Lingfield FC was formed in 1893, initially competing in the now defunct Edenbridge & District League for the first 20 years of its history. Throughout virtually all their history the club has retained its distinctive red and yellow colours, albeit in a variety of guises.

After much success in junior and local intermediate football the club applied to join the Sussex County League (and senior football) in 1980, but were turned down after the ground was deemed inadequate. However, Lingfield had more success with the Combined Counties League, which they joined the following season (1980/81). In 1981/82 Lingfield finished as runners-up in Division Two of the Eastern Division.

In 1983, with floodlights in place, the club was finally accepted into Division Two of the County League, with the promise of less traveling and more local derbies to look forward to. After three seasons however, they were relegated to Division Three, and intermediate football once more.

In 1993/94 Lingfield returned to senior football as runners-up to Bosham, but it proved to be a brief return, with relegation following the next season. In 1997/98 however, the club was promoted once more, this time as champions of Division Three, but again struggled to maintain senior status. In 2000 they finished bottom but avoided the drop, but were not as lucky with an identical finish the following year.

2001/02 saw Lingfield close to dropping out of the League altogether after they finished bottom of Division Three, only to be saved by the merger of Ansty Rangers and St. Francis Hospital to form St. Francis Rangers. The following two seasons however, saw a steady improvement, finishing 3rd in the table (albeit 8 points behind second-placed Bexhill United) in 2004/05. The club also reached the final of the Division 3 Challenge Cup, but lost 1-3 to Rustington.

In 2005/06 the Club fulfilled its promise of the previous season by going one better and returning to senior football after an absence of five years as runners-up to champions Peacehaven & Telcombe. Lingfield finished five points clear of third-placed Rustington, but the West Sussex club was once again to prove their nemesis in the Challenge Cup, beating Lingfield 12-11 on penalties after the two sides had drawn 1-1 in normal time. Astonishingly, the shoot-out saw no fewer than 32 spot kicks taken!

A mid-table finish in 2006/07 can be considered a satisfactory return to the senior ranks.

Description of ground
Over their long history Lingfield had a number of homes, prior to moving to Godstone Road in 1958, where they have since remained.

Located on the outskirts of the village more famous for its racecourse on the Surrey/Sussex border, the current ground, which is shared with cricket, is reasonably well-appointed with floodlights and a large clubhouse. The floodlights were officially christened on 2 March 1983 with a game against Brighton & Hove Albion, in front of an estimated crowd of 1,200.

The clubhouse is adjacent to the car park and in recent years has had a new roof added (see Bob Lilliman's archive pics), which is a major improvement. Tables and chairs are provided on a verandah beneath the overhang of the roof, from which the action can be viewed.

The modern dugouts are a fairly recent addition, having replaced a pair of rather archaic wooden predecessors on the far side of the pitch, although they once stood on the near touchline.

Directions
Traveling from Eastbourne & East Grinstead on the A22, take the Lingfield exit at the Mormon Temple roundabout (B2028). Turn left at T junction into Godstone Road (B2029) and ground is half a mile on the left. There is a large car park inside the entrance to the ground.

Nearest railway station: Lingfield (30 mins walk)

Map (link to www.streetmap.co.uk)