Only 25 years old, Chichester City won their first promotion into the Isthmian Premier having had previous spells in the Sussex County and Southern Combination Leagues. The Lillywhites have won two county titles under different names, first as Chichester City United in 2004 and then in their current guise in 2019. That second title elevated the Sussex side to the Isthmian Division One South East where they won the playoff final before last season’s fine showing in their debut Isthmian Premier campaign.
2024/2025 Season Isthmian Premier: 6th F.A Cup: 2ndQualifying Round F.A Trophy: 2nd Round County Cup: 2nd Round Top League Scorer: Jimmy Wild (25 goals)
On the final day of last season Chichester City knew that if they beat their opponents Dover Athletic, they would have qualified for the playoffs. That would have given the Sussex side a shot at double promotion, but it wasn’t to be. By mid-December the Lillywhites were 21 points behind league leaders Dover Athletic, but all that changed. Chichester City won seven in a row amidst an unbeaten run of 11 matches. In fact, they only lost once in three months up to mid-March. The final run-in saw them claw back the deficit taking the last playoff place down to the last day. In the end they ended three points short, but what a great debut.
Manager – Miles Rutherford
A decade ago Chichester City began their transformation when they appointed Miles Rutherford. The former Moneyfields boss with Daniel Potter and late Graeme Gee saw results improve for the Sussex side. Later Darin Killpartrick joined the management team. Records have been set in the league, F.A Cup and F.A Vase and still the club is progressing. Rutherford has been part of a Southern Combination title, a playoff promotion and a F.A Cup second round appearance.
Summer Transfers
Once again Chichester City have managed to keep the majority of their squad together. One problem they will need to solve is a temporary replacement for Jimmy Wild. The striker top scored in 2024/2025 and injury means he will miss the start of this season. The Sussex club have been trying out Billy Vigar in recent friendlies. Vigar is a former Arsenal youngster and has played for Eastbourne Borough and Hastings United. Jack Farrier returns to Chichester City, the defender signs from Petersfield Town. Rob Hutchings has been named captain.
One confirmed departure is Charlie Bennett, who joins Three Bridges. Another is Curtis Da Costa, who is looking for more game time.
Isthmian Premier League leaders Dartford aim to create history when they host Chichester City on Tuesday night.
An eleventh win in row will set a club record for one season for the Darts and in the process will extend their unbeaten run to an incredible 20 league games. Adrian Pennock’s side recorded a tenth consecutive victory on the weekend beating Hashtag United. Chichester City are second in the form table behind Dartford. Over the last nine fixtures, the two sides have claimed a combined 52 points out of 54 available.
Pennock selected an unchanged team to take on Hashtag United on the weekend, having led the Darts to victory a week earlier versus Bowers and Pitsea. On Saturday, the lead at the summit changed even though Dartford went in front against the Tags through Callum Jones’ penalty. The striker netted his third in as many matches and fourth in fifth to take his tally to 11 in all competitions. With Billericay Town moving into pole position during the afternoon on goal difference, Olly Box’s eleventh league strike of the season wrestled top spot back from the Essex side.
A fourth consecutive victory at Princes Park means the Darts have gone nine without defeat at home. A consecutive home clean sheet for goalkeeper Jacob Marsden also means Dartford now have the second best defence in the division. Five points now separate the top five, so the Darts will need to make home advantage count considering they host five of the current top nine between now and the end of the season.
Pennock welcomed ‘a big three points’ on the weekend and is looking forward to the mid-week fixture, he spoke to Dartford FC TV and said: “We go again on Tuesday against another good team. We drew 2-2 at their place and they have got some very good footballers. We’re going in the right direction…but it’s another big game for us on Tuesday”. The Dartford boss thanked the fans and urged them to continue their excellent support for the remainder of the season.
Dartford let slip a two goal lead in November’s reverse fixture at Oaklands Park. Despite holding the advantage and only coming away with a point, Pennock felt a draw at the time was a good result. Box scored for a third game in a row to put Dartford ahead, then an own goal from Ben Pashley doubled their lead. In the second half the hosts fought back to earn a 2-2 draw. First, Ethan Prichard pulled one back, then Isaac Bello equalised leaving the spoils shared.
In the context of this season, Dartford had just come out of a period of seven without a league win and had begun to put an unbeaten run together. The stalemate in Sussex stretched the sequence to six matches without defeat, a sequence the Darts keep extending.Chichester City lost three in a row after that comeback, but since then they have climbed the table and are aiming for the playoff places.
The Lillywhites are currently unbeaten in nine league outings and have won the last seven. On the road the Sussex club have won four in a row. On the weekend their game against Folkestone Invicta was postponed, so now they have games in hand over teams above them. Chichester City will want to make those fixtures count as they are currently nine points adrift of the final playoff place.
