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Whitehawk F.C. is an English semi-professional football club based in Whitehawk, a suburb of Brighton in East Sussex. They play in the National League South, the sixth tier of English football. Their ground is the Enclosed Ground, situated in East Brighton Park off Wilson Avenue, Whitehawk, just north of Brighton Marina. ==History== Founded in 1945 as Whitehawk & Manor Farm Old Boys, the club joined the Sussex County League in 1952–53 and after finishing third in their inaugural season, were runners-up for three successive seasons from 1954–55, and never out of the top five before changing their name to Whitehawk FC in 1960. In 1961–62 Whitehawk won the first of three Division One titles. The following season the competition was abandoned due to bad weather, but 1963–64 the Hawks retained the championship, finishing three points clear of second-placed Lewes. The next three seasons however, were nowhere near as successful, and the club found itself relegated at the end of the 1966–67 season, only to make an immediate return as Division Two champions in 1968. The next nine years saw Whitehawk continue to compete in the top division, until they were relegated for a second time in 1976–77. This time they were to spend four seasons in Division Two, before winning promotion as champions in 1980–81. In 1983–84 Whitehawk won Division One for the third time, and also enjoyed a good run in the FA Vase before losing at Corinthian-Casuals in the fourth Round. 1986–87 saw the Hawks finish as runners-up to Arundel, whilst the club enjoyed by far its best run in the FA Cup in 1988–89, going out in the fourth Qualifying Round to Bognor Regis Town after a replay, having previously drawn at Nyewood Lane. 1993–94 was another good season for the club, finishing the season once again as runners-up, this time to Wick, as well as having their best ever run in the FA Vase, reaching the 5th Round before going out of the competition to Boston Town. The Hawks won the Brighton Charity Cup for three consecutive seasons in the late 1990s. Having only finished outside the top three once in the past five seasons, the Hawks had now established themselves as the 'nearly' club of the Sussex County League, a title that has also been extended to cup competitions. 2002–03 saw the club once again finish in second place, this time to runaway winners Burgess Hill Town. A comparatively modest 8th place followed the next season, but in 2004–05 the Hawks regained their position amongst the leading clubs in the League, finishing just a point behind runners-up Rye & Iden United. The two sides also met in the final of the John O'Hara League Cup and the Hawks emerged as 4–3 winners. However, they were later found to have played an ineligible player in substitute Bertie Foster and therefore Rye were awarded the trophy. The Hawks could only manage third place again in 2005–2006 behind champions Horsham YMCA and Ringmer. Having been stripped of the League Cup the previous season, their misfortune in cup competitions continued as they reached the Final again, and also the RUR Charity Cup Final, but lost both, to Shoreham and Hailsham Town respectively. Season 2006–07 began as a two horse race in the eyes of most pundits with Eastbourne Town likely to be the club most likely to deprive Whitehawk of the championship. Despite the Hawks taking four points from the two League encounters it was Town who prevailed by a single point as both finished the season strongly, hoping for the other to slip up. That Whitehawk finished 11 points clear of third placed Arundel will have been of little consolation. It was a similar story in the domestic cup competitions as the Hawks were beaten once again in the Final of the RUR Cup, this time by Chichester City. It was another hard-luck story in the FA Vase as well after the Hawks had fought their way to the quarter-finals and found themselves at home to favourites Truro City. As 1,009 spectators filled the Enclosed Ground, the visitors won through with a late goal. The club finally achieved the league title success that had previously eluded them, winning the Sussex County League Division 1 in 2009–10 under manager Darren Freeman to gain promotion to the Isthmian League Division One South for the first time. In their debut season at this level they were in the title race but eventually had to settle for third place and with it, a place in the end-of-season play-offs. The play-off semi-final ended in disappointment for the Hawks as after a 2–2 draw with Leatherhead at the Enclosed Ground, the Surrey side progressed at Whitehawk's expense, courtesy of a penalty shoot-out. The Hawks completed a league and cup double the following season 2011–12, finishing as league champions to earn a place in the Isthmian Ryman Premier League for the first time, as well as lifting the Sussex Senior Cup after beating Crawley Down 2–1. The club had planned to play the 2012–13 season at the Withdean Stadium in order to redevelop the Enclosed Ground but this was blocked by the Ryman League, who were concerned that the club would not return to East Brighton. The club achieved back to back promotions in the 2012–13 season after winning the Ryman League Premier Division to earn a place in the National Conference South. For the 2013–14 season, the club intended to change its name to Brighton City Football Club but the FA Council ruled against the proposal. The Hawks struggled in their first season in National Conference South with manager Darren Freeman blaming the physical nature of some of the teams in the league. 〔 〕 After achieving three promotions in four years, Darren Freeman was sacked in January 2014 and replaced by Steve King. King ensured the Hawks retained their place in Conference South on a dramatic last day of the season at the Enclosed Ground against Sutton United F.C., with a late equaliser for the Hawks ensuring a 3–3 draw and an even later penalty by Dover Athletic relegating Hayes & Yeading instead. The club enjoyed their most successful season ever in 2014–2015, finishing fourth in Conference South and earning a place in the play-off semi finals against Basingstoke Town. After a 1–1 draw at the Enclosed Ground, a tremendous strike from fans' player of the year Jake Robinson in the second leg won the match 1–0 to earn a place in the final against Boreham Wood, who had finished second in the league. The play-off final at Boreham Wood's ground finished 1–1 in normal time but an extra time winner for Wood denied the Hawks what would have been their fourth promotion in six seasons. The Hawks completed the season with a 5–0 victory over Lewes at the Amex to lift the Sussex Senior Cup. A good start to the 2015–16 season was demonstrated to the nation with their widely-covered FA Cup victory against Lincoln City. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Whitehawk F.C.」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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