Welcome to the Dripping Pan for today’s Emirates FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round replay with Kings Langley. Here is your complimentary e-programme.Â
CONTENTS
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DARREN FROM THE DUGOUT
This season, we’ll be interviewing Darren ahead of every game. Click Play below to hear his thoughts ahead of today’s game.
TODAY’S MATCH MUSIC
We’ve created a playlist of the music you’ll hear in the stadium before the match and at half-time. If you’re a Spotify user, you can listen to the songs on the playlist below. Today’s match music has been chosen by John Peel.
CHAIRMAN’S NOTES
Good evening everyone and welcome back to the Dripping Pan for our sixth(!) Emirates FA Cup tie of the season. Iâd like to welcome our guests from Kings Langley this evening and hope we can look after them as well as they did us last Saturday when the two sides met at Gaywood Park. It was an entertaining affair although few of the 90 or so Rooks fans there will have enjoyed that last thirty minutes when we seemed to be defending for our lives at times.
It does seem that this season we want to do things the hard way, especially in the FA Cup. Three away draws, none of which we have played well in and of course the win on penalties in the last round against Farnborough. It is a different story in the league where we have been solid and well-organised in every game. The FA Cup replays does mean we will be playing catch up but the revenue so far from the ties both in terms of prize money and gate receipts has been very handy indeed!
I hate tempting fate but when I was looking at our games so far this season one stat really jumped out at me. Since the opening game of the season against Carshalton Athletic, we have not been behind in a game. Ten games unbeaten since then and ten games where we have not had to come from behind. That is quite an impressive record and I am sure that Darren and his team will have prepared to keep that record going tonight!
The winners tonight not only get a nice ÂŁ9,000 cheque from the Football Association but also a tie at our good friends, and fellow Fan-owned, National League South Bath City in ten days time in the Third Qualifying Round.
Last Thursday our Under-18s continued their FA Youth Cup run with a convincing win over Hackney Wick here at the Pan and now face a tricky away tie at Dover Athletic in the next round. Last season, they showed their pedigree in cup competitions, winning the Sussex and Isthmian League Cups as well as reaching the FA Youth Cup Second Round â letâs hope they can continue that run this season.
And what can we say about our fantastic Womenâs side who came from 2-0 down on Sunday to beat Leicester City Women 4-3 thanks to a hat-trick from Rebecca Carter that sees them one of only two sides with a 100% record in the Womenâs Championship, along with that small side from the North-WestâŠManchester something!
Letâs hope we keep our FA Cup run going tonight.
Come On You Rooks!
Stuart
RECENT MATCH REVIEW
Lewes 2 vs Enfield Town 2 – Saturday 15th September, 2018
The Rooks give one of the league favourites a scare, before two late Billy Bricknell goals force a draw. Highlights from YourInstantReplay.
THE ART OF THE PENALTY KICK
Stuart Fuller on the statistical reality of penalty kicks (please, God, no)Â
In his 2014 book: âThink like a Freakâ, U.S. Economist Steven Levitt examined the odds on scoring based on how a penalty is taken. 75% of penalty kicks taken at the professional and semi-professional levels are scored. If a keeper guesses the right side of the goal then the odds fall to just 40%.
Whilst the best option is to hit the ball into the corners, the chance of missing rises dramatically. This data set suggests that keepers move to the left on 57% of penalties and to the right on 41%, which means you stand a much higher chance of scoring if you hit it down the middle. Yet, less than 20% of penalty takers ever plan to put the ball straight down the middle!
Some penalty takers have legendary status. Antonin Panenka won the 1976 European Championships for Czechoslovakia with what would be called today “an audacious chip” against West Germany. West Ham’s teenage full-back Ray Stewart kept his nerve to equalise at Wembley Stadium with the final kick of the 1981 League Cup Final against the legendary Liverpool side. Stewart scored 81 out of 86 spot-kicks during his West Ham career, whilst he netted 3 out the 5 remaining kicks from the rebound.
Fellow Hammers full-back Julian Dicks adopted the same “smash it down the middle” style during his career, scoring 35 out of 38. Southampton’s most famous son, Matt Le Tissier, went one step better than Dicks and Stewart, scoring 47 out of 48 spot kicks.
