Haywards Heath Town Football Club gets brand new café ready for grand opening

The club said it is aiming to finish in time for the café’s grand opening on Saturday, March 30, when it will welcome Loxwood to the Home Smart Energy Stadium.

Club director Sean Furminger said HHTFC broke ground on the café in September 2023.

He said: “The club has wanted the café for a number of years. The old Pilgrim Huts had lain derelict since the COVID pandemic, when it was previously used as a boxing gym. However the facility had been neglected for a number of years, until new ownership came in and wanted to make use of the existing facility.”

Sean said the café has been named Simmo’s after long-time fixture secretary Tony Sim who passed away last year. He said: "Simmo, as he was affectionately known, had been part of the fabric of the club for generations, and knew everyone in Sussex football. We’re very proud to name the café after him to have a lasting memorial of his commitment to Haywards Heath Town FC.”

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Sean said the café would be a hub for HHTFC’s youth and senior sides, and its main catering outlet on match days, replacing a ‘rickety old burger van’.

Sean added that this is the first café the club has had. He said: "The club supporters and the board are delighted to see the progress made, and see it as a statement of intent as to how far the club has come off the pitch in very little time. Our aspirations are to provide a community hub for those within Haywards Heath, and continue to grow our presence within the local area.

“The total investment has been over £150k with sizable contributions from both the Football Foundation and Mid Sussex District Council, as well as internal club funds, for which the club is very thankful for their support. A big thanks to all of our supporters for their patience while the Pilgrim Huts have been a building site for the past six months, and to everyone that has contributed towards making Simmo’s a reality. Especially to Mid Sussex District Council, the Football Foundation, and to the Mayor who will kindly be coming down to open the facility on March 30.”