Firefighters have been tackling a fire at a scrapyard in Bognor Regis
Eight crews attended the blaze on Ockley Road
West Sussex Fire & Rescue and Sussex Police closed roads and warned local residents to keep doors and windows closed
said the smell of burning rubber was horrendous
A spokesperson for West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service said: “We were called at 6am this morning to a fire at an industrial building in Ockley Road
“At the height of the incident there were eight fire engines and an aerial ladder platform at the scene
“Crews worked hard to bring the fire in a scrapyard under control using jets and foam."
I was worried because it was near our place and the smoke was coming near."
West Sussex Fire & Rescue say the fire was due to accidental ignition
crews remained at the scene of a large fire involving fly-tipped tyres
Oxfordshire County Council's Fire and Rescue service were called yesterday (Wednesday 30 April) at 7.38PM to Bradwell near Burford
and a water carrier vehicle from Wheatley fire station attended the scene
Grove and Burford sent throughout the night
Oxfordshire County Council's Fire and Rescue service said: "Fire crews have
and continue to use large volumes of water to extinguish the fire and cool the remaining tyres to prevent reignition
"Currently mechanical assistance support is being arranged by the landowner
"Crews will remain on scene throughout the day today
"The smoke being generated from the fire at this time has significantly reduced
Only when pockets of fire flare up due to moving the tyre stack to extinguish hotspots is more smoke being produced
"Residents can reopen windows and doors if there is no smoke in their area."
however there may be some localised restrictions as road users pass close to the incident
where a fire engine might be parked on the road."
The M20 in Kent is closed westbound between J12 (Cheriton) and J11 (Westenhanger) due to a lorry fire near Folkestone services
Kent Fire and Rescue and other emergency services are in attendance
National Highways Traffic Officers are also on the scene
National Highways said: "Westbound traffic is advised to follow the hollow square diversion symbol on road signs
"Exit the M20 westbound at J12 and join the A20 (Ashford Road)
"Continue to re-join the M20 at J11."
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I spent four nights at Butlin’s Bognor Regis with my husband and two children aged eight and four
You should know from the get-go that my kids love Butlin’s. The eight-year-old loves the activities, the four-year-old is obsessed with the Skyline Gang – Butlin’s resident team of kids’ performers – and they are both wild for the arcade. So, when we got the chance to be one of the first families to experience the new PLAYXPERIENCE and soft play, we were straight on the train
The PLAYXPERIENCE is a huge (huge!) indoor play centre
There aren’t that many that were suitable for my youngest
but we had a fun couple of hours playing a mini golf that adds up your score as you go along
My eight-year-old loved the VR-cade but my husband had to go for a lie down after getting very travel sick on the space ride
The new soft play opened just one week before we got there
There are different areas open to different heights to reduce the chance of very little ones being trampled
the area for grown-ups is pretty cramped and quite a few adults had to stand while their kids played
My little girl also really enjoyed the older soft play that’s in the Skyline Pavilion
There's lots of established activities on offer too
My little boy really enjoyed the high ropes aerial adventure and archery
Each activity cost around £8 and takes about 45 minutes
My little girl was really excited about t-shirt design
but we didn’t have the best experience there
We were put into a room with dye and t-shirts
When I asked for help the member of staff said she didn’t usually work there so couldn’t help
A bum note in an otherwise great few days of activities
There are two small but fun outdoor playgrounds and a fairground that’s larger than you’d expect considering it’s free (other than the go-karts)
We were there for a Gladiators show and it was so fun
No Eliminator sadly but lots of audience participation
My kids queued for a photo afterwards and while the line was very long it moved quickly and was well organised
if you want to have a good view for the shows
you may also swerve some of the huge bar queues
Most people seemed to have an all-inclusive drinks package
you can’t link your package to the Butlin’s app meaning you can’t take advantage of table service
at least they were orderly ones rather than a scrum
There’s lots of great slides including a rapids one that goes outside the building
There’s also lots of gentle slides and a splash area for the little ones
The swimming pool is free and busy so expect to queue at peak times
We plumped for a stay in an apartment at the Wave Hotel because we are fancy
I was really impressed with how spacious it is
there was lots more room in both bedrooms than I was expecting and a super wide hallway that we could leave suitcases in
My husband and I loved the view from the living room out to sea
and there were three chairs on the balcony for four of us
It’s set up for self-catering although I’m not sure how we would have coped trying to cook every meal there
but we were on the dining package because my kids absolutely love a buffet
Our plan meant that we could go for breakfast and dinner
the latter served at the very kid-friendly time of 4:30pm – 7:30pm
The breakfast is exactly what you’d hope; multiple stations filled with sausages
All the kids were wild for the mini pancake station
and queues formed there and at the drinks machines but nowhere else
Dinner was good too with a different theme each night including a curry night and an Asian-themed evening
The kids’ buffet changed too but was largely chips
Breaks at Butlin’s Bognor Regis start from £64 per person
Georgina Terry is group digital editor of Closer
She's a mum of two who absolutely loves a getaway with her little darlings
if anyone's got any adults-only spas on offer
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On Monday 21st April 2025 at the MKM Arena
Part-two of the Easter Bank Holiday soccer bonanza sends the Hornets down to the south coast to take on long-time Sussex rivals Bognor Regis Town FC
the Rocks have endured a miserable 2024/25 campaign
Cast adrift at the bottom of the table for much of the season
relegation was finally confirmed on Saturday after an emphatic 4-1 defeat at the hands of Wingate & Finchley
Not many non-league fans would have predicted Bognor’s fate at the start of the season
