A trip to the South Coast to round of our fixture list for February! Lee Allinson's Tudors take to the road this afternoon to take on Adam Murray's Eastbourne Borough. Both sides come into this tie on the back of victories, with The Sports thumping Enfield Town away from home on Tuesday evening, 5-0. On the other hand, it was derby day delight for The Tudors on Monday evening, beating local opponents, St Albans City, 2-1 at The Focus Community Arena after a late 90+5 minute winner from Mazeed Ogungbo. Moving on from recent form, let's take a closer look into our hosts...
Founded: 1965
Nickname: The Sports Stadium: Reach TV Stadium
Stadium Capacity: 3622 Manager: Adam Murray
History of The Sports
Founded in 1965, Eastbourne Borough have been on a journey throughout their history, recently transitioning into a full-time model. Their nickname “Sports” comes from the original name in which they were founded, with Langney Sports Football Club initially competing in the Eastbourne & District Football League. After their progress up the Eastbourne & Hastings League, the Sports began to see their future outside park football. In 1983, Eastbourne became founding members of Division 3 of the Sussex County League, where they regularly progressed up the divisions. The turning point came at the end of the 2001/02 season, where Langney Sports was renamed to Eastbourne Borough, which reflected their presence across the entire town. Despite a failed attempt to achieve promotion in the 2004/05 season, they eventually reached Step 1 of the non league pyramid, beating Hampton and Richmond in the Playoff Final. Most recently, Eastbourne Borough was converted into a full-time model, which although proved challenging throughout the 2023/24 season, will look to be built upon this season, as The Sports currently sit second in the table.
The Gaffer - Adam Murray
After the departure of Mark Beard during the 2023/24 season, Adam Murray was announced as the manager to help push the Sports to achieve the goals set by the club. Murray comes with an impressive CV, with roles as an assistant manager for Championship side West Brom, League One Barnsley, and most recently, Cheltenham. Sitting currently in second with The Sports, Murray will most definitely be looking to continue a push for promotion with Eastbourne, as we near the business end of the National League South season.
One to Watch - George Alexander
After announcing his arrival at the beginning of this season, George Alexander has most certainly fulfilled his potential at The Sports so far. Bagging fourteen goals for the East Sussex side so far, Tudor fans maybe familiar with Alexander from our most recent outing with tomorrow's opponents, where the striker put three past The Tudors at The Focus in the reverse fixture.
Alexander began his career at Millwall, where he represented the Lions in the FA Youth Cup, alongside his contributions to the Under 18 team. He picked up one Championship appearance, before moving to fellow South London club Bromley. After two spells at Bromley, alongside his moves to National League South sides Welling United, Slough, Dartford and Chelmsford, Alexander has continued his eye for goal, averaging a goal every two games at Chelmsford last season.
Coming into this game off the back of scoring a hat-trick against Enfield Town, Alexander is full of confidence, and will pose a threat to The Tudors this afternoon for sure!
The Skipper - Brad Barry
Signing for the Sports at the beginning of the 2022/23 season, Brad Barry is a right-sided defender, who holds a wealth of EFL experience. After rising through Brighton and Hove Albion’s youth setup, Barry has featured for Swindon, Chesterfield, Dover, Barrow, and Stevenage prior to his arrival. Football has proved to run through Barry’s family, as he is the nephew of Premier League record appearance holder Gareth Barry. However, his experience throughout his career have helped him to craft himself into a leader, which he continues to show for Eastbourne. Before the appointment of Adam Murray last year, Barry was appointed as interim manager for a short spell, after the dismissal of Mark Beard.
Played for Both - Kai Woollard-Innocent
An individual that has played for both of this afternoon's sides, is Kai Woollard-Innocent. After making a handful of appearances in a Tudor shirt at the beginning of the 2024/25 season, Woollard-Innocent found himself returning to East Sussex for a second time, after his first spell at The Sports in 2020. A regular starter in Adam Murray's side, the left-back has impressed in his three months in East Sussex so far, and will sure be looking to put on a show against The Tudors this afternoon.
For those joining us in Eastbourne this afternoon, we hope you have a safe and enjoyable journey. Send us your away day snaps!
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