Tuesday 25th October 2022 7:45pm – The Isthmian Premier League – The Dripping Pan

Welcome to The Dripping Pan for this evening’s Pitching In Isthmian Premier League game against Hornchurch. Here is your complimentary e-programme.

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NOTES FROM THE CHAIR

Good evening and welcome to the Dripping Pan for this evening’s game against Hornchurch. I’d like to welcome the fans, players, management and officials from North of the river and hope they have a safe journey home. It is not surprising to see the Urchins at the top of the table – they are a great team, well managed and came into this season with momentum from their run to the Play-off Final last season, where they lost surprisingly to Cheshunt.

We come into the game off the back of two good wins against Enfield Town and Margate respectively, only the second time we’ve been able to do that this season. We looked very solid on Saturday, only giving Margate one or two half chances in the whole game. Johnville Renee came in to make his debut at right back and played well, whilst the partnership between Tom and Will once again looked really strong.

Last night we had the Annual General Meeting and announced that Andy, Tim and Willa were elected to the board. I want to welcome them again and I am sure you will all soon see (or hear them in Tim’s case as he will be on the PA tonight) them around the club. I’d like to thank the four other candidates (Brad, Ian, Matt and Eden) for standing for one of the most competitive elections we’ve had as well as everyone who voted. We have said goodbye to Karen (Dobres) who has stepped down, but certainly not away from the great work she has done in the local community and Sue Anstiss, who was co-opted onto the board a year ago is also stepping down. We thank them both for their valuable contribution and wish them well for the future.

There was some good questions and debate on the AGM and thank you to everyone who took the time to take part. We know we have a lot of work to do in the coming months but I hope the board answered the most pressing questions you, the owners had. As always, if you have a question about anything, ranging from when and where is the FA Youth cup tie versus AFC Wimbledon (still awaiting confirmation), can we have the results on on the TV in the bar (not until we get an aerial sorted) to will Brightlingsea switch the game on the 5th to a 9am kick off so we can get back to Lewes in time for the Bonfire celebrations (er, no), then please feel free to ask me at the game tonight, or Twitter, email or carrier pigeon.

Due to our re-arranged fixture schedules we have midweek games here for the next three weeks, (Aveley and Folkestone Invicta) and we will await the news of the Sussex Senior Cup draw which is due to take place this weekend and is likely to be played week beginning 14th November. We’ve unfortunately lost Michael Klass back to Aldershot Town after his month with us and it is unlikely we will see Kenny Yao for a while due to injury.

Get behind the team and Come on you Rooks!

Stuart

TONY’S THOUGHTS

Good evening everyone and welcome back to the Pan for this evenings game against Hornchurch. I felt we carried our performance from Enfield into Saturday’s game although we attacked in different areas of the pitch. In both games we were pretty dominant for an hour or so but without sounding harsh or nitpicking on the boys off the back of two wins we need to extend that dominance to 75-80 minutes in a game. On Saturday we restricted Margate to one or two chances – both really coming in that final 10 minutes but with the score then at 1-0 it did make it more uncomfortable for us than it should have been. We could have been a bit braver on the ball going forward, trying to force the game rather than letting it flow. Still stuff to work on, but we thoroughly deserved the win.

We are coming into the game tonight having made a big ask of the boys in terms of preparation – having played Saturday and again tonight, we made last night’s session optional but every single one of the squad turned up which just shows the desire and commitment we’ve got from the squad at the moment.

I think we are facing the best team in the league and if anyone can finish above them this season I would bet they will be the champions. It will be a great test for us to see how far we have come – they are the benchmark and after tonight we will see what changes we need to made. I personally believe we have better players than Hornchurch but they have a better team which has had time to settle and gel. Don’t get me wrong – we are confident coming into the game and have won 3 of our last 4. We are at home, unbeaten here and we will give it a real go.

We will likely have six outfield players starting tonight who weren’t with us last season and that shows the foundations we are laying and the beauty of that is they will only get better as a team. We’ve seen glimpses in the last couple of games of what the team is capable of. We’ve got a lot of fixtures coming up – almost every midweek from now until end of November and potentially into December depending on cup results which will test the depth of the squad.

The boys excited, we are excited and we couldn’t wish to be playing in front of a better set of fans. It should be a great game tonight – we only know one way to play and whilst we will give Hornchurch some respect, we will be looking for all three points come 10pm tonight.

Get behind the boys, make the difference and Come On You Rooks!

Tony

GETTING TO KNOW – RAZZ DE-GRAFT

After quickly becoming a fan’s favourite due to his spectacular goals, we felt it was necessary to learn more about our wonderful winger. Here, we find out about Razz’s most influential coach, the proudest and toughest moments of his career, and who has the worst dress sense in the changing room…

Q: Who was the most influential coach at academy level for you? I’ve seen you were at Palace, Reading and Charlton. Anyone from either of these clubs?

A: My most influential coach was Mr Steve Avory at Charlton. (Avory is Academy Director at Charlton Athletic, and is considered as one of Charlton’s most important members of staff)

Q: How has Tony Russell helped your development as a player?