In the 1980/81 season, Bobby Robson had assembled one of the best squads English football ever saw. British players such as Terry Butcher, Russell Osman, John Wark and Paul Mariner were combined with the skills of the Dutch duo, Arnold Muhren and Frans Thijssen.
In March of that season, they beat Manchester United 6-0 – a score that could have been so much worse if the United keeper Gary Bailey hadn’t saved three Ipswich penalties.
But you cannot talk about Ipswich and penalty saves without mentioning Paul Cooper. In the 1979/80 season alone, the Ipswich keeper saved eight out of the ten penalties he faced. This was in a time when keepers weren’t even allowed to move along their line as they can today. The following season, The London Evening Standard arranged a competition between Cooper and Ray Stewart for charity. Stewart scored six out of ten – less than his normal success rate but still better than some of Cooper’s other opponents.
And then there’s the legendary misses. Roberto Baggio’s kick that ended up in row Z of the Rose Bowl in Pasadena handed the 1994 World Cup to Brazil. John Terry’s slip on the wet turf in Moscow saw Manchester United take the 2008 Champions League title.
Then there was the farcical Arsenal spot kick in the game in 2005 against Manchester City when Thierry Henry and Roberto Pires tried to be too clever ending in players not understanding what the rules were. In May 1992 in his final game at Wembley Stadium, Gary Lineker had the chance to equal Bobby Charlton’s scoring record for England against Brazil. His weak spot-kick was easily saved and with it went his chance to equal the 49 goal record.
Of course, we could write a whole story about other England players misses. Stuart Pearce and Chris Waddle in the 1990 World Cup semi-final, Gareth Southgate against Germany in the 1996 European Championship semi-final, David Batty in Japan in 2002 against Argentina, David Beckham v Portugal in 2004 and then Ashley Cole in 2012 against Italy in Ukraine. Nearly 25 years of penalty shoot-out hurt.
So a word to the wise for whoever is our current penalty taker. Take a leaf out of the book of Le Tissier, Stewart or Dicks and drive the ball down the middle of the goal. That is unless the goalkeeper has a copy of Levitt’s book tucked into his kit bag.
TODAY’S OPPONENTS: KINGS LANGLEY
Founded in 1886, Kings Langley Football Club were founder members of the West Herts League in 1891. They briefly joined the Southern Olympian League in the mid-1930s, returning to the Herts County League after the war, and finishing as champions in 1950 and 1952.
They spent three seasons in the Parthenon League before returning to the Herts County League in 1955, where they would remain for the next 45 years. They secured two further County League titles in 1966 and 1967.
In March 1997 Kings Langley gained a new permanent home on Hempstead Road, thanks to various sponsors including the Hertfordshire FA, the local councils, and Graham Gaywood, a benefactor of the club who died soon after the stadium’s completion. The ground is named Gaywood Park in his honour.
Missing out on the County League title by goal difference in 2001, Kings Langley nonetheless succeeded in moving up to the Spartan South Midlands League Division One. However, the club’s finances were drained in order to upgrade the stadium to league standards, and the club were relegated in 2004. Winning the second division in 2008 they achieved promotion back to Division One, remaining unbeaten in all competitions from September 2007 until October 2008, a run of 47 consecutive matches.
Finishing runners-up in Division One in 2014, Kings Langley were promoted to the Spartan South Midlands Premier Division, the first of three successive promotions. Spartan South Midlands champions in 2015, Kings Langley stepped up to the Southern League, winning the Division One Central at the first attempt in 2016 to reach the Southern League Premier Division. In doing so they became only the fourth club in England to achieve three or more promotions in successive seasons (the others being Truro City, Chester, and FC United of Manchester).
Kings Langley survived a relegation fight on goal difference in 2017 to finish 20th (of 24 teams). Last season they finished 21st (though more comfortably, with only one team relegated), and following league reorganisation were transferred to the Southern League Premier Division South for the start of this season. They currently lie 20th (of 22 teams) in the table, with one win and two draws from seven league games.
