Mid Sussex League

Tester Cup 1st Round

Saturday 12th September 2026

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 13.57

The View 2 Maresfield Village 2 (3-1 pens), attendance 10

38’ 1-0

45’ + 3, 1-1

55’ 2-1

58’ 2-2 (pen)

@ Buckingham Park

Upper Shoreham Road

Shoreham-by-Sea

BN43 6BA

No Admission or Programme.

This game was never on my radar, until I noticed just before midnight last night that it was switched from The View’s normal home venue at Nevill Playing Fields, to here at Buckingham Park. It was an opportunity to tick off yet another venue hosting first team football in the Sussex pyramid, which certainly appealed. Sadly, it’s not a great venue, being an open pitch in a huge field. There’s plenty of parking inside the complex, with the changing rooms hidden away behind the bowling club. The game was played on a pitch at the northern end of the field, one of five full sized pitches here and despite having a side to side slope, it was the flattest of the lot!

The game was between two teams in Division 4 South of the league, with both still yet to make a start on their league fixtures. It was certainly not a game of much quality and one of those matches where you question what on earth you’re doing there. The View hit the crossbar early on, with a 30 yard free kick and opened the scoring seven minutes before halftime, when a 25 yard shot gave the ‘keeper no chance. Three minutes into stoppage time Maresfield drew level, when a ball pulled back from the right was finished with a stooping header from six yards. Four minutes later they had a chance to go in front, but a penalty awarded for a foul was blazed over the crossbar. No idea where the Referee found nine minutes of stoppage time from, but it remained 1-1 at the break. Ten minutes into the second half The View went back in front, when a cross from the right resulted in a shot, but it was straight at the ‘keeper, but it rebounded kindly and was put away second time. Three minutes later it was 2-2, when Maresfield were awarded another penalty and this time they made no mistake from the spot. Despite the Referee adding on five minutes of stoppage time, neither side could get a winner and we went straight to penalties. Maresfield went first, scoring with their first kick, but having a shocker with the next three, being saved, hit wide and saved again. The View were much better. They scored their first two and despite having their third one saved, scored their fourth one to win it. You don’t get many penalty shoot outs finishing 3-1 (the league website has it wrongly showing as 4-2), but it about summed up the match.

A very easy traffic free drive that took just forty five minutes in each direction, via M23 and A27.

The park has a military history too, according to the sign on display inside the entrance.