The Sussex side will approach Tuesday night’s match having had extra rest. Chichester City’s last outing ended in a successive 2-1 victory. The Lillywhites beat Wingate and Finchley at home with all the goals coming in the fist half. Top scorer, Jimmy Wild added his 21st league goal of the season with the opener. The visitors hit back a few minutes later through Ogo Obi, but a penalty in first half injury time by Curtis Da Costa turned out to be the decider. A week earlier, Lloyd Rowlatt netted a 97th winner at Dulwich Hamlet.
Over the last nine games only Whitehawk have managed to take points from Chichester City. On the way to recording seven straight victories, the Lillywhites have also beaten Hendon, Carshalton Athletic, Bognor Regis Town, Chatham Town and Bowers and Pitsea. The last side to defeat the Sussex club was Cray Wanderers back in early December.
Chichester City 2 – 2 Dartford (26/11/2024 – Isthmian Premier)
Statistics
Dartford are unbeaten in 19 league games. Another two unbeaten matches will equal the 21 without defeat during the 2007/2008 Isthmian Division One North title winning season.
The Darts could keep a third consecutive home clean sheet in the league for the first time in two years
Dartford have scored in 18 straight league games, their best run in a season since the start of the 2022/2023 campaign
On This Day
On this day Gosport Borough striker, Rowan Vine ended up in goal for seventy minutes as Dartford cruised to a 4-0 victory in Hampshire. Mark Childs was making his Borough debut before getting injured. The experienced Vine, who made plenty of Championship appearances in his playing days donned the gloves as there was no goalkeeper named on the bench. The Darts took full advantage with goals from Andy Pugh, Luke Wanadio, Keaton Wood and Kaka Dembele helping Dartford to their 2017 National South title charge. Two years ago the Darts beat Chippenham Town 2-0 with goals from midfield pair Jack Smith and Luke Allen. Dartford have won five of their last seven on this day, drawing one and losing the other.
Dartford face Isthmian South East playoff winners Chichester City for the first time ever on Tuesday night.
The Darts have never visited Oaklands Park and will be keen to extend their unbeaten league run to six. Adrian Pennock’s side moved to within four points of the top five, but are down in twelfth in a tightly congested table. Playing in the Isthmian Premier for the first time in their relatively short history, Chichester City are just a place and point behind the Darts.
Eleven days without a game did Samir Carruthers, Sam Okoye and Oliver Box a world of good allowing the trio to recover from recent injuries and start against Lewes. However, the game came too soon for Michael Olarewaju, who is expected to be out for another four to five weeks with a hamstring injury. Eddie Dsane may be in contention this week after sustaining a shoulder injury in the League Cup win at Erith Town. Duane Ofori-Acheampong missed the Lewes match through suspension, but will be available on Tuesday night. Ade Yusuff, who is on dual registration was unavailable on the weekend as his parent club Hornchurch named the forward in their squad.
After a run of one point from an available 15, Dartford’s form is improving. The 2-0 victory over Lewes on Saturday means Pennock’s side have now won two and drawn three of their last five Isthmian Premier matches. In recent matches, the Darts created plenty of opportunities without taking full advantage. A dominant display against Lewes, who were occupying the final playoff spot ended in a deserved win on the weekend. Carruthers had his free kick tipped onto the post with quarter of an hour gone. Then the Darts edged closer to scoring an opener towards the end of the first half. Box, Callum Jones and Denzelle Olopade had chances before Box scored his fifth of the season.
Early in the second half, Jacob Marsden had to be alert by tipping a deflected cross onto the crossbar, then saving a one on one. However, just before an hour had been played George Whitefield put daylight between the hosts and the visitors. Scrambling in the second goal, the defender has now netted twice in his last two home appearances. Jones went on to hit the post in search of his first goal in ten appearances. Moments later the striker was fouled, leading to Ethan Kaiser’s second yellow card that left Lewes down to ten men.
Pennock is putting trust in his young squad and once again six players with links to Dartford’s academy featured on the weekend. October’s academy Player of the Month, Blu Husthwaite came on as a late substitute making his first league appearance. The youngster had already made his debut as a starter in the Kent Senior Cup tie. With the recent upturn in form and the use of the youngsters, Pennock is happy with progress being made, he told Dartford FC TV after the Lewes win: “We’re going in the right direction, but there is a long way to go and still a lot to do. We’re looking forward to Tuesday, another tough one and then we’ve got Hastings away on Saturday. So the games are coming thick and fast and we need everybody ready”.
Looking ahead the Darts could make a push towards the playoff places. After taking on Chichester City they face two more Sussex sides both currently in the relegation zone. On Saturday they visit Hastings United, then a week later host Bognor Regis Town.
