Sunday 28th August 2022 – The Barclays Women’s Championship – The Dripping Pan

Welcome to The Dripping Pan for today’s Barclays Women’s Championship game against Southampton. Here is your complimentary e-programme

DUE TO THE DROUGHT CONDITIONS AND THE EXTREMELY DRY GRASS ON THE MOUNTFIELD ROAD SIDE OF THE GROUND WE ASK THAT FANS REFRAIN FROM SMOKING IN THIS AREA

JOIN THE TEAM

NOTES FROM THE CHAIR

Good afternoon and welcome back to the Dripping Pan for our first homegame of the Barclays Women’s Championship. I’d like to welcome our visitors from down the A27, Southampton, and hope they enjoy our hospitality.

It’s not only a first game of the season here for the fans but also for manager, Scott Booth, many of the back room staff and of course, the squad. We’ve said goodbye to a number of players and staff, and wish them all well for the future, but also welcome our new arrivals and look forward to seeing them shine on our brand new pitch (thank you Premier League Stadia Fund who are here today with the Premier League trophy). There’s also a few developments and structural changes around the ground that have been undertaken during the summer by our Supporters Club volunteers and our staff, so thank you to everyone who has given up their time to making the Pan Pantastic!

We started the season with a very good 0-0 draw at relegated Birmingham City last Sunday. We looked solid and could have stolen all three points had a Paula Howells special beat the keeper rather than being tipped over. But Scott was happy with the draw, and the clean sheet, and will be looking for three points today.

The debate about clubs using bigger stadiums continues and it was interesting that Birmingham City were able to use St Andrews last weekend for our game. During the summer, a number of players at the Women’s European Championships raised concerns that using smaller stadiums such as Manchester City’s Academy Stadium, or Leigh Sports Village, was an insult to a major tournament. On the flip side, these smaller stadiums were busy (rather than full) and the atmosphere was excellent. Would there have been the same if 5,000 were in The Etihad or Old Trafford? Whilst there is the experience factor about playing at those stadiums, do players prefer the atmosphere rather than the aesthetics? A difficult question. Thankfully, here at the Pan we don’t have to worry about that – the facilities are excellent and the atmosphere is always superb.

Finally, congratulations again to Rebecca McKenna for her call up to the Northern Ireland squad for their FIFA World Cup Qualifier next week in Luxembourg, and to Ellie Mason who received her first call up for the Irish squad too.

Enjoy the game and Come On You Rooks!

Stuart

SCOTT’S THOUGHTS

Lewes boss Scott Booth says the team is ready to entertain the home fans on the new Dripping Pan pitch against Southampton on Sunday.

Lewes drew 0-0 at Birmingham last weekend and this will be the first chance for Booth’s new-look squad to play competitively on the newly-laid surface.

“I’m expecting a really good atmosphere. The players are really looking forward to another interesting clash,” says Booth.

“It’s a game the players have really been looking forward to. Now our first game of the season is out of the way, it’s about focusing on the first home game, in front of our fans and on a new pitch.

“It’s the first time the players have competitively played on this pitch, so there’s a lot for the fans to look forward to!”

Last weekend’s opponents dropped down from the Women’s Super League the previous season, while on Sunday Lewes host newly-promoted Southampton.

Saints won the Women’s National League South in 2021/22 and beat Wolves 1-0 in the Championship playoff.

They began to campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Charlton last weekend and Booth, who saw his side delver a goalless friendly draw at Saints in pre-season, says they’ll be a tough opponent come Sunday.

“It’s a strange start where you play the relegated side and then the promoted side,” says Booth. “We knew plenty about Birmingham because historically we know the players, but we also played against Southampton in pre-season so we got a good look at them then.

“They’ve changed a bit since that pre-season game and got stronger, so it’s going to be a really tough match on Sunday.”

Focus on Saints
Southampton kicked off their Women’s Championship season with a 2-0 defeat to Charlton, in front of 2,444 fans at St Mary’s.

Discussing their Championship debut, defender Rosie Parnell told Saints’ club website: “It was really good. It felt like a long time coming and the club have been backing us for a long time so to finally be here… well we just want to push on now for the rest of the season.

“We have to take the positives from this game, there were a lot and we’ve learned a lot as well. We just need to look forward and put everything into practice for Lewes. I think we can get three points there.”

A good week
Booth and his staff have had a week to digest the goalless draw at St Andrew’s, which saw five Rooks make their full debut.

