Bognor Regis Town F.C. facts for kids
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| Nickname(s) | The Rocks | ||
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| Founded | 1883 (as Bognor F.C.) | ||
| Ground | MKM Arena, Nyewood Lane, Bognor Regis | ||
| Capacity | 4,500 (367 seated) | ||
| Chairman | Dominic Reynolds | ||
| Manager | Robbie Blake | ||
| League | Isthmian League Premier Division | ||
| 2018–19 | Isthmian League Premier Division, 14th of 22 | ||
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Bognor Regis Town Football Club is a cool English football club. They are based in Bognor Regis, a town in West Sussex. People often call them 'The Rocks'. The club is a special FA Chartered Standard Community club. This means they are good at helping their local community. They are part of the Sussex County Football Association. The team currently plays in the Isthmian League Premier Division league. In the 2022/23 season, they finished 14th in their league.
Contents
Club History: The Rocks' Journey
Bognor Regis Town F.C. started way back in 1883. They were one of the first teams in the West Sussex Football League in 1896. They were super strong in the early 1920s, winning their league five years in a row! After that, they joined the Brighton, Hove & District Football League in 1926. Just a year later, they moved to the Sussex County League. They stayed there until 1972. In 1929, the club changed its name to Bognor Regis F.C. This happened after King George V added 'Regis' to the town's name.
The club won the Sussex County Division One championship in the 1948–49 season. After that season, they added "Town" to their name. This was to make sure people didn't mix them up with the local rugby club.
Climbing the Leagues
In 1969–70, the team went down a league, but they bounced back right away! They won Division Two the very next season. Then, they won the Division One championship title too. This meant they moved up to Division One South of the Southern League. In 1972–73, they played in the first round of the FA Cup for the first time. This is a very famous football competition! They lost 6–0 to Colchester United. In 1976, Jack Pearce became their manager when he was only 26 years old. He stayed in that job for a very long time, until 2007!
In 1981, the club joined the Isthmian League. They got promoted at the end of the 1981–82 season by finishing second. They had some exciting FA Cup runs in the 1980s. In 1984–85, they beat Swansea City 3–1 in a replay. Then they lost to Reading. They reached the second round again the next season. They also made it to the first round in 1986–87 and 1987–88. In 1988–89, they beat another Football League team, Exeter City, 2–1.
Ups and Downs
In 1991–92, Bognor was supposed to go down a league. But they got lucky because two other teams merged! However, the next season, they finished last and were moved down to Division One. In 1995–96, they reached the second round of the FA Cup for the fourth time. They lost 4–0 to Peterborough United.
In 2002–03, they finished second in Division One South. This meant they moved back up to the Premier Division! The next year, they were placed in a new league called the Conference South. But they went down a league at the end of the 2008–09 season. They went down again the next season.
The 2010–11 season was very close! They almost got promoted back to the Premier Division. They earned a club record 96 points. But they lost the league title to Metropolitan Police by just one goal difference! They had to play in the play-offs, but they lost at home to Dulwich Hamlet.
In 2011–12, they finished second again in Division One South. This time, they won the play-offs! They beat Godalming Town in a thrilling semi-final. Then they beat Dulwich Hamlet 1–0 in the final. This win meant they were promoted to the Premier Division! The 2013–14 season started slowly, but they ended up in third place. They made it to the play-offs again but lost in the semi-final.
Recent Successes
The 2015–16 season was exciting! The Rocks almost won the Premier Division title, missing it by just one point. They lost in the play-offs to Dulwich Hamlet again. But they had their best ever run in the FA Trophy! They reached the semi-finals, beating many teams from higher leagues. These included Bath City, Maidstone United, Altrincham, Sutton United, and Torquay United. Their dream of playing at Wembley Stadium ended when they lost to Grimsby Town in the semi-final.
In 2016–17, they finished second for the second season in a row. This time, they won the play-offs! They beat Wingate & Finchley F.C. in the semi-final. Then they won against their old rivals, Dulwich Hamlet, in the final. This meant they were promoted to the National League South for the 2017–18 season!
However, after a good start in the Vanarama National League South in 2017–18, they finished last. So, they went back to the Isthmian Premier for the 2018–19 season.
In 2018–19, the club was close to the play-offs for most of the season. But a dip in form meant they finished 14th. Still, they had something big to celebrate! They won the Sussex Senior Cup for the first time in 32 years! They beat Burgess Hill Town 2–1 after extra time in the final. The match was played at Falmer Stadium in Brighton. They reached the final again in 2023 but lost on penalties to local rivals Worthing FC.
The MKM Arena: Home of The Rocks
The club plays at the MKM Arena, located at Nyewood Lane in Bognor Regis. The stadium can hold 4,500 people. Most of the seating areas have roofs to keep fans dry. In 2018, a cool 'beach brolly' style roof was added to one end. But a big storm in 2020, Storm Ciara, damaged it badly, and it had to be taken down. In the summer of 2020, a new stand with 367 seats was built. The roof at the clubhouse end was also replaced in October 2020.
The ground's first floodlights were actually bought from Wembley Stadium! They were put on telegraph poles. In the 1970s, bigger floodlight poles were added.
