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Hastings United F.C. (1948-85)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hastings United Football Club was a professional Football team based in Hastings, East Sussex, England.
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The U’s were born in highly controversial circumstances during the hot summer of 1948. The Second World War had been over just three years but already the world war was being used to describe the antagonism between those who wanted professional football at the Pilot Field and those who supported present incumbents, the Hastings and St Leonards Amateurs.
Seven days before United played their first Southern League match, a crowd of 2,000 turned up at the Pilot Field to watch a club trial game between the Blues and the Red and Yellows.
Hounslow v United in the FA Cup (first round) on November 20, 1954, was televised live. United won 4-2 and the clubs shared the £150 fee from the BBC.
United reached the first round of the FA Cup eight times. On five occasions they made no further progress, falling to Gillingham (1949), Ipswich Town (1956), Notts County (1959), Northampton Town (1960) and Enfield (1981). Hastings lost a second round tie at Northampton Town (1955) and survived until the third round against Norwich (1954) and Sheffield Wednesday (1955).
United’s 37-year Southern League record was: Played 1514, Won 555, Drew 365, Lost 594, Goals for 2394, Goals against 2530 and Points 1512.
Intense financial problems stalked Hastings United during their last 15 years. By 1984 United needed £95,000 to clear their debts. On June 6, 1985, at an historic town hall meeting, the directors agreed to surrender the Pilot Field lease. Although the Hastings United Football Club had effectively drawn its last breath. The rapid emergence of Hastings Town as a powerful force in local football was a significant factor in the demise of Hastings United. Town had the ideas and the money. Hastings Town-the then, modern name for the Hastings and St Leonards Amateurs club, booted off the Pilot Field unceremoniously back in 1948, were suddenly back where they always wanted to be.
