History | Lobfc

All images taken from The Centenary History of the Arthur Dunn Cup

The 1983 Arthur Dunn Final winners on their way to immortality.

Lancing Old Boys

Founded in 1883
Joined the Arthur Dunn Cup in the 1902-03 season as a founder member
Arthur Dunn Cup winners - 82/83, 83/84, 84/85, 92/93, 95/96, 99/00
Premier Division Champions - 65/66, 82/83, 83/84, 84/85, 90/91, 93/94
Junior League Cup winners - 73/74, 80/81, 97/98
Veterans Cup winners - 08/09, 10/11, 12/13
Division 1 winners - 87/88, 89/90
Division 2 winners - 16/17
Division 3 winners - 74/75, 02/03
Division 4 winners - 78/79, 91/92
Division 5 winners - 77/78
Jim Dickson 5-a-side winners - 05/06, 07/08

The early years...

It's fair to say that the LOBs were slow starters with their first 'material' success not coming until the 1965/66 season when they won their first league title. In the Arthur Dunn Cup they didn't reach a semi-final until 1929 where they were thumped 8-2 by the Old Carthusians. They were defeated again in their next semi-final appearance in 1938, this time to a solitary goal against the Old Wykehamists. The next time they made it to the semis wasn't until the 68/69 season, and yet again came up second best, 5-1 losers to the Old Malvernians, who with the Old Reptonians were the two dominant teams of the time.

It's no coincidence that the arrival of Ken Shearwood at Lancing in the 70s was the catalyst for greater things to come. In '72 they lost 2-0 against the Old Salopians and the following year 3-1 to the Old Brentwoods, both in the semi-final, then the breakthrough came in 1980 when the LOBs reached their first final. Nothing could separate them from the Old Chigwellians with the match finishing 2-2, but unfortunately the OCs ran out 4-2 winners after extra time, the final being played at Crystal Palace.

The 'treble double'...

Lancing lost the next two semi-finals, both against the Old Malvernians, and remarkably, on both occasions by 4-3! They opened their 82/83 campaign with a convincing 4-1 victory over the Old Cholmeleians before seing off the Old Harovians 2-1 and the Old Salopians 4-2 in the semi. The final would be a repeat of the 1980 final, but this time Lancing ran out comfortable 2-0 winners over the Old Chigwellians at Dulwich Hamlet, Nigel Bennett and Nigel Pitcher with the goals.

Bouyed by their Premier Division win, and the double the previous season the LOBs headed into the 83/84 season full of confidence, and it wasn't misplaced. A solid start to their league season led to another glorious cup run.

A 5-3 win away to the Old Cholmeleians in the 1st round was followed by a 2-0 victory at the Old Salopians and a 5-3 semi-final win away against the old Harrovians, coming back from 3-0 down! Their opponents in the final were the Old Carthusians who were seen off 2-0, again at Dulwich Hamlet, Martin Wyatt and Nigel Pitcher with the goals. A few weeks later they completed the 'double double' when they wrapped up the Premier Division once again - P16 W12 D3 L1.

The same group of players then contested the 84/85 season, and I guess it must have been a bit monotous for the opposition. In the 1st Round of the cup the LOBs were drawn away at St. Edmund's Old Boys who were dispatched 6-2. The Old Carthusians in round two proved slightly more problematical with two replays required to finally see them off 4-0 after drawing 2-2 at home and 1-1 away. The Old Malvernians were an easier proposition in the semi-final going down 3-0 to the LOBs as they marched to their third consecutive final. The Old Foresters were our surprise opposition, they finished six points off the bottom of the league, so a 5-0 win shouldn't have been a surprise to too many watchers, goals scored by Nigel Bennett (2), Nigel Pitcher, Gavin Sheridan and Chris Beale. The historic 'treble double' had been secured. Dulwich Hamlet proving a happy hunting ground for the LOBs.