Last term they finished in 10th place and since the curtailed Covid seasons have finished in respectable mid-table positions
But it’s been an injury-plagued campaign this time round that saw Robbie Blake depart his job as boss in late November leaving former players Michael Birmingham and Jamie Howell to come in to try to revive fortunes
Although there was an upturn to a degree it has ultimately ended in failure and the Rocks will play their football at step four next season
either in the Isthmian South East Division or the South Central Division
arrive at the business end of the season in great form
perhaps not always playing their most fluid football
but showing remarkable consistency founded on the best defence in the division that has enabled them to put together another impressive run of consecutive wins
It is currently seven wins on the bounce since the minor blip in early March when they lost back-to-back games to Wingate & Finchley and Dartford
They have played as high as step two (2017/18) in the National League South
They have won the Sussex Senior Trophy nine times; have reached the second round of the FA Cup four times and
reached the semi-finals of the FA Trophy in season 2015/16 – beating several higher ranked teams along the way
The two clubs have competed against each other regularly over many years
the total games played would not be far short of the hundred mark
In recent seasons the head-to-head count just about favours the Rocks
It currently stands with the Seasiders just ahead with five wins to Horsham’s four
(three draws) over the last twelve matches played
after a lacklustre performance from Horsham
the Hornets gained revenge in the return fixture last April with a 5-4 win that will live long in the memory
The latest meeting back on Boxing Day resulted in a 2-1 home win for the Hornets
It’s been an awful time for the Rocks – but not for striker Tommy-Lee Higgs
who came through the Southampton Academy system
His form has kept another youngster – ex-Portsmouth player 21 year old Dan Gifford
top scorer last season with 22 goals – out of the side recently
Another player worthy of note is Chad Field
who has received much praise from Manager Birmingham as being a leader who has added some much needed solidity and organisation to the back line since he joined the club in December
The last Away match means… it’s ’Dressing Up Away Day’:
This year’s theme is Hawaiian shirts; you know the kind of thing: bold
vibrant and the more colourful the better…perhaps with a few palm trees thrown in
It would be great to see lots of Hornets suitably clad for this huge match tomorrow
Let’s hope the weather matches the outfits
You will notice a bucket collection at the ground for a big Bognor fan Vic Franklin who survived a savage dog attack that shockingly caused the loss of his arm and leg in the Rottweiler attack two years ago
He is currently in hospital recovering from a fall and the club have rallied to support him
Any donations from our lovely Hornets fans would be most gratefully received
And finally a word from the boss …Dom Di Paola:
On current fitness issues: “In terms of numbers I think we’ll be just about okay
we have a couple of little knocks but nothing major”
He was asked about the approach to this game and whether the Hornets would be setting up to score goals to boost our goal aggregate numbers; he answered
“We’ll approach this game as we have done all of them really
I haven’t looked at any particular permutations
we just want to win our remaining games of football”
did he think Bognor had any fight left in them – he said:
So we will need to be right on it from the off
It’s their last home game of a difficult season so I’m fully expecting it to be a tough match”
It’s going to be an exciting climax and you won’t want to miss it
Let’s get a couple of hundred Hornets down to sunny Bognor to cheer the lads over the line
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Last MatchIsthmian League Premier DivisionThe Fusion Aviation Community Stadium, HorshamSaturday April 26 2025, 3:00 pmHorsham5Hashtag United1Match Report
Next MatchSussex Senior Cup FinalAmerican Express Stadium, FalmerThursday May 8 2025, 7:30 pmHorshamLittlehampton TownView Fixtures
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Thy man scores again things self entitled fans love to see.💛💚#HorshamFC https://x.com/robbiemurdoch28/status/1875881834388877785/photo/1
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A Danny Barker brace in the last ten minutes completed the turnaround for Horsham as they came from behind to win 3-1 at Nyewood Lane and secure their 27th win of the season
combined with leaders Dartford dropping points at Cray Wanderers and Billericay taking the spoils at Canvey Island
means that the three protagonists in the title race go into the final day of the Isthmian League Premier Division campaign level on points
A goal down at half time to teenager Lennie Smith’s header and struggling to get their game going
the Hornets hit back strongly in the second half
An early Harvey Whyte own goal levelled matters
but it took until the 81st minute for the first of Barker’s goals to arrive
forced home from close range following a devilish Harvey Sparks corner
The third and decisive goal came in similar fashion six minutes later
Darry Jacobs reports on a memorable day out at the seaside
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Back to the 2000s Y2K Scares
Back to the 2000s Y2K Scares Bognor Regis 03/10/25
SHW and LSH have been appointed as joint agents to market Panattoni Park Bognor Regis
The development will bring to the market three industrial/logistics units totalling 205,000ft²
available as either three single units of 31,698ft²
or with potential to combine 173,093ft² as a single unit
Positioned on Newlands Road in Bognor Regis
construction at Panattoni Park Bognor Regis is underway
The new units will benefit from a high standard specification
targeting a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and EPC A Rating to prioritise efficiency and reduce operating costs
Sustainable features include high standards of insulation and air tightness
15% rooflights to the warehouses to reduce the need for artificial lighting
rainwater harvesting and sub-metering of energy consumption
Partner at SHW David Martin said: “We are excited to be involved with the marketing of this new Panattoni industrial and warehouse development on the northern side of Bognor Regis
“With flexible planning on unit size
the development will suit a range of occupiers
with the mid to big box market catered for and discussions are already taking place with a number of businesses across the South East.”