A: When I first came to Lewes I think Tony knew that I was talented, but knew I was also a bit raw. So, as a result, he started picking at little things that he knew would help me. For example, cutting inside, and placing the ball into the corner, instead of smashing it. Another way he’s helped my development is by allowing me to play freely. With this in my mind, I now believe I am able to affect the game more than before I joined Lewes.

Q: What has been the toughest moment of your career?

A: The toughest moment of my career is from when I was at Crystal Palace and didn’t get signed. It absolutely shattered my confidence and I stopped playing football for about 6 months.

Q: On a lighter note, what has been the proudest moment of your career?

A: It has to be when I was playing for Hampton and Richmond, when we made it to the First Round of the FA Cup. It’s the furthest myself and the club had got to in the cup, and what made it better was that it was televised.

Q: I see you have your own clothing line! What inspired you to do this?

A: I have always been interested in fashion and loved the thought of getting ready to go out. So I thought to myself, why not make my own clothes? (Razz’s clothing line is called MakeSenseLDN for anyone that wants to check it out!)

Q: Leading on from this, you’d surely have one of the best opinions therefore in telling me who has the worst fashion sense in the dressing room?

A: This is a tricky one because I haven’t seen anyone dress up properly, but I’ll give a wild guess and probably say Mitch, but that’s only because he comes in wearing funny socks every game.

Getting to know Razz De-Graft will be continued soon, but if you’d like to read more from this interview with Razz, follow @LewesClamour on Twitter or Instagram.

INTRODUCING OUR VISITORS – HORNCHURCH FC

THE HISTORY

The club was formed in 1923 as Upminster Wanderers. They only played friendly matches for the first two seasons, joining in the Romford League in 1925, winning the Premier Division in 1930-31 and finishing runners up on three occasions. until in 1938 they stepped up to the Spartan League, and dropped the ‘Wanderers’ from their name as the original Upminster club had folded several years earlier.

When action resumed after the war Upminster, due to a shortage of players, returned to the Romford League for 1945-46, winning the title, as well as the Essex Junior Cup in front of a crowd of 4,000, before returning to the Spartan League. Promoted to the Spartan Premier Division in 1951, they joined the Delphian League a year later, changing their name to Hornchurch & Upminster as they prepared to move into the new Hornchurch Sports Stadium, in Bridge Avenue. They took up residence in November 1952 and have remained there ever since.

They were runners up in the Delphian League in 1959, and were elected to the Athenian League. They dropped the Upminster part of the name in 1960, becoming just Hornchurch FC although the ground is just inside the Upminster boundary. They won the Division One championship in 1967 but were relegated in 1969 and promoted back again in 1971.

1974/5 saw the club reach the Fifth Round of the very first FA Vase competition where they lost 1-0 to eventual finalists Epsom & Ewell. That performance helped the club gain election to the Isthmian League. In 1978, the club once again suffered relegation but three years later they were back after achieving the runners-up slot. It was a false dawn, to say the least. Apart from a tenth-place finish in 1995, it would be 19 years before they again finished in the top half of their table. They survived several brushes with relegation before losing their Division One place in 1986 and continued to struggle in Division Two North. Matters became even worse in 1989 when a fire destroyed the clubhouse and it took many years to recover. Inevitably, Urchins found themselves in Division Three when the regionalised divisions were scrapped in 1991 and an appearance in the final of the Associate Members Cup — a competition for the bottom two divisions — in 1994 was a rare taste of success.

Mick Marsden was appointed manager in February 1998 and in his second season in charge of the club took them to fourth place. After that, 2000-01 was disappointing as far as league performances were concerned, but the team had an excellent run in the FA Vase before being knocked out by eventual finalists Berkhamsted in a replay.

Things changed dramatically as the club was taken over and restructured. Second place in Division 3 in 2002 brought promotion to Division 1N. and another runners-up spot followed in 2003 to take Urchins into the Premier Division for the first time. Much work was also done on the near derelict stadium, and under manager George Borg Hornchurch gained promotion to the new Conference South after finishing fifth in 2003-04, though the season was more noticeable for reaching the second round of the FA Cup. Darlington were beaten 2-0 in the first round, before Tranmere Rovers stole a controversial 1-0 win in front of TV cameras and a capacity crowd at Bridge Avenue.

The dream continued a little longer, as under the former Dagenham manager Garry Hill, the team stormed to the top of the Conference South. It seemed too good to be true and it was. On a grim Thursday in November, with Hornchurch top of the table and unbeaten in their last 16 matches,  the entire squad, all full time,  was released. They had reached the first round of the FA Cup before the collapse and the tie at Boston United was fulfilled by six debutants and a collection of youth team players. Hornchurch took an early lead and gave a valiant show before going down 5-2. The season descended into chaos. Almost 100 players wore first team shirts as new manager Tony Choules contrived to avert relegation, despite a 10 point deduction. Indeed without it the club would have finished in a remarkable ninth place.

The club reformed under the name AFC Hornchurch and was placed by the FA in the Essex Senior league. Former youth team manager John Lawrence took charge in May 2005. They ran away with the championship and also won the league’s two cup competitions becoming the first side to achieve the treble.

