Sunday 8th January 2023 2:00pm – The Vitality Women’s FA Cup – The Dripping Pan
Welcome to The Dripping Pan for today’s The Vitality Women’s FA Cup game against London Bees. Here is your complimentary e-programme
JOIN THE TEAM
NOTES FROM THE CHAIR
Good afternoon and welcome to The Dripping Pan for this afternoon’s Vitality FA Women’s Cup match against London Bees. I’d like to welcome our visitors from North London and hope their journey to and from the Pan is as smooth as possible. The reward for a win today is some prize money (but still nowhere near the parity amount that it should be) and a tie against the impressive Ipswich Town in the next round.
We had hoped to play this game before Christmas but the freezing conditions saw it postponed. Nobody wants a game postponed. On average we get around 40% less of a crowd for a midweek game than for a weekend one. Based on an average attendance of 700, that’s nearly 300 fans, who spend an average of around £7.50, so we lose thousands in revenue, as well as wasted food and drink.
Today is our first game since the 4th December, and whilst we should have had cup games (this one and a Continental Cup game) the complete blank period of games over Christmas is an absolute mystery to me. In the Men’s game the Christmas period sees some bumper attendances – we only need to look at our own Men’s team to show that – the highest attendance in any game in the league away at Hastings United on Boxing Day, the second biggest home attendance of the season on the 3rd January when nearly 1,300 saw us beat Bognor Regis Town.
Why, oh why, wasn’t there any Women’s games scheduled? We want to build the game, especially off the back of last Summer, yet there seems to be a genuine reluctance to actually look at the fixture calendar and take advantage of the opportunities on offer. So instead, we now host Bristol City here in the league (on a Wednesday night at 6pm btw) and the cup on midweek nights, when we will see few Under-16s fans and very few travelling fans.
I’ve been involved in football for fifteen years and I still cannot understand some of the decisions around fixtures and scheduling in the Women’s game – next month we only play on two of the four weekends.
Anyway, back to today and the prospect of progressing in a tournament we’ve never really enjoyed success in. Let’s get behind the team today and Come on you Rooks!
Stuart
Natalie Haigh Feature
Ahead of this week’s game we caught up with Assistant Manager, Natalie Haigh about her first full season as a coach since retiring as a player.
I’ve really enjoyed it and I think it is a great football club to be part of generally. Obviously Scott is a very experienced coach and manager.
He’s been there, done it and seen it all! It’s been great to kind of see all that through his eyes and learn from such a great coach.
That goes for all the coaching staff and staff in general at the club, there are some really experienced professionals here.
It’s been a challenge for me, personally, but that’s one of the reasons I wanted to come. I think we’re really lucky to have firstly, such a great group of people but players of course as well.
One of the best ways to learn is to be thrown in there. It’s one thing Scott is very good and obviously we share an office together so when we do get time in there, we do talk football a lot.
We look at gameplans and opposition and how they will setup. That might not fall under the bracket of him giving me advice but just talking football with him, he’s very passionate and that helps.
It’s nice to tap into his knowledge of individual players, strategies, and with him being a former striker, me being a defender, we see the game differently which is a good thing!
I didn’t have a set plan to retire but I think it was the right time for me to stop playing for a number of reasons.
I applied for a few jobs, had my hand in a few different things, but didn’t expect to be at this level just yet. I am very grateful for that and the opportunity.
I’ve still got a long way to go in terms of the levels Scott is at but that comes with time and experience.
Most players look back at their career and the trophies they won but those who know me will know I spent the latter part of my career battling relegation!
Sometimes when you’re in those moments of adversity you learn more about yourself and what it takes to be part of a team.
The beauty of our coaching team is that we’ve all had different experiences, but I think I know what it takes to get results.
I know what it takes to be under the cosh a little bit and I think that psychology part of it has served me well here with the group.
Anyone who watched our first couple of games where we’ve lost points from winning positions, we recognised quite quickly that we needed to learn a bit more and I think my experiences help with that.
As a coach I want to develop individual players. Everyone deserves an opportunity to develop, I am very passionate about that.
In terms of football, I really like the way Scott has set the team up. Difficult to beat but also having that bit of flair and unpredictability going forward.
We have a strategy that we want to develop over the next few seasons and hopefully the fans can already see that developing.
The experienced players we have in the squad do a really good job of helping the younger players. Part of the beauty of working in a team sport is getting that balance right.
The recruitment that Kelly and Scott did over the summer was fantastic to bring in good people, not just players.
We have one or two who have come in from academy level or grassroots, we have one or two that are much more experienced and we even have young players that are still experienced with the Championship.
AROUND THE PAN
We are delighted to announce that we have officially launched our community ticket scheme which gives you the chance to give back to our community.
This has been created to help local people who are worst hit by the cost-of-living crisis to attend Lewes FC home matches.
As you may already know, we have been helping local food banks for several years, by collecting donations at matches and helping at supermarket collections.
But we are now giving our fans the opportunity to give back to local people who are worst affected by the cost-of-living crisis and who simply don’t have the spare cash to be able to attend a football match.
Particularly at the Dripping Pan, a match is so much more than the football. It’s where everyone is welcome and where friendships are made and nurtured. Lewes FC is a community club, and everyone is invited.
So, you can now go on to our ticket site and buy Community Tickets. Each ticket will cost £10 and that will cover the price of a meal and a drink at the game.
The club is adding no admission charge and will make no profits from these tickets. When you are buying your own ticket, maybe add a Community Ticket or two at the checkout. Or, even if you can’t go yourself, or already have a season ticket, why not make a special visit to the ticket site and pass on the joy and togetherness of matchday at the Dripping Pan.
The club will print out the Community Tickets and pass them on to local food banks who will distribute to their clients to use at any home match of their choice.
BUY COMMUNITY TICKETS HERE
DEALING WITH THE SOCIAL MEDIA TROLLS THE LEWES & CURVE WAY
INTRODUCING OUR VISITORS FROM LONDON BEES
THE HISTORY
London Bees are a club affiliated with Barnet F.C. They play in the FA Women’s National League South. The club has been in existence under several names since 1975, originally being called District Line Ladies F.C.. The team were re-branded as London Bees after joining the new WSL 2 for the 2014 season. The club both train and play at the Hive Stadium.
In the 1970s the women, looking for a team to play football, banded together and entered the Hounslow & District League – forming the platform for a remarkable rise.
Named in honour of their workplace, District Line Ladies FC appeared in leagues across Greater London before being promoted to the Women’s FA National League Southern Division in the early 1990s.
London Bees first ever fixture in WSL2 resulted in a 3-0 victory over Oxford United Ladies, with 16-year old Lucy Loomes scoring their first ever goal.
In 2016, the Bees experienced their best season to date, taking home a record points haul for the season as well as a historic run to the semi-finals of the Continental Cup, knocking out Chelsea en route.
The 2017 Spring Series saw the Bees get off to a great start and top the league in the early stages. A move to a winter season has seen changes both on and off the pitch.
Sian Osmond is currently the Club’s Head Coach and she brought in almost an entirely new squad as the Bees entered into a new era in the FA Women’s National League South.
THE SQUAD
The Vitality Women’s FA Cup Third Round Results and Fixtures
THE LAST MEETINGS
| 28 March 2021 | Championship | Lewes | 2 | London Bees | 1 |
| 15 Nov 2020 | Championship | London Bees | 1 | Lewes | 0 |
| 19 Jan 2020 | Championship | Lewes | 0 | London Bees | 0 |
| 29 Sep 2019 | Championship | London Bees | 2 | Lewes | 1 |
| 27