SQUAD PROFILES
Steve Conroy â Manager
Steve was appointed interim Manager in December last year, before landing the job proper as First Team Manager in January 2018. His playing career took in Hemel Hempstead Town, Chesham United, Harrow Borough, Hitchin Town, Stevenage and Wycombe Wanderers. He first moved to Kings as coach in November 2016, and was an integral part of the previous management team which brought a great deal of stability to the club during a challenging first season in the Southern League Premier Division.
Martin Bennett â Goalkeeper
Martin is an experienced keeper who signed on loan from Hitchin Town in October 2017 and was first choice for the rest of the season.
Steve Bourke â Goalkeeper
Steve is fondly remembered by Kings fans for an outstanding performance against Bedford in the final game of the 2013-14 season that ensured them the first of three recent promotion seasons.
Callum Adebiyi â Defender
Signed from Hemel Hempstead Town in August 2012, Callum is a regular on the left side of defence his pace and height and his powerhouse surges from defence are highly valued by the Kings.
Harry Tucker â Defender
Gary is a young central defender who signed for Kings in summer of 2018.
Jorell Johnson â Defender
Former Watford Academy central defender Jorell signed for Kings in August 2016 to lead the side that successfully preserved its Premier League status.
Max Ryan â Defender
Max signed for Kings in September 2018 from the Watford FC Academy. He is described as a commanding centre-back, also happy in midfield.
Dean Hitchcock â Defender/Midfielder
Dean is equally at home in defence the middle of the park who began his career at Luton Townâs academy. Dean played in the Kings three promotion campaigns since signing in 2013.
Elliot Godfrey â Midfielder
Elliot is a vastly experienced central midfielder who began with Watford, and is a former Canada U20 & U23 International.
Gary Connolly â Midfielder/Captain
Signed in 2011, Gary is Kings skipper who returned from a gap year in Australia to lead the 2015-16 title winning season, and is an integral part of the team.
Louie Collier â Midfielder
Louie is regarded as a highly promising Kings U18 midfielder who made an immediate impact on his debut in March this year as a substitute. He held his place for the final eight matches of last season.
Lee Stobbs â Midfielder
Lee is a right-sided midfielder who signed for Kings in March 2017, contributing to their successful relegation battle. A bad injury after just seven games last year ended his season.
Josh Coldicott-Stevens â Midfielder
Josh is a young midfielder who signed for Kings in 2017-18 season and established himself as a midfield regular.
Rene Howe â Forward
Rene is a vastly experienced striker who signed for Kings in August 2018. Amongst his former clubs are Peterborough United, Torquay United, Burton Albion and Newport County.
Mitchell Weiss â Forward
Mitchell first signed for Kings in September 2013 and was among the Leagueâs leading goalscorers for the next two seasons. He left the club briefly in 2016, but returned for season 2017-18 to resume as Kings first choice striker.
Eduard Toiny-Pendred â Forward
A member of Kingâs U18 squad to make the breakthrough last season, Eduard added his name to the short list of 16 year-olds to have appeared in Kingsâ colours.
20% OFF KAPPA GEAR IN THE CLUB SHOP
Are you a Lewes FC owner? You can get 20% off any of the new Kappa gear in the Lewes Club Shop. Go and see Barry at the top of the Philcox Stand to see what’s in stock now.
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BOYESY BEHIND THE LENS
Photos from our first match with Kings Langley on Saturday, taken by the ever-brilliant James Boyes
STODGEBUSTERS ON TOUR
Our intrepid burger-munchers take another one for the team at Kings Langley
This would make a change. We decided to ditch our usual means of transport, the train, and support the clubâs initiative of hiring a coach to this FA cup tie. We couldnât remember exactly the last time we boarded a coach to a game, but we think it was back in the short-lived Steve Brown managerial reign.
A few seasons ago coaches were the norm for virtually all away games and weâve had some pretty dire ones over the years. We had a coach without any heating for one whole season. It was bleedinâ freezing on every journey. Then there was the unforgettable coach for the interminable journey to Leiston. That vehicle seemed to have no suspension and almost shook everyoneâs fillings out.
