NOSTALGIA: Remembering the Renegades' football feats

It's 50 years since a little football team in Bognor caused a stir across West Sussex with a stunning season of success.
By The Newsroom
Published 14th Jun 2017, 09:00 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2018, 02:58 BST

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Renegades in their glory days, as a clash of heads holds up the 1967 Charity Cup finalRenegades in their glory days, as a clash of heads holds up the 1967 Charity Cup final
Renegades in their glory days, as a clash of heads holds up the 1967 Charity Cup final

And much of it was thanks to Petula Clark’s dad!

Renegades FC were formed in 1961-62 but it was their 1966-67 season that marked them out as a special bunch and is still talked about today among those members of the squad still living in the area.

Their biggest day came when they won the Chichester Charity Cup – a competition still played now – by beating Pagham Reserves 4-0 in front of a crowd of around 1,000 at Nyewood Lane.

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Around the same time they became West Sussex League division-three champions, having suffered just one defeat in the whole campaign.

They also reached the Sussex Junior Cup semi-final and lifted the Guy Walker Sportsmanship Cup for their upstanding behaviour on the field.

Tony Castley was in the team and delved into his scrapbook – some of which is pictured here – to recall the team’s glories.

The team was run by Leslie Clark, dad of singing star Petula, and the team made local headlines in the run-up to the charity final by training on the beach at Bognor because they had no regular ground of their own.

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In the squad that season were: Ian Bryan, Tony Castley, Brian Holmes, Fred Boswell, Tony Bisby, Vic Barnett, 
Terry Simmons, Mark Simmons (trainer), Jeff Tidiman, Alan Seal, Mick Hickman and Dave Murphy.

Tony said: “They were great days. We had a very good team for a few years, though it was 1966-67 when it all really clicked for us.

“Playing the final in front of such a big crowd at Nyewood Lane was quite something for us all.”

Renegades carried on for a few more years before players left and they folded.

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* Were you one of the Renegades cup winners? Send an email to [email protected] with your memories of the team.

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Related topics:NostalgiaBognor