Eastbourne United Afc

Description of ground
Eastbourne United took up residence at The Oval in 1946, after their previous ground at Lynchmere was sold for development. Then, the local council improved the site by laying a pitch, and athletics track, and a grass cycle track. The clubhouse and stand (which originally had benches rather than seats) were added later. There was a further long covered terrace on the far side of the pitch

Still owned by the local council, Eastbourne United had, for a number of years, been trying to purchase the lease which would have enabled the club to apply for Football Foundation grants for vital ground improvements, including turning the pitch ninety degrees. However, this has been to no avail, and the gound has suffered considerably in recent years despite the best efforts of the Club, and cwertainly not helped by being open to the public outside of match days and susceptible to vandalism.

As a consequence, and certainly when compared to the improvements to the other two Eastbourne clubs, the Oval had been very much the poor relation. However, improvements were undertaken during the 2003 close-season by combined efforts of Eastbourne United and Shinewater Association

The Oval was also the home of the local athletic club, but when they relocated to the fine new facilities at Cross Levals Way they left behind a disused cinder running track that intervened between the spectators and the pitch. Their move has left council more less-inclined than ever to maintain the facilities, leaving the newly-formed club with an even more uphill task.

A major improvement therefore, was the provision of ‘new’ perimeter fencing, acquired from Eastbourne Borough’s Priory Lane ground, and the old ground at Shinewater Lane. This allowed spectators to get a lot closer to the action than previously, and improved the atmosphere considerably. Equally as important, it allowed car parking inside of the ground where the old track used to be, thereby removing previous problems of street parking.

The main focal point of the ground is obviously the large stand, which now renders spectators even more remote from the action. The fascia was repaired following the amalgamation and again subsequently as it once again fell into disrepair. The words “Eastbourne United AFC” however, could be misinterpreted to the uninitiated, and I personally would have preferred the word “Association” to have been included as a memorial to the old Shinewater club, even though it may have been slightly more expensive to do so. However, the merger of the two clubs is clearly represented in the new crest, which also includes Shine’s old colours.

One thing the new fencing will not improve however, is the weather and will leave spectators even more exposed to the elements. Warning: the ground is very close to the seafront, and it can be very cold in the winter months (take an umbrella!)

The dugouts, which were once situated on the stand side of the pitch, have since been moved to the other side, but there is a large clubhouse (now re-carpeted and redecorated) and a cosy indoor tea bar which is always welcoming.

The open access of the ground however, continues to be a problem. In August 2004 vandals were fortunately disturbed whilst trying to set fire to the stand, although they did manage to damage several seats before making their getaway. Possibly mindful of the possibility of a repeat attack, the seats have now been completely removed, leaving behind just concrete steps although wooden slats are provided on match days.

Some Images Of The Oval.