Eastbourne Saffrons Sports Club
The Saffrons
Compton Place Road
Eastbourne
BN21 1EA
Established 1884
Capacity 4,500
End names Larkins Field End, Sea End
Home team(s) Sussex
Current local time 09:09, Mon Oct 13, 2008 (UTC +0100)
External links Home Page
The Saffrons first hosted cricket in 1884, although cricket has been played at various venues around the town since the 1750s. The main Victorian pavilion was destroyed by fire in 1947 - its replacement was also damaged by fire in 1977.
Sussex first played on the ground in 1897 and continued fairly regularly until 2000. For a number of years HDG Leveson-Gower's XI played matches, and in 1921 an England XI captained by the veteran Archie MacLaren inflicted a remarkable defeat on Warwick Armstrong's all conquering Australians. But Sussex ditched the venue after complaints about the standard of the facilities. The land is also home to Eastbourne FC.
The name derives from the fact that saffrons, used for dying and in medicine, were once to be grown on the land.
Martin Williamson
Travel
Parking is plentiful on the ground and in surrounding streets. Eastbourne station is about half a mile away (15 minutes walk). There are buses which pass the venue.
