Women’s team history

Foundation

Founded as Eastbourne Town Ladies on 6th May 2002, being formed from Polegate Grasshoppers Under 15’s to make the jump into senior football. The team entered Division Three of the South East Counties Women’s League finishing third in their first season below Woking Reserves and Lindfield and were promoted to Division Two. The following season wasn’t successful with players leaving for education reasons and finishing in 8th place. But with the creation of the Sussex County Women and Girls Football League in 2004, the team took the drop.

Sussex County League

The ladies spent one season in that league and came runners up and won their first piece of silverware, the Sussex County Women’s Challenge Trophy against Burgess Hill Town.

South East Counties League

The ladies then transferred back to the South East Counties League Division 1. Barely being able to stay in the division for the first two seasons, the 2007-08 season proved to be the start of success. Although losing the first game of the season to Meadow Sports they completed the rest of the season unbeaten and finishing the season as runners up.

The Ladies won a double in 2008-09 season, winning the South East Counties Chairmans Cup and the Division 1 title and earning promotion to the Premier Division. They were crowned league champions in the 2010-11 season and came runners up in the S.E.C. League Cup, but they earnt promotion into the London and South East Regional League.

London & South East League

Reaching step 5 in the woman’s football pyramid, the ladies reached 2nd place in their first season. Just losing out on promotion by 4 points. Since 2012 the ladies form dropped and sent the next three seasons just finishing about the relegation zone.

FA Cup Run

After 12 years, Gary Pearce, the manager had stepped down and 2014-15 season saw player Emma Parslow and Theo Parfitt take over as joint managers. Although finishing 11th the league, the Ladies had made it into the Third Round of the Women’s FA Cup. Winning 7-0 to Burgess Hill Town, 3-1 to Parkwood Rangers and 5-0 to Gosport Borough Ladies in the qualifying rounds. The First Round proper saw a 1-1 draw with Chichester City Ladies after extra time and winning the penalty shootout 5-4, taking them to the Second Round with Queens Park Rangers, winning 1-0 before losing to Derby County Women 4-2 after extra time in the Third Round. All of Eastbourne Town games were played at home. This is the only time the Ladies have made the proper rounds and also the highest in the Women’s FA Cup.

For the next six seasons, the Ladies continued to hover around the relegation zone, with several management changes and a poor form of results in 2019 the team renamed themselves to Eastbourne Town Women but then came the Covid-19 pandemic which halted the 2019-20 season along with the following season. After which the then manager, Zak Dove, stepped down and 18 players had left the club to join over clubs. The Football Club board decided it would be best to take voluntary relegation in the Sussex County Women and Girls League.

Return to the Sussex County Women's League

After 16 years since leaving the Sussex County Women and Girls League, the Women re-joined the league with a new manager, Martin Keightley, and a new team. With some women staying from the previous season and some who were in the early ladies team re-joined the team but the first season in the Premier Division and Theo Parfitt taking over manager duties, for the third time, during the season, the Ladies were relegated into Division 1. Rick Tate was given the manager role for the beginning of 2022-23 season and results started to change. In his first full season in charge the women finished top of the table earning promotion back into the Premier Division.

Development team

In the summer of 2023, a second team was created as a development team. Former player, Steph Shambrook, took on the manager role. The team joined Division One of the Sussex County Women and Girls League.