Welcome back for our first pre-season game. This Progcast will cover all three of our home pre-season fixtures against FC United of Manchester (13th July), Eastbourne Borough (20th July) and Whitehawk (3 August). New content will be added before each game.
MEET THE NEW BOYS
Darren Freeman has made a number of summer signings. Here’s a brief introduction to some of the new faces you may see in action today and throughout the season.
Bradley Wilson joins us from Whyteleafe, where he was the club’s player of the season 
Billy Collings is a young shot-stopper who has come through the youth ranks at Brighton & Hove Albion 
Jordy Mongoy makes the short trip across from Hastings Utd 
Dean Bown is back at the Pan after scoring 30+ goals for Horsham YMCA last season 
Zach Fagan is centre-back who played against us for Farnborough last season 
Dayshonne Golding joins on a permanent basis after last season’s loan spell
10 NEW DEVELOPMENTS AT THE CLUB THIS SUMMER
1. New bar
Our plans to redevelop the Dripping Pan began in earnest, as we said a fond farewell to Southover Bonfire Society and appointed Steve Keegan as a non-executive director to oversee redevelopment of our bar and catering facilities. You’ll see a fresh selection of beers, a reconfigured bar area, contactless payments and other measures to improve the speed and quality of the bar service in the coming months. In the longer term, we aim to build a new club house and changing room block on the site of the existing portacabin.
2. New board members
In addition to Steve Keegan (mentioned above), we co-opted Michelle Bowie Krige and Karen Dobres as non-executive directors of the club. The three will work with our eight elected board members to offer expertise in key areas. Read more about Steve, Karen and Michelle here.
3. New staff
Two new staff members also joined us at the Dripping Pan over the summer. Maggie Murphy became our new Women’s General Manager, replacing Jack Heaselden. Maggie joins us from the Sport Integrity Global Alliance, where she was Director of Public Policy and Sport Integrity and you can read more about Maggie here. Maggie will be assisted by Lynne Burrell, who will be also be helping with financial management across the club. Welcome to them both!
4. New pitch team
Our legendary groundsman, Roger Feltham, has been joined by a new team looking after the pitch this summer. Professional groundsman Dan O’Rourke and contractor Rigby Taylor have – along with Roger – been working hard on improving the condition of the pitch from the moment last season finished. You can hopefully see the results of their hard work yourselves, with our management remarking that the pitch is now in better shape than it has been for the past five years.
5. New sponsors
The club’s equality push continues to attract big-name sponsors to the club. We’re delighted to welcome Lucozade Sport and Thomas & Trotman as sponsors over the summer.
6. New club shop
Barry Haffenden and the club shop crew have been hard at work over the summer, refitting the store. The shop was completely ripped out and new fixtures and fittings were added (big thanks to Stuart for his help!), giving us more room to sell Kappa kit and other merchandise. Go and pay the new-look shop a visit at the back of the Philcox Stand.
7. New awards
Lewes FC was shortlisted for the UK HeForShe Inspiration Award, celebrating “extraordinary organisations who’ve advanced gender equality, especially by engaging men.” HeForShe is a campaign for the advancement of gender equality, initiated by the United Nations.
8. New fencing
Huge thanks to long-standing owner Konrad Adamczewski, who single-handedly replaced the wooden sides of the Terry Parris Terrace with beautiful cedar grown in his own forest, all entirely for free. If you or your company feel you could contribute anything to ground improvements, please get in touch!
9. New-look beach huts
Ops Manager Duncan has been busy with his paint brush, giving the beach huts a more fitting colour scheme. We won’t spoil the surprise.
10. New trophies
The football didn’t finish for everyone over the summer. Lewes FC’s ‘Football Therapy’ ended their season in late June by winning the Sussex Disability League Cup. Well done, guys.
TODAY’S OPPONENTS: FC UNITED OF MANCHESTER
Formed in the wake of Malcolm Glazer’s takeover of Manchester United, FC United of Manchester was born out of frustration of “the material theft of a Manchester institution”.
Formed in 2005, the club is a member-owned, democratic, not-for-profit organisation that shares many of the same values as Lewes FC – although we sing markedly fewer songs about Ryan Giggs.
The club has arguably been more successful on the pitch over the past 15 years than the one they left behind. Three successive promotions and a fourth in 2015 took the club all the way to the National League North. A run to second round of the FA Cup in 2010-11 left them just shy of a potential trip to Old Trafford.
FC United have found it tough to maintain that heady climb up the leagues, and in April they were relegated back to the Northern Premier after defeat to Blyth Spartans.