Sadly, in 2008, a fire destroyed the clubhouse. People thought it was arson. But a new social club, called 'Seasons', was built and opened in November 2009.
The playing field itself is amazing! It won an award in 2008 for being the best in all three divisions of the Conference league. In 2010/11, the pitch won another award. This time, referees voted it the best in all three divisions of the Isthmian League. The club also won an award two years in a row (2007/08 and 2008/09) for having the best canteen! This was voted by fans of other clubs.
Meet the Team: Current Squad
Here are the players currently on the Bognor Regis Town team:
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Club Officials: Who Runs the Show?
Here are some of the important people who help run Bognor Regis Town Football Club:
General Management
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Dominic Reynolds |
| Vice Chairman | Jack Pearce |
| General Manager | Simon Cook |
| Commercial Director | Russ Chandler |
| Club Secretary | Michael Ryan |
| Match Secretary | Peter Helsby |
| Women Secutary | Lucy Jane Martin |
| Head Groundsman | James Askew |
| 'Seasons' Manager | Mia Chapman |
Men's First Team Staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager | Robbie Blake |
| Coach | Jamie Howell |
| Strength & Conditioning Coach | David Birmingham |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Wes Hallett |
| Physiotherapist | Leah Ilsley |
Women's First Team Staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager | Matt Trinidad |
| Assistant Manager | Billy Bromley |
You can find all the club positions on their official website.
Managers: The Coaches Through Time
Here's a look at some of the managers who have led Bognor Regis Town F.C. over the years: These stats are for league matches only.
| Name | Nationality | Period | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robbie Blake |  |
March 2022 – Present | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 60% |
| Jack Pearce | |
May 2017–March 2022 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jamie Howell | |
June 2009–May 2017 | 124 | 64 | 33 | 27 | 51.61% |
| Mick Jenkins | |
June 2008 – January 2009 | 23 | 2 | 7 | 14 | 8.70% |
| Michael Birmingham | |
October 2007 – May 2008 | 30 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 30% |
| Jack Pearce | |
June 1994 – October 2007 | 566 | 227 | 144 | 195 | 40.10% |
| Mick Pullen | |
June 1992 – May 1994 | 84 | 20 | 24 | 40 | 23.81% |
| Jack Pearce | |
March 1976 – May 1992 | 672 | 254 | 163 | 255 | 37.78% |
| Derek Edwards | |
June 1970 – March 1976 | 208 | 86 | 50 | 72 | 41.35% |
Honours: What The Rocks Have Won
Bognor Regis Town F.C. has won many awards and titles over the years!
League Trophies
- West Sussex League Winners – 1920–21, 1921–22, 1922–23, 1923–24, 1924–25 (5 times in a row!)
- Sussex County League Div. 1 Winners – 1948–49, 1971–72
- Sussex County League Div. 2 Winners – 1970/71
- Isthmian Premier Division Runners-Up – 2015–16, 2016–17 (promoted in 2016-17!)
- Isthmian Division One Runners-Up – 1981–82
- Isthmian Division One South Runners-Up – 2002–03 (promoted!), 2010–11, 2011–12 (promoted!)
Cup Trophies
- FA Trophy semi-finalists – 2015–16 (a great run!)
- FA Cup second round proper – 4 times
- FA Cup first round proper – 3 times
- Sussex Senior Cup winners – 1954–55, 1955–56, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1986–87, 2018–19 (lots of wins!)
- The Sussex Royal Ulster Rifles Charity Cup Winners (1): 1971–72
- Isthmian League Cup winners – 1986–87
Club Records: Amazing Achievements
- Biggest Win: 24–0 against Littlehampton in 1913–14!
- Biggest Loss: 0–19 against Shoreham in 1906–07
- Highest Attendance: 3,642 fans watched them play Swansea City in an FA Cup replay in 1984–85.
- Most Appearances: Mick Pullen played 967 games for the club from 1976–96. That's a lot of matches!
- Top Goalscorer: Kevin Clements scored 216 goals from 1978–89.
- Best League Finish:
- Before 2004: Second in Southern League Southern Division in 1980–81.
- After 2004: Ninth in the Conference South in 2004–05.
- Best FA Cup Run: Reached the Second Round 4 times (1984–85, 1985–86, 1988–89, 1995–96).
- Best FA Trophy Run: Reached the Semi-Final in 2015–16.
- Most Points in a Season: 96 points in the 2010–2011 season.
Team Colours: What The Rocks Wear
The home kit for Bognor Regis Town is usually green and white. Over the years, they've had different designs. These include striped, halved, or plain green shirts with white shorts. After King George V added 'Regis' to the town's name in 1929, the club wore blue and gold for a while in the 1930s. But they soon went back to green and white. Since the mid-1970s, their home kit has mostly been white shirts, green shorts, and white socks, just like today.
Their away colours have changed a lot. They wore blue shirts from 1998 to 2016. From 2016 to 2023, they wore maroon and white when playing away. For the 2023-24 season, they have a new orange and black away kit!
Images for kids
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The Bognor Regis Town F.C. club badge.
