Littlehampton at Wembley: Just one of many Sussex football success stories for 21-22

Worthing and Hastings Utd will feel they are finally where they should be having led their respective leagues for both of those unfinished seasons, and promotion for the two clubs will see the Rebels in the National League South for the first time ever while Hastings will enjoy Isthmian Premier Division football next season.

Worthing are champions!.

Littlehampton Town complete a hat-trick of Sussex title winning sides having won the Southern Combination Premier Division on the final day of the season and promotion themselves into the Isthmian League, a first for the Marigolds. And don't forget Roffey winning division one of the SCFL and Rustington division two - both excellent efforts too.

One of Golds' opponents next season in Isthmian south east will be Haywards Heath Town, who narrowly failed to progress in the south east Division play-off’ despite a change of manager mid-season which certainly didn’t unsettle any progress.

Hastings win the Isthmian south east title.

A Sussex derby will await Worthing as well after Eastbourne Borough exited the play-offs with a 2-0 defeat at Oxford City, and it was another fine season for Danny Bloor’s side which saw them fall just short but lay some good foundations at Priory Lane.

It’s not just been league success where Sussex sides have excelled, Horsham reached the FA Cup 1st Round Proper giving League Two Carlisle Utd a storming match before falling to defeat. And the silverware cabinet at the Camping World Stadium has a new addition in the form of the Velocity Trophy, the Hornets thumping Margate 4-0 to provide their supporters with some cheer.

Hornets lift Velocity Trophy.

But back to Littlehampton and what bigger prize than a trip to Wembley in a national competition where 600 odd teams start out in September and only two are left in the middle of May?

That is what Littlehampton Town face in the Buildbase FA Vase on Sunday as they become the first Sussex side ever to reach the final of the competition with only Newport Pagnell standing in their way of them lifting the trophy - this could be without a doubt the icing on the cake.

Ironically should they win the competition they are unable to defend it next season as promotion lifts them into the higher competition of the FA Trophy, - and in turn, should Wrexham win that final after Littlehampton play there is a chance they won’t be able to defend that trophy if they return to the Football League. One for the historians, that!

By the time the season will finally finish for Littlehampton three days after the Wembley trip they could be celebrating an unbelievable quadruple, a feat that might not be repeated again, it’s a story that just keeps on asking for another page to be written...