Under former Thurrock manager Colin McBride, Hornchurch returned to the Isthmian League, and romped to a second successive title, unbeaten in their last 35 matches, and amassing 103 points to finish 21 points clear at the top. They also won the Essex Senior Cup for the first time in their history, beating Great Wakering 2-1 at Southend United. Success continued in the Premier Division the following season, finishing  4^th to secure a play-off place but losing 3-1 in the semi-final at AFC Wimbledon in front of a crowd of 2,897.

The following season Hornchurch again entertained a Football League club, losing 1-0 to

Peterborough United at a packed Bridge Avenue in the First Round of the FA Cup, the only goal coming in stoppage time. The league campaign ended in disappointment when they lost 2-1 at Sutton on the final day of the season, to finish sixth, just outside the play-offs.

Things were still not right off the field and manager Colin McBride took control of the club as chairman midway through the 2009-10 campaign in an effort to sort out the financial problems caused by the previous regime. His assistant Jimmy McFarlane took over team affairs, initially as caretaker. Urchins finished ninth in the league after being in and around the play-off places throughout the season. It was a similar story in 2010-11, when Urchins were unable to sustain their play-off bid and missed out by four points, finishing tenth. But the two Macs achieved their ambition the following season as Urchins recovered from three successive defeats in August to storm into play-off contention. They eventually had to settle for the runners-up spot behind Billericay. Bury were beaten 3-1 in the play-off semi-final, and, in a tense final against Lowestoft, Hornchurch won 2-1 with Michael Spencer scoring the winner in the final minute of extra time.

The return to the Conference South began with a brief flirtation with the play-off spots, but six dropped points to bottom club Truro proved decisive as Urchins finished 20^th, two points short of safety. A second Essex Senior Cup triumph, coming from behind to beat Grays Athletic 2-1 in the final at Dagenham, provided some consolation. Back in the Isthmian League, Urchins enjoyed a 15-match unbeaten run early in the 2013-14 season, Eventually finishing in fifth position, They won 1-0 at Kingstonian in the Play Off semi-final, but lost 3-0 at Lowestoft in the final, with four key men missing through injury or suspension, and others had to play while less than properly fit.

The following season started with high hopes but the club’s landlords, the local council, closed the stadium to install new floodlights, forcing the first eight league games to be played away from home. Just one point came from those matches and left Urchins facing a season-long fight to avoid the drop. With six weeks to go they had finally lifted themselves out of the bottom four and looked on course for survival, only for form to desert the team completely as just two points came from the last ten games. Urchins had high hopes of regaining their Premier status quickly but it was not to be, as they lost the 2016 Play-off final to Harlow Town and the 2017 semi-final to Thurrock. However it was third time lucky when in season 2017-18 they won Isthmian North by 13 points, amassing 103 goals in total with a goal difference of  plus 62.

The Urchins started life back in the Premier Division quite well but fell away, and in November long serving manager Jimmy McFarlane stood down. In his place the club appointed Mark Stimson. A final position of 19^th was obtained. The club reached the final of the League Cup but were beaten 2-0 by Enfield Town. They also reached the Semi-final of the Essex Senior Cup, losing 3-1 to Chelmsford City.

Hornchurch dropped the AFC part of their name for the 2019-20 season, and were well set for a play-off place when the season came to a premature end. Season 2021-22 turned out to be the greatest in the history of the club, When the season again came to a premature end in November the Club was still in the FA Trophy and with the Football Association making the decision to complete the competition, be it behind closed doors the Club was able to continue. At first, as they were considered non-elite which meant they were not allowed to train. As Hornchurch progressed the Club were granted elite status and thus resumed training. Having defeated Bowers & Pitsea and Wingate & Finchley in early rounds Hornchurch went on to defeat six clubs higher up the pyramid to make it to Wembley, where they came back from a goal down at half time to win 3-1 against Hereford. This gave manager Mark Stimson his fourth success in the Trophy to go with his winners’ medal as a player.

A poor start to the 2021-22 season was offset by an incredible unbeaten three-month run, which ensured them of a Play Off place, but they lost to Cheshunt in the final before their first ever capacity crowd for a league match.

THE SQUAD

MARK STIMSON (Manager) Mark has the incredible record of winning five FA Trophy finals – as a player with Canvey Island 2001, and as manager with Grays Athletic, 2005 and 2006, Stevenage in 2007, and Hornchurch in 2021. During his professional playing career with Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Portsmouth and Leyton Orient, he made over 250 appearances in the Football League. He later played for Canvey Island and Grays Athletic, and was manager at Gillingham, Barnet and Kettering Town. He had six seasons at Thurrock and a short spell at Waltham Abbey, before becoming manager of AFC Hornchurch. He guided Hornchurch to their Wembley Trophy win, and to the final of the Play-Offs last season,

JAMIE SOUTHON (Coach) Jamie played for Southend United, Dagenham & Redbridge, Chelmsford City, Purfleet, before joining Hornchurch in 2003. In three seasons at Hornchurch, Jamie scored eight goals in 121 appearances. When Colin McBride became manager, Jamie was one of the many ex-Thurrock players who made their debut at Enfield Town. After leaving Hornchurch Jamie became assistant manager at Kelvedon Hatch, He returned to Hornchurch in a coaching capacity in 2018.