And, looking back at the game, the boss is eager to see how this squad develops further.

“Training has been really good. The players went through a tough opening game and they were happy with the performance, as were we. It gives us a boost heading into this weekend,” he adds.

“It sounds cliche but it was a great team performance all-round, and we were able to utilise some subs as well. They did great when they came on.

“For me goalkeeper Sophie (Whitehouse) did really well in goal. That might sound like we were completely under the cosh, but she handled the whole game well – especially with it being her debut.

“The players did what we’ve been working on in training and putting those things into practice. I was really proud of that all. It was a big day because the amount of work you put in during pre-season, it’s the culmination of all that hard work.

“Especially being an away game against a team newly relegated from the WSL, all in all I think the players as a group handled it really well.”

A SEASON PREVIEW BY JOE SHORT

“I want us to show what we’re made of. We’re not an underdog. We can shine and develop Lewes, and what it stands for. And of course, I want to win the league!”

Words well said from new Lewes FC striker Emily Kraft, who has joined the Rooks this summer from FFC Frankfurt with two eyes firmly on securing promotion this season.

Kraft is one of six players to have signed up to the Rooks this summer as part of new boss Scott Booth’s efforts to revamp the squad, and have it ready for another high-octane Women’s Championship.

Booth himself is a new face in the Dripping Pan dug-out after we said goodbye to interim boss Craig Gill, who has now headed to coach in America.

The manager arrives in East Sussex with plenty of experience in energising teams in search of trophies. The former Aberdeen striker led Glasgow City to six straight titles during his first big job in management, and moved to WSL side Birmingham City last year.

Now at the Pan, Booth is looking to build on the foundations Gill left.

“The players have been fantastic this summer and I couldn’t have asked for more,” Booth says.

“They’ve been completely professional, desperate to develop and improve, and have gelled really well as a new squad.

“We kept a core of players from the previous squad and introduced new players – and the way everyone has led the situation with getting to know each other has been phenomenal. It’s been a pleasure to be involved in this development.

“We’re always ambitious and we want to succeed. We want to make a success of this squad and develop the players as best we can. There are various levels of success but ultimately we just want to make sure the players are given the platform to succeed. That’s the big thing for us.”

New Arrivals
Booth and Kraft aren’t the only new faces at the Dripping Pan. Goalkeeper Sophie Whitehouse has come in from Bristol City, Amber-Keegan Stobbs from Watford, and Nat Johnson from Coventry United.

The Rooks have also managed to secure the services of highly-rated Chelsea teenager Emma Thompson on loan for the season. Emma chose to come to Lewes despite interest from a wealth of other clubs, in the UK and abroad.

And Libby Copus-Brown became the most recent arrival at the Pan when swapping Australia for the shores of East Sussex.

So, plenty of new faces to get accustomed to when watching the players in action this season. And there are new figures on Booth’s bench too. Daniel Matraszek, Lydia Woodland, Ivi Casagrande join Adam Chilcott, Christos Andreu and Stefano Montanari in Booth’s backroom staff, while the club is delighted to announce this week that Nat Haigh is our new assistant manager.

New Pitch
And the new arrivals just keep on coming in the form of a new pitch and additional stadium facilities at the Pan!

Many of you may have walked past the ground over the summer and seen building work going on. Thanks to a grant, the club has been able to relay the old turf with a fresh, hybrid pitch that provides a much smoother, more consistent surface.

We’ve already seen the Lewes men’s team take advantage of the improved pitch to beat Carshalton 2-0 on Tuesday night. And the new, improved surface means we can feature more games at the Pan throughout the year, particularly in the winter.

In the stands, you might notice work is going on in the Ham Lane end of the ground, where our new partners Only With Love are preparing a service area for food and drink over the course of the season!

We’re delighted to have Only With Love on board for the campaign, and their incredible range of beers – plus local favourites and other beverages – can be enjoyed during games throughout the season.

What with the new pitch, there is now greater access to the entirety of the Dripping Pan thanks to a new concerted section that runs alongside the Mountfield Road side of the pitch.

Fixture list
Lewes play 10 games before the winter break, and restart the new year away at Southampton in mid January. Mercifully for our grounds staff, we have just one Women’s home game at the Pan until March, and the season rounds off with a home clash against Durham on 30 April.

