Hastings Football History
A history of football in Hastings and Rother...
Hastings United
The original Hastings United was founded in the summer of 1948, with the aim of restoring professional football to the town. The proposal met firm resistance from Hastings & St Leonards FC — later Hastings Town — who argued that a new professional club would “kill” the local amateur game.
Despite this opposition, Hastings United secured a lease from Hastings Borough Council for the lower pitch at the Pilot Field. A proposed ground‑share arrangement was rejected, forcing the amateur side to vacate the ground.
United joined the Southern League and played their first competitive match against fellow newcomers Tonbridge, earning a 2–1 victory at the Angel Ground. The early seasons proved difficult, and in 1951–52 the club finished bottom of the league, raising concerns about its long-term prospects.
Results improved during the mid‑1950s. The 1954–55 season brought a third‑place finish — the highest league position the club would ever achieve in the English football pyramid. This period also saw Hastings United earn national attention with a series of memorable FA Cup runs.
The most famous came in the 1953–54 season, when United reached the Third Round for the first and only time. Drawn at home to Norwich City, the match attracted a record Pilot Field crowd of 12,727. In a thrilling contest, Hastings held the Second Division side to a 3–3 draw. The replay at Carrow Road proved tougher, with Norwich winning 3–0, but the tie remains one of the greatest moments in the club’s history.
In 1959–60, the Southern League added an additional division, and Hastings United were placed in the Premier Division. A third-from-bottom finish the following season resulted in relegation, beginning a long period of fluctuation between the Premier and First Divisions that would continue for a quarter‑century.
Cup competitions continued to bring occasional highlights. One of the most notable successes came in 1978, when Hastings United lifted the Sussex Senior Cup — a rare piece of silverware during an otherwise financially challenging era.
Despite moments of achievement, persistent financial difficulties overshadowed the club’s progress. By the mid-1980s, these pressures became insurmountable. In June 1985, Hastings United folded and relinquished their lease on the Pilot Field, bringing nearly four decades of professional football under the original Hastings United name to an end.