In the doldrums – but Bognor Regis Town will find more days in the sunshine
Bognor Regis Town have for many seasons been a powerhouse of Sussex non-league football based at their well-equipped home, Nyewood Lane.
The club have a glittering FA Cup history which included taking on and beating Swansea in 1984. They also beat Exeter in 1988.
The 2015-16 season saw a joyous run to the FA Trophy semi-final narrowly missing out on Wembley at the hands of Grimsby Town.
Bognor have been a proud member of the Isthmian league for many years mostly operating at premier division level. However, in 2024/25 a heavy cloud hung over Nyewood Lane as the club struggled to get going. A 7-1 reverse at home against Chatham in November hammered home a poor start to the campaign.
Manager Robbie Blake left the club immediately after the game. Jamie Howell and Michael Birmingham were installed as joint managers. Despite the odd victory there was too much ground to make up and the Rocks were relegated.
Against the backdrop of Nyewood being closed due to pitch renovations, Birmingham stepping down and one win in five, the Rocks travelled to south west London to take on Raynes Park Vale and see if they could get their Isthmian south central campaign moving.
There were excellent early signs that Howell is starting to get things right. His team were bright going forward, forcing two excellent saves from the Vale keeper. A smart move down the right ended with the keeper giving away a penalty which Gifford fired home on 30 minutes.
However, the experienced campaigner, keeper Slav Huk, had a nightmare 10 minutes late in the half. He gave away a penalty on 44 minutes then conceded a soft near post-strike which found the corner of the net – 2-1 to the hosts at HT.
Bognor came out full of vigour and promise in the second half. On 77 minutes the Rocks produced a spellbinding move through the middle. The ball was passed to the unmarked Lee Seok-Jae who thumped home from 12 yards.
However late in the game Bognor’s current problems were laid bare when Vale scored a very scrappy goal to seal an underserved victory.
Long term supporter and season ticket holder Tony Hurren was one of the 60 Rocks fans in the ground. He said: “That’s the best we have played all season, so this loss is very hard to take. We have all got to stick together and try to get some wins on the board.”
Manager Howell said: “There have been a lot of changes, and we can’t wait for Nyewood to reopen (which hopefully will be in December), it’s been a tough few months.
"We knew it was going to be a challenge to get this club back to where it wants to be. However, there are positive signs that we are moving in the right direction.
"I thought we played quite well today but we need to stop conceding sloppy goals.”
As to the immediate future he said: “We need a run of victories, I don’t get out of bed unless I think we can have success. I am very proud to be the manager of Bognor Regis Town, and we will have our day in the sunshine once again.”
I send huge messages of support and good luck to all Rocks connections.
Saturday’s game turned into an entertaining spectacle which is what football is all about. However, I am sure Bognor would have preferred a clean sheet and an away win. Good luck as you move on to Moneyfields on Tuesday night. A win there will give the club a much-needed shot in the arm.