Reuben joined Akabo Media as assistant editor of CiTTi - one of Logistics Manager's sister publications - in October 2023
He has worked in digital and print publications since graduating in MA Publishing in 2022
He holds a great interest in transport technology and innovation
Ultimate 80s Thriller
Ultimate 80s Thriller Bognor Regis 31/10/25
known more for his defensive midfield guile than his goalscoring prowess
was the two-goal second-half hero as the Hornets came from behind to win this penultimate game of the season against a spirited young Bognor team
Teenager Lennie Smith put the Rocks ahead on 18 minutes
James Hammond passed up the chance to convert a penalty for the equaliser on the half-hour mark but uncharacteristically placed his spot kick too close to Ryan Hall
It was a test of character for the Hornets
but they rolled their sleeves up as they came out for the second half and nicked a quick equaliser from an own goal
the unfortunate Harvey Whyte turning Reece Meekums’ cross into his own net
Energised by their great start to the second half
the Hornets gradually turned the screw and began to get on top of their hosts
Barker was on hand to poke in from close range to put his side in the driving seat in the 80th minute and sealed the win with a very similar close range effort just minutes from the end of normal time
It was a nervy performance but in the end a terrific three points to put the Hornets level-pegging at the top of the table with Billericay and Dartford
with all three locked together on 84 points
It’s down to the wire next Saturday in a ‘one match shoot out’
with the Premier Division title likely to be decided on goal difference
Horsham boss Dom Di Paola named exactly the same starting XI that earned an emphatic 3-0 home win over Cray Wanderers on Good Friday
The Rocks’ joint managers Michael Birmingham and Jamie Howell opted to make two changes to their young side
picking Toby Kingswell and Harvey Whyte ahead of Freddie Chester
the massed Horsham supporters stood out in their brightly coloured Hawaiian shirts
lighting up a rather overcast Easter Monday and boosting the attendance to nearly 1300
the hosts’ second-highest of the season
Kicking towards the clubhouse end of the ground
not quite sure of the bounce or speed of the ball on the hard and bumpy grass surface
but it was evident that the Rocks were looking the more assured side
with a game plan not to take too many touches and to play forward early to big Dion Jarvis
to hold play up for the speedy youngsters Lennie Smith and Tommy-Lee Higgs to come onto the ball
The first threat on goal came after 16 minutes of cagey football when the ball broke for Higgs
but Lewis Carey was alert to the danger and cleared the ball away
but his left-footed strike was well wide of the Horsham goal
The Hornets were struggling to get any sort of passing rhythm going
with both James Hammond and Charlie Hester-Cook on the fringes of the game
when ex-Hornet Doug Tuck slid a ball through to Jasper Mather in space on the left wing; he cut into the box
and chipped in a delicious left-footed cross for teenager Smith to nod in from close range
There were penalty appeals from the Hornets when Ola Ogunwamide
he appeared to be upended by Toby Kingswell but the referee was not interested and waived play on
proving a handful down the right flank for Harvey Sparks
setting up Jarvis with a decent cross but the striker put his header over the bar
Hammond’s return pass to Rodrigues looked to be running through to Hall in goal
but with a burst of acceleration the Brazilian got to the ball a fraction ahead of the advancing ‘keeper and was brought down
Hammond stepped forward with the expectant Lardies behind the goal licking their lips in anticipation
but he shot tamely to the right of the keeper
who guessed correctly and made a comfortable save
produced a neat bit of wing play on the left and put in an inviting cross for Ogunwamide at the far post but the more determined Davies got to the ball first to clear the danger
As burgers were finished and mobile phones returned to pockets
We don’t know what was said in the visitors’ dressing room
as the Hornets were level within three minutes of the restart
got past right back Kingswell and hit a dangerous ball into the middle that the unfortunate Harvey Whyte sliced into his own net to put Horsham back in the game
On 50 minutes there was another clear chance for the visitors when Harding played forward for Rodrigues who lofted the bouncing ball over Hall – well out of his goal – but agonisingly about a foot over the bar too
Hester-Cook made a driving run to win a corner which Hammond took from the left flag stick
The long ball to the far post found the head of Strange but he nodded just wide
On 53 minutes Hester-Cook was involved in a freak injury
crashing to the ground and injuring his left elbow
he was stretchered off and replaced by Jack Brivio
We hope to see Charlie in a Horsham shirt again this season
pushing his header over the bar as the game started to hot up and become more open and stretched
Davies was booked for scything down Meekums
but the resulting free kick was wasted by Hammond who failed to pick out any of the Horsham big men lined up in the 6-yard box
winning a corner for Bognor but it came to nothing
Rodrigues’ pressure won a corner for the Hornets but Sparks’ inswinger from the right was headed clear
That was the end of the action for Rodrigues
With the Hornets looking the stronger team now
Sparks’ in-swinger from the right caused confusion in the home defence and when the ball dropped loose
prodding in from close range to put his side ahead
from which another superb delivery from Sparks picked out Harding
The Hornets were finishing strongly whilst their opponents were looking a spent force
That impression was confirmed when yet another corner
In much the same way as Horsham’s earlier goal
the ball dropped loose and Barker touched in to put the Hornets 3-1 ahead
The Hornets continued to press and Meekums
worked his way into the box and sent a fizzing strike wide of the goal
Chris Dickson replaced Ogunwamide and was soon in the action
Seizing the ball on the break he had options to pass but just aching to get on the scoresheet he went it alone and was dispossessed
The last of the action came from a tired but spirited Bognor side who would have pleased their fans with a battling performance
A deep corner from the left flew all the way across the goal to be finger tipped away by Carey for another corner
but the Hornets got over the line with their 27th win of the season
Horsham1Lewis Carey3Harvey Sparks4Danny Barker5Isaac Philpot6Jack Strange7James Hammond8Charlie Hester-Cook11Ola Ogunwamide17Lucas Rodrigues18Reece Meekums20Lee HardingSubstitutes2Jake Elliott9Shamir Fenelon14Joel Daly15Jack Brivio19Chris Dickson
Bognor Regis Town1Ryan Hall2Calvin Davies3Toby Kingswell4Harvey Whyte5Dion Jarvis6Chad Field7Lennie Smith8Jasper Mather9Tommy-Lee Higgs10Doug Tuck11Preston WoolstonSubstitutes12Freddie Chester14Ashton Horstead15Liam Murphy16Freddie Rogers17Dan Gifford
Great result for the boys unbelievable supporters as usual cookie going off with a freak injury too was a bit of downer i should know I’m his dad 😬 hope he recovers on to Saturday i think we can do it come on boys good luck
March continues with a trip to the Sussex coast
We’re back on the road on Saturday with one of our longest trips of the season
to Norwood Lane to take on Bognor Regis Town
Invicta are looking to end a run of 3 away defeats
our last win on the road coming at Hendon at the start of February
Dean Rance missed last week’s 1-1 draw with Potters Bar through injury
Invicta will take to the pitch in our red & white away colours
Manager Andy Drury spoke ahead of the fixture: “The long trip to Bognor Regis kicks off a busy week for us and we want to kick it off with a good performance and a good result to take into back-to-back home games
Bognor are a side fighting for their lives and have picked up results over the last month to give themselves a chance
we expect them to come out fighting tomorrow and we need to be on our game
It will be very different conditions from our last meeting
we expect a good surface there that we can play football on.”