What’s more, we’re also competing in the Conti Cup once again this season. Our group stage opponents are Bristol City, Charlton and Crystal Palace – all from the Women’s Championship.

Individual match tickets for all Lewes home games start at £12 for adults and £8 for concessions (65+, students, people with disabilities). And our beach huts are back once again, and can be booked out for six people for just £110!

Meanwhile, you can still buy a Lewes FC season ticket and make big savings across the season. Our Super Season Ticket (Men and Women) costs just £260 and gets you access to every home game of both the Women’s Championship and the Isthmian Premier League.

Adult Women’s Season Tickets start at £105, while Concessions Women’s Season Tickets are just £70. Kids, as you know, go free!

New Fans
Lastly, we would like to welcome any new fans we have made over the past few months. Beating Liverpool 2-1 on the final day of last season seems like a lifetime ago. Since then the stadium has had a revamp, the squad has changed, and we’ve got a new manager. What’s more, women’s football is firmly in the spotlight thanks to the incredible success of the Lionesses during Euro 2022.

We know for many Lewes supporters being able to watch England play at Brighton and Wembley was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

But here at Lewes supporting women’s football with all we’ve got is nothing new. Equal pay, equal opportunities and equal respect is still a long way off for women footballers. But we will not stop striving for equality!

So, if you’re new to the club and are looking forward to supporting the Rooks for the first time, then welcome! You’ll find the Pan is a wonderfully communal place, safe for kids and comfortable for families – a positive, progressive home. Of course, if you’ve been before then you already know this!

INTRODUCING OUR VISITORS FROM SOUTHAMPTON FC

THE HISTORY

In 1970, Southampton Women’s F.C. was formed by female fans of the men’s Southampton F.C., but the two clubs were unaffiliated. Southampton Women’s F.C. went on to great success in England, winning the WFA Cup (Women’s FA Cup) eight times.

Another team, Southampton Saints Girls & Ladies F.C. were formed in 1979 as Red Star FC, who were founder members of the WFA Women’s National League in 1991. The club adopted the name Southampton Saints Girls & Ladies on affiliating to Southampton F.C. in 1995, and was absorbed by Southampton F.C. in 2001. The club had financial difficulties in 2005; the men’s senior side were relegated from the Premier League after 27 years of top-flight football, and Southampton F.C. withdrew support for the female side. Southampton Saints Girls & Ladies continued without major club support for another 14 years, before announcing their demise due to financial difficulties in July 2019.

By 2016 Southampton FC, under new ownership, saw the need for a competitive senior women’s team as the profile of women’s football in the UK grew. With the club’s Regional Talent Centre, a Southampton Under-16 team was formed, and an Under-21 side in May 2017. The club formed an adult women’s side for the 2017-18 season and were admitted to the Hampshire Women’s League Division 1. In March 2018, Southampton unsuccessfully applied to enter the FA Women’s Championship (Tier 2).

In June 2018, after winning the Hampshire Women’s League Division 1, the senior team was listed for the following season’s Southern Region Women’s Football League First Division South. In July 2018, the club appointed former England international Marieanne Spacey-Cale as head of Women’s and Girls’ Football. Spacey-Cale has 91 senior England caps.

In the 2018–19 season, the club in fact played in the Southern Region Premier Division, and won the title with a perfect record of 18 wins, earning promotion to the FA Women’s National League Division One. They also beat Oxford City Women in the League Cup, achieving a domestic Double.

In both the 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons, the club were top of the FA Women’s National League Division 1 South West at the point when the season was curtailed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The club applied for, and were granted, upward club movement in the summer of 2021, being placed in the FA Women’s National League Southern Premier Division for the 2021–22 season.

In the 2021–22 season, the club won the FA Women’s National League Southern Premier Division to earn a chance to get promoted to the second-tier by beating the FA WNL Northern Premier Division champions in a play-off. On 21 May 2022, Southampton earned a first ever promotion to the FA Women’s Championship by defeating Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 in the play-off.

The 2022-23 Season Southampton F.C start the season in their highest league to date after the revival of the club. during the close season the women’s side of the game went professional / full time.

THE SQUAD

THE LAST MEETINGS

The two sides met less than a month ago in a pre-season friendly at Totton FC, drawing 0-0. Prior to this they met in a FA Cup Fourth Round tie at The Dripping Pan, with the Saints upsetting the form book with a 2-1, the spectacular winner scored by Rachel Panting in the last ten minutes.

