One of Sussex’s most successful women’s football teams is set to return with help from former Albion Women's manager George Parris.

Whitehawk Women, formerly Whitehawk Ladies, were disbanded in 2011 but are now recruiting players before getting back on the pitch next season.

The club were previously at the forefront of the women’s game – having won multiple titles, making it to the fifth round of the women’s FA cup, and even reaching the semi-finals of the Premier League Cup.

Hawks chairman Andy Schofield said: “We are absolutely delighted to announce the return of the women’s section of the club.

“We had one of the best teams in the region for quite a while, when women’s football was struggling to be accepted.

“Now is the right time to welcome back a part of the club that has been sadly missing. We want to once more inspire and create football opportunities for girls and women in our local community.”

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Hoping to return to winning ways, the club are bringing in former West Ham player and Albion Women's manager George Parris as a consultant ahead of the first games at The Enclosed Ground, where the men’s team also play their matches.

“It’s fantastic news that the women’s side is returning,” said George, who previously managed the Hawks men's team.

“My role is to get the club up and running again and getting everything in place. We want to make sure the community is involved, and that the team are enjoying their football.”

Whitehawk Women saw many notable players on the team the last time around, including Angela Banks, who featured in the 1999 England squad, and the FA’s current director of Women’s Football, Kelly Simmons, who played for the club in the 2005/06 season.

The club have already gained support from the community, with Jody East, the curator of Goal Power - an exhibition in Brighton celebrating the history of women’s football – saying she is delighted to hear that Whitehawk Women are returning.

“It’s absolutely brilliant that Brighton and Hove now has another women’s team,” she said.

“The area has so much heritage in women’s football. We were a pioneering area for the women’s game back in the 1960s.”

“Whitehawk do such good work in the community so it’s fantastic to welcome back their women’s team.”