West Hoathly - Sports

Sports

Jasper Vinall from West Hoathly was the first cricketer known to have been killed while playing the game. This happened on 28 August 1624 at Horsted Keynes, East Sussex. Jasper Vinall was batting with Edward Tye, who also came from West Hoathly. Some say that along with Jade Dernbach, Jasper Vinall is one of only two English cricketers named after a precious stone.

West Hoathly Football Club were founded in 1902 and currently play their games at The Recreation Ground, The club is split into two teams with the First team playing in the Mid Sussex Division 3 and the seconds in Division 9. The best days of the clubs history came in the 1980s where the team won the county league in five consecutive seasons a feat yet to be reproduced since.

The 2011/12 season was very hard on the team with many players leaving and moving on, Subsequently both the first XI and second XI teams were unfortunately relegated to Division 3 and Division 9 respectively. The first team is managed by John Kendall who also runs coaching sessions for both teams, whilst Chris Young runs the second XI. The kit for both teams is Home - Black and White stripes, Black shorts, Black socks Away - White with Red bar down the centre of the shirt, Red shorts, Red Socks

The team plays its home game at West Hoathly's Recreation Ground, The Pavilion which the team uses as its home area and changing rooms was given to the team in 1925 and since then has undergone many refurbishments the last one being in the 1980s, and now the rooms are sadly in a very bad state with the current set up not passing The FA standard regulations but fortunately in April 2012 the local parish council agreed to let the team redevelop the pavilion adding in two new rooms on either side creating wet and dry rooms and a spacious area with patio area to help house local clubs/sports and scout groups. This work will take place over the summer of 2012 and be undertaken on the majority by members of the parish and team players already in the construction and decorating industry. Hopefully in the future the club will be able to create a youth team which can be run by players in the first and second XI who are keen on getting into coaching and create a lasting legacy and flow of talent coming through the club.