Seaford Town FC (H) Match Preview

Punjab United
2 days ago
4 min read

Punjab United vs Seaford Town, Emirates FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round, The Steve Cook Stadium, Saturday 8th August 2026, 3:00pm Kick-Off

The 2026/27 season is just around the corner as Punjab are less than 48 hours away from playing their first competitive match since the playoff final against Rusthall. Since then it has been a tough pre-season with some good results and performances along the way against Step 3, 4, 5 and 6 sides.

The squad this year sees only two players leave in Lee Bird and Zak Byron to Phoenix Sports. We wish them all the best in their future endevours. New signings of Sam Wood and Elliott Carey have strengthened the squad and now the team is ready for life in Step 4.

They will be taking on Southern Combination Premier Division side Seaford Town in the Emirates FA Cup Extra-Preliminary Round and the winner from this match will be taking on Lancing or SE Dons in the next round.

Punjab will be looking to start the season strong with a cup win on home turf to start the season on a good note.

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

Our Opponents:

Seaford Town FC play in the Southern Combination Premier Division and currently play their games at Newhaven FC due to ground grading. In the 2025/26 season, Seaford finished a respectable 11th place with 12 wins, 6 draws and 20 losses. This will be the first time that Punjab have played Seaford and will be looking to progress into the next round.

The start of the 2026/27 season began with a 1-0 win away to Lancing. However, a 2-0 defeat against Bexhill United puts Seaford 11th in the table.

History:

Seaford Town FC was formed in 1888 and won the Sussex Junior Cup in 1910. After the Great War, Seaford played in the Mid Sussex league winning the Montgomery Cup in 1936 and 1939.

Seaford Town FC joined the Sussex County League Division Two in 1952 and won promotion in 1963-64 after finishing as runners-up to Selsey. The next seven seasons were spent in the top division (finishing 4th in 1965-66) before being relegated back to Division Two in 1971.

In 1978, the club left the County League but returned as founder members of the new Third Division five years later. In 1985-86, they returned to senior football as champions, and in 1988-89, they won the Division Two title. However, their return to Division One was to last just two seasons before they were relegated once more in 1990-91. Worse was to follow and in 1992-93 Seaford found themselves back in intermediate football again.

Things didn’t get any better, and Seaford dropped out of the County League altogether after being relegated in 1997. They spent two seasons in the East Sussex League before regaining their place in Division Three. Seaford dropped "Town" from its name in 1999 following a merger with Seaford Seagulls Youth FC.

Promotion back to Division Two was achieved in 2000-01, as runners-up to Rye & Iden United. Before the 2005-06 season, the club’s name reverted back to Seaford Town, with the clubs colours changing from red and blue to the current all red kits they play in today. The club finished in the top eight for the next three seasons, with their 6th-place finish in 2006-07 being the highest during this period.

In April 2015, Seaford Town FC merged with Seaford WASPS Junior FC to create a strong football identity for Seaford's youth players. These younger players have been breaking into senior teams ever since. Currently Seaford Town have 33 youth teams across boys and girls, ranging between under 6 right through to under 16s.

Whilst recognising the club's 100-plus-year history, it is important to look ahead. Since 2015, following several years of stability, the club has progressed both on and off the pitch. STFC is a club that has never been in a position to waste money, but one that will improve the facilities at The Crouch as and when possible for the benefit of the club and community.

We have a strong senior playing squad, including a first team, second team and under-18 sides. We now have a Men's Vets side, two Women's teams, and an All-inclusive team.

In the 2024/25 season, Seaford Town clinched a return to Step 5 for the first time in over 30 years as Paul Wise’s side were crowned SCFL Division One champions, pipping Forest Row to the title by 2 points, a momentous occasion for the Club, which had suffered two play-off defeats in the three years prior. That return to the Premier League saw Ben Dartnall and Craig Pooley's side secure an 11th placed finish.

Upon their return to Step 5 in 2025/26, Town also made history by breaking the record for the longest gap between FA Cup appearances (114 years), beating Sutton Athletic 1-0 in the Extra Preliminary round for the Club’s first ever victory in the competition.

Ben Dartnall and Craig Pooley continue to lead the side into the 2026/27 season.

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.