Bognor Regis Town F.C. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Bognor Regis Town

Nickname(s)	The Rocks
Founded	1883; 142 years ago (1883) (as Bognor F.C.)
Ground	MKM Arena, Nyewood Lane, Bognor Regis
Ground Capacity	4,500 (367 seated)
Chairman	Dominic Reynolds
Manager	Michael Birmingham Jamie Howell
League	Isthmian League Premier Division
2018–19	Isthmian League Premier Division, 14th of 22
Home colours Away colours

Bognor Regis Town Football Club is a football team from Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England. They are known as 'The Rocks'. This club is a special FA Chartered Standard Community club. This means they are recognized for being a good part of their local community. They are connected to the Sussex County Football Association. The team currently plays in the Isthmian League Premier Division. They moved down from the Premier Division in the 2024/25 season.

The History of Bognor Regis Town F.C.

How the Club Started

Bognor Regis Town F.C. began way back in 1883. In 1896, they helped start the West Sussex Football League. They joined its top division. The team was very strong in the early 1920s. They won the championship five years in a row! After that, in 1926, they joined the Brighton, Hove & District Football League. Just one 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. In the 1948–49 season, they won the Sussex County Division One championship. After that season, they added "Town" to their name. This was to make sure people didn't confuse them with the local rugby club.

Moving Up the Leagues

In 1969–70, the team was moved down a division. But they quickly bounced back! They won Division Two the very next season. The club then won the Division One championship title the season after that. This earned them a promotion to the Southern League's Division One South.

In the 1972–73 season, they reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time. They lost 6–0 to Colchester United. In 1976, Jack Pearce became the manager when he was only 26 years old. He managed the team for a very long time, until 2007.

Exciting FA Cup Runs

In 1981, the club moved to Division One of the Isthmian League. They were promoted at the end of the 1981–82 season after finishing second. The team had some amazing runs in the FA Cup. In 1984–85, they reached the first round again. They even beat Swansea City 3–1 in a replay! In the second round, they lost to Reading.

They reached the second round again the next season. They beat Enfield in the first round. Then they lost to Gillingham. They also reached 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 the Leagues

In 1991–92, Bognor was in a relegation spot. But they got lucky and stayed up because two other teams merged. However, the next season, they finished last in the Premier Division. This meant they were moved down to Division One. In 1995–96, they reached the second round of the FA Cup for the fourth time. They lost to Peterborough United.

In 2002–03, they finished second in Division One South. This earned them a promotion back to the Premier Division. The next year, they finished tenth. The club then joined the new Conference South league. They were moved back to the Isthmian League Premier Division at the end of the 2008–09 season. They were moved down again the next season.

Close Calls and Promotions

The 2010–11 season was very close for the club. They played in the Isthmian League Division One South. They almost got promoted back to the Premier Division. They earned a club record 96 points! But they lost the title to Metropolitan Police by just one goal difference. This meant they had to play in the end-of-season play-offs. They lost at home to Dulwich Hamlet.

In 2011–12, they finished second in Division One South again. 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 meant they were promoted to the Premier Division. The 2013–14 season started slowly. But they quickly moved up the table. They finished third and made it to the play-offs. However, they lost in the semi-final to Lowestoft Town.

FA Trophy Success

The 2015–16 season was exciting. 'The Rocks' just missed out on the Premier Division title by one point. They then lost in the play-offs to Dulwich Hamlet. But they had their best ever run in the FA Trophy! They reached the semi-finals. They beat many teams from higher divisions. These included Bath City, Maidstone United, Altrincham, Sutton United, and Torquay United.

Their dream of playing at Wembley Stadium ended in the semi-final. They were defeated by Grimsby Town. They lost 1–0 in the first game at Nyewood Lane. They also lost the second game 2–1. The total score was 3–1 to Grimsby Town.

Recent Seasons

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.

They started well in the Vanarama National League South in 2017–18. But they ended up finishing last in the table. So, they returned to the Isthmian Premier for the 2018–19 season.

In 2018–19, the club was often in a play-off spot. But their form dropped in the last few months. They finished in 14th place. However, 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. The final was played at Falmer Stadium, Brighton.