ELLIS BROWN  (Defender /Midfield)  Ellis was with Charlton Academy for ten years, at the end of which he signed a one year pro-contract at Southend Utd, later playing for Dartford, Witham, East Thurrock and Tonbridge. He played for Merstham in 2015, and returned in 2019, having played for Phoenix, Thamesmead, Dover, Thurrock and Waltham Abbey in the interim. He set the seal on our Wembley win when he scored the third goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

JOE CHRISTOU – (Midfield) Joe made 15 appearances in his initial season at Hornchurch, before moving to Thurrock where he made 131 appearances, scoring 19 goals. After a brief spell at East Thurrock United he joined Mark Stimson at Waltham Abbey at the start of the 2018-19 season, but missed four months of the season due to injury He returned to Hornchurch In November 2018. He has also played in goal, standing in for two matches last season.

JORDAN CLARK (Defender/Midfield) Jordan spent six seasons at Thurrock, where he scored thirty goals in 152 appearances. With the unfortunate demise of Thurrock at the end of the season, manager Jim McFarlane quickly signed him for Hornchurch. Jordan played his 100^th match for Hornchurch in our FA Trophy Final at Wembley Stadium.

KENNY CLARK  (Defender)  Kenny began his career at Dagenham & Redbridge as a youth team player, and following his release in 2006 he joined Thurrock, going on to become the captain in a four-year spell at Ship Lane. He signed for Chelmsford City in 2011. After two seasons with Chelmsford, he signed for Dartford before making the switch into the National League with Ebbsfleet United in 2014. He went on to make over 200 appearances for the Fleet. Clark returned to Dagenham in 2018, and finished last season on loan at Southend United.

NATHAN BERTRAM-COOPER (Defender) Nathan joined Hornchurch in 2015 from Romford and made his 100^th appearance for Hornchurch in the FA Trophy replay against Thamesmead Town on 10th October 2017. He was club captain, but missed the majority of the 2018 season after sustaining an injury in October, and did not play again until August 2019. When the 2019 season was curtailed in November, Nathan joined Hemel Hempstead on dual registration, scoring two goals in nine appearances, before their season was also curtailed, He returned to Hornchurch to take his place in the squad for FA Trophy matches. He joined Braintree Town at the start of the 2021 season, and returned to Hornchurch in January 2022, making his 200^th appearance at Potters Bar in March.

RICKIE HAYLES (Defender) Rickie first played for Hornchurch in 2010, and quickly became a regular in the first team, making 167 appearances, before leaving at the end of the 2013-14 season. He returned to Hornchurch in August 2019, having played for Lowestoft, East Thurrock, Bishop’s Stortford, Welling Utd, Billericay Town and Dulwich Hamlet in the interim. He again became an automatic choice, but was injured at Folkestone in January 2020 and did not play again until September. Rickie, as joint captain, raised the FA Trophy at Wembley.

SAM HIGGINS (Forward) Sam first played for Hornchurch in 2008, but left to join Brentwood, briefly returning the following season. He later joined East Thurrock where he went on to score a record 275 goals. He returned to Hornchurch for the third time in 2020, and despite being absent due to injury for some months, he played a massive contribution in our FA Trophy victory, and scored a remarkable goal in our Play Off semi-final at Enfield Town.

TOBI JOSEPH (Midfield) In his first spell at Hornchurch Tobi made over 100 appearances, scoring 21 goals, despite missing over twelve months due to a badly broken leg. He joined Canvey Island in 2019 and was a regular in their first team, before moving to East Thurrock in the summer of 2021, returning to Hornchurch in December.

OLLIE  MULDOON  (Midfield) Ollie spent four seasons at Charlton, later playing for Braintree Town, Dagenham & Redbridge, Gillingham, Maidstone United and Chelmsford City. He quickly established himself in the starting line-up, and his wealth of experience has proved invaluable.

JACK MUNNS (Midfield) Jack played at youth level for Leyton Orient and Tottenham Hotspur, before spending two seasons at Charlton Athletic. He played in the Football League for Cheltenham Town and for Hartlepool United. He also played for Dagenham & Redbridge, Dover Athletic and Boreham Wood in the National League. In November 2021 he joined Billericay Town in the National South. He also had a brief loan spell at Aldershot whilst at Tottenham.

LIAM NASH (Forward) Liam previously played for Billericay, Aveley, Hemel Hempstead, Dartford and Concord Rangers, and also made 15 appearances in the Football League at Gillingham. He is better known for his one season at Maldon & Tiptree, where he scored 36 goals in 47 appearances in 2016-17. His transfer to Hornchurch was delayed as international clearance was difficult to obtain after he played in Gibraltar, but he has maintained his scoring record at Hornchurch, including the sensational second goal at Wembley, where he was named Player of the Match. Last season, in addition to scoring 23 goals, Liam also had 16 assists.

OLA OGUNWAMIDE (Midfield) Ola played for Woodford, St Alban’s City, Barking and Tilbury, joining East Thurrock Utd in 2021. He signed for Hornchurch after a very impressive performance against us, and quickly became a regular choice, playing on the left side. In addition to having seven assists to his credit, Ola has also scored some spectacular goals for Hornchurch.

