Hastings United FC courtesy Hastings United FC

Come on the U’s!

Extra time, nerves kicked in. …Again, chances for both teams – penalties was getting increasingly closer and the crowd were getting more nervous….. More chances….. The referee blows his whistle – penalties it is! The cruelest way to be knocked out, but an excellent way to go through! When Platt missed Harrogate’s second penalty, the noise was incredible….. Tension was building, and Danny Ellis had the chance to win it for The U’s…. Over the bar…. Oh no! sudden death!!!  Elam then missed for Harrogate, which gave Dee Okojie the opportunity to win it for Hastings United! He dispatched it perfectly! Hastings are through!  Liam Willis previews the big match for Saturday.

Riverside Stadium courtesy wikipedia

NO fantasy, Hastings United FC have reached the FA cup third round and play Middlesbrough on Saturday  5th January, kick off 3pm at the Riverside Stadium.  Liam introduces the club to its latest fans with some background on the club: Based at the Pilot Field, the club changed its name from Hastings Town to its present name in 2002, redolent of the old Hastings United football club, which ceased to exist in 1985.

Our club is making steady progress, having been Ryman League Division One South Play-Off Final Winners in 2006/07  and  reaching promotion to the Ryman Premier Division.

Hastings Town’s  previous FA Cup success came in the 2002/03 season, when the club reached the First Round proper for the first time. To get there we saw a memorable performance against Kettering Town in a fourth qualifying round replay, and thrashed them 5-0. In the First Round  Hastings United was paired with another conference side. This time it was Stevenage Borough, away from home. Hastings United lost 1-0 and had two players sent off.

Town’s best run in the FA Trophy saw them play seven matches in the 1992/1993 season, including three games against Whyteleafe, before finally leaving the cup to Dover Athletic. Hastings Town reached the final of the Southern League Cup  twice –  the first was in the 1994/1995 season when Hastings Town lifted the trophy with a 3-1 win on aggregate to Premier Division side Leek Town.The next time Hastings Town saw the final was in the 1999/2000 season when Town played Burton Albion. Albion defeated Hastings Town 6-2 over the two legs played.

The Sussex Senior Cup was also witness to Hastings Town’s glory. Town has won the cup twice, first of all beating Crawley Town 1-0 in the 1995/1996 season and,  in 1997/1998, Town beat Burgess Hill Town 2-1.   Hastings have also lifted the County Trophy twice.

Our colours are claret and blue. To the fans we are “The U’s” and to others we’re just known as “The Arrows”.  Two  of my favourite chants for the club are:

“When I’m with you baby, I go out of my head,  I just can’t get enough, I just can’t get enough. All the things you do to me and everything you said, I just can’t get enough, I just can’t get enough. We slip and slide as we fall in love, and I just can’t seem to get enough of U, U da da da daaa da, U, U da da da daaa da, U, U da da da daaa da daa da da”

“There were 5 German bomber in the air, there were 5 German bomber in the air, there were 5 German bomber, 5 german bomber, 5 german bombers in the air. And the RAF of Hastings shot one down, shot one down. and the RAF of hastings shot one down, shot one down. And the RAF of Hastings, RAF of Hastings, RAF of Hastings shot one down, shot one down!” – Of course, this goes from 5 to 1.

Let’s hope there will come a moment on Saturday when we can sing to Boro:

YOU’RE NOT SINGING ANYMORE!!!

Come on the U’s!

Visit the Club home page

Highlights of all of the FA Cup’s action will be on ITV1 at 11pm Saturday night

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