We also wonât forget the coach with the regularly out-of-order toilet and the consequent stampede to the gents at the services. It was all probably a case of getting what we could afford at the time. But it was hardly good preparation for the players.
This coach was much nicer. A posh double-decker, very smooth and very comfortable but it was disappointing to see so many empty seats. Itâs a shame we couldnât entice a few more to join us.
It needed to be comfortable though as the journey took far longer than it should have thanks to the usual traffic jams on the M25. Where are all these cars going on a Saturday morning? Why donât they get out of the way? Donât they understand weâve got a game to get to? Honestly, we could have got out and walked faster for a lot of it.
Google Maps reckoned it was 86 miles and 90 minutes by car. OK, a coach would be a little slower and we had a couple of stops en-route to pick up players but it took over three flippinâ hours in total. We were all a bit greyer when we alighted.
The late arrival also torpedoed the Stodgebusters plans for having a stroll into the village to seek out Stodgebuster-style refreshments. Very disappointingly we would have to settle for the fayre on offer in the ground. But you never know. It might be top notch.
âWelcome to Kings Langleyâ said the guy in the suit as we disembarked, and he shook everyoneâs hand. What a nice chap. In all our years of doing away games weâve rarely had that warm a reception. In fact, it was a complete contrast to one or two places weâve been over the years. Stepping out of the minibus to some dubious pleasantries at Newport sprang to mind.
The ground was pretty basic but it offered good views from everywhere. Unfortunately, it was raining steadily and there was no cover behind one goal, and a stand not much bigger than a bus shelter behind the other. We would probably be watching from the stand down the side for one half.
So we tried out the burger van. Gary went for a burger and chips which was OK and rated it at 7 out of 10. PJ plumped for a hot dog but could only give it a 6.
One nice touch was having the PA bloke doing announcements of all sorts between the music rather than just the streamed music like we have at the Pan. This chap was more of a DJ and was even taking requests with a tribute or two to Chas Hodges of Chas and Dave who had sadly passed away earlier.
Lewes had a new signing. Dan Darbyshire. He was straight into the starting eleven. The home team started the stronger and looked threatening although Lewes probably made the best chances as the half wore on. Hammo hit the bar with a great free-kick and Charlie just missed with the rebound.
On 39 minutes the home team gave the ball away in midfield, it was sent wide to Darbyshire who beat one man and fired a shot towards the far corner. It beat the keeper but not the far post. It rebounded nicely for Jonte to slot home. Phew. That should calm the nerves.
As expected, Kings Langley came out fighting to wipe out the deficit ASAP in the second half. Lewes were pinned back and it was no surprise when they equalised. To be honest, they deserved no less. Lewes needed to rally but it was the home team who pressed for the win.
Lewes had one or two chances but Kings Langley looked the more likely to score. Carey made a couple of decent saves and Lloyd Cotton kept us in the draw with a final minute headed goal-line clearance. One all, and yet another replay at the Pan.
We came away feeling that maybe we had got away with it a little and would surely play better in the replay at home. We quite fancy another visit to Bath in the next round. Thereâs plenty of good restaurants there!
SPONSOR A LEWES FC PLAYER
It costs only ÂŁ50 to sponsor a player or manager for home or away Kit. ÂŁ25 for training kit and boots. All funds raised go to Lewes FC Supporters Club, helping to fund Lewes FC throughout the season.
Contact: david.arnold@me.com or see David or Barbara on match days.