MARK ONYEMAH (Defender) Mark joined Hornchurch in September 2020 and made his debut as a substitute in the season opener at home to Merstham.  Mark played for Thurrock, where he attracted the attention of Luton Town at youth level and he had loan spells at Hampton & Richmond Borough and Dartford. He made 38 appearances for Dartford during the 2015/16 season before moving to Concord Rangers and then on to Thurrock where he helped secure promotion to the Isthmian Premier Division.  He rejoined the Darts in July 2017 making a further 32 appearances before departing in November 2019.  

MICKEY PARCELL (Defender) Mickey at was at Torquay United where he signed a professional contract following a two year scholarship, but injury curtailed his time at Plainmoor, which included loan spells at Bideford and Truro City.  He signed for Enfield Town ahead of the 2015-16 season. In four seasons at Enfield, Mickey made 160 appearances and scored five goals. Mickey won the Hornchurch Goal of the Season award in 2021-22 when he scored from deep inside his own half against Brightlingsea Regent. Mickey was included in the Isthmian League Team of the Year for 2021-22

WYAN REID (Defender) Wyan came through the ranks at Aveley where he progressed from their double-winning reserve team, making his first team debut in 2018 and going on to play 56 times, scoring seven goals.  The defender joined Concord Rangers in August 2021, moving to Brightlingsea Regent in January 2022 (11 appearances, 1 goal). He made two appearances for Brentwood Town this season before joining Cheshunt.

DAVID SMITH (Forward) David has been signed on a three month loan from National League Bromley, where he moved earlier this summer. He was in fabulous form for Invicta last season, scoring thirty five goals in his sixty appearances, the last of those in the Kent Senior Cup Final against Dartford in May. He managed six goals in twelve games during the very short 20-21 campaign, too, after joining from Ashford United. David had a scintillating season for the Nuts and Bolts, with twenty three goals in forty one appearances- including a four goal haul in one match at Three Bridges. He moved to Ashford from Dover Athletic, where he didn’t really get much of a chance to shine. He moved to the town of traffic jams after breaking through at Sittingbourne, and did spent a second spell with the Brickies on loan from Athletic. He came through the Academy at Maidstone United.

LEWWIS SPENCE (Midfield) Lewwis was previously with Thurrock where he made 181 appearances scoring 46 goals in five seasons, briefly interrupted by a spell at Greenwich Borough. He quickly established himself at Hornchurch and together with Rickie Hayles held up the FA Trophy at Wembley. He has also scored several spectacular goals from the half way line for both Thurrock and Hornchurch. Lewwis holds a unique record, as his sister Drew, who played for Chelsea Ladies, was also a Wembley winner,

CHARLIE STIMSON (Forward) Charlie joined the Urchins at the start of December 2018. In his six seasons at Thurrock he made 220 appearances, scoring 70 goals. He only played seven times at Waltham Abbey, scoring four goals, before injury caused him to miss the next three months of the season. He is the son of manager Mark Stimson.

REMI SUTTON (Defender) Remi played for Hornchurch in their Capital League side in 2008-09. He played for Canvey Island, Great Wakering and Basildon Utd before joining Thurrock in December 2013. He had a short spell at Greenwich Borough before returning to Thurrock, and he made exactly 200 appearances, scoring eleven goals. Remi was included in the Isthmian League Team of the Year for 2021-22.

TOM WRAIGHT  (Midfield) Hornchurch Player of the Season 2021-22. Tom played for Tilbury, Witham Town, East Thurrock and Maidstone, joining Chelmsford City in 2018. Despite missing much of the 2019-20 season with a serious knee injury, he went on to make 79 appearances for City, scoring 17 goals, and becoming their captain in 2021. Tom has a remarkable scoring record with every club he played for, and he carried on where he left off with a goal on his Hornchurch debut. He scored four goals in the first half in our five nil win at Carshalton, but a serious injury in the Play Off semi final meant that he was unable to play in the all-important final. Tom was included in the Isthmian League Team of the Year for 2021-22

JOE WRIGHT (Goalkeeper) Joe is a former Queens Park Rangers youth goalkeeper. His first senior club was Cheshunt in 2010, followed by Redbridge, Maldon & Tiptree, Billericay Town, Hendon ,and Welling United. He had two spells at Bishop’s Stortford, before joining Enfield Town in 2017-18. In his two seasons at Enfield Town, he made 95 appearances. He saved three penalties in the FA Trophy shoot-out against King’s Lynn.

THE FORM

THE HEAD TO HEAD RESULTS

29th January 2022	Isthmian Premier League	Hornchurch	3	Lewes	1
25th September 2021	Isthmian Premier League	Lewes	1	Hornchurch	3
12th February 2020	Isthmian Premier League	Lewes	0	Hornchurch	0
27th April 2019	Isthmian Premier League	Lewes	0	Hornchurch	0
16th October 2018	Isthmian Premier League	Hornchurch	1	Lewes	5
17th March 2015	Isthmian Premier League	Hornchurch	0	Lewes	1

OUR LAST MEETING HERE – 25th SEPTEMBER 2021

PLAYER SPONSORSHIP

You can sponsor the player of your choice, subject to availability, for the 2022/23 season and get your name in lights, plus a home or away shirt signed by your player and presented to you at a home game. Contact Shrey for more details at Shrey@lewesfc.com.

