OPPOSITION FOCUS | Eastbourne Borough (A)

Written by Ollie Heathcote

The Key Info

Founded: 1965

Nickname: The Sports

Manager: Matt Gray

Stadium: Reach TV Stadium

Capacity: 3622

The History

Founded in 1965, Eastbourne Borough have been on a journey throughout their history, recently transitioning into a full-time model. Their nickname “Sports” comes from the original name in which they were founded, with Langney Sports Football Club initially competing in the Eastbourne & District Football League. After their progress up the Eastbourne & Hastings League, the Sports began to see their future outside park football. In 1983, Eastbourne became founding members of Division 3 of the Sussex County League, where they regularly progressed up the divisions.

The turning point came at the end of the 2001/02 season, where Langney Sports was renamed to Eastbourne Borough, which reflected their presence across the entire town. Despite a failed attempt to achieve promotion in the 2004/05 season, they eventually reached Step 1 of the non league pyramid, beating Hampton and Richmond in the Playoff Final. Most recently, Eastbourne Borough was converted into a full-time model, which although proved challenging throughout the 2023/24 season, has helped the Sports to develop as they recorded a fantastic 3rd placed finish last season.

The Manager: Matt Gray

After the departure of Adam Murray, the Sports looked for an appointment who could help them reach the same heights as last season’s third place finish. The appointment of Matt Gray was definitely a surprise appointment, having been sacked following a four year tenure as Sutton United manager. During that time, he oversaw a promotion and kept Sutton competing, with an 8th place finish in his first season in the Football League. After consolidating their position in the division a season later, Gray was sacked from Sutton in the 2023/24 season.

The Skipper: Craig Eastmond

Joining the Sports during this summer, Craig Eastmond was quick to be named club captain by head coach Matt Gray ahead of this season. Operating as a central midfielder, Eastmond has a wealth of experience and has worked under Gray’s leadership during his lengthy spell at Sutton United. Progressing through the Arsenal youth ranks, Eastmond has experienced first team football in loan spells at clubs including Millwall, Wycombe and Colchester.

After a permanent spell at Yeovil, Eastmond moved to Sutton United, where he would go on to spend 9 years at. This led to him joining Wealdstone for a season before joining Eastbourne ahead of this season. He will provide exceptional leadership in the centre of midfield, and will look to utilise his football league experience to help Eastbourne push up the table.

LAST 5:

LOSS AWAY: 2-0 vs Horsham

LOSS AWAY: 2-1 vs AFC Totton

DRAW HOME: 1-1 vs Slough Town

LOSS AWAY: 2-0 Bath City

LOSS HOME: 0-1 vs Dover Athletic

Ones to Watch:

Name: Mazeed Ogungbo

Joined: September 2025

Position: Left Back

Mazeed Ogungbo is a familiar name for many Tudors fans, representing the club for the second half of last season. Joining the Tudors on a loan deal from Barrow in January, Ogungbo was quick to showcase his talents as a full back, whilst also giving the Hemel faithful a moment to cherish with an injury time winner in the Hertfordshire Derby. Mazeed was a regular throughout his loan spell, announcing the end of his stint at the Tudors with a goal against Torquay United on the final day of last season.

 Name: George Alexander

Joined: July 2024

Position: Forward

George Alexander began his career at Millwall, where he represented the Lions in the FA Youth Cup, alongside his contributions to the Under 18 team. He picked up one Championship appearance, before moving to fellow South London club Bromley. After two spells at Bromley, alongside his moves to National League South sides Welling United, Slough, Dartford and Chelmsford, Alexander has continued his eye for goal, averaging a goal every two games at Chelmsford in the 2023/24 season. After narrowly missing out on golden boot last season, Alexander will look to continue his consistency in front of goal this season as he aims to help the Sports push up the table.

 Name: Mo Sagaf

Joined: July 2025

Position: Midfielder

Announced as a new signing for Eastbourne Borough during this summer, Mo Sagaf has found himself a starting spot in midfield in recent games. Having worked his way up from non league at clubs including Leatherhead, Waltham Forest and Walthamstow, Sagaf earned his right to play in the football league, with League Two appearances for Carlisle United. Since his spell at Carlisle, Sagaf has represented Dagenham & Redbridge during their time in the National League, before helping Boreham Wood to achieve promotion during last season’s playoff campaign.