Welcome to the Dripping Pan for this afternoon’s FA Women’s Championship game v Sheffield United.
Here is your complimentary e-programme.
CONTENTS
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This season’s fixtures at the Dripping Pan
FILMING AT MATCHESToday there may be film crews in the ground, filming on behalf of Lewes Football Club and other media organisations. The filming is usually for Lewes FC marketing purposes, to show what a matchday looks/sounds like and to generally promote what we do. There may also be film crews from media organisations who will use their footage in news reports, and crews for a documentary about Lewes FC Women, Reds. Lewes Football Club respectfully asks for your permission to be filmed. If you do not want to be filmed, please let the crew know directly and they will oblige.Thanks for your cooperation in helping to build a successful club.
SUPPORTER OF THE MATCH
PLAYLIST
Today’s pre-match playlist is provided by Esher-based noise enthusiast Sweet Variety
LEAGUE TABLE
FRAN ALONSO
I would like to welcome Carla Ward and her players, staff and supporters to the Dripping Pan for this FA Women’s Championship match.
I have said before, part of our job in building this squad is to test ourselves against the best teams in the division. Today’s visitors are one of those teams; they’ve won their last five matches, including wins against Spurs and away to Durham. The Blades have worked hard, improved through the season and shown what can be done. Today’s match will be a real challenge for our players, one we welcome. We want to win matches and rise in this league. To do that, you have to beat the best teams.
Our players have been working hard and we are seeing a lot of improvement in the way we play. Last week’s game against Villa was good in some ways and not so good in others. We dominated possession away from home, yet we were 2-0 down early in the match. We showed great character and belief to come back late in the first half and again at the end of the match to take a point.
We are understanding the level required to succeed in this division. We will need to be at our best today to take something from the game.
The staff and players would like to thank the team behind the team; the volunteers, helpers and club staff who work so hard to make these matches an event for the fans. We want to thank you, the fans, for your incredible support this season. It really means a lot.
Enjoy the game!
Fran
THE ROOKS
Charley Boswell sponsored by Sarah Metcalfe & Jane Roberts
Sophie O’Rourke – Sponsorship Available
Rachel Panting – Sponsorship Available
CHAIRMAN’S NOTES
Good afternoon everyone and welcome back to the Dripping Pan for our final home league game of our historic first Women’s Championship season. I’d like to welcome the players, management, officials and of course, the fans, of Sheffield United and hope they enjoy their first ever visit to The Dripping Pan and wish them a safe journey back to South Yorkshire.
It’s been a season of highs and lows for the club, but one we can look back on with pride.
Three years ago we would have had to pinch ourselves to believe we would be share a pitch with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United but that’s what we’ve managed to achieve. Our game against United here at The Pan in December will be a highlight for many, where we could have gone in at half-time 1-0 up in front of a record attendance here. Likewise, starting the season with three consecutive wins had us dreaming of promotion to the Super League, at least for a week anyway!
We are in a period of transition under Fran. The squad is changing, our style of playing is
changing and our approach is changing. Fran and his team will continue their detailed plans during the summer – we have to be realistic that we won’t have the biggest budget next season, or the best facilities but we will be one of the best prepared sides. The meticulous detail Fran and his team go into before every training session, let alone a game, has taken us to a different level. From a rocky start in January, we have built in confidence in every game, as we saw last week from coming from 2-0 down at Aston Villa to grab a share of the points.
Our fan base continues to grow and we will end the season with an average attendance well over 100% up on last season and about 1000% up on three years ago – a huge amount of work goes on behind the scenes in building our story and thank you to everyone who does this. We certainly won’t rest on our laurels and will continue to engage with new fans across the summer, and hope that The Lionesses can do us proud in France at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
One slight disappointment has been the decision by the FA to move the Brighton & Hove Albion versus Arsenal game to 12.15pm today to accommodate live TV coverage. Whilst I understand the aim to grow the appeal the game by showing it live, it will undoubtedly have an impact on our crowd and the logistics of the game this afternoon. There’s no reason why the game couldn’t have been played later in the afternoon, which would have given fans the opportunity to see two top class games in an afternoon.
Likewise, I was dismayed to hear that the Premier League have refused West Ham United’s request to move their kick-off time for the Men’s game against Southampton so that fans could also take in the Women’s FA Cup Final at Wembley were the Hammers will take on Manchester City. On that day there are five Premier League games, with only two kicking off at 3pm so what difference would it have been to move the West Ham game forward to 12.30pm? Once again, a decision that flies in the face of the goal of growing the women’s
game.
