The West Sussex Football League is a football competition in England, formed in 1896.
It comprises 78 teams across eight divisions, of which the highest - the Premier Division - sits at level 12 of the English football league system. It is a feeder to the Southern Combination League Division Two.[1]
Membership is not limited to clubs from West Sussex, with the league also including teams from neighbouring Surrey and Hampshire, although these are from places that are close to the county boundaries.[1]
Cup competitions
The West Sussex Football League operates one pre-season opener, three league cups and three charity cup competitions.[1]
Walter Rossiter Memorial Trophy
The pre-season curtain-raiser is the Walter Rossiter Trophy which is contested between the previous season's Premier Division champions and Centenary Cup winners. The current holder is Barns Green.
League cups
The league's main cup is the Centenary Cup which includes teams from the league's top three tiers - Premier Division, Championship and Division One. The current holders are Boys Club Old Boys.
The league's two other cups are the Tony Kopp Cup for the Northern section of Divisions Two and Three and the Bareham Trophy for the Southern and Central sections of the same divisions. The current holders of the Tony Kopp Cup is Henfield Reserves, with AFC Fernhurst current holders of the Bareham Trophy.
Charity cups
The remaining competitions within the league are the charity cups, these operate laterally across the northern and southern section of each division. These cups are:
| Competition | Qualifying Divisions | 2022-23 Winners |
|---|---|---|
| Malcolm Simmonds Memorial Cup | Premier Division, Championship | Barnham Trojans |
| Chichester Charity Cup | Division One, Division Two North and South | Del United |
| Division Three Charity Cup | Division Three North, Central and South | Ferring Reserves |
2023–24 members
Premier Division
Barnham Trojans | Barns Green | Billingshurst Reserves | Delunited | Felpham Colts | Harting | Horsham Crusaders | Lavant | Petworth | Rudgwick | TD Shipley | Watersfield
Championship
AFC Fishbourne | Cowfold | Henfield | Hunston Community Club | Stedham United | The Unicorn (Bognor Regis) | Wisborough Green
Division One
Barnham Trojans Reserves | Capel Reserves | East Dean | Ewhurst | Flansham Park Rangers | Goring by Sea C&FC | Holbrook Olympic | Horsham Crusaders Reserves | Rudgwick Reserves | Southwater Royals
Division Two North
Ashhurst United | Billingshurst 3rds | Brockham | Cowfold Reserves | Horsham Baptists & Ambassadors | Horsham Crusaders AFC | Newdigate | Slinfold First | Southwater Reserves | TD Shipley Reserves
Division Two South
Angmering | Beaumont Park | East Preston Development | Ferring Reserves | Fittleworth | Milland | Optimus | Pulborough | Wittering United | Yapton
Division Three North
Ashington Rovers | Holbrook Olympic Reserves | Horsham Baptists & Ambassadors Reserves | Horsham Crusaders Town | Horsham Trinity | Rudgwick Development | Southwater Royals Reserves | Southwater 3rds | TD Shipley 3rds | Westcott (1935)
Division Three South
AFC Fernhurst | Ambassadors | Felpham Colts Reserves | Flansham Park Rangers Reserves | Hunston Community Club Reserves | Queen Head Raiders | Selsey Reserves | Worthing Town Reserves | Yapton Reserves
Division Three Central
Chapel | Fittleworth Reserves | Henfield Reserves | Horsham Crusaders Athletic | Petworth Reserves | Stedham United Reserves | Thakeham Village | Upper Beeding Reserves | Watersfield Reserves | Wisborough Green Reserves
Past Divisional Champions
The league ran eleven divisions up until 2015 when Division 5 Central was dropped. In 2016, Division One was split into North and South to increase back to eleven divisions.
In 2023/24 the Championship South was dropped and Division One was brought back in. Division Four was also dropped and Division Three Central was introduced.
| Season | Premier Division | Division One | Division One North | Division One South | Division Two North | Division 2 South | Division Three North | Division Three South | Division Four North | Division Four South | Division Five North | Division Five Central | Division Five South |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012/13 | Cowfold | Wittering United | Ockley | Newtown Villa Reserves | AFC Roffey Club Reserves | The Vardar VIP | Border Wanderers | Hammer United | Faygate United Thirds | FC Amberley | The Crown | ||
| 2013/14 | Bosham | Predators | AFC Roffey Club Reserves | Stedham United | Horsham Trinity | Angmering Seniors | FC Amberley | Coal Exchange | Capel Reserves | West Chiltington Reserves | The Unicorn | ||
| 2014/15 | Ockley | Petworth | Wisborough Green | Newtown Villa Reserves | Ewhurst | The Crown | Capel | Ajax Trees | Border Wanderers Reserves | Watersfield | Worthing Borough | ||
| 2015/16 | Lancing United | Hunston Community Club | Ashington Rovers | Angmering Seniors | Horsham Crusaders | Worthing Borough | Thakeham Village | Elmer | Ewhurst Reserves | Tangmere | |||
| 2016/17 | Nyetimber Pirates | Ashington Rover | Angmering Seniors | Border Wanderers | The Unicorn | Westcott 1935 | Nyetimber Pirates Reserves | Rowfant Village | Watersfield | Capel Reserves | Lancing United Thirds | ||
| 2017/18 | Nyetimber Pirates | Capel | Angmering | Westcott 1935 | Lavant Reserves | Horley AFC | Yapton Reserves | Southwater Royals | Boxgrove | Brockham | Del United | ||
| 2018/19 | West Chiltington | Steyning Town Reserves | Nyetimber Pirates Reserves | Cowfold Reserves | Watersfield | Southwater Royals | Barnham Trojans | TD Shipley Reserves | Fernhurst Sports | Slinfold Reserves | The Unicorn Reserves | ||
| 2019/20 | Season abandoned | ||||||||||||
| 2020/21 | Season abandoned | ||||||||||||
| Season | Premier Division | Championship | Championship South | Division Two North | Division Two South | Division Three North | Division Three South | Division Four North | Division Four South | Division Four Central | |||
| 2021/22 | Capel | Barns Green | Fishbourne | Henfield | Lavant Reserves | Holbrook | Barnham Trojans Reserves | Barns Green Reserves | Goring by Sea Cricket | Rudgwick 3rds | |||
| 2022/23 | Barns Green | Felpham Colts | TD Shipley | Holbrook Olympic | Barnham Trojans Reserves | Horsham Crusaders AFC | Ferring Reserves | Ashurst United | |||||
| Season | Premier Division | Championship | Division One | Division Two North | Division Two South | Division Three North | Division Three South | Division Three Central | |||||
| 2023/24 | Lavant | Wisborough Green | Holbrook Olympic | Billingshurst Thirds | Ferring Reserves | Westcott (1935) | Selsey Reserves | Watersfield Reserves |