DARREN FREEMAN
HOME: REG FREEMAN
AWAY: DAVE LAMB
ROSS STANDEN
HOME: DAVID & BARBARA ARNOLD
AWAY: CATHY FELTHAM
STEVE BRINKHURST
HOME: RON PIDGEON
AWAY:
FRANKIE CHAPPELL
HOME: ED BRIGGS
AWAY: ED BRIGGS
TRAINING KIT & BOOTS:Â ED BRIGGS
NICO COTTON
HOME: JAMES BRIGGS
AWAY: JAMES BRIGGS
TRAINING KIT & BOOTS: JAMES BRIGGS
JAMES HAMMOND
HOME: ROOK, CANNON AND HORSE ASSOCIATES LTD
AWAY:
LUKE BLEWDEN
HOME: SUSIE ARLETT
AWAY:
TRAINING KIT & BOOTS: SUSIE ARLETT
LLOYD COTTON:
HOME: STUART FULLER
AWAY: STUART FULLER
TRAINING KIT & BOOTS: STUART FULLER
BILLY MEDLOCK
HOME: DAVE LAMB
AWAY: DAVE LAMB
HARRY REED
HOME: ANDY ROSSITTER
AWAY:
TRAINING KIT & BOOTS:
LEWIS CAREY
HOME: DAVID & BARBARA ARNOLD
AWAY:
TRAINING KIT & BOOTS:
RONNIE CONLON
HOME: NEIL FINNEY
AWAY:
TRAINING KIT & BOOTS: SUSIE ARLETT
JONTE SMITH
HOME: BARRY HAFFENDEN
AWAY: JASON FOULKES
TRAINING KIT & BOOTS:
OMARR LAWSON
HOME: TONY HARMAN
AWAY: YEOVIL JOHN
MICHAEL DOME-BEMWIN
HOME: DAVE EVANS
LEON REDWOOD
HOME: WILL & COLIN KEMP
STILL AVAILABLE FOR SPONSORSHIP: Stacey Freeman, Alex Malins, Ronnie Conlon or any player of your choice.
BARRY COLLINS’ SEC’S LIFE
Our Club Sec does six rounds with the FA’s disciplinary department
The Club Sec community is in a period of mourning. Two of our own were thrown under a bus last weekend. âThere but for the grace of God…â the rest of us mutter under our breath. Even those of us who think the Big Man is nothing more than a stodgy work of fiction.
We wear our black armbands for the secretaries of Whyteleafe and Phoenix Sports, both of whom were prevented from playing their FA Cup ties this weekend for fielding an ineligible player in a previous round. Iâve met both secretaries â they seem like good, diligent folk. Whyteleafe, in particular, seem to be very hard done by. Read the statement on their website if you want their side of the story.
Phoenix were thrown out for fielding a suspended player, and an admirably honest statement on the clubâs website puts their hands up to the error. âDue to an administrative error it appears we fielded a player in the replay against Lancing that should have been serving a one-match ban,â the statement reads. âThis was an honest but very costly and disappointing mistake made by us.â
But was the mistake Phoenixâs alone? Iâm not so sure. As you may have read in one of my earlier columns, the rules around suspensions have changed this season. Yellow cards are competition-specific, meaning that just two yellow cards in the FA Cup is enough to trigger an immediate ban from the next FA Cup match.
Alas the FAâs antiquated IT systems, seemingly bought off Alan Sugar sometime in the mid-eighties, havenât quite caught up with this latest twist in the regulations. They are, frankly, a mess. Players who should be suspended are not always being flagged, giving us Club Secs Friday-night palpitations ahead of every FA Cup match.
Indeed, theyâre in such a state that the FA has taken to emailing all of us a list of suspended players ahead of every round, just to make sure none are slipping through the net. So when last Fridayâs email arrived I had a bit of a shock: Michael Dome-Bemwin, whoâd picked up his second FA Cup yellow in the replay vs Farnborough wasnât on it. Had I screwed up and told Darren one of his key midfielders was banned when he wasnât?
I phoned the FAâs disciplinary department to check. âCan you hold the line,â asked the harassed FA bod when I asked her to check Michaelâs status. âI have to print his records out as they donât display properly on my screen.â (âJesus wept,â I muttered under my breath.)
It turns out I was right. Michael was suspended and the FA once again blamed IT failures for him not appearing on the suspended list. But had I relied on the FAâs wonky list and let Darren play Michael, we would still be guilty of fielding an ineligible player, even though the FA made a mistake. âClubs remain responsible for ensuring players are free from suspension,â an underlined, emboldened warning on the suspension list states. Or to paraphrase: itâs your fault, even when itâs ours.
I went back to check the FAâs suspension list for the first qualifying round, and no Phoenix Sports player appeared on the list. He may have been suspended for other reasons, of course, and so itâs not necessarily the FA in the wrong here. But if youâre wondering why Iâve got that thousand-yard stare and am supping my sixth cup of coffee in the stands, itâs because Iâve been up all night, counting cards.