I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER

Lewes CEO Maggie Murphy gives her view on an amazing summer for Women’s football in this country.

I was lucky to be at the final game at Wembley and can promise the fervour and decibel levels were unreal. The crowd was football at its most representative; a glorious sea of young, old, male, female, black, brown and white, dancing proud in national shirts, caps, bucket hats and headscarves, draped in rainbow flags and smeared in face paint. Out of tune, yes, but into the game.

I’ve often heard people deride the concept of “family atmosphere” at football games. Code for “less meaningful”. But this month has seen full, robust, bellow-at-the-top-of-your-lungs family atmosphere. The noise, the passion, the emotional investment, the singing and the fear of England throwing it all away were all present – just without any toxicity or fear you might knock the wrong person or have to deal with an inappropriate look or comment.

But welcome to the beautiful, inclusive environment that a lot of women’s football has brewed under the radar over many decades. A space for people to be their raw selves without fear of judgement, whether player or fan.

I’ve been asked a few times about the legacy of the Euros. Clubs like ours and hopefully new sponsors, and the FA and County FAs will of course work to follow through and feed our ambitions to provide the best possible playing environments and increase access to as many new players and fans as possible. But the legacy really resides with you.

So what will be your legacy? What can you do?

There are so many ways to get involved and be part of the legacy.

At Lewes FC, we are looking for volunteers (sign up here if you are interested)

But every penny helps and we’d love you to consider sponsoring a player or sponsoring a match too. (Talk to Shrey for that! shrey@lewesfc.com)

Also, Lewes FC Juniors are always on the look out for great coaches or funding or sponsorship too. We can connect you easily,

But the biggest and best thing you can do is get to a game. If you’ve never “tried out” a women’s game, come along! And bring a friend.

Why come? Because that buzz you felt watching the Lionesses is replicable week in week out when you know a little about a team and the story of their season! Players feed off your presence and are happy to chat and take selfies and do autographs post-match. Connect with your kids on which player they admire and why (and then get to meet them). You already make gameday a time to catch up with your friends, but maybe add in a women’s game from time to time too. We can’t wait to welcome you if you’ve never been before.

Long may the good vibes and your legacy continue.

HOW WELL DO YOU REMEMBER THE WOMEN’S EUROS?

Answers at the bottom of the progcast

THE 2022/22 BARCLAYS WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP

YOUR 2022/23 LEWES SQUAD

Squad No.	Name	Sponsored By
1	Sophie Whitehouse	Nathan Smith
2	Ellie Mason	Scott Currie2
3	Rhian Cleverly	The Happiness Index
4	Amelia Hazard	Dawn Harding
6	Ellie Hack	Little Stars Childcare
7	Nat Johnson	Alice, Tom & Russ Mould
8	Grace Palmer
9	Emily Kraft	Michael Wirtz
10	Amber Keegan-Stobbs	Bill Lynch
11	Emma Thompson	Mark Comford
14	Paula Howells	Bruce Taylor
18	Rebecca McKenna	Leschenault Press & The Book Reality Experience
19	Lauren Heria	Alex Lambeth
20	Libby Copus-Brown	Joe Short
22	Josie Longhurst	Martin Scott
23	Izzy Dalton	Leschenault Press & The Book Reality Experience
31	Laura Hartley	Michael Scoates
32	Frankie Angel

BIRMINGHAM CITY 0 LEWES 0 – SUNDAY 21st AUGUST 2022

Lewes kicked off the new Women’s Championship season with a hard-fought goalless draw at Birmingham City on Sunday.

Paula Howells could have won it for the Rooks midway through the second half with a delightful effort from range that was tipped over the crossbar by Brum goalkeeper Lucy Thomas.

Meanwhile, Rooks debutant goalkeeper Sophie Whitehouse was on hand to deny Libby Smith with a low save late on, while Jade Pennock hit the crossbar in stoppage time.

The draw means Lewes get off to a steady start in the 2022/23 campaign, and leaves Rooks boss Scott Booth with plenty to consider heading into our first home game of the season against Southampton next Sunday.

Bright early start
Indeed, Booth handed full debuts to Whitehouse and four other summer recruits: centre-back Amber Stobbs, left winger Nat Johnson, and a new strike partnership of Emily Kraft and Emma Thompson.