Dartford’s fixture with newly promoted Chichester City was due to take place last month. But with the Lillywhites still in the F.A Trophy the game needed rearranging. This means Chichester City play host for a fifth time in a row on Tuesday night. In that time the Sussex club have picked up a win, draw and suffered defeat in the league, as well as losing their F.A Trophy second round tie to Dartford’s F.A Cup conquerors Worthing. The Lilywhites, similarly to the Darts, were dealt a blow by Danny Cashman. The forward netted the winner with three minutes remaining in a game that finished 3-2.
So after a break from league action the Lilywhites faced another tough fixture at Oaklands Park against title challengers Billericay Town. Chichester City’s performance in the trophy was an improvement on their previous Isthmian Premier outing, in which they were beaten 4-0 on home soil against Hashtag United.
The Lillywhites came from behind to beat Billericay Town, who had taken the lead through former Dart, Tyrell Miller-Rodney. In the space of three first half minutes the hosts turned the game around. First, Jimmy Wild equalised and then Ethan Prichard put Chichester City ahead. Prichard scored again in the second half to add a third.
The Sussex side have performed better at home winning half of their Isthmian Premier fixtures at Oaklands Park. Helped by the goals of Wild, who has netted 16 this term, Chichester City have settled into the division during their debut campaign.
Current League Form
Dartford (LDDWDW)
Chichester City (LLWDLW)
Lewes
H
2-0
Billericay Town
H
3-1
Hashtag United
A
3-3
Hashtag United
H
0-4
Cheshunt
H
2-1
Horsham
H
1-1
Potters Bar Town
A
1-1
Canvey Island
A
3-2
Cray Valley (PM)
H
0-0
Bowers and Pitsea
A
1-2
Wingate & Finchley
H
2-3
Cray Valley (PM)
A
2-2
Statistics
Dartford are on their longest unbeaten run in all competitions under Adrian Pennock (W3, D3).
The Darts are on their longest unbeaten league run since February 2023 (5 games)
Dartford have won just one of their last seven away games in all competitions drawing the last two
Oliver Box is now Dartford’s second highest scorer from the current squad with 11 goals. His goal on the weekend took him past Duane Ofori-Acheampong and he’s now two goals behind Samir Carruthers
On This Day
Elliot Bradbrook scored a F.A Trophy hat-trick on this day eight years ago to send Dartford into round one. Weston-super-Mare took the lead through Bradley Ash, but before the break Andy Pugh levelled. Bradbrook put the Darts back in front and the tie could have turned after Tom Bonner was sent off. Ash converted the subsequent penalty equalising for the hosts. A replay would have been a good result with ten men, however Bradbrook had other ideas scoring twice to claim the match ball and a 4-2 victory. That win is Dartford’s only triumph on this day in the last six outings. Three years later Dartford went out at the same stage of the competition to local rivals Maidstone United.
In 2022, the Darts secured a 3-1 home win over Concord Rangers to move top of the National South. Carruthers opened the scoring in the first half, but prior the interval the visitors were level from the spot when Mo Bettamer made it 1-1. The Darts ran out winners in the second half with goals from Pierre Fonkeu and an own goal by Aron Pollock.
Only 24 years old, Chichester City won their first promotion into the Isthmian Premier having had previous spells in the Sussex County and Southern Combination Leagues. The Lillywhites have won two county titles under different names, first as Chichester City United in 2004 and then in their current guise in 2019. That second title elevated the Sussex side to the Isthmian Division One South East where they won last season’s playoff final.
2023/2024 Season Isthmian Division One South East: 5th F.A Cup: Extra Preliminary Round F.A Trophy: 1st Qualifying Round County Cup: 1st Round Top League Scorer: Jimmy Wild (17 goals)
Chichester City put their foot down from February to secure the last playoff spot. One defeat in their final 15 league games included a 7-1 victory, eight clean sheets in a row and a 6-1 win. Only runners up Ramsgate took maximum points from the Lillywhites in that period. But Chichester City had the final word beating the Rams in the playoff semi-final before destroying Three Bridges 5-0 in the final.
Manager – Daniel Potter
A Senior Lecturer in Football Coaching and Performance, Daniel Potter has been first team coach at Chichester City since 2015. He also has playing experience having spent three seasons in the National League. Under Potter, Chichester City have transformed going from the Southern Combination League to progressing to the Isthmian Premier. In 2019, the Sussex club reached the second round of the F.A Cup after six rounds of qualifying under their current boss.
Next Meetings
Chichester City v Dartford – Saturday 26th October 2024 Dartford v Chichester City – Saturday 11th January 2025