PLAYER	SPONSOR	PLAYER	SPONSOR
Lewis Carey	Susie Arlett	Jack Skinner	
Tom Carlse	Michael McDowell	Ronan Silva	
Marcel Elva-Fountaine		Rhys Murrell-Williamson	Trevor Norwood
Kenny Yao		Deshane Dalling	
Tom Champion	Tom, Alice & Russ Mould	Razz Coleman De-Graft	The Ouze
Will Salmon		Deon Moore	
Mitchell Nelson	Billy Beauzile	Joe Taylor	Stuart Fuller
Ayo Olukoga		Fraser Middleton-Tozer	
Bradley Pritchard		Finley Jenkins	
Alfie Young		Jamie Mascoll	
Michael Klass		Johnville Renee	

ON THIS DAY IN FOOTBALLING HISTORY – 25th OCTOBER

GUESS THE FORMER LEWES PLAYER?

THE FIFA RANKINGS UPSIDE DOWN – No.208 – US VIRGIN ISLANDS

The Dashing Eagles of the US Virgin Islands have been playing international football since beating British Virgin Islands 1-0 in 1998. In the 62 games since they have won 7 more games and drawn 8, of which five of the positive results have come against local rivals, British Virgin Islands.

Part of the United States of America since 1917, when they were known as the Danish West Indies, they were purchased for $25 million in gold from the Danes. Today, US Virgin Islands are made up of over 50 islands spread out to the East of Puerto Rico, with the capital being the wonderfully named Charlotte Amalie. Cricket is the sport of choice here, with the islands being part of the Leeward Islands team. However, football, despite the US influence, is becoming more popular.

Coached by former Cardiff City assistant, Brazilian Gilberto Damiano, the squad features a few local players from sides such as UWS Upsetters, New Vibes and Rovers FC as well as some US-based minor league players. Captain and the most the capped player is 35-year old Dusty Good.

Whilst their recent record has shown some competitive games, albeit defeats, back in April 2001 they suffered an extraordinary five day period in the Caribbean Cup, losing 12-1 to Haiti, 11-0 to Guadeloupe and 14-1 to St Lucia. Four years later in the same competition they lost Haiti 11-0 and Jamaica 11-1 over 48 hours.

Fun fact for you, the US Virgin Islands are the only place in the US that you drive on the left hand side of the road…that wasn’t even fun but I don’t think there is much in the way of fun to be had there.

LEWES 2 MARGATE 0 22nd OCTOBER 2022

Lewes made it back-to-back league wins with a well-deserved 2-0 victory over Margate at the Pan, reports Tom Harper.

Tony Russell handed a first league start to recent signing Johnville Renee at right-back, and also named fellow new arrival Tyrique Hyde on the bench.

There were few chances early on, both sides keeping the ball well without coming close to opening the scoring.

The closest Lewes came to taking an early lead saw the unmarked Deon Moore fail to connect with a cross at the far post when well placed.

The Rooks took the lead on 29 minutes in spectacular fashion, as Razz Coleman De-Graft cut in from the right and sent an unstoppable effort past Daniel Jinadu and into the far corner from the edge of the area.

Taking the lead gave Lewes confidence and they were the better side for the remainder of the first half, Bradley Pritchard coming close to doubling their lead with a goal-bound effort that was blocked after a Jamie Mascoll free-kick had caused confusion in the Margate penalty area.

The visitors had won their previous two league games and made a brighter start to the second half, calling Lewis Carey into action with a relatively comfortable save to deny Ade Cole.

De-Graft was at the heart of all of Lewes’ best play and it was no surprise to see him come close to doubling their lead, seeing a powerful strike blocked before making space for himself on the rebound and drawing a fine save from Jinadu.

The Rooks were dealt a blow with just over ten minutes remaining, as Deon Moore had to be helped off the pitch with a serious looking injury.

Margate enjoyed a brief spell of pressure as they pushed for an equaliser, with Carey having to be alert to parry a long-range effort from Ben Greenhalgh.

The visitors then missed a gilt-edged chance to level the scores, as Korrey Henry just missed the target from inside the area after being picked out by Greenhalgh.

Lewes were defending well whilst continuing to pose a threat going forward, and saw debutant Tyrique Hyde force a smart save from Jinadu at the end of a quick counter-attack after being teed up by Joe Taylor.

The Rooks doubled their lead and secured the three points deep into stoppage time, as they won the ball high up the pitch and De-Graft squared for Taylor to finish into the bottom corner from close range.

DIDN’T WE USED TO PLAY THEM? TEAM BATH

OK, so we only played Team Bath once, but that is enough to qualify for this series of investigating clubs that are no more. That one occasion came in the 2008/09 FA Trophy 1st Round, with the Rooks winning 2-1 at Twerton Park, home of Bath City. The game was to be the final one Team Bath competed in the FA Trophy as at the end of that season they disbanded.

The club, which was formed in 1999, allowed players to combine professional football with higher education whilst studying at Bath University. In nine seasons, Team Bath rose rapidly through the Non-League pyramid, reaching the Conference South in 2008/09 – the season that Lewes were in the Conference National League, thus denying us the opportunity to face them on any other occasion.