Skippered by Ellie Mason, it was a bright start for the Rooks, who pressed from the front throughout the first half, and almost took the lead when Amelia Hazard fired a shot from distance that was pushed wide.

The second half saw Stobbs have an equally promising effort denied by Thomas. But it was Howells’ shot on 60 minutes that could have won it for the visitors. Collecting the ball with her back to goal, the midfielder expertly turned her marker and unleashed an arrowed shot from 40 yards. Only the fingertip of the backpedaling Thomas prevented the ball from clipping the underside of the bar and nestling in the net.

Whitehouse lockout
Whitehouse, meanwhile, had to be alert on a fairly quiet afternoon when she blocked Martha Harris’ shot after the full-back had charged into a promising position.

Libby Copus-Brown, Grace Palmer and Josie Longhurst came on in the second half to try and effect the score, but the Rooks were forced to make do with a well-earned point from the trip to St Andrew’s.

Lewes XI: Whitehouse, Hazard, Johnson, McKenna, Mason, Dalton, Howells, Hack, Stobbs, Thompson, Kraft.

Subs used: Longhurst (58′), Copus-Brown (69′), Palmer (69′).

WELCOME TO OUR NEW CLUB PARTNERS – XERO

Lewes FC are proud to announce a new three-year partnership with small business platform Xero, to help empower the club to reach its objective of greater equality in the women’s game.

Through Xero’s support, the Rooks will highlight the importance of financial sustainability and the vital role it plays in achieving an equitable playing field.

The partnership is the club’s largest and longest of its kind, and comes as we mark our fifth anniversary of becoming the world’s first gender equal club, having made the decision to split our playing budget and resources equally between the men’s and women’s first teams in 2017.

“We’re focused on creating a welcoming, inclusive club that’s sustainable for the long term, which is impossible to create without brilliant partners like Xero, who were great from the start,” says Lewes CEO Maggie Murphy.

“It was the first time a potential partner dug into our club strategy in detail and asked how we fund our safeguarding officer or accountant – the quiet but necessary nuts and bolts of the club – without whom we could not function.

“What the partnership also does is provide validity and legitimacy for the women’s game. With a brand like Xero coming on board, it’s a message to the wider world that it’s a space worth investing in. I’m confident with the help of Xero we’ll continue to make great strides towards equality.”

ADIOS CHARLIE AND ED

At the stroke of midnight on the 30th June, Charlie Dobres and Ed Ramsden stepped down as directors of Lewes Football Club after nearly 12 years.  The two were part of the original group of six, known as the Rooks 125, who steered the club into community ownership in July 2010, along with Alex Leith, Ben Ward, Patrick Marber and Nick Williams. Twelve years on they leave the club in a significantly better place on and off the pitch.

Whilst our existing Community Club rules are under discussion by our owners with specific reference to term limits, both will have reached the current maximum 12 year terms as members of the board in the next few days and so have resigned with immediate effect.

Their contribution both in terms of the time, expertise and financial support given to the club can never be underestimated.  Both worked tirelessly in those early years, with zero knowledge about Non-League football, to save the club from potential financial ruin and implement a structure for future governance.  We would not be here today if it wasn’t for Charlie and Ed, nor would many of our current (and former) directors or staff.  Speaking personally, it was because of the passion and vision they had for club that convinced me to stand for election to the board back in 2011 and I will truly miss their contribution to growing the club.  I won’t miss Ed’s eclectic wardrobe though which normally saw him turn up for board meetings in sandals, loose tracksuit bottoms and a hoodie.  I did once see him wear a suit and a tie (see photo) on one of his rare occasions of watching us away from home.

It is hard to sum up their contribution in just a few words but I am going to try.

I have a notebook that contains some of Charlie’s bizarre ideas.  As a career-long marketeer, he’s had more than a few daft ones, but he leaves behind the legacy of the revival across Non-League football of the match day posters, the beach huts (which started life as an April Fool joke) and of course a number of ownership campaigns which has seen our global community of owners grow from around 1,500 to nearly 2,500 in little more than 3 years.  His energy, passion and drive for Lewes FC is unquestionable and whilst he steps down from the board, he will still be working with the club in the areas that he has expertise in.  Charlie is someone who wants to be involved in everything, not in a controlling way but because he cares deeply about the club and what it can achieve.

