as update my
photo collection of The Firs, as I’d lost some during a laptop malfunction a
few years previously.
This time, common sense prevailed, as by coincidence, my left knee was giving me problems
once again. The bus was definitely going to take the strain. It took me from
Priory Meadows to Down Road, from where it was a short uphill walk to the
ground.
Some lads
were having a kickabout in the cage but didn’t seem concerned with my
presence. I found a hole in the fence near the covered stand and had a good
wander around the overgrown venue, which was now missing the stand and cover
behind the goal.
It was an
eerie feeling walking around the ground, which could look back at plenty of history.
Care was certainly needed in some areas with slippery steps as the rain fell and
where some wood and concrete had badly deteriorated.
Satisfied
with my work, I continued to the Hastings United Sports
& Social Club before returning to Elphinstone Road for my afternoon
match.