Last Sunday I was privileged to watch our Foundation Squad lift the SECFL Chairman’s Cup at Maidstone United with a 3-1 win over Oakwood. On a roasting hot day, Kelly Newton’s side controlled the game from start to finish and fully deserved the win with three excellent goals in the process. A very proud moment for the club indeed and we can all look forward to seeing some of the squad progressing through the ranks in the coming years.
In two weeks time we head to Leigh Sports Village to take on Women’s Championship
Champions Manchester United in what will be our hardest game of the season without a
doubt. I know a fair few fans will be heading to the game so safe travels and we look
forward to seeing you all there.
Finally, we see two club legends, off the pitch at least, stepping down from their match day duties here at the Pan after today. Barry Haffenden has run the club shop on match days for eight seasons and has grown our retail department impressively but has decided that he wants to concentrate on being a fan from next season. Media guru and one of the biggest supporters of the club through thick and thin, Ash Head, aka Rookmeister, will file his last report at Manchester United in two weeks but today marks his last day as head of Media at the Dripping Pan. Ash, you’ve been a legend and I know that we will all miss your contributions from the stands.
Come on you Rooks!
Stuart
Twitter: @theballisround
TODAY’S OPPONENTS
In his role as Sheffield United’s Community Officer, Tony Currie founded a female team called Sheffield Hallam United in 1993. When this team folded after five seasons, one of Currie’s coaches Andy Keenan began hosting sessions for Year Five girls in Heeley. Despite only five players attending the first training session, they entered a local youth league in 1998–99 as Sheffield United Community Girls.
In 2002, an adult East Midlands Regional Women’s Football League club called Sheffield Inter (formerly Inter Owls) were close to folding and Sheffield United Community Girls and Ladies successfully bid to take their place in 2002–03. Under new manager Derek Baxby the club finished 5th in its first season, 3rd in its second season and then finished as runners-up to Derby County in 2004–05. Inspired by 75-goal striker Jodie Michalska, the club secured promotion to the Midland Combination Women’s Football League in 2005–06.
THE SQUAD
MATCHDAY POSTER
Inspirational Woman: Helen Sharman
Sharman was born in Grenoside, Sheffield, where she attended Grenoside Junior and Infant School, later moving to Greenhill. After studying at Jordanthorpe Comprehensive, she obtained a BSc degree in chemistry at the University of Sheffield in 1984 and a PhD degree from Birkbeck, University of London. She worked as a research and development technologist for GEC in London and later as a chemist for Mars dealing with properties of chocolate
After responding to a radio advertisement asking for applicants to be the first British astronaut, Helen Sharman was selected for the mission live on ITV, on 25 November 1989, ahead of nearly 13,000 other applicants. The programme was known as Project Juno and was a cooperative Soviet Union–British mission co-sponsored by a group of British companies.
Featured Lewes FC player: Amy Taylor
Buy the poster in our online Club Shop
PREVIOUS MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
Here are the highlights from our most recent game against Aston Villa.
âś… A first senior goal for 17-year-old Asmita Ale
— Aston Villa Women (@AVWFCOfficial) April 24, 2019
âś… A rocket from @jodie_hutton
Sunday's 2-2 draw with @LewesFCWomen had its positives despite the visitor's injury time equaliser.
Here are the highlights…#PartOfThePride #UTV #AVFC pic.twitter.com/bxvanv5zsR
PORTSMOUTH ACE SIGNS FOR LEWES
Portsmouth striker Rachel Panting has signed for Lewes FC Women and goes straight into the squad for the Rooks trip to Aston Villa this Sunday in the FA Women’s Championship. She is Portsmouth’s top scorer this season with 14 goals from 22 appearances.
Manager Fran Alonso expressed his delight at signing Rachel: “She has been showing consistently for the last seasons that she can play at a high level, she is still top goal scorer for Portsmouth this season and also has the most assists. Rachel is a versatile player with great pace and good technical ability.”
YOUTH UPDATE
LEWES FC FOUNDATION SQUAD
#SECWFL Chairman’s Cup
Lewes 3 – 1 Oakwood
The foundation squad continued the winning feeling within Lewes and won a cup of their own. The Rooks won 3-1 at scorching conditions against Oakwood to win the SEWFL Chairman’s Cup.
Match Report by Ash Head
Match Action (taken by James Boyes) :
Reaction On Social Media:
Twitter: @LewesFCGirls
Congratulations @LewesFCGirls!!!
