Mid-Sussex League Premier Division
Formed in 1900 the Mid Sussex Football League (MSFL), is one of the oldest grassroots football leagues in the South East of England.
The Premier Division, meanwhile, is the top tier league of the MSFL and was officially formed in 1974 to take the place of the former Division One which was the highest at this level.
In terms of tiers, the Premier Division sits at Level 11 of the English Football League Pyramid, which actually corresponds to the feeder league level of the National League System (NLS), being a regional feeder league that operates below the semi-professional level.
How The League Was Formed
Interestingly, the league was founded in Haywards (you can just imagine a few guys sat around a table in a country inn next to a roaring fire discussing this) and a restrictive rule stipulated that all clubs who entered had to be 12 miles from the town.
However, in 1903 this rule was relaxed with the invite extended to clubs on the South Coast including the Brighton catchment area.
There were originally seven founder member clubs that included Ardingly, Burgess Hill, Crawley, Cuckfield, Haywards Heath, Hurstpierpoint, and Three Bridges with Crawley Town the most notable having witnessed considerable English Football League success.
| Season | Champions |
|---|---|
| 2014/15 | Lewes Bridgeview |
| 2015/16 | Jarvis Brook |
| 2016/17 | Lindfield |
| 2017/18 | Newhaven II |
| 2018/19 | Rotherfield |
| 2019/20 | Season abandoned due to coronavirus pandemic |
| 2020/21 | Season was abandoned due to lockdown rules |
| 2021/22 | Sidley |
| 2022/23 | Hollington United |
| 2023/24 | Ringmer AFC |
The MSLF Premier Division acts as a feeder league to the Southern Combination Football League (SCFL), with the champions of this being eligible to be promoted to the Southern Combination Football League Division Two, however, this is not automatic.
If the champions do not meet specific ground and facility requirements, then they are prevented from promotion.
Interesting Facts About The Mid Sussex League Premier Division
For grassroots clubs and also leagues, generating the required revenue can be tough to meet the costs and as a result, sponsorship is key to helping clubs to stay afloat. Indeed, the MSFL boasts one of the longest consecutive sponsorships in English football, with the Gray Hooper Holt LLP Solicitors for well in excess of two decades.
Meanwhile, the league has been known to invest in its founder member clubs, having previously sponsored the training of new referees and having provided useful resources such as designated footballs and official flags for matches.
The league itself runs 13 cup competitions annually (across its 11 divisions), while it has also managed the iconic Mid Sussex Football Association Senior and Junior Charity Cups since 2002.
During the period between the 2014/15 season and 2023/24 season, only two clubs didn’t progress to the next stage in the football pyramid. In 2017/18, Newhaven II could not be promoted because they were a reserve team, while a year later, Rotherfield did not apply due to not meeting the criteria.
Across its 11 divisions, the MSFL has 120 teams, in addition to several veteran ones, while the geographical catchment area covers East Sussex, West Sussex and south-eastern Surrey.
The division directly below the MSFL Premier Division is the MSFL Championship which was formed in 2010 and the number of clubs promoted and relegated can vary depending on