They won promotion from the Western League Division One in their first season back in 2000/01, then into the Southern League two seasons later. They were denied promotion to the Conference South (and thus playing Lewes) after losing in the Play-off final but made amends the following season, beating Halesowen Town 2-1 in the final. They were probably best known for their FA Cup exploits, which saw them reach the First Round Proper on three occasions, the final time in 2009 when they lost 1-0 to Forest Green Rovers.

The club made no secret that they were funded by the university. However, they fell foul of the rules by not being a limited company, which meant they had no obligation to file any accounts. The aspirations of reaching the Football League were dented and them extinguished completely by the Football Conference and Football League who denied them any further promotions unless they changed their funding structure.

With no real history, the club were poorly supported, averaging just over a hundred fans during their rise up the league. Even for their big FA Cup ties, crowds were poor. Bath, being a rugby city as it was, already had one football club, and for many years, also had Bristol Rovers ground sharing Twerton Park. In the words of Sparks, this town (city) ain’t big enough for the Bath of us.

ISTHMIAN PREMIER LEAGUE ROUNDUP – SAT 22nd OCTOBER

Bishop’s Stortford, seven matches unbeaten and with a rather incredible six clean sheets from their last six matches, welcomed Carshalton Athletic, the Robins having increased their firepower this week with the arrival of Alex Akrofi from Aveley. The Blues got their noses in front five minutes before the break through Mark Haines, who headed home to delight the majority of the four hundred and eighty one in attendance, and the home faithful would have been further delighted when Ollie Cook saw red for the Robins soon after the restart. Two-nil was the score with ten minutes left, Anthony Church doubling home advantage, and that was that.

Potters Bar Town hadn’t managed a win from their previous three games and were hopeful of changing that record as they travelled to Corinthian-Casuals- and they were actually in Tolworth after Casuals got the go-ahead to reopen their storm damaged King George’s Field for the first time in a month. The hosts, without a win since the opening day, fell behind on nineteen minutes, Jacques Kpohomouh opening the scoring and baffling our autocorrect, but Casuals levelled a quarter of an hour later, Misha Djemali delighting those in pink and brown. Six minutes from time the Scholars got a winner, Tyler Christian-Law ensuring that his side stay second- and Miles Mitchell-Nelson’s late red card didn’t spoil their party.

Third place Enfield Town travelled to fourth place Cray Wanderers in our match of the day. The sides had contrasting fortunes prior to this match, the Towners without a win in three whilst Wands hit four in midweek and had taken seven points from their last nine- but after a closely contended first half the visitors went ahead on forty nine minutes, Marcus Wyllie opening the scoring. The equaliser came through Dan Bassett on the hour, and that was that- a result which saw the Towners slip to fifth and Wands to seventh.

Aveley had a new signing in place as they welcomed Haringey Borough– defender Siju Odelusi signing on. The Millers had slipped a little, with only one win from their previous four league matches, whilst Borough had only one defeat from their last nine league matches as they headed to Parkside- but it was the hosts who struck first and early, Kenny Aileru with his third goal of the campaign. It took until ten minutes from time until we had another goal, but it also went to the hosts, George Sykes making it two-nil- and they were more comfortable by the end, Garrett Kelly adding a third just before full time.

Hornchurch, in sixth at start of play, welcomed Horsham, a place behind. The Urchins had won four consecutive league matches before knockout football got in the way, and they went ahead in this one on twenty nine minutes, Liam Nash with his ninth of the season. The Hornets, three games unbeaten coming into this one, were level just before the break courtesy of Tom Richards, but level only for three minutes and the time they took to eat their oranges, Charlie Stimson restoring home advantage. Hornchurch made quite sure of three points when Jack Munns added a third from the spot, five minutes from time. Five hundred and fifty four watched on.

Canvey Island welcomed winless and now-managerless Wingate & Finchley, who saw boss Marc Weatherstone depart on Thursday- and the visiting side went ahead on nine minutes, Ben Siggers- who made a debut during midweek- opening the scoring direct from a free kick. It was nil-two midway through the half, Alkeo Bani doubling away advantage, and three-nil before the hour, Tyrique Clarke sending the away fans into dreamland. That’s how it ended, a result which sees Wingate climb out of the bottom four.

Hastings United, who started the day with top five hopes, travelled to take on the side who were promoted from Pitching In Isthmian South East alongside them last season, Herne Bay. United travelled to the Kent coast on the back of a run that saw them suffer only one defeat in six- and five clean sheets- and they were quickly ahead in this one, Kane Penn making it one-nil in the eleventh minute. They doubled their advantage just before the break, Alex Brefo making it two to the dismay of most of the five hundred and sixty one watching on, and it was three-nil nine minutes into the second half, Sam Adams with the visitors third. That turned out to be that, and only goal difference keeps Hastings out of the play off places.

Billericay Town played host to Bognor Regis Town. The hosting Blues had looked in fine fettle of late, taking ten points from their previous twelve, whilst the Rocks also seemed to be on the up, with only one defeat in six- and it was the visitors who struck first, Craig Robson putting them ahead after only eight minutes and silencing most of the eight hundred and fifty watching on. The Rocks struck second, too, Tom Chalaye making it two-nil on the hour, but the home fans were given hope when Anthony Jeffrey got one back with thirteen minutes left and hope became reality when Chris Dickson equalised eight minutes later. Right at the end the comeback was complete, Bradley Stevenson sending the visitors home with nothing and sparking the celebrations you can see above- image from Nicky Hayes.

