The Sussex Community Shield in aid of Chestnut Tree House is due to take place on Wednesday 3 August 2022 between Brighton & Hove Albion and Littlehampton Town.

Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Littlehampton Town
Sussex Community Shield in aid of Chestnut Tree House
Date: Wednesday 3 August 2022
Kick-off: 7:30pm 
Venue: Sussex County FA HQ, Culver Road, Lancing, West Sussex, BN15 9AX

Last seasons Sussex Senior Challenge Cup winners, Brighton & Hove Albion, are looking to start the new campaign with silverware as they face the Southern Combination Football League champions, Littlehampton Town, in the Sussex Community Shield.

The Seagulls last lifted the shield in 2017, and Shannon Ruth, Senior Development Phase Coach, is hoping his young players can do so again.

“The Sussex Community Shield is a game that we value, a game that will tell us a lot about our players, and a game that we want to win off the back of a good performance in the Sussex Senior Cup at the Amex at the end of last season. 

“It is one we are looking forward to, it will be our first competitive game of the year and we want to start well.

“These games for us and our whole game programme is about trying to challenge the players in as many different ways as we can, we’ve got some new first years pro's in the group where some would’ve played in the Sussex Senior Cup, some haven’t, so it will be a first experience for them of playing against a non-league side, a side that are off the back of a really positive season, and you can see the challenge these types of fixtures give them.”

Touching on the opposition Shannon know that Littlehampton Town will pose a real test for his side.

“Looking at them getting to Wembley last year, they are certainly a side that score a lot of goals, but also a side that we feel we can score against also. 

“I think whenever you are a free scoring side, it is hard to defend well and attack equally as well. 

“So, we will be looking to continue to play how we play, and that is what being a young player at Brighton is all about, regardless of the opposition we have a philosophy and a way of playing that we have an obligation to ensure that we stick to and the players adhere to.

“We know that the game itself and everything that surrounds the game will be a real good experience for the players and will test them in different ways.

“We want to try and win every game we go into, obviously there is a way of winning and it is about the process not the outcome, but we hope that the processes that we put in place with how we play that they hopefully give us more chance of winning than it does losing.”

Shannon is also hopeful their will be good crowd at Culver Road to see the action unfold.

“For us what these games give is a good crowd to play in-front of normally, so that will certainly add a little bit to the game and add more pressure to the game for the players and will set us in good stead to go into our normal season.

“It is a game we certainly want to win, and we will be gearing the players up to know just what the fixture means and that it is a competition to win!”

Entry prices for the final are as follows (cash and card accepted):

£10.00 Adult (17+)
£5.00 Concession (65+ and students with valid student ID card)
£3.00 Child (16 and under)
£1.00 Official Match Day Programme
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For further details about the Sussex Community Shield please contact:

Competitions
T: 01903 753547
E: Competitions@SussexFA.com