Another new ground to visit and Whitehawk will be looking to halt their slide down the pyramid following two successive relegations.
The club was founded as the Second World War ended in 1945 as Whitehawk & Manor Farm Old Boys. They played in the Brighton Junior Cup (League), the Brighton, Hove & District Football League and the Brighton League. The club was admitted to the Sussex County League Division One in 1952/53 and their name was changed to Whitehawk FC for the start of the 1960/61 season. The club found itself relegated for the first time ever in 1967, only to make an immediate return as Division Two champions in 1968. The next nine years saw Whitehawk continue to compete in the top division but were relegated for a second time in 1977. This time they were to spend four seasons in Division Two. The Hawks won promotion as champions in 1980/81.
The club finally achieved the league title success that had previously eluded them, winning the Sussex County League Division One in 2009/10 and with it promotion to the Isthmian League. Two seasons later they were Division One South champions and then gain back to back promotions in the 2012/13 season by winning the Isthmian League Premier Division at the first attempt to earn a place in the Conference South. They survived for five seasons and a league name change to the National South but were relegated to the Isthmian Premier at the end of the 2017/18 season and a further relegation followed to the Isthmian One South East.
Whitehawk are currently unbeaten in the league and sit in 5th place with two wins (VCD Athletic H & Hythe Town A) and two draws (Sevenoaks Town A & Haywards Heath Town H) from their four matches. On Saturday they were knocked out of the FA Cup by Combined Counties Premier Abbey Rangers. They play their games at the TerraPura Ground, East Brighton Park, The Avenue, Brighton BN2 5TS which is 99.2 miles from The Kent Vehicles Stadium, Winch’s Field, estimated journey time 1 hour 52 minutes (AA Route Planner). They are currently 8th in the Isthmian Division One South East attendance table with an average of 250, down from last season’s 318 (in the Isthmian Premier). The return league tie is at Winch’s Field on Saturday 21st March 2020.