Kingstonian welcomed Folkestone Invicta to Imperial Fields, home of Tooting & Mitcham United- and went ahead just before the break, Corey Parchment with the opening goal- a quite magnificent free kick breaking the deadlock. Invicta won both of last season’s encounters, seven-two on aggregate, but that wasn’t going to be repeated as Kieron Cadogen made it two-nil sixteen minutes from time. Invicta then saw Adam Yusuff dismissed, and that was that. Kingstonian are up to twelfth, Invicta down to fifteenth.

Nineteenth hosted twentieth as Bowers & Pitsea welcomed Brightlingsea Regent, both hoping for a win which might lift them out of the bottom four. Bowers, without a win since Saturday 20th August, went ahead on the hour, Michael Bareck, on from the bench, scoring for the second match in a row, but just before the end Jermaine Anderson equalised for the visitors, who haven’t won since August Bank Holiday Monday.

THE ISTHMIAN PREMIER LEAGUE SEASON 2022/23

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ON THE ROAD TO….CHESHAM UNITED

Current Form

About The Meadow
The Meadow does offer seating for 284 in the main stand opposite the Ryan Moran stand and behind each goal are terraced and offer a proper non-league feel which can offer the best atmosphere. There’s an excellent little football memorabilia shop just inside the gate which is well worth a visit. Inside the Meadow, supporters are free to watch the game from whichever vantage point they choose and to swap ends or move around the ground at will. It is extremely rare that segregation is required but if it is required, this will be announced in advance.

The club bar, The Chess Suite, is accessible from inside the ground on the vast majority of match-days. Drinks purchased in the clubhouse are allowed onto the terraces in plastic containers (please let the bar staff know, if you intend to take your drinks outside).

How to get to The Meadow
Take J18 off the M25 taking the left lane of the slip road to turn left on to the A404 to Chorleywood/Amersham. You will follow this road through Chorleywood straight through 2 sets of lights. You will then pass a school on your left handside, about 1 mile down the road from there you will see the road bear to the left with a right turn to Chenies and Latimer, take this turn and follow the road in to Chenies, this road will lead you to Chesham, you will see a manor house to your right as you follow the road for about 3 miles. You will eventually find yourself on a one way system at a ‘left turn only’ junction, you will shortly pass an open air pool to your left, follow the road under the bridge, Chesham United is the 2nd exit off the roundabout.

The car park at The Meadow is accessed via the main entrance drive and parking is free. Players, officials and sponsors have their own allocated area. Please advise the club in advance if you are bringing coaches so that space can be reserved. There is limited on-street parking in the immediate vicinity of the ground – when using this please respect our neighbours and avoid blocking entrances.

If additional space is needed there is alternate free parking on the gravel hardstanding area on The Moor (NB height restricted entry, cars only) and payable parking in the town car parks, see the map below. These are all within about 5-10 minutes normal walking distance of the ground.

Chesham is part of the London Underground network and is at the far west of the Metropolitan Line. Walk out of the station and head down Station Road towards the High Street. Turn left and walk through the town until you reach a pedestrian crossing (opposite the Red Lion). Cross the road and bear left by the pub then continue walking until you pass two petrol stations which are opposite each other. At the next roundabout the third exit takes you into Chesham United’s ground. The walk from the station takes 5-10 minutes.

Admission at The Meadow
Adults – £12, Concessions (over 65s, students with ID) – £10, Under 18s – £5, U12s (accompanied by an adult) free. Programme £3

Fancy a beer?
Trekkers Bar in the High Street will be a popular stop on the way to the ground with a dozen craft beer taps. Near the tube station is The Tavern, on The Broadway, which also has some decent burgers. The Queen’s Head close to the ground on Church Street has a nice beer garden and offers some excellent Thai food.

LEGALS AND CREDITS

“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
Chair Stuart Fuller
Directors Willa Bailey, Tim Bradshaw, Ed Briggs, Scott Currie, Stuart Fuller, Andy Gowland, Lucy Mills, John Peel, Sally Taplin, Trevor Wells
Chief Executive Officer Maggie Murphy
Club Secretary John Peel
Fan Engagement Manager Shrey Nilvarna
Youth Secretary Ryan Sullivan
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 Tony Russell
Assistant manager Joe Vines
First team coach Nathan White
First team physio Toni Miller
Goalkeeping coach Grant Hall
Match logistics Clive Burgess & Vikram Dogra
First Team Performance Analyst Henderson Russell
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 Editor Stuart Fuller, Ashley Adamson-Edwards and Stan Lahood
Club Photographer James Boyes

NEXT UP AT THE DRIPPING PAN

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TUESDAY 8th NOVEMBER 2022 7:45pm

THE ISTHMIAN PREMIER LEAGUE

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TODAY’S QUIZ ANSWERS

1. 11 Years. England were hosts in 1966, and holders for the 1970 tournament
2. Floodlights were used for the first time
3. London – the Inter-City Fairs Cup was a representative competition for cities. London played Frankfurt
4. 0-5
5. Three Bridges 0 Lewes 1

Guess the former Lewes player?
Answer: Nicky Wheeler