A win for Invicta back in November at a sodden Alcaline Stadium brought an end to a 3-match winning run for The Rocks
Dan Smith bagged a hat-trick in torrential conditions as Invicta ran out 4-1 winners
Our last 2 trips to Nyewood Lane have come on the final day of the season
Invicta beaten without scoring on both occasions
Our last win on the south coast came in October 2021
Jordan Wright and David Smith all on the scoresheet as Invicta came from 2-0 down to win 4-2
hard season for The Rocks who have spent most of it rooted to the bottom of the Isthmian Premier Division table
Manager Robbie Blake departed the club in November and was replaced the following month by joint-managers Jamie Howell and Michael Birmingham
Recent wins over fellow strugglers Canvey Island and Bowers & Pitsea should have given Bognor hope that they can pull off a great escape
with 9 games remaining to overcome a 10 point gap to Canvey in 18th
Jamie Howell and Michael Birmingham took over at joint-managers in December after the departure of Robbie Blake
Howell was Blake’s assistant up until October while Birmingham is a former club captain at Nyewood Lane
joining from Isthmian South Central side Horndean
Tommy-Lee Higgs is Bognor’s top scorer this season
The 20-year old former Southampton forward netted the winner against Bowers & Pitsea last month and an injury time equaliser away to Carshalton last week
earning vital points in Bognor’s battle for survival
Charlie Prescott and Adrian Dawkes from Seasiders Radio will be there to bring you live radio commentary from Nyewood Lane
Always check rail times/strike action before you travel
Nyewood Lane is a 16 minute walk from Bognor Regis railway station
with services running from London Victoria twice an hour
Supporters can pay on the gate for this fixture or purchase online
Alcaline Stadium Cheriton Road Folkestone Kent CT19 5JU
Majority shareholder Addington Leisure Ltd
Dartford return to Sussex when they take on Bognor Regis Town in the Isthmian Premier this weekend
Just like last Saturday the Darts need the points as much as their opponents
Adrian Pennock’s side are chasing down Billericay Town at the top and hoping to put their title rivals under pressure
Bognor Regis Town are at the other end of the table trying to dig themselves out of the bottom four and avoid relegation
It’s the fourth game in a row in which Dartford have faced a side from Sussex and their last visit to the county ended in a second consecutive away defeat
the Darts were beaten 3-1 by Lewes at the Dripping Pan
but fortunately they didn’t lose ground as the top three all lost as well
Dartford remain in the hunt for automatic promotion thanks to recent home form where they have taken maximum points against Horsham and Hastings United
The Darts showed astonishing character in the 2-1 home victory over third place Horsham to start the month
Dartford turned the match around with goals from George Whitefield and substitute Eddie Dsane
the Darts didn’t need to leave it late and pretty much wrapped up the points a lot earlier
Highlights courtesy of Dartford FC TV
Pennock made a couple of changes to the side that were beaten by Lewes
Louis Dunne replaced Hayden Bullas in the midfield
whilst Luther Williams was chosen ahead of George Whitefield at the back
Dartford were two up against Hastings United before the interval and that’s how the score stayed
Samir Carruthers’ curling effort was heading just wide
but former Hastings United full back Sam Okoye headed the opener in at the far post
The defender’s first goal for the club came in his 36th appearance
Ten minutes before half-time the hosts won a penalty
which Carruthers confidently chipped down the middle
Dartford were comfortable throughout but couldn’t add more goals in the second half
yet the team took joy in keeping a 14th clean sheet in the league this season
Roland Edge spoke to Dartford FC TV after the win and said: “We controlled the game well
Possibly we should have been a bit more clinical in the final third
a clean sheet was what they were cheering about
Victory stretched an unbeaten run at home to 12 and in that time the Darts have picked up an impressive ten victories at Princes Park
Dartford are only two points behind the league leaders and a dozen clear of sixth place
Edge explained that at some point they will need to call on the depth of the squad
he commented: “We are a good squad; we’ve maintained that all the way through the year
they still focus completely on coming on and making a difference”
The assistant manager added: “It’s never nice to be left out
but those boys that come in on Tuesday and Thursday will work hard and hopefully get back into the team
but people start to get leggy and tired and luckily for us we’ve got quality on the bench to change things up”
Interview courtesy of Dartford FC TV
So as second place Dartford take on second from bottom Bognor Regis Town
Edge is not expecting the hosts this weekend to be easy
he exclaimed: “You analyse everyone when you’re in management and Bognor have been on some pretty good form
Dunne and Bullas made their home debuts in the last meeting with Bognor Regis Town
the Darts dominated the Rocks with a convincing first half display
Racking up their biggest half time lead in three years
Whitefield made it three and Josh Hill netted his first since returning to the club
Final day drama and mixed emotions are evoked when the Darts visit Nyewood Lane
Once again Dartford travel to Bognor Regis during a title race
only Saturday won’t be the ultimate decider
It was heartbreaking on the final day of the 2017/2018 season when Tony Burman’s side needed to better Havant and Waterlooville’s result to become National South champions
Danny Mills and Ronnie Vint scored for the Darts and Ollie Pearce pulled one back for the hosts
With Havant and Waterlooville drawing going into the last minute
former Dartford striker Jason Prior scored a last gasp winner for the Hawks to snatch the title away from Burman’s side
Happier memories were made eight years earlier when the pressure was off
Already crowned Isthmian Premier champions
Dartford celebrated on the coast during the last game of the 2009/2010 campaign
Jamie Coyle scored the Darts’ 100th league goal of the season and Lee Noble sealed a 2-0 triumph
Match Highlights courtesy of the late sonytino
Bognor Regis Town are up against the odds as they approach their remaining seven fixtures
The Rocks need to make up 12 points to stay in the Isthmian Premier or they will be back at step four for the first time since 2012
the Sussex club has the leakiest defence in the division
If they are going to get themselves out of the trouble then they will be hoping Tommy-Lee Higgs can continue scoring goals