TODAY’S TEAMS
LEWES
| LEWIS CAREY | 1 |
| LEON REDWOOD | 2 |
| DAN DARBYSHIRE | 3 |
| NICO COTTON | 4 |
| FRANKIE CHAPPELL © | 5 |
| JAMES HAMMOND | 9 |
| MICHAEL DOME-BEMWIN | 10 |
| JONTE SMITH | 11 |
| OMARR LAWSON | 15 |
| SAMUEL KARL | 16 |
| STEVEN BRINKHURST | 18 |
| WILLIAM MEDLOCK | 17 |
| ALFIE HEADLAND | 12 |
| ROSS BARCLAY | 6 |
| DYLAN GIFFORD | 7 |
| HARRISON PARKER
DANE TASKER LLOYD COTTON |
8
13 14 |
KINGS LANGLEY
| 1 | MARTIN BENNETT |
| 2 | GARY CONNOLLY |
| 3 | CALLUM ADEBIYI |
| 4 | JORELL JOHNSON |
| 5 | MAX RYAN |
| 6 | ELLIOTT GODFREY |
| 7 | STEVE WARD |
| 8 | DEAN HITCHCOCK |
| 9 | RENE HOWE |
| 10 | MITCHELL WEISS |
| 11 | ROY SYLA |
| 12 | TOBY SYME |
| 14 | HARRY TUCKER |
| 15 | LOUIE COLLIER |
| 16 | LEE STOBBS |
| 17
18 |
EDU TOINY-PENDRED
JOSH COLDICOTT-STEVENS |
FORTHCOMING FIXTURES
| Opponents | H/A | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Wingate & Finchley | A | Sat 29th Sep, 3pm |
| Worthing | H | Weds 3rd Oct, 7:45pm |
| Bath City (if we win tonight’s replay) | A | Sat 6th Oct, 3pm |
| Harlow Town (if we lose tonight’s replay) | H | Sat 6th Oct, 3pm |
Full season fixtures, results and stats embedded below
Credits and legal info
The Bostik League strongly support recent FA statements that there should be a zero tolerance approach against racism and all forms of discrimination. Accordingly, any form of discriminatory abuse, whether it be based on race or ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, faith, age, ability or any other form of abuse will be reported to The Football Association for action by that Association. (The FA 0800 085 0508/Kick It Out 020 7253 0162)
Lewes 2000 FC Limited. Registered in England and Wales with Company Registration Number 03790979.
Honorary Presidents Carol Joy and Terry Parris
Chairman Stuart Fuller
Directors
Charlie Dobres, Eddie Ramsden, Stuart Fuller, John Peel, Barry Collins, Jackie Gilligan, Ed Briggs, Jon Ruben
Club Secretary Barry Collins
Youth Secretary Kevin Brook
Operations Manager Duncan Thompson
Life Members
Mr and Mrs Brook, Vic Blunt, Pat Dartnell, Gary Elphick, Gordon Fowlie, Peter Hiscox, Billy Nixon, Derrick Parris, Terry Parris, Jimmy Quinn, P. Swaysland, Steve Ibbitson, Jason Hopkinson, Steve White, Martin Elliot, Kevin Fingerneissl, Kevin Powell, David and Barbara
Arnold, Roger and Cathy Feltham, Ethel Treagus, Roy Dartnell RIP, Ron Moore, Derek Southouse, Ray Smith, Ken Carter
Manager Darren Freeman
Assistant Manager Ross Standen
First Team Coach Tony Coade
Physiotherapists Paul Baskin & Debbie Adams
Performance Analyst Matthew Strong
Development Squad Manager Steve Eke
Development Squad coach Luke Carter
Development Squad/Under-18s sports therapist Chris Dumbrell
Under-18s Manager Dale Hurley
Under-18s Assistant Manager Craig Stevens
Under-18s coaches Jake Legrange and Johnny Buggy
Golden Rook Rob Read
Web Editor Stuart Fuller
Progcast Editors Paul Sheppard and Duncan Thompson
Progcast Designer Barry Collins
Club Photographer James Boyes