Tomorrow night’s FA Cup replay against Jersey Bulls will be our 55th replay in the competition. The first came on the 21st October 1908, after we had drawn away to Shoreham in a 2nd qualifying round tie, and we lost 5-2, our goals being scored by E. Dabbs and A.Goodwin.

The most recent replay was at Corinthian-Casuals, in a 1st qualifying round match, on 7th September 2021; this match was lost 3-1, with Aarran Racine scoring our consolation goal.

Nine of these replays have themselves finished in draws, two being abandoned in extra-time because of bad light.

One of these draws was decided by penalties (in 2015, when we defeated St Neots Town), but the rest necessitated a further replay.

All bar one of these extra replays ended in either us or our opponents progressing, but in 1995 we required three replays before being knocked out of the competition by Buckingham Town.

That was the equal most replays we have had in one season, the other being when we reached the 1st round proper in 1999 after drawing with Deal Town, Chippenham Town and Dover Athletic.

Four of the second replays have been played at a neutral venue. In 1920 we defeated Folkestone atthe Pilot Field in  Hastings (the upper pitch, later known as the Firs) and two years later Shoreham were beaten at Aldrington Recreation Ground.

The Saffrons in Eastbourne was the venue for our win against Hastings & St Leonards in 1946, and Southwick defeated us at the Goldstone Ground, Hove in 1968.

We have lost 19 replays, with the biggest margin of defeat being five goals. In 1956 we lost 7-2 at Redhill and the third replay against Buckingham ended 6-1.

26 replays have been won. Our biggest winning margin is six goals, which we achieved with two 7-1 home victories, in 1957 against Haywards Heath and in 1992 against Egham Town.

We have faced replays in every qualification round, from the Extra-Preliminary to the 4th, but never in the competition proper; and now we never shall, as replays have been abolished from the 1st round onwards.

And there is one replay that would have normally taken place, but which did not happen because of special circumstances: in 2020 we drew at East Grinstead Town but, because of COVID restrictions, this match went to a penalty shoot-out.