Recreation Ground
Storrington
West Sussex
RH20 4HJ
Ground Number: 1342
Tuesday 10th September 2024
Storrington 2-2 Seaford Town (4-3 Pens)
Sussex Senior Cup
STORRINGTON FC - A BRIEF HISTORY
The club is one of the oldest in Sussex, having been established in 1882 and they played up until the start of the First World War in the first-ever Sussex League but dropped down to the local Worthing Leagues following the end of hostilities. Records are patchy of their progress here but in 1976, they joined the modern-day Sussex League. Starting in Division 2, they never got higher than a couple of 4th-place finishes. In 1990, Storrington were relegated to Division 3. They won promotion back as runners-up to Withdean in 1993, Relegation followed again in 1995, this time they'd have to wait until 1998 as runners-up to Lingfield to bounce back. They were relegated again in 2002 before coming back up as champions in 2005. They remained in this league for many years, another 4th place finish in what was now the step 6 Southern Combination D1 came in 2016. Storrington were relegated in 2022 to Division 2 and two seasons were spent here before they came back up as champions last season.
MY VISIT
This game was only mooted around a week ago when the Football Traveller came out. It's one of the closest ste[ 1-6 grounds I've not ticked and the fact that it's a cup game and a 7.30 kickoff seal the deal. From my Saturday game, we leave Exmouth around 6 PM following Kidlington's 4-1 loss there. The away side put in a brave performance but mistakes counted against them. It's a somewhat subdued atmosphere and there is no use for the huge Sony Bluetooth speaker that was loaded onto the coach that morning. I am glad when Colin confirms that he will be coming to Storrington this Tuesday as I don't fancy any of the revisits. We are looking after my Aunt's boxer dog, Barkley for a while so I am hoping I get home at a reasonable hour. It's still likely to be a late night too and with a 4 am start, it's likely to be a football-free Sunday. A stop at the services takes longer than intended, though I was pleased to get a meal deal. We were back at Kidlington by 9.40 and I was home around 10.20. I had a couple of drinks before bed, eventually dropping off around half midnight. 3.5 hours sleep was not great preparation for a real killer of a Sunday. It was even busier and full of rowdy families than usual and I'm glad I am getting close to a bit of time off soon.
Monday was a lot calmer and I felt better after a decent night's sleep. I spent the evening doing research for future trips which was quite a lot with a packed schedule coming up. My usual Tuesday morning walk down Wycombe was thwarted by rain, though seeing as it was only drizzle, I wasn't concerned about the match later. I eventually got down later but it was a grey and miserable day. I spent the afternoon at home before leaving at 4.15. I only had a few minutes to wait for Colin before we got on our way. The M25 was its usual self and we arrived in Horsham at 6.15. It was a few minutes walk to Wetherspoons 353, The Lynn Cross. I ordered Shawarma wrap, chips and a bottle of Thatcher's Zero for £4.78. Great prices but the service was poor. Our drinks took ten minutes to arrive and whilst my food turned up soon after, I'd finished my meal and Colin's hadn't even arrived. Finally, it did and we were away at 7. We arrived five minutes before kickoff, paying a reasonable £6 to get in. It was raining and there was no data signal, meaning I couldn't check in on Futbology.
Both teams played in the Southern Combination D1 and had started well. Storrington were 10th and had drawn 1-1 at Reigate Priory in their last game, Seaford Town sat atop the league, unbeaten and winning seven out of eight games so far. Saturday had seen an entertaining 4-3 win over Dorking Wanderers B. There was a delay starting as the home keeper was wearing the same red as the visitors outfield shirts. The referee was sensible, not making him change his shorts and socks but to anyone who didn't know, it looked like Seaford were trying to score past their own keeper. The visitors were well on top without really threatening. They paid when Storrington broke away and the ball was squared for Louis Smart to finish from six yards out. The hosts had a good spell but Seaford equalised on 24 minutes in a similar fashion to the opener. On 35 minutes, Seaford had an attack which saw them head against the bar before the ball was cleared. It was still 1-1 at the break so we went up to the clubhouse. Storrington had a strong start to the second half and a good spell of pressure. They went ahead, Matt Hards netting a rebound on 51 minutes amid torrential rain. The rain eased but on 65 minutes there was a melee when Storrington's Jay Hide was sent off for accidentally kicking an opposition player instead of the ball. With a man advantage, Seaford were able to break and equalise on 75 minutes, a ball from the left and a finish from close range. Only a great tackle prevented a late winner for Storrington and the game went to penalties. Storrington prevailed 4-3, much to the delight of the majority of their support.
Last night's penalty shoot-out between Storrington & Seaford which the hosts won 4-3. pic.twitter.com/8MlwDgjcU2
— ⚽Russell Cox💙 (@RussWWFC) September 11, 2024
It had been a decent crowd considering the rancid weather and the England game on TV, where they beat Finland 2-0. It was a slow getaway on small roads and although there was some dual carriageway later on, pretty much the whole of the M25 was restricted speed-wise due to works. Further dismay came when we wanted to get off at J2 of the M40, only to find the exit closed. Had we known earlier, we'd have gone a different way but they only let people know less than a mile from the exit. I had to go a long way round and rather than the 11PM that we were originally scheduled to be at Colin's, it was 11.25 by the time we got there. I was back at 11.40 and went to bed 20 minutes later. It took me a while to drop off so I got less than four hours sleep before my 4 am alarm. I felt OK, but even my shortest shift of the week at six hours dragged and I was glad when it was time to go home.
THE GROUND
STORRINGTON RECREATION GROUND would be a great place to watch a game at on a dry bright day with its pleasant tree-lined pitch but it's not as good on a rainy night. The stand and cover are set a fair way back from the pitch although the view isn't terrible. The bar is spacious but drinks choice is quite limited and only snacks are available. The centre is around ten minutes walk away but there wasn't the greatest amount of food choices that I saw. Parking is plentiful and I presume that buses run to the village. The people are nice and friendly too which made it a worthwhile trip.
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