Ed’s vision for the future of the club saw us build our own 3G, champion the growth of our Women’s team and drive ahead with our equality stance, even when so many people outside of the club doubted it would be a success.  The fact that national sides including Norway, New Zealand and the Netherlands have now taken the equal pay approach may not be directly attributed to his election address back in 2016 but many organisations took inspiration from his words, which became reality for the club in the summer of 2017.  He’s had some strange ideas in his time such as deciding to buy dozens of cases of a truly terrible beer called Schnoodlepip notable or insisting the team walk out to the songs of German Death Metal group Rammstein, but he’s also had significantly more that have paid off ten-fold.

There’s few finer people that you’d want in charge of a football club and their absence will be greatly felt by the remaining board members and club staff.

Director John Peel paid tribute to the departing two:

“It was once said of The Fall: ‘They are always different; they are always the same’. This partially referenced the ever changing band line up but more so The Fall’s ability to evolve its sound whilst rigorously maintaining its identity: mainstream but taking a different path to those around them.

For over a decade, Charlie and Ed have been die-hard fans as well as Directors and more than anyone else over the past decade, their impact is tangible across our club today. In its infrastructure and as a football club with a clear identity: one that tries what it can to positively benefit its community and wider society.

I was elected as Director in 2015 and it has been a great privilege getting to know them over that period. It genuinely feels like more than 7 years (in a nice way). They are both relentlessly smart, courageous, knowledgeable, and generous. They are occasionally funny.

Their passion and commitment to their community is a significant part of why we have a club unlike any other to support today. Thank you to you both for everything”.

Club CEO Maggie Murphy also had some words on their departure.

“It has been a privilege to work with Ed and Charlie over the last three years. They are dreamers and doers, with a big vision that I couldn’t help but get embroiled in. Ed has been an incredible mentor and guide to me, challenging me to push my own boundaries a little each day. Charlie’s creative brilliance and out-of-the-box thinking is unique and special and rare for a club of our size. I will miss quizzing him about the significance behind the latest matchday poster whose meaning is just a little too abstract for me to get!

Both have put countless unseen hours and hours into the club, mostly thankless, rarely recognised. The club owes them both a huge debt of gratitude for where we are today. I hope they enjoy a more peaceful, less stressful, joyous return to the terraces this season.”

I am sure neither will be a stranger at The Pan (OK, so Ed might be) but it will be great to see them enjoying the fruits of their labours as a fan and not just as a director.

¡Hasta la victoria siempre!

MEET YOUR NEW HOSPITALITY TEAM – ONLY WITH LOVE

Lewes FC is delighted to announce that we are teaming up with local brewery Only With Love as our hospitality partner.

Many of you will know former directors Steve Keegan and Roger Warner, who were keen to ensure their new venture could continue to support the club’s role in the community. 

The new partnership will see Only With Love provide the club with a wealth of experience and direction in setting a new standard for drinks, food, entertainment and events – both on match days and in midweek.

As well as kitting out The Rook Inn with a solid attacking lineup of all our best drinks – with a strong emphasis on healthy AF (alcohol-free) options, the best of our craft beers, classic Harvey’s Best, and other star guest signings from the local brewery scene – we’ll also be helping to improve matchday food offerings, and introducing a new bar at the Ham Lane end of the ground, to ensure thirsty fans get more access to the good stuff, at great prices (meaning more bar options, faster service, better drinks, and better value for home and away fans).

New programme of activity and events
In addition to this, Lewes FC and Only With Love will be working together on a new programme of activity and events to give more people more access to the facilities that we can provide, such as: supporters gatherings, club owners nights, live matches on the big screen TV, quiz nights, and other community meet ups. (Rumour also has it that there will be more Karaoke sessions).

Our common goal is to make the Dripping Pan a broader and better destination for fans and the local community.

Lewes FC is a fan-owned club and Only With Love want to help do more to make the place a home for all kinds of different groups, with football as a common, uniting thread.

A PIRATE’S LIFE

Lewes FC is proud to announce that it will provide a home this season to a statue called ‘Inexorable’ commemorating Anne Bonny and Mary Read – trailblazing female pirates largely erased from history. 

Sculptor Amanda Cotton said, “‘Anne and Mary should live somewhere where they will be appreciated and celebrated. ‘Inexorable’ stands for the idea that you can live free and without constraint, and the piece should serve as a reminder that you can live authentically as yourself, exactly as Anne and Mary did. I’d love Anne and Mary to be as famous as their male counterparts and bring inspiration to all. For these reasons I’m delighted that for a season they will stay at The Dripping Pan in Lewes, watching the only fairly resourced professional women and men club footballers in the world play. It’s a match made in heaven.” 

