Eastbourne Town FC (H) Match Preview

Punjab United
3 days ago
4 min read

Punjab United vs Eastbourne Town, Isthmian South East Division, The Steve Cook Stadium, Saturday 15th August 2026, 3:00pm Kick-Off

The long awaited wait is just under 24 hours away as Punjab play their first ever Step 4 game and being at home, they will want to make a good start. With a 3-0 win against Seaford Town in the FA Cup and a 1-1 (5-4) penalty shootout win on Tuesday evening in the Kent Senior Cup, Punjab are in good form and will want to start the season in the best way possible and make their mark in a historic season.

Saturday's opponents will be Eastbourne Town who were promoted from the Southern Combination Premier Division back in 2024 and since then have finished in 15th and 11th in the two previous seasons.

Punjab will be looking to start the season strong with three points and have a very good start to the season.

The programme for this afternoon's game can be seen below:

Our Opponents:

Eastbourne Town play in the Isthmian South East Division and play their games at The Saffrons. In the 2025/26 season, Eastbourne finished a respectable 11th place with 16 wins, 8 draws and 18 losses. This will be the first time that Punjab have played Eastbourne and will be looking to start the season with three points.

The start of the 2026/27 season began with a 3-1 win in the FA Cup against Step 5 side AFC Varndeanians.

History:

Eastbourne Town is the oldest senior football club in Sussex, founded on 29 October 1880 when Eastbourne FC and Eastbourne Rovers merged to form Eastbourne United. The club briefly became Eastbourne Football Club in 1881 before changing its name to Devonshire Park F.C. when it secured use of the Devonshire Park grounds. The venue, now famous for its pre-Wimbledon tennis tournament, eventually became dominated by tennis, leading football and cricket to relocate.

After five years, the club moved to the newly opened Saffrons Field, named after the crocus variety once cultivated there for medicinal purposes. In 1889 the club became Eastbourne FC and, as a side of ‘gentlemen amateurs’, established itself as a dominant force in Sussex football, winning the Sussex Senior Cup eight times and finishing runners-up three times by 1907. The club also won international tournaments in Paris in 1904 and the Challenge International du Nord in 1909.

In 1905 Eastbourne joined the South Eastern League, playing mainly reserve sides from clubs including Woolwich Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur. In 1907, the club joined the Amateur Football Alliance and became founder members of the Southern Amateur League, where they remained until after World War II.

The 1920s were particularly successful, with two league championships, two AFA Senior Cup victories and one Sussex Senior Cup win. The 1930s brought two more Sussex Senior Cup triumphs and success in the RUR Charity Cup. The club’s popularity also led to improvements at the Saffrons, including terracing and a new wooden grandstand.

The ground survived World War II and the club joined the Corinthian League in 1946, remaining there until its merger with the Athenian League in 1963. Post-war attendances averaged around 3,000, with a record 7,378 watching an FA Cup tie against Hastings United in 1953. The club also won the Sussex Senior Cup in 1953 and the AFA Invitation Cup in 1970. In 1972, after more than eighty years as the “Town Club”, the name was changed to Eastbourne Town FC.

In 1969 the wooden grandstand was destroyed by arson. Temporary cover was provided until a replacement stand opened 25 years later, named after club stalwarts Sid Myall and Taffy Jones. Declining attendances eventually forced Town to leave the Athenian League in 1976. They joined the Sussex County League, winning the championship at the first attempt.

Results declined during the following years, although the installation of floodlights for the 1994/95 season sparked a resurgence. After relegation in 2001, Town returned to Division One in 2003 and won the league championship again in 2007, earning promotion to Division One (South) of the Ryman Isthmian League. Despite a reprieve in 2010, Town were relegated back to the County League in 2014.

Town continued to challenge near the top of the league, reaching the Sussex Senior Cup quarter-finals in 2019. In 2022, Jude MacDonald replaced John Lambert as manager. After finishing second in 2023/24, Town won the play-offs, beating Hassocks 2-0 in the semi-final and Newhaven 2-0 in the final to return to the Isthmian League after a ten-year absence.

In 2024/25, Town finished 15th in the Isthmian League South East Division and won the revived Eastbourne Charity Cup against local rivals Eastbourne United. New floodlights were installed in summer 2025, and the 2025/26 season saw Town finish 11th in the league, matching Danny Bloor’s 2013 finish.

Getting There:

The nearest train station to Punjab United is Gravesend. You can then either get the bus which takes 30 minutes or get a taxi from the station which takes 11 minutes.

The Steve Cook Stadium

Dunkirk Close

Gravesend

Kent

DA12 5ND

Extra Information:

The Steve Cook Stadium will be opening at 1:30pm, with many products on offer from simple soft drinks to beers. The Punjab Cafe will also be open and offer food and drink.

In terms of disabled parking, it is crucial that anybody who requires it, contacts the Punjab team via email (punjabutdfc@gmail.com). Parking may be busy and can fill quickly, if you do decide to park around residential areas, please be mindful and respectful of residents.