Predators Football Club was founded in 1994 by parents whose sons played for Precinct United, who were the best team in the area at the time, and one of the best teams in Sussex.

The majority of the boys came from Bognor School and Precinct United had nearly 30 players signed on but as only 11 could play at any one time, and the manager played the best 11, the same boys were left out each week.

So eventually some of the boys decided to form their own team, with Predators formed by parents Mr and Mrs Gill, along with Mr and Mrs Barton. Trevor Gill was club secretary for over 10 years and Buster Barton was chairman for even longer. Their ethos was based on the frustration that although their sons paid a whole year’s worth of fees and put in the same amount of effort as the other boys they NEVER given a chance.  Predators would be different, and every child would be given a chance to play regardless of ability.

At the end of the first season, Predators played Precinct United.  At that point Predators had lost nearly every game and lost this game too (by 10 goals) with Precinct’s star striker, Paul Harris Jr, scoring at least 6. However Paul’s huge smile at the end of the game was because his dad, Big Paul, had agreed to sign him on for Predators after the game; Paul Jr just wanted to play with his friends.

Big Paul became coach the next season (1995), a position he kept until he sadly passed away in 2020. He drove the boys forward, always demanding 100% effort, regardless of results. He refined the club’s ethos further, ensuring that everyone would be given a chance, and if you put in the same effort, you got the same rewards as everyone else.

Their vision was best explained by the club motto, PACE : Patience, Attitude, Commitment and Enthusiasm. 

Predators’ first cup win

Not only did big Paul bring over his son, he also brought his parents to the club, who sponsored them for over 10 years, providing the team’s kits in the early years and without whom the club would have folded.

The boys carried on until the Under 16s, the last year allowed in youth football, without much success and not many wins, but always with the right attitude and effort. They got their rewards however in 2001 in the Invitation Cup. A great run took them to the final where they were due to play the mighty Selsey Seals. It was expected to be a huge victory to Selsey but Predators won 2-0 with Harris Jr scoring both goals, one a penalty and the other a curler into the top bins from 20 yards.

Watching that day was Jake Harris, Paul Jnr’s cousin, and the mascot was Adam Harris, Jake’s brother.  Both boys were inspired and wanted to play for Predators, and so the club went from one team with no trophies that was going to fold to being cup winners with three teams.

The Under 16 youth team then entered adult football, and more experienced players joined due to the reputation of Big Paul and they went on to win promotion from Division 5 to Division 1 in successive seasons and won the County Cup twice, the highest honour available to amateur teams in Sussex.

Predators went on and grew into one of the largest teams in Sussex with 14 youth teams.  They were also one of the first teams to join the girl’s league,  and many teams went onto success whilst still keeping the ethos of the club.

Paul Harris Jnr captained the adult side for many years and went into coaching youngsters and finished his career with many league, cup and county cup winners medals.

Jake finished his Predators career in his 20’s, winning the league and cup as a youth player and one the county cup as an adult.

Adam’s team won the league at under 12, going the whole season unbeaten. His team included players such as Alex Cooper, Josh Lauder and Shaun Bell, all of whom went onto to make over 150 appearances for the club and continued into playing for the adult team.  Adam’s team was managed by Alan Harris, Big Paul’s brother.

The adult team was such a success that a second team was created in 2005, and they also won many trophies so a third team was formed. The adult teams provided a natural gateway for the youth team players to progress into adult football whilst playing with experienced players, many of whom were former Predators youth players themselves.

The ethos and attitude of the club meant it was family orientated and it was the norm for all the siblings in a family to join, and at one point you would expect to see a member of the Bell, Cooper, Lauder, Harris, Hickman/Richards, Hillier, Meager, Cox and Edwards (Laa Laa) families at any one game and they were the core of the club for many years. 

Predators, 2011

In 2011 Alan Harris was managing his son Adam’s team, and they had the opportunity to play against a Real Madrid boys team at Chichester University.  This was a great occasion and although the boys lost they all enjoyed the experience.  Sam Hickman got the only goal in a very competitive match, a well taken penalty.

Predators U16s, 2023-2024

There is currently just one Predators team left at the club.  Formed in c2015, it was former player Sam Hickman’s mum Ali Richards who wanted to find a team for Sam’s younger brother Daniel.  Ali got in touch with Big Paul who suggested she gather together some boys and they would form a new team.  So Daniel ended up playing with a few of his schoolmates as well as other boys of the same age who were looking for a club.

The team were managed by Nathan Turnill, himself a former Predators player, who had a son, Thomas, who also was keen to play.  As the squad grew another team was formed which was managed by Steve Booker.  Steve’s son Curtis and nephew Oliver Flint played for this team and Curtis is now the U16s captain.

The teams eventually merged and Steve managed the boys as they grew to the U16s that they are now.  What’s lovely is that Jacob, Curtis and Daniel from that original team are still playing together, nearly ten years later. 

The boys won promotion in 2022-2023 with a nailbiting end to the season which culminated in a double header against Worthing Atoms which secured second place in Division C.   Read more here

So they start this season, 2023-2024, in Division B of the Saywell International (Arun and Chichester) Youth Football League.