CLUB HISTORY

Withdean Stadium was originally constructed between the wars, as was the Sportsman pub and the four original squash courts. It was first a zoo and then a tennis arena smaller but similar to Wimbledon, complete with a centre court, one half of which remained until the 1960s.

In the late 1950s, the four courts were little used, and in a very bad state, with ivy growing through the ventilation louvres and down the walls and usually very cold and damp. The Council agreed to the establishment of a club to use the courts on Mondays and Wednesday evenings. Subsequently, the demand for squash grew and the courts were opened on other evenings.​

With the growth of squash in the seventies, the four old pre-war courts were not adequate and courts 5 and 6 were built, together with the changing rooms and the club room above. Later the glass backed courts and gallery were constructed, totally financed by the Council.

​​​At the peak in the seventies, there were nearly 1,000 season ticket holders. The club ran 8 men’s teams and 4 ladies’ teams, a junior under 12, under 14, under 16 and a girls’ under 16 in the Sussex leagues, plus many friendlies.

For many years, the first team were Sussex champions with the second team as runners up. This success led to players from other clubs wanting to join Brighton and play for us in the league, which resulted in weakening their previous club. When our third team became runners up to our two top teams, we made efforts to stop this.​

 

 

 

 

 

 

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We were men’s Sussex Champions from 1969 to 1979,1981 and 1982, and knockout winners for six years between 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981 and 1984. The Ladies won the Sussex league title in 1979 to 1982 and 1984.​

With the growth in squash, the Squash Rackets Association, organised a national club championship. Brighton won this in 1975, 1977, 1979 & 1980. The team regulars were Philip Ayton, Cambridge Blue, and still the most capped English International, Andy Dwyer, Pat Kirton, both English Internationals, Warwick Sabey, Robert Weir an Irish International, and Mike Westrup, as captain.​

We were also National Over 35 champions in1983 and 1985 & 1987, Over 45 in1995, and over 55 in 2007 and 2008. Regular players, Philip Ayton, Alan Hyde, Chris Frith and David Bowen are still active Club members.

For about sixteen years the Club staged The South of England Championships, which was second only to the British Open in the UK, with most of the world’s top players entering. On one occasion the early rounds of the British Open, itself, were at Withdean.​

In the late 1980s, a club member, in liaison with the Council set out to create an indoor tennis facility. The project vastly exceeded budget, though, ultimately, the courts were built, but with potentially serious financial consequences to the Club, which had to resort to the High Court to survive.​

Later the Council appointed a contractor to run all their sports facilities, which worked well enough, until there was less interest in squash. Ways to maximise the profitability of the overall facility were sought and, due to the decline in squash, we lost courts 5 and 6 and the first floor club room, which were re-purposed.​

However, the Council spent a large sum on the original pre-war courts, and the club room, now situated between them, to make them as they are today, but, unfortunately, the contraction has continued with the recent loss of the glass back courts and gallery, a great loss to the Club.

But, unlike many clubs, Brighton SC is still there after nearly 90 years and going strong.