Club History

The Club's badge indicates it was established in 1915. However, this isn't necessarily true as evidence of match reports from local newspapers and photos of the squad date as far back as 1908.

The earliest game on record for The Railwaymen was against another local side, Horsham YMCA on 24th October 1908. At the time, YM played in the Horsham & District League and there was no mention in the article whether this was a competitive match. YM ran out winners on the day four-nil.

Only one player could be recognised from the 1909 photograph, Edward 'Teddy' Ireland played for the club up until World War One and despite injuring himself whilst serving his country, he luckily returned to the club and there are records of him playing during the 1920s. Many of the Rudgwick players were not as lucky as Teddy and didn't return.

In 1910, the Horsham & District FA granted Rudgwick entry into the Charity Cup. Despite not being a member of the league they were not only allowed entry into the cup but also received a bye in the first round. Their second round (quarter-final) opponents were another local village side, Warnham FC. Despite Warnham being well established in the league, Rudgwick ran out 4-2 winners. A local paper football correspondent showed great interest in the match due to the nature of Rudgwick's entry and was rewarded with the 'shock' result. He wrote on the game, 'Rudgwick had got together a good team and thrashed Warnham on their own midden. The next round should prove very interesting, but it cannot furnish more startling results.'

The semi-finals of that year brought a big tie for the club. Horsham FC Reserves would be the opponents who would provide much tougher opposition than Warnham did. Horsham FC's 1st team at the time played in the West Sussex Senior League and Rudgwick had their work cut out to get a result. And that they did. Despite going behind after just seventeen minutes (a common theme amongst our teams in more recent years!) Rudgwick equalised before half-time through C.Birningham. The scores remained at one-one till full time and Rudgwick had earned a replay.

Due to a lack of quality pitch, the replay was also played at Horsham. In the match report, it appears that Rudwick played the game with ten men despite the elevens being the same for both matches. Rudgwick were no match for Horsham the second time around and succumbed to a five-nil defeat to end their hopes of a first trophy.

By the 1912-13 season, Rudgwick had joined the Horsham & District League. However, they struggled. Coming 7th out of 9 clubs, they only won 4 games in the league that season. At one stage of the season, they were 35 minutes late fulfilling a fixture against Bishopric Wanderers and ordered not only to replay the match but also to pay any of their opponents' expenses. The troubles of that season led to the club withdrawing from the league in just it's second season. It would be 6 years until Rudgwick Football Club would play another competitive game.

Following The Great War, Albert King reformed the club in 1919. Using the former ground off Church Road (now Gaskyns Close) the club also used the land opposite our current home to train at. Both areas of land were owned by Claude Barker, the Club President. The 1919-20 season again wouldn't contain competitive games but there was a record kept of their friendly fixtures (P-24 W-17 D-4 L-3 F-144 A-37). The standard of the friendly opposition is unknown though!

In August 1920, Rudgwick applied to compete in the Horsham & District FA Junior Charity Cup. Whilst doing this, current Club Chairman, Arthur Hordern and Albert King formed the Rudgwick & District Football League. It is unknown to the exact reasoning of the formation of the league but it is believed there was no room in the HDFL. This newly formed league would act as a 'Division Two' to Horsham's equivalent. With the League also came a new Cup competition, the Rudgwick Charity Cup.

The inaugural season saw Billingshurst FC dominate and consequentially winning the double with Rudgwick finishing seven points behind in 2nd. The league consisted of 5 other clubs from local villages, Wisborough Green, Newpound and Roundstreet, Kirdford, Loxwood & Alfold, and Coolham. The 1920 season was altogether unsuccessful for Rudgwick as they succumbed to defeat against Cowfold in the Horsham & District Junior Charity Cup whilst in the Senior Cup they were knocked out by reigning Horsham & District League Champions, Horsham Trinity.

The following season, 1921-22 there were only four clubs in the Rudgwick & District League. Despite this, the season brought the first trophy to the club. Rudgwick beat Broadbridge Heath two-nil in the final of the Rudgwick & District Charity Cup to break the club's duck. The season was marked with controversy though as due to the lack of fixtures for the first eleven there were many occasions there would be no fixture during a time the second eleven played. This led to many first-team players turning out for the seconds in Division 3 of the Horsham & District League. Letters to the local newspaper (West Sussex County Times) questioned the sportsmanship of Rudgwick and a reporter even joked in his match report after a defeat questioning whether Rudgwick had their first or second-team out.

By 1922-23, Rudwick had rejoined the Horsham & District League and were much more successful in their second stint. Finishing 3rd in Division 2 they had laid the foundations to stay in the league. Which they did and even gained promotion to Division 1 by the end of the 20s. However within three years at the start of the 1930s, the club had found themselves languishing in Division 3b. In 1933-34, Rudwick produced a fine season to win promotion as Champions as well completing the club's first double in the Junior Charity Cup with a 5-1 win over Twineham FC. Despite the successes of that season, Rudgwick were again relegated at the end of 1935-36 and it is believed the club folded at the end of the 1936-37 season. Rudgwick FC was no more and war had broken again before the turn of the decade.

In 1946, the King George V Playing Field was available to rent from the local Parish Council. Rudgwick Cricket Club needed a partner to help afford the rent for the ground so Rudgwick Football Club was reformed and joined the cricket club. The 1946-47 season would see the club return to the Horsham & District Football League in Division 2. Rudgwick wouldn't be able to add to their solitary League title but they did have success in cup competitions...

The Intermediate Charity Cup in 1958-59 led to possibly the most successful era of the club through the 1960s. Two (and a half) wins of the Senior Charity Cup between 1962-1967 (they shared the 1964-65 trophy with Horsham Trinity).

Rudgwick also not only won but retained the Horsham & District FA Cup in 1965-66 and 1966-67. The Sussex FA Junior Cup was also lifted for the first time in 1966, it would be another 53 years before we won it again.

Sensing the end was near for the Horsham & District League, in 1968 Rudgwick joined the West Sussex Football league where they still reside today.

Rudgwick have never played a game in the top division of the WSFL as of yet. However, they were crowned champions of Division 5 North in 1972-73 and twice crowned champions of Division 3 North in 1987-88 and 2005-06.

More recently, the club has expanded further. In 2008, a 3rd team was introduced into the Horsham & Worthing District Sunday League. With the club growing year on year, it was decided a 3rd team could be used to give players that didn't get much playing time on a Saturday the chance to feature. Over the years the Sunday sides have grown, attracting other players to the club who play at a Sussex County League level. This has led to more success for the club including after a trophyless 10 years the club has returned three in the last four seasons. Winning the Sunday League Division 2 Cup in 2016-17, Chichester Charity Cup in 2017-18 and the Sunday League Division 1 in 2017-18.

In the present day, Rudgwick Football Club has undergone a transformation to help build for the future. A re-structuring of the club committee in 2020 to secure the club moving forward leaves us looking forward to perhaps maybe, one day, reaching a County League Level.

Written by Rob Chetty
(Photos courtesy of Roger Nash. Research taken from various news articles and an article titled 'Lest We Forget' by David Bauckham)