— Fran Alonso 🇪🇸 (@FranAlonsoFA) April 21, 2019
3-1 win! Chairman Cup champions!!!
Well done, making the club and the community proud!!
🔴⚫️ pic.twitter.com/knpFRk9qLp
Extra-special congratulations to the ever-wonderful @LewesFCGirls boss @rookette6 and asst @charb11 in their first season of management pic.twitter.com/obaBscgYnt
— James Boyes (@Gingeraction) April 21, 2019
FOOTBALL WELCOMES
Lewes FC will mark the contribution that refugees make at their last football weekend of the season by issuing “Football Welcomes” t-shirts for their men’s and women’s teams at their respective matches on Saturday and Sunday.
The men’s team will wear the t-shirts at their pre-match training session against AFC Hornchurch on Saturday April 27th at 3pm and the women’s team will wear the t-shirts at their pre-match training on Sunday April 28th at 1pm against Sheffield United Women.
The club will also offer free tickets to refugees in the Sussex area at these matches.
Lewes is joining football clubs across the country this weekend (27-28 April) to celebrate the contribution refugee players make to the game, as part of Amnesty International’s Football Welcomes campaign.
Football Welcomes, now in its third year, highlights the role of refugee players in UK football. From a group of children fleeing the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s who became some of the first refugees to play professionally here, to Liverpool’s Dejan Lovren; Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka; Christian Benteke at Crystal Palace; Charlton Athletic WFC’s Liz Ejupi and ex-Manchester City forward Nadia Nadim, players with a refugee background have been making their mark on the game for decades.
Director Charlie Dobres said: “Lewes FC has got behind Amnesty’s campaign because we think it’s important to recognise the achievements that refugees have made in football and elsewhere. We strongly believe that football should be about inclusivity and we want everyone to feel welcome at the Dripping Pan this weekend and every weekend.”
The weekend is being supported by the players of People’s Postcode Lottery and is being backed by Premier League clubs across the country, as well as the FA Women’s Super League; the English Football League; the FA Women’s National League and grassroots and non-league teams across the country, Football Welcomes also aims to highlight the important role football clubs can play in welcoming refugees into their local communities, and in helping them to settle in to a new country and culture.
This year’s event is set to be the biggest yet, with many other clubs giving free match tickets to refugees and people seeking asylum living locally, arranging player visits or stadium tours, or organising a match or tournament for refugees and asylum seekers in their community programmes.
Naomi Westland, Football Welcomes Manager at Amnesty International UK said:
“We are delighted that Lewes is taking part in Football Welcomes. Football clubs are at the heart of their communities and it’s great to see teams across the UK using the international language of football to create connection, respect and friendship across cultures. With so many people across the globe forced to abandon their homes due to conflict and persecution, it’s important that football clubs use their platform to send out a clear message: refugees are welcome here.”
SKULLDRUMMERY
We are delighted to welcome SkullDrummery back to the Dripping Pan today.
This skilful band of ne’er-do-wells can be seen across the county and the country, performing at festivals and events, not least tassels-deep in the Lewes Bonfire celebrations.
To read more about this fine body of men and women, visit http://skulldrummery.com/
SPONSOR A LEWES FC PLAYER
THIS SEASON’S REMAINING FIXTURES
Sunday 28th April – 1PM – HOME
Sheffield United Women (FAWC)
Sunday 12th April – 12PM – AWAY
Manchester United (FAWC)
TODAY’S TEAMS
The two team line-ups will appear here prior to kick off.
CREDITS AND LEGAL INFO
The FA Women’s Championship strongly supports 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 President Terry Parris
Chairman Stuart Fuller
Directors
Charlie Dobres, Eddie Ramsden, Stuart Fuller, John Peel, Barry Collins, Ed Briggs, Jon Ruben, Roger Warner, Galia Omre
Club Secretary Barry Collins
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.
General Manager Jack Heaselden
Development/Marketing Manager Rosy Matheson
Equality FC Campaign Manager Karen Dobres
Women’s Manager Fran Alonso
Assistant Manager Simon Parker
Goalkeeping Coach TBC
Physiotherapist Becky Cunningham
S & C Coaches
Kit Wrangler Joe Gander
DS Manager Zak Dove
DS Coach Alan Dove
FS Manager Kelly Newton
FS Coaches Charlotte Bennett, Greg Cross
Web Editor Stuart Fuller
Progcast Editor Aidan Hother
Progcast content team Ash Head, James Boyes
Progcast designer Barry Collins
Club Photographer James Boyes