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Eastbourne Borough

Priory Lane

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Capacity: 4,151 (600 Seats)
Club Nickname: The Sports
Year Opened: 1988
Pitch Size: 110 x 75 yards
Address: Eastbourne, Sussex, BN23 7QH
Phone: 01323 766265
Pitch Type: 3G
Shirt Sponsors: Norweigan Cruise Line
Fax: 01323 741627
Undersoil Heating: No
Manufacturer: Errea
Home Kit: Red and White
Away Kit: Sky Blue and White
Last Update: February 21, 2026

Although Priory Lane is a tidy and well-kept ground, it has a smaller feel to it compared to some other grounds in non-league football. While this can be disappointing to some fans, the intimate and welcoming nature of the ground is a plus point for others.

Home and away fans are rarely segregated at Priory Lane, but when they are, away supporters are placed in the River End Terrace behind one of the goals. This terrace is only a few steps high but does have some cover, which is helpful on rainy days.

The facilities are decent enough. Away fans are allowed to purchase food from the Main Stand, but don’t expect anything beyond the football norm of burgers, hot dogs and chips.

Away from the ground and away end, this is generally considered one of the better away days in non-league football due to the location of Eastbourne on the coast.

On one side is the smart-looking Main Stand. This covered, all-seated stand, has a capacity of 542 seats. There are no supporting pillars, resulting in good views of the playing action. However, the stand runs for about half the length of the pitch and strangely has been built mostly to one side of the halfway line, so that the team dugouts that are located in front of the stand, sit to one side of it, rather than as you would expect in the middle.

Opposite is a small covered terrace, called the Peter Fountain Stand, which extends again for around half the length of the pitch. In one corner this meets the River End Terrace, which is covered.

The opposite end, the Mick Green Stand, is a small covered area that is divided into two. The team entrance from the dressing rooms to the ground runs out from this end, splitting the terrace.

Pubs near Priory Lane:

  • The Martello Inn – Langney Rise, BN23 7DD
  • The Kingfisher Tavern – Langney Shopping Centre, Eastbourne BN23 7RT
  • The Farm – 15 Friday St, Langney, Eastbourne BN23 8AP

By car

Take the A22 towards Stone Cross and Westham. At the next roundabout, take the first exit again towards Stone Cross and Westham. Continue towards Stone Cross village until you come to a crossroads, with a church on your left and the Red Lion pub on the right.

Turn right just past the pub onto the B2104, Friday Street. At the end of Friday Street, turn left at the double mini-roundabout into Hide Hollow (B2191). After passing Eastbourne Crematorium on your right, turn right at the roundabout into Priory Road.

The entrance to the ground is about 200 yards down the road on the left.

There is a good-sized car park at the ground, which holds 400 cars, part of which is allocated to away supporters and is free of charge.

By public transport

The nearest station to the Priory Lane ground is Pevensey & Westham, which is around a mile and a half away. However, it is not served by any practical public transport that can take you to the ground.

It may be more practical to head for Eastbourne station instead. Although Eastbourne Station (which is served by trains from London Victoria) is around four miles away from the stadium, it does have public transport links and a taxi rank, whereas Pevensey & Westham does not.

Building started in 1983 when the club, who had just joined the Sussex County Football League, were leasing a playing field and storing their equipment in a garage. The first competitive match at Priory Lane was against East Preston in September 1984 which was won by Eastbourne by one goal to nil.

Over the years, the ground has seen a lot of development. Some of these involved piping a tunnel and installing their pumping station for drainage. The Peter Fountain stand was first built in 1989, named after the man who supplied the labour. This was later extended in the early 1990s.

Eastbourne Borough ticket prices:

Adult: £13-£18
Concessions: £9-£12
Student: £4-£6
U12: £4

Official Matchday Programme: £2

Lewes, Whitehawk and Crawley Town.

Record Attendance
3,770 v Oxford United
FA Cup 1st Round, 5th November 2005

Average Attendance
2023-2024: 1,363 (National League South)
2022-2023: 1,053 (National League South)
2021-2022: 968 (National League South)
2020-2021: 0 (Covid) (National League South)
2019-2020: 466 (National League South)

Reviews

Avatar of Brian Scott (Neutral) Brian Scott (Neutral)

Eastbourne Borough v Hemel Hempstead Town
National League South
Saturday 14th October 2017, 3pm
Brian Scott (Neutral fan)

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Priory Lane Ground?
 
I had intended to visit Bognor Regis Town but realised at the last minute that they were away from home in the FA Cup so I chose Eastbourne Borough instead.
 
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
 
The train journey down from Stowmarket was fine, but I had difficulty in finding the correct bus stop due to roadworks in Terminus Road. The bus journey to the ground took over 30 minutes.
 
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
 
I arrived in Eastbourne at 12.15 so I had ample time for a walk along the pier and along the front before catching the 'Loop' bus eastwards to Priory Lane.
 
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Priory Lane Stadium?
 
Priory Lane is a tidy little ground where most of the accommodation is under cover. I enjoyed a good view of the pitch from the seats.
 
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
 
Hemel Hempstead scored in the 8th minute and then on 45+2 minutes. Both teams had near misses in the second half, but it remained 0-2. I found the toilets to be in a very untidy condition. Rubbish not cleared up from previous games, even toilet paper plastered up the walls. Shows a lack of cleaning. Also no paper in the towel dispenser in either male toilet. The attendance was 507.
 
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
 
I left a few minutes early so that I could catch the 16.46 loop bus back to Eastbourne Railway Station. I was on my way back to London on the 17.35. On arrival at London Victoria I found that an emergency on the underground station had caused its evacuation and the fire brigade arrived a few minutes later. I walked to St James's Park and then went eastwards. I then dad to walk from Monument to Bank as circle line closed for the weekend. I was glad to get home after all that hassle.
 
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
 
I enjoyed my time by the seaside, but not the London experience on return.