A heavy 7-1 defeat to Chatham Town at the end of November spelt the end for former manager Robbie Blake
The ex-Burnley striker departed with the Rocks at the bottom with just three wins and three draws
Jamie Howell and Michael Birmingham were announced joint managers
Last weekend was a marker of the improvement the pair have made when they drew 1-1 with Chatham Town
meaning the Rocks have lost just one of their last five
Over the same number of games as their predecessor
Howell and Birmingham have picked up two more points with eight of those coming in the last five outings
It was Higgs’ equaliser that earned Bognor Regis Town a draw against the Chats a week ago having fallen behind through a Freddie Sears goal
Calvin Davies picked up a caution that will rule him out of the next three games
Dartford will be the third Kent side they have faced in a row having lost to Folkestone Invicta 2-1 a fortnight ago
Jack Jebb put Invicta ahead and Matthias Fanimo made it two
Jasper Mather pulled one back for the hosts in their last home match
Bognor Regis Town went three unbeaten claiming vital victories against fellow strugglers Canvey Island as well as Bowers and Pitsea
The Islanders were swept aside by the Rocks who scored four without reply
Whilst Pitsea were beaten by a single goal netted by Higgs from the spot
The most entertaining game came after those triumphs though
A 4-4 draw with Carshalton Athletic saw Bognor Regis Town squander a three-goal lead built up in the opening 18 minutes to go behind
Four minutes into second half stoppage time Higgs levelled to earn a point
Dartford wins: 6 / Bognor Regis Town wins: 1 / Draws: 4
Dartford 4 – 0 Bognor Regis Town (07/12/2025 – Isthmian Premier)Bognor Regis Town 1 – 2 Dartford (28/04/2018 – National South)Dartford 3 – 1 Bognor Regis Town (07/10/2017 – National South)Bognor Regis Town 0 – 2 Dartford (24/04/2010 – Isthmian Premier)Dartford 3 – 3 Bognor Regis Town (07/11/2009 – Isthmian Premier)Dartford 1 – 1 Bognor Regis Town (02/05/1981 – Southern League South)
In Dartford’s last three matches on this day a player has scored twice in a game
Alex Wall scored a brace against Hyde in the National League 11 years ago
The striker headed his first just after half-time and added another against the already relegated side
Charlie Sheringham netted two against St Albans City in a 2-2 draw
Ryan Hayes missed a last-minute penalty to win the match
it was Hayes who scored twice three years earlier in a 2-1 victory over Ware in the Isthmian Division One North title winning campaign
GrassbanksDartfordKentDA1 1RTUnited Kingdom
Telephone: 01322 299991Email: info@dartfordfc.com
Dartford FC prides itself on being a community club wholly committed to eradicating all forms of discrimination and we continue to take a zero-tolerance approach
we remind all supporters that anyone using discriminatory
or abusive language will be asked to leave the stadium immediately and will face future punishment
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Press & Media
2025
Butlin's Biggest Ever Soft Play Now Open
New soft play experience to open in Butlin’s Bognor Regis
Dartford returned to the top of the Isthmian Premier League table
after a goal in each half saw off struggling Bognor Regis Town at the MKM Arena
The Darts started brightly in front of 1,044 supporters
and were soon ahead when Samir Carruthers’s free-kick enabled Sam Odaudu to fire beyond goalkeeper Ryan Hall (6)
The goal was the defender’s fourth of the season
The visitors came close to adding a second in a positive opening thirty minutes
only for Olly Box’s superb solo effort drop the wrong side of Hall’s post (9)
The Rocks’ shot-stopper then pulled off a fine save to thwart Callum Jones (11)
before some desperate defending saw the hosts clear two Dartford efforts off the line in quick succession (27)
The hosts meanwhile had very little to show for their efforts in a dire first forty-five in the final third
with Tommy-Lee Higgs’ 36th minute free-kick being the only real shot on goal… which failed to trouble Jacob Marsden
Michael Birmingham and Jamie Howell’s side looked more threatening at the restart
Jasper Mather proved to be a handful at times
and he forced Marsden into a great save after 57 minutes in what was The Rocks’ best opportunity of a rather scrappy affair
Dartford soon responded via the excellent Samir Carruthers
who came close with a lovely turn and strike which curled narrowly wide of the far post (62)
A free-kick from Sam Odaudu was then tipped onto the crossbar by Ryan Hall (64)
who was determined to keep his team in the contest
Ady Pennock moved to freshen things up by replacing the tireless Olly Box with Eddie Dsane with nine minutes remaining
Josh Hill then saw his effort tipped behind by Hall
before Carruthers’ resulting corner was forced home by the hard-working Callum Jones to seal the points for the Darts (85)
The visitors’ boss then made a triple swap in personnel by bringing on Tyler Christian-Law
and George Whitefield for Samir Carruthers
as Dartford saw out the remainder of the game
Jacob Marsden collected his thirteenth clean sheet of the season
as Dartford completed the league double over today’s opponents and returned to the summit of the table in this fiercely competitive league
Callum Jones.SUBSTITUTES: George Whitefield
Match Photos Gallery
The Hornets are up to 6th in the Isthmian Premier Division after recording back-to-back league wins for the first time since October with a Boxing Day victory over Sussex rivals Bognor
An incident-packed ‘derby’ saw Chris Dickson fire Dom Di Paola’s side into a 19th minute lead which was doubled
Jasper Mather reduced the deficit within minutes but Horsham held on for the win despite having skipper Jack Brivio stretchered off and losing fellow midfielder Danny Barker to a red card
You can find a full report and photos of the match at the link below
Read Full Match Report
by Mark Hunt | Jan 31, 2025 | Front Page
Cray Wanderers v Bognor Regis Town – Saturday 1st February
Cray Wanderers begin February with the first of three home matches in the shortest month of the year with Bognor Regis Town making their first visit to Flamingo Park
Cray will be looking to bounce back after two straight goalless defeats on the road which ended a three game winning start to the season
Cray headed to Wingate & Finchley and a pretty dour game seemed to be heading for a goalless draw but Ben Watt’s stoppage time winner meant a 0-1 defeat
Despite the two defeats Cray remained in 11th place in the Isthmian Premier on 38 points and with heavy
boggy pitches now out of the way for the rest of the season with thirteen games of the season to go there are still plenty of point up for grabs and a chance to get back on track