During their historic three years of dominance, the LOBs played 45 league games, winning 34, drawing 5 and losing just 6, with a goal difference of +81.

In the Arthur Dunn Cup they played 14 matches, drawing just the two games against the Old Carthusians in the 84/85 competition. They finished with a goal difference of +32 and didn't concede in any of the three finals, Nigel Pitcher on the other hand scored in each of them!

A new era...

The LOBs then experienced a relatively barren spell, unsurprisingly perhaps, and their next appearence in a semi-final wasn't until the 90/91 season where they went down 2-0 to the Old Reptonians, although this group did win their first Premier Division title that season. The following year, after another strong cup run they ran into the Old Etonians in the semi and lost 3-2.

It was coming, and it arrived the following season. The Old Ardinians were comfortably beaten 3-0 in the preliminary round before victories against the Old Etonians 3-1, the Old Foresters 4-2 and Old Chigwellians 3-2 saw us up against the Old Reptonians in the final played at Motspur Park. A solitary Pete Alock goal was enough to secure the LOBs fourth Arthur Dunn Cup, and a fourth for Nigel 'Peter Pan' Bennett.

A 2nd round loss to the Old Carthusians in the 93/94 season was offset by a second Premier Division title for this group with just two points separating the top three!

The following season was relatively uneventful, losing in the first round to the Old Chigwellians after a reply, and finishing a distant second in the league behind the same team.

The 95/96 Premier Division was won by the Old Foresters on goal difference from the Old Chigwellians, the LOBs finishing just two points further back, the Dunn was going to prove much more fruitful. An 8-0 thrashing in the first round against the Old Wellingburians was followed by 2-1 home victories against the Old Reptonians and the Old Carthusians, leading to another final at Mostspur Park, this time against the Old Brentwoods. Finding themselves one down at half-time wasn't an issue, and four second half goals saw them comfortable winners, Ian Brown-Peterside (2), Martin Wyatt (12 years after his last final goal) and Pete Alock the scorers.

The LOBs almost backed up the previous season's Dunn triumph with a league win but agonisingly lost the title by one goal on goal difference, despite winning two more games than the champions the Old Foresters. In the Dunn they 'beat' the Old Westminsters 13-2 in the first round but were dumped out of the competition at home by the Old Malvernians in the next.

Another decent league campaign saw the LOBs finish a solid third in the 97/98 season but had a much more successful cup run. 4-1 wins away against the Old Haileyburians and home to the Old Wellingburians led to a 9-0 thumping of the Old Wykehamists and a semi-final against the Old Foresters where they came unstuck and lost 2-1.

The following season saw a slump in their league form finishing mid table, but once again the lure of the Cup was to be the highlight of their season. Seeing off the Old Bradfieldians 3-0 in the first round and the Old Brentwoods 4-1 in the second, they needed a replay to reach the final having drawn 2-2 away against the Old Wykehamists before winning 2-0 at home. Unfortunately they failed at the final fence losing 3-1 to the Old Salopians, Ian Brown-Peterside hitting the net once again in a final.

Yet again league form was a bit of a concern in the 99/00 season finishing just above the 'relegation zone' but fortunately for the rest of the league the Old Malvernians failed to win a match all season and paid the price. The Arthur Dunn was again a completely different story, a Preliminary Round away trip against the Old Haileyburians saw the LOBs ease to a 5-0 win to face the Old Millhillians in the First Round, a side they saw off 3-2 in a close encounter down at Lancing. Next up was a repeat of last season's final, but this time the LOBs cruised to a comfortable 2-0 win and earned a trip to the Old Bradfieldians in the semi-final. Yet another accomplished performance saw the LOBs come out 3-0 winners to secure a place in their eighth Arthur Dunn Final, this time against the Old Foresters. An even contest ensued and that the LOBs came out victors 3-0 was almost solely down to Ian Brown-Peterside who scored the first hat-trick in a final since 1952!