After playing fellow Isthmian League side Enfield Town last night, we welcome FC United to the Dripping Pan for the second leg of their pre-season tour.
NEW BADGES ON SALE NOW
Our brilliant badge sellers have been hard at work in the summer, with a new range of badges for supporters to purchase.
Gary Blaber’s badge stall at the top of the Philcox Stand has a new one-off badge for today’s friendly amongst the hundreds in his collection.
And Brian the Badgeman has a new Equality Supporters Club badge among his selection. There’s a limited run of 60 available for £10 each.
LEWES FC FIXTURES 2019/20
Tue Jul 23 East Grinstead A
Sat Jul 27 Met Police A
Tue Jul 30 Haywards Heath A
Sat Aug 3 Whitehawk H
Sat Aug 10 Enfield Town H
Tue Aug 13 Worthing A
Sat Aug 17 Bowers & Pitsea H
Sat Aug 24 Margate A
Mon Aug 26 Horsham H
Sat Aug 31 Leatherhead A
Sat Sep 7 FA Cup 1st Qual Rd
Wed Sep 11 FA Cup 1st Qual Rd – Replays
Sat Sep 14 Potters Bar Town H
Sat Sep 21 Wingate & Finchley H FA Cup 2nd Qual Rd
Sat Sep 28 Brightlingsea Regent A
Mon Sep 30 Carshalton Athletic A
Sat Oct 5 Haringey Borough H FA Cup 3rd Qual Rd
Sat Oct 12 East Thurrock United A
Sat Oct 19 Cray Wanderers H FA Cup 4th Qual Rd
Wed Oct 23 Corinthian-Casuals H
Sat Oct 26 FA Trophy 1st Qual Rd
Wed Oct 30 FA Trophy 1st Qual Rd – Replays
Sat Nov 2 Cheshunt A
Sat Nov 9 Hornchurch H FA Cup 1/Trophy 2nd Qual Rd
Sat Nov 16 Kingstonian A
Sat Nov 23 Bishops Stortford A FA Trophy 3rd Qual Rd
Sat Nov 30 Folkestone Invicta H FA Cup 2
Sat Dec 7 Leatherhead H
Sat Dec 14 Merstham A FA Trophy 1
Thu Dec 26 Bognor Regis Town H
Wed Jan 1 Horsham A
Sat Jan 4 Haringey Borough A
Sat Jan 11 Carshalton Athletic H FA Trophy 2
Sat Jan 18 Cray Wanderers A
Sat Jan 25 East Thurrock United H
Sat Feb 1 Corinthian-Casuals A
Sat Feb 8 Cheshunt H
Sat Feb 15 Enfield Town A
Wed Feb 19 Worthing H
Sat Feb 22 Brightlingsea Regent H
Sat Feb 29 Wingate & Finchley A
Sat Mar 7 Kingstonian H
Sat Mar 14 Hornchurch A
Sat Mar 21 Bowers & Pitsea A
Sat Mar 28 Merstham H
Sat Apr 4 Potters Bar Town A
Sat Apr 11 Margate H
Mon Apr 13 Bognor Regis Town A
Sat Apr 18 Bishops Stortford H
Sat Apr 25 Folkestone Invicta A
CREDITS AND LEGAL
“The Isthmian Football League strongly supports the FA statement that there should be a zero tolerance approach against racism and all forms of discrimination. Accordingly any form of discriminatory abuse whether it by reason of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion and belief, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, sex and sexual orientation 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).The Isthmian League and all Member Clubs in the League are committed to promoting equality by treating people fairly and with respect, by recognising that inequalities may exist, by taking steps to address them and providing access and opportunities for all members of the community.”
Lewes 2000 FC Limited. Registered in England and Wales with Company Registration Number 03790979. Lewes 2000 FC Limited is 100% owned by Lewes Community Football Club.
Honorary President Terry Parris
Chairman Stuart Fuller
Directors Ed Briggs, Charlie Dobres, Karen Dobres, Stuart Fuller, Steve Keegan, Galia Orme, John Peel, Ed Ramsden, Roger Warner, Trevor Wells
Club Secretary John Peel
Match Secretary David Evans
Youth Secretary Kevin Brook
Operations Manager Warren Lane
Equality FC Campaign Manager Karen Dobres
Life Members
Mr and Mrs Brook, Vic Blunt, Pat Dartnell, Gary Elphick, Gordon Fowlie, Peter Hiscox RIP, 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 RIP
Manager Hugo Langton
First team coach Dale Hurley
First team physio Katie Joynes
Goalkeeping coach John MaCrae
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 Stuart Fuller
Progcast Designer Barry Collins
Club Photographer James Boyes