The club also reached the semi-final of the Sussex Senior Challenge Cup, losing after extra time to Conference giants Crawley Town.

The club then finished runners up under the management of Ryan Light (equaling their best league performance).

Promotion back to the top flight of Sussex Football came under Scott Price in 2009–10 and was followed by a rollercoaster season (2010–11)that saw tragedy off the pitch with the loss of clubhouse in an arson attack but a record breaking run in the FA Carlsberg Vase that saw Rye reach the quarter-finals and also saw the club finish runners up in both the League and League Cup.

In 2011–12 season, Rye United won the Sussex RUR Cup for the first time in 44 years.

[1] On 20 March 2014, the club held an Extraordinary General Meeting at which it was decided to withdraw from the league with immediate effect.

The club was also forced to erect a temporary fence on matchdays to discourage unpaid entry to the ground.

The newly formed team had its home at the Salts, the same ground as used by Rye United.