The ensuing years have not been particulary kind to the LOBs, the Old Witleians dumped the club out of the 00/01 Dunn in the first round at Lancing, undoubtedly the shock of the round, and a similar fate followed in the preliminary round at home against the Old Carthusians in the next campaign having drawn 1-1 at their place. The club then went on a losing semi-final spree losing to the Old Carthusians 2-1 in 02/03, the Old Salopians 0-1 in 03/04 and the Old Bradfieldians 0-1 in 06/07. The 08/09 season saw the LOBs break the sequence, and excellent wins on the road at The Old Etonians (0-4), Old Foresters (0-2) and a belter against the Old Westminsters (2-3) saw us reach our ninth final where we lost on penalties to the Old Carthusians having drawn 1-1 in regular time.

The Old Carthusians did us again the following season 1-0, this time in the semi-final at their place, they were in the middle of an extraordinary run where they won the Dunn 11 times between 05/06 and 19/20! The LOBs next featured in a semi-final in the 13/14 season, going down 2-0 at home to the Old Foresters having seen off the Old Chigwellians, Old Bradfieldians (walkover) and Old Reptonians in the previous rounds. The following season we wnet one better and reached a tenth, and last final. Excellent wins on the road against the Old Sennockians (1-6), Old Wykehamists (0-9) and the Old Harrovians (1-4) gave us a deserved home semi-fianl against the Old Salopians who we beat with ease, running out 4-1 winners. Our reward, the Old Carthusians...you can guess the rest, and a tight affair saw the old enemy win by a single goal.

The competiton has increased significantly in numbers over the last half a dozen years and is clearly much harder to win with more rounds to get through. The said, during that time the LOBs have failed to reach the quarters for far too long...this is about to change!

Arthur Dunn stats

Played 235 Won 113 Drawn 18 Lost 104

Reached the semi-finals on 26 occasions, won 9 lost 17 (lost three of four against both the Old Carthusians and Old Malvernians and all three against the Old Wykehamists!)

Played in ten finals, won 6 lost 4 (lost twice to the Old Carthusians, once on pens, once against the Old Chigwellians after extra time, and once against the Old Salopians)

Largest margins of victory:

13 - 2 v Old Westminsters 1st Round 96/97
12 - 1 v Old Amplefordians 1st Round 2016/17
11 - 0 v Old Eastbournians Preliminary Round 2005/06
1 - 11 v Old Etonians 1st Round 37/38

Heaviest defeats:

10 - 2 v Old Reptonians 2nd Round 1920/21
9 - 2 v Old Malvernians 1st Round 1903/04
9 - 0 v Old Wykehamists 2nd Round 97/98
8-0 v Old Malvernians 1st Round 35/36
0-8 v Old Salopians 1st Round 52/53
2 - 8 v Old Carthusians semi-final 28/29

We have played the Old Carthusians on 24 occasions, the most of any team, winning just three with seven draws, we've also met them in four semi-finals (W1 L3) and three finals (W1 L2), one to be avoided at all costs!
Against teams we've met at least ten times we have a better than 50% win ratio against the Old Harrovians (79%), Old Etonians + Old Reptonians (60%) and Old Foresters (57%).
We have lost all three fixtures against the Old Brightonians (the South Coast derby).
When they were still in the Cup we won six of our seven fixtures against the Old Wellingburians.
There are on average 6.5 goals per game between us and the Old Malvernians, and 5.5 with the Old Cholmeleians.
Most final appearances: Nigel Bennett 5 - 82/83, 83/84, 84/85, 92/93, 99/00 (5 wins), Martin Wyatt 4 - 82/83, 83/84, 84/85, 95/96 (4 wins), Pete Alcock, Ian Brown-Peterside, Ben Evans, Simon Kelsey and Ali Mercer all played in the 92/93, 95/96, 98/99 and 99/00 finals only losing to the Old Salopians in '99.
There are currently 16 schools currently playing in the league that we are yet to play in the cup.