Back in the 18^th Century both Anne and Mary had to dress as men to escape poverty in the UK and join a pirate ship, something barred to them as women. Eventually they fell in love with each other, capturing ships around Jamaica, and leaving a trail of looted treasure as well as ex-lovers behind them. 

The 8 feet high statue is intended to represent each woman’s elemental personality – fire for passionate, impulsive Anne, and earth for practical, many-layered Mary. The two forms are different but forever connected. Together Earth and Fire are unstoppable: hence ‘Inexorable’. The piece of art demonstrates a partnership of two strong, independent rebellious women whom history has tried to ignore.  

Initially designed to be in Devon, but rejected by a local council as ‘inappropriate’, Lewes FC was keen to house the statue at their home ground The Dripping Pan, where they are famous for being the only club in the world to split resources equally between women and men footballers. But this was only recently made possible by a grant from the Chalk Cliff Trust to cover transport and installation costs. 

Lewes FC director Karen Dobres commented, ‘We’re honoured that Inexorable will overlook our pitch, standing proudly by our old flint wall in Mountfield Road. As pioneers of gender equality in football, known for our radical stance on smashing gender stereotypes, we hope our community will be inspired by this incredible work of art. We’re grateful to Amanda for so powerfully drawing attention to these women’s stories, and to the Chalk Cliff Trust for funding the transportation of Inexorable to the Pan. We think Anne and Mary will feel very much at home in the town of Lewes and people will be able to come and see the statue on match days and open days.” 

SISTERSHIPS UPDATE

We have a new Sistership on board!

Welcome to WOFFF (the Women Over Fifty Film Festival) who seek to ensure that we see films featuring older women either behind or in front of the camera.

The festival started in Lewes and takes place at our local Depot cinema this year on Saturday 24th September, but we are having a special, free preview night in the Rook Inn on Weds 31st August.

Book your free ticket here and join us in the Rook Inn to watch two inspiring short films centred on women in sports.

PS: You don’t have to be a woman or over 50 to come along :-0

FILMING AT TODAY’S GAME

Today 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 match day looks/sounds like and to generally promote what we do. 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.

CREDITS AND LEGAL

“The Barclays 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. Lewes 2000 FC Limited is 100% owned by Lewes Community Football Club.

Honorary President Terry Parris
Chair Stuart Fuller
Directors Sue Anstiss MBE (co-opted), Ed Briggs, Scott Currie, Karen Dobres, Stuart Fuller, Lucy Mills, John Peel, Claire Rafferty (co-opted), Sally Taplin, Trevor Wells
Chief Executive Officer Maggie Murphy
Club Secretary John Peel
Fan Engagement Officer Shrey Nilvarna
Financial Director Biram Desai
Operations Manager James Barker

Equality FC Campaign Manager Karen Dobres

Life Members
Peter Brook, Dorothy Brook RIP, Vic Blunt, Pat Dartnell, Gary Elphick, Gordon Fowlie, Peter Hiscox RIP, Billy Nixon, Derrick Parris RIP, 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 Scott Booth
Assistant Manager Nat Haigh
PP Coach Christos Andreou
GK Coach Daniel Matraszek
Nutritionist Stefano Montanari
Physiotherapist Katrina Martin & Lydia Woodland
Team Psychologist Chelsea Orme
Data Analyst Adam Chilcott
Sporting Director Kelly Lindsey

General Manager Lynne Burrell

Women’s DS Head Coach Andy Corrigan

Pathway Co-ordinator Ryan Sullivan

Golden Rook Rob Read
Web Editor Stuart Fuller
Progcast Editors Stuart Fuller
Club Photographer James Boyes

NEXT UP AT THE PAN….

SUNDAY 18th SEPTEMBER 2022 2pm KICK OFF

LONDON CITY LIONESSES – BARCLAYS WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

TODAY’S QUIZ ANSWERS

1. Beth Mead scored in the 16th minute of the opening game against Austria
2. 3.859 saw Belgium take on Iceland at Manchester City’s Academy Stadium
3. Northern Ireland, ranked 48th in the world, were the lowest ranked side in the tournament
4. Iceland drew all three of their group games and were eliminated without losing a game
5. Alexandra Popp also scored six goals but missed the final against England due to injury