The Home of The Rocks: MKM Arena

The club plays at the MKM Arena, which is on Nyewood Lane in Bognor Regis. The stadium can hold 4,500 people. Most of the seating areas are covered. In 2018, a unique 'beach brolly' style roof was added to the clubhouse end. Sadly, this was badly damaged by Storm Ciara in 2020 and 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 first floodlights at the ground were bought from Wembley Stadium! They were put on telegraph poles. In the 1970s, the current tall floodlight poles were added. There were four along each side of the pitch. Two were removed from each side in the early 1990s.

On August 15, 2008, a fire destroyed the clubhouse. It was thought to be arson. Work on a new social club, called 'Seasons', started in the summer of 2009. It opened in November of that year.

The playing field itself has won awards! In 2008, it was named the best in all three divisions of the Conference league. In 2010–11, the pitch won another award. 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 Conference South clubs.

A new 3G playing surface was installed at Nyewood Lane in the summer of 2025. The floodlights, pitch edges, and changing rooms also got upgrades.

Meet the Team: Current Squad

No. Position Player GK Mac Chisholm DF Tyler Edmondson DF Chad Field DF Matt Jones DF Spencer Spurway DF Craig Robson DF Rio Long DF Ethan Robb MF Harvey Whyte MF Joe Briffa MF Sam Hookey

No. Position Player MF Matt Burgess MF Waledin Ahmed MF Tommy Block MF Doug Tuck MF Toby Kingswell FW Tom Holland FW Dan Gifford FW Siya Ligendza FW Callum Laycock FW Simba Mlambo

Who Runs the Club: Officials

General Management Team

Men's First Team Staff

Women's First Team Staff

You can find all these positions listed on the club's official website.

Club Managers Through the Years

As of July 23, 2025. The numbers below are for League matches only.

Name	Nationality	Period	Games	Wins	Draws	Losses	Win %
Michael Birmingham & Jamie Howell (joint)		December 2024 – Present	21	5	5	11	23.8%
David Birmingham (interim)		November 2024 – December 2024	2	0	0	2	0%
Robbie Blake		March 2022 – November 2024	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%

Club Achievements: Honours

League Titles

• West Sussex League Winners – 1920–21, 1921–22, 1922–23, 1923–24, 1924–25.
• West Sussex League Runners-Up – 1897–98.
• Sussex County League Div. 1 Winners – 1948–49, 1971–72.
• Sussex County League Div. 2 Winners – 1970/71.
• Southern League Southern Division Runners-Up – 1980–81.
• Isthmian Premier Division Runners-Up – 2015–16 (not promoted), 2016–17 (promoted).
• Isthmian Division One Runners-Up – 1981–82.
• Isthmian Division One South Runners-Up – 2002–03 (promoted), 2010–11 (not promoted), 2011–12 (promoted).

Cup Wins and Runs

• FA Trophy semi-finalists – 2015–16
• 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.
• The Sussex Royal Ulster Rifles Charity Cup
  • Winners (1): 1971–72
  • Runners-up (1): 1958–59
• Isthmian League Cup winners – 1986–87

Club Records: Amazing Facts

• Record victory: 24–0 against Littlehampton in the West Sussex Senior League, 1913–14.
• Record defeat: 0–19 against Shoreham in the West Sussex Senior League, 1906–07.
• Record attendance: 3,642 fans watched them play Swansea City in an FA Cup first round replay, 1984–85.
• Most appearances: Mick Pullen, with 967 games from 1976–96.
• Top goalscorer: Kevin Clements, with 216 goals from 1978–89.
• Best league performance:
  • Before 2004: Second in Southern League Southern Division, 1980–81.
  • After 2004: Ninth in the Conference South, 2004–05.
• Best FA Cup performances: Reached the second round four times (1984–85, 1985–86, 1988–89, 1995–96). Reached the first round three times (1972–73, 1986–87, 1987–88).
• Best FA Trophy performance: Reached the Semi Final, 2015–16.
• Most points in a season: 96 points in the 2010–2011 season, in the Isthmian Division One South.

Team Colours: What They Wear

The club's home kit is green and white. In the past, they have worn different styles. These included green and white striped shirts, half-green and half-white shirts, and 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 went back to green and white later that decade.

Since the mid-1970s, their home kit has mostly been white shirts, green shorts, and white socks, which is what they wear today. Like many clubs, their away colours have changed over the years. Blue shirts were worn from 1998 to 2016. From 2016 to 2023, they wore a maroon and white kit when playing away. For the 2023–24 season, they introduced a new orange and black away kit.

Shirt Sponsors and Manufacturers

See also

Category:Bognor Regis Town F.C. players