Polegate Town Football Club Celebrate Historic Promotion to Step 7

Polegate Town Football Club’s (PTFC) first team clinched a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Reigate Priory in a final day showdown to secure promotion from the Mid Sussex Championship. With everything on the line, PTFC knew only a win would see them move up, while Reigate just needed to avoid defeat to seal promotion for themselves.

It was a tightly contested affair, but a first-half strike from Callam Jones (see photo) proved to be the difference. Reigate created their share of chances and came agonisingly close – seeing the ball cleared off the Polegate goal line three times—but PTFC’s defence held firm under pressure.

The result means Polegate finish the season as runners-up behind champions Lindfield, earning promotion to the Mid Sussex Premier Division and Step 7, for the first time in the club’s history. Reigate, meanwhile, end their campaign in third.

It’s a particularly special achievement for manager Scott Defty, who took over last summer and introduced a wave of young players, many making their first steps in senior football. Reflecting on the season, Defty said: “Hard work pays off when you play with courage and belief in equal measure. These boys deserve huge amounts of credit for that.”

It’s been a strong year across the club too, with the 2nd team—led by Mark Davis—also pushing for promotion and narrowly missing out, finishing 3rd in Division 3 South.

Photo credits: Andrew Hazelden and Liam Brooks