A Village Club Through the Ages: The Story of Cuckfield Town Football Club (1872–Present)

In the rolling heart of West Sussex, tucked among church spires and historic cottages, lies one of the oldest football institutions still active anywhere in the world: Cuckfield Town Football Club, founded in 1872. At a time when the rules of association football were barely a decade old, when the FA Cup had just begun, and when giants like Manchester United didn’t yet exist, a handful of local men in the village of Cuckfield formed a club that would endure for over 150 years. The result is a remarkable footballing chronicle—one that mirrors the story of English grassroots sport itself.

Founding Years: 1872–1900

Cuckfield Town FC owes its origins to Wyndham Burrell and G. T. Bunting, who established the club in a period when football was transitioning from chaotic, rugby-like contests to the codified game recognised today. Early matches were staged at Cuckfield Park, with players wearing red and black hooped shirts, white trousers, and heavy leather boots. Opponents in the 1870s included various Sussex colleges and informal elevens, and reports from the time noted the “go-as-you-please” nature of these contests.

The club’s earliest recorded match came in 1880, a 4–0 defeat to Brighton Rangers—an event significant enough that, 112 years later, Cuckfield would mark its anniversary with a commemorative match against Brighton’s modern successor, Brighton & Hove Albion.

By the end of the 19th century, football was rapidly formalising, and Cuckfield soon found itself helping to shape organised competition in Sussex.

A Founder of Local Football: 1900–1914

In 1900, Cuckfield Town became a founding member of the Mid Sussex Football League, a competition that remains central to local football structure to this day. The club adopted its now-traditional colours—white shirts and blue shorts—and, in 1905, relocated from Cuckfield Park to Ockenden Park, which served as its home ground during the club’s formative early-league years.

During this period the club reached its first Montgomery Cup final in 1911, foreshadowing the competition that would become a major part of its trophy cabinet.

1908 Cuckfield Football Team: Mid-Sussex Junior League Cup Winners

War, Loss, and a New Home: 1914–1945

The outbreak of the First World War had a devastating effect on Cuckfield Town FC. Sixteen players—past and present—lost their lives in the conflict. For a village club whose membership was drawn from a small rural population, the loss was profound. Yet, like many grassroots teams across the country, Cuckfield endured.

In 1925, the club moved to the Cuckfield Recreation Ground, its current home. The Rec, as locals call it, soon became central not only to the football club but to the sporting life of the whole village. Through the interwar years, Cuckfield competed consistently in local competitions, building depth and identity ahead of the post-war resurgence that would define the mid-20th century.

Cuckfield Football team in the 1930s

The Golden Era: 1946–1970s

The years following the Second World War ushered in what many still regard as the golden age of Cuckfield Town FC. In 1946, the club secured its first league championship, triumphing in the post-war reorganisation of football in Sussex. A year later, in 1947, Cuckfield lifted its first Montgomery Cup, establishing itself as one of the strongest sides in the region.

The pinnacle of the early post-war era came in 1950, when Cuckfield completed a prestigious league and Montgomery Cup double. Success continued through the 1950s as the club entered Sussex County League Division Three in 1952—one of several forays into higher-level competition outside the Mid Sussex Leagues.

The 1960s and 1970s cemented the club’s place in Sussex football history. Cuckfield won multiple league titles and Montgomery Cups during this period, powered by a stable team and an exceptionally strong committee structure. Few figures symbolise this age more than Dave Farrell, who debuted in 1963 and went on to make a staggering 904 appearances—a record that stands as a near-mythic achievement in local football.

Ups and Downs: 1980s–2000s

The late 1970s brought challenges. In 1978, Cuckfield dropped to Division 1, ending a long spell of intermediate-level football. But by 1984, the club had rebuilt, earning promotion back to the Premier Division as Division 1 champions.

Perhaps the most colourful moment of this period came in 1987, when Cuckfield won a dramatic Montgomery Cup final after two replays. For the decisive match, the team famously arrived wearing shirts emblazoned with “Jesus Is Lord”, making the game one of the most memorable cup finals in Sussex amateur football history.

In 1990, the club claimed its sixth league championship, and in 1991 recorded its eighth Montgomery Cup win—a club record. The following year, to mark its 120th anniversary, Cuckfield hosted a celebratory match against a Brighton & Hove Albion side, receiving formal recognition from football authorities for its long-standing contribution to the game.

The early 2000s were more turbulent. In 2007, the club fell to its lowest league position since the 1930s. Yet once again Cuckfield responded with resilience: restructuring the squad, committee, and player pathway systems to rebuild for the future.

A New Identity: 2010–Present

The club’s resurgence began in 2010, when Cuckfield won promotion back to the Premier Division and added the Mowatt Cup for good measure. In 2013, the team captured the Allan Washer Trophy, followed in 2017 by victory in the Sussex Junior Charity Cup, underlining a period of stability and optimism.

Today, Cuckfield Town FC operates multiple senior teams, retains a strong presence in the Mid Sussex League, and plays an active role in community football development. The Rec remains a hub of village life, particularly on crisp Saturday afternoons when the white-and-blue shirts take to the field.

A Club Built on Community and Longevity

What sets Cuckfield Town FC apart is not just its age—though being among the 25 oldest clubs in the world is remarkable enough. It is the club’s unbroken connection to its village, its ability to weather war, recession, relegation, and renewal, and its commitment to fostering football as a communal and enduring tradition.

More than 150 years after its founding, Cuckfield Town FC remains what it always has been: a club built on commitment, camaraderie, and the belief that football matters not for grand stadiums or television cameras, but for the people it brings together.