Neil Smith did have the luxury of naming an unchanged side for the two away games and hopefully a freer injury room meaning more continuity
defensively Cray have been excellent in January and the goals conceded against Whitehawk and Wingate stemmed from Cray attacks and where the Wands were looking for goals
It has been a frustrating season so far for Bognor Regis Town who arrive bottom of the table on sixteen points and have won one of the last fifteen league games
Bognor have a more than decent record at Cray especially during the Hayes Lane years and did produce one of their best performances of the season to beat the Wands 3-1 on 20th September with goals from top scorer Tommy-Lee Higgs
Spencer Spurway and Dan Gifford with Kenny Coker replying late on for Cray
Bognor also last season were party poopers at the Wands final home game at Hayes Lane winning 5-1 after Nyren Clunis gave Cray the lead but there was no fairytale end epitaph as goals from Higgs
Craig Robson and Gifford made it a tough farewell
Bognor have lost their last three games but were unfortunate not to pick up a point on Tuesday night at home to Dover after Higgs gave the Rocks the lead but Dover fought back to win with a stoppage time penalty
So both sides were given a bit of a late kick in the teeth that soggy night
Bognor have come under new joint management in Jamie Howell and Michael Birmingham
Away from home Bognor have won at Bowers & Pitsea (1-0) and Dulwich Hamlet (4-3) and drew at Hastings United (2-2) and Potters Bar Town (1-1)
Cray Valley (0-4) and Hashtag United (2-4)
Unusually it has been Bognor’s home form which has been a bit indifferent for their standards with two wins vs Wingate & Finchley (2-1) and Cray Wanderers (3-1)
They did draw with Hendon and Carshalton Athletic but were beaten by Lewes
Bognor reached the 2nd Qualifying Round after beating Aylesbury Vale Dynamo but were well beaten at home by Margate
Bognor were one of Isthmian South-East highflyers
Sittingbourne’s victims losing 2-1 in Kent and in the Sussex Senior Cup were beaten in the 3rd round at Eastbourne Borough after advancing past Steyning Town
Higgs has 19 goals for the season so will have to be watched
With this being Cray Wanderers 29th game of the season there are still 51 points up for grabs and with Bognor eleven points off 19th place this promises to be an end to end game and one with so much else going on
There is the January 100 Club and Meat Raffle draws
hot food and drinks and bars and there will be live football pre and post match in the club house
It seems a long time since the last home game but with eight more games to go with the likes of Folkestone
Dover and Dartford still to visit this could still be a memorable end to our maiden season at Flamingo Park
U16-U13s – on gate or online on our ticketing page – www.cray-wanderers.com/tickets/
Cray Wanderers play the first of three home matches in February this afternoon as Bognor Regis Town are the visitors to Flamingo Park
With this being the first home match since January 11th
here Neil Smith looks back at the last four games including three straight away games
It’s been four matches since our last notes before the Potters Bar Town game with three straight away games at Hastings United
Whitehawk and Wingate & Finchley which saw two wins and end with two defeats
What are your thoughts on these January games
Yes it has been a hectic time starting with victory against Potters Bar
then we beat Hastings away before then playing on two very poor pitches at Whitehawk and Wingate & Finchley which helped our opponents
if you look at their home record they haven’t been beaten too many times so teams aren’t going to get many points as they know how to play the pitch and they do it well
Against Wingate & Finchley I don’t think they deserved to win but I don’t think we deserved to lose
We were just a bit naive at the end when we were a little bit stretched and that played into their hands
Overall the players have been amazing in January despite losing the last two games but up until then we had been playing very well but just a bit disappointed that we go into February with two defeats
Looking at our league position now of 11th in the Isthmian Premier league table
this is still a positive climb up the table from when we were bottom of the table in October isn’t it
we spoke about it as a team and we were bottom of the league in 22nd place so to come out of the Christmas period and the start of January moving on to 38 points and how we have turned around and yet the same players have lost the last two games but have still put a shift in
We only have a squad of 16 players and a couple of loan signings and players on trial looking to come to the club
The players have given me absolutely everything and through the season I know that they will never stop giving everything
Going back to the Whitehawk game I thought we played well on a difficult surface following bad conditions
I could just change it and we try to just hoof it long but we haven’t done that
The fans’ support for the last three away games has been incredible
Whitehwak and at Wingate & Finchley there was a real expectation and togetherness between the supporters and players
We are disappointed that we can’t win every week for the supporters who travel on a Tuesday night to the likes of Wingate & Finchley twice this season which isn’t easy to get to but the support is amazing and we are gutted we haven’t got the results in the last two games
let’s look ahead to Bognor Regis Town this afternoon
They may be bottom of the table but they seem to be improving and we tend to struggle against them although this is the first time we have played them at home
Potters Bar Town are one of the teams in and around us
Wingate & Finchley were saying they only need one more win four survival and every team at the moment are fighting for something
There are no easy games whether at the top or bottom of the table
They all want to stay in this division or to go up and it is a very competitive league
Teams are adding to their squads including Bognor Regis who have brought in players because they want to stay in this division
So it will be difficult but we will be looking to reverse the 1-3 defeat back in September when I remember travelling home disappointed but hopefully we can put things right this afternoon
___________________________________________________________________________________
Cray Wanderers FC – Flamingo Park Sports & Leisure – Sidcup By-Pass
Flamingo Park lies on the A20 and is the new home of Cray Wanderers and used for the Men and Women’s First Team
Academy side and the club house hosts live music and private events
For the 2024-25 season Bexley FC will also play their Kent County League Premier games at Flamingo Park
M20 – Follow the M20 for 16.8 miles then continue on to A20 for 3.6 miles then continue on to Sidcup By-Pass Road/A20 for 1.9 miles
Continue onto Sidcup By-Pass/A20 for 0.3 miles then take a left into the ground entrance and another left for the car park
A2 – Get on the M2 from A229 for 5.1 miles
After merging onto the M2 after 5.5 miles continue onto Watling Street/A2 for 8.7 miles
Use the left lane to take the M25 (S) slip road to M23 for 0.7 miles
Merge onto the M25 for 2.4 miles then at junction 3
exit towards A20/London (SE)/Swanley for 0.3 miles
take the 5th exit onto the A20 slip road to London (SE)/Lewisham for 0.8 miles
Merge onto the A20 for 3.5 miles then continue onto Sidcup By-Pass Road/A20 for 1.9 miles
Continue onto Sidcup By-Pass/A20 for 0.3 miles then take a left into the ground entrance and another left for the car park
Via A20 – If traveling from London take A3212
A302 and Westminster Bridge Road and at the roundabout take the 3rd exit onto St
George’s Circus/A201 and after 0.3 miles turn left onto New Kent Road/A201 for 0.5 miles
Then keep right staying on New Kent Road/A201 for 0.4 miles and then onto Old Kent Road/A2 for 2.6 miles
Take a slight right onto Amersham Road/A2/A20 then a left onto Amersham Road/A20 for 0.2 miles
Take a slight right onto Lewisham Way/A20 for 1.1 miles and then use the left 3 lanes to turn left onto Rennell Street/A20 for 1.9 miles
Use the right 2 lanes to turn slightly onto Sidcup Road/A20 for 0.3 miles then at the roundabout take the 2nd exit and stay on Sidcup Road/A20 for 3.7 miles
Then take the A222 towards Bromley/Chislehurst/Sidcup for 0.2 miles then at Frognal Corner Roundabout take the 4th exit onto the A20 slip road to C
Then merge onto the Sidcup By-Pass Road/A20 for 0.6 miles and then onto the Sidcup By-Pass for 0.3 miles
Then take a left into the entrance to the ground and another left into the car park
Via A13 – If traveling from Essex/East Anglia get onto the A13 for 11.6 miles
Use the left lane to take the M25 (N)/M25 (S) slip road to M11/M1/Stansted Airport/Dartford Crossing/A282 for 0.2 miles
At Mardyke Junction take the 1st exit for 0.3 miles and then use the right lane to take the A282 slip road to M25 (S)/Dartford Crossing then keep right at the fork to continue towards A282 for 3.8 miles
Use the right 3 lanes to stay on A282 then follow signs for M20/M23/Gatwick Airport /M25/Channel Tunnel/Dover for 0.6 miles
Continue onto M25 (signs for Dover/M20/Channel Tunnel/M23 for 3.3 miles
At junction 3 exit towards A20/London (SE)/Swanley for 0.3 miles and at Swanley Interchange take the 5th exit onto the A20 slip road to London (SE)/Lewisham for 0.8 miles
continue onto Sidcup By-Pass Rd/A20 for 1.9 miles and then continue onto the Sidcup By-Pass for 0.3 miles then turn left into the entrance to the ground and then a left into the car park
If traveling from Sussex/South best get on Hastings Road/Pembury By-Pass/A21 in Kent from A267 and after 9.4 miles continue straight onto Sevenoaks Bypass/A21 for 3.8 miles and then keep right to continue onto M25
After 7.9 miles at junction 3 use the left 2 lanes to take the A20 exit to London/Lewisham/Channel Tunnel/Maidstone/M20 for 0.3 miles
At Swanley Interchange take the 2nd exit onto the A20 slip road to London (SE)/Lewisham for 0.5 miles
The Car Park is free for supporters and there should be space between 700-800 cars on site
Please note bays in front of the main entrance are reserved for club officials
By Train – Nearest BR Station – New Eltham – 1 mile
Trains from London Charing Cross/London Cannon Street/London Bridge or from Dartford/Gravesend
There are four trains an hour heading to New Eltham from London Charing Cross
For returns there are also four trains back to London
From the station walk south-east onto Foots Cray Road/A211 for 0.3 miles then turn right onto Thaxted Road for 0.2 miles
Then turn left towards Sidcup Road/A20 and cross over the pedestrian footbridge and take a sharp and then a slight right towards Sidcup Road/A20 for 0.4 miles and then turn right and then a left into the entrance to the ground
By Bus – The best bet is to get the 233 from Swanley
Eltham or New Eltham which stops on Thaxted Road but is around 0.8 miles to the ground
Sidcup stops at Montbelle Road as does the 162 which also stops at New Eltham Station and the Fiveways roundabout and is around a 22 minutes walk to the ground
TAXIS – TAXIS – ALL DAY CARS – NEW ELTHAM – 020 8850 0032
Nearest Hotel: Premier Inn London Eltham
take A20 Sidcup Bypass until you reach Fiveways
where Sidcup Road meets Green Lane Premier Inn Eltham is situated on the corner and the entrance to the car park is on Green Lane
https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/england/greater-london/london/london-eltham.html
Close to New Eltham Station are the Beehive pub plus the Pope Street Bar & Kitchen and the Nest offers hot drinks/alcoholic drinks and live music
There are also places to eat and a wide range of takeaway outlets as well as Fish & Chip and a Pie & Mash shop
Alternatively if you travel from Sidcup there are a wide range of pubs to choose from
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Invicta welcome Bognor Regis to the Alcaline Stadium
Folkestone Invicta bring a run of five consecutive home fixtures to an end on Saturday with the visit of Bognor Regis Town
The fixture falls almost exactly a year to the day since manager Andy Drury took charge of his first game as permanent manager
coincidently a home fixture against Bognor Regis on 25th November 2023
The fixture ends a run of 5 consecutive home games for Invicta
leaving us with a double header in Sussex at Horsham and Whitehawk to end the month
After welcoming back a number of players for Tuesday night’s 2-1 win over Dulwich Hamlet
manager Andy Drury can expect to have a similar squad available to him tomorrow
Chris Sessegnon and Khale Da Costa are expected to be the only players missing
Andy Drury spoke to our Head of Media ahead of the weekend: “We are looking to follow up both a positive result and performance on Tuesday night and continue a run of back-to-back league wins at home
The players gave everything to both us as coaching staff and the supporters
who gave everything back to the players in return
The tempo and energy from the lads was at 100% from the first minute and it felt like that was then reciprocated by the fans and it can make the Alcaline Stadium and intimidating place for teams to come
we hope the supporters will brave the weather again and that in return we give them a performance that makes it worthwhile
Bognor are a well established side at this level and despite not having the greatest start to the season we expect a tough test on Saturday
They took 6 points from us last season so a result on Saturday will show our progress as a group.”
Bognor Regis Town have had a difficult start to the season
spending most of the opening 3 months rooted to the bottom of the Isthmian Premier Division until a point at home to Carshalton Athletic last Saturday lifted them up to 21st on goal difference
Robbie Blake’s side have scored 18 times in their opening 15 games
but it is at the other end of the pitch that problems appear to lie with 31 goals conceded
Away form has also been a problem for Bognor so far this term
20th in the league so The Rocks will be looking for only a second win on their travels this season
Invicta have failed to pick up a single point
from our last 3 meetings with Bognor Regis
but Invicta enjoyed a run of 3 wins previous to that meaning the sides have taken 9 points each from the last 6 meetings
Visiting supporters will be very familiar with Invicta’s current leading goalscorer
Dan Smith having spent 3 spells at Nyewood Lane before heading to Cheriton Road this summer
Robbie Blake joined Bognor Regis Town from Portsmouth in May 2018 as First Team Coach before taking over as manager in March 2022 following the retirement of Jack Pearce
Blake lead The Rocks to 14th place in his first full season in charge before a top 10 finish last term
Robbie enjoyed a distinguished career in the football league with Bradford City
Leeds United and Burnley among his list of former clubs
During his second spell at Burnley he lead the Clarets to the Premier League
where he scored the first ever Premier League goal at Turf Moor
Of Bognor’s 18 league goals this season
plus a hat-trick in an FA Cup tie taking his total for the season to 11 in 19 appearances
The 20 year old forward is a graduate of the Southampton academy
Supporters can pay on the gate for this fixture or purchase online in advance from our online ticket shop
If you can make it to the match you can follow the action via our X (formerly Twitter) account. Alternatively, live score updates are available on Football Webpages.
The Dugout Sports Bar will be open from 11:30am
Food and refreshments will also be available from the truck inside the stadium
located between The Dugout and the Folkestone Bowls Club building
We have FOUR new fanzone bars around the ground serving draught beer
one beside the tea hut window and one beside the disability shelter
The Dugout Sports Bar will be open showing all of the days live sport
A four-goal blitz in the first-half proved to be enough
as Dartford brushed aside struggling Bognor Regis Town in front of 805 supporters at Bericote Powerhouse Princes Park
As Storm Darragh raged around the stadium making playing conditions difficult
the visitors struggled to deal with the Dartford attack
Nor did the manager-less Rocks take the early warning signs seriously
as George Whitefield sent a header narrowly over the top of Ryan Hall’s crossbar in the third minute
before Olly Box did the same thing six minutes later
Olly Box then saw his 19th minute effort saved by Ryan Hall
before Denzelle Olopade put the hosts ahead after Josh Hill’s long-range drive was palmed into his path by the Bognor Regis goalkeeper (28)
The goal injected even more confidence into Ady Pennock’s outfit
and it wasn’t long before Box pinched the ball from under Bognor’s nose to fire in a second (31) to the delight of the home crowd
as George Whitefield got on the end of a lovely Samir Carruthers cross to head the ball beyond the hapless Hall after forty minutes
Then Dartford skipper Josh Hill scored in similar circumstances four minutes later after getting to Louis Dunne’s free-kick first
as the hosts’ first-half dominance was rewarded in style
Bognor Regis Town put in a damage limitation performance during the second forty-five
as the game became rather scrappy and the adverse weather conditions began taking its toll on both teams
Despite Bognor beginning to create the occasional opportunity
Jacob Marsden never appeared to be troubled as he went on to register his fifth clean sheet of the season (fourth in the league)
it was the hosts who came close to adding to the scoreline as Olly Box saw another effort saved by Ryan Hall just five minutes after the restart (50)
Ady Pennock made his first change in personnel after 65 minutes
This was followed by new Leyton Orient loanee signing Hayden Bullas coming on for Samir Carruthers (67)
before Samuel Okoye made way for Tyler Christian-Law (72)
the Dartford boss made a double swap in the 79th minute with Eddie Dsane and Duane Ofori-Acheampong coming on for Olly Box and Callum Jones respectively
we find Denzelle Olopade come close with a good solo effort (71)
before The Rocks’ skipper Calvin Davies saw red after receiving his second yellow card of the afternoon for a very late challenge on the excellent Sam Odaudu (78)
Having scored for the third consecutive home game
the excellent George Whitefield was awarded with the Man of The Match
as the result sees Dartford climb to fifth in the Isthmian Premier League table having won three of their last four league fixtures
while stretching their unbeaten league run to eight games
Callum Jones.SUBSTITUTES: Duane Ofori-Acheampong
Jasper Mather.SUBSTITUTES: Preston Woolston
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We are very excited to announce our upcoming fundraising event
Chichester & District will host our first-ever SamsFest – an afternoon jam-packed with family-friendly music and activities at Bognor Regis Football Club
SamsFest aims to bring the community together so we can all support the crucial work of the branch – and have fun while doing it
There will be performances from the very best local talent
A Tad Tighter
Kayla and the Cards
Big Red Band
4Sheets Shantymen
Adam Turner
but we will also have fun-filled family activities
What better way to spend part of your Spring Bank Holiday weekend than supporting your local branch of Samaritans
Doors will open at 1pm, and the music and activities will last until approximately 7pm. Tickets are £5 (plus a booking fee) – and children under 12 get free entry! Book your tickets now
The event will raise funds to support our crucial work
Our branch can run thanks to the generosity of the public
and fundraising events like this are essential to our mission
you will help us continue to be there for our callers 24/7
We will post further updates about the event on X. Be sure to follow us
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Samaritans is a charity registered in England and Wales (219432) and in Scotland (SC040604) and incorporated in England and Wales as a company limited by guarantee (757372)
Samaritans Ireland is a charity registered in the Republic of Ireland (20033668) and incorporated in the Republic of Ireland as a company limited by guarantee (450409)
Samaritans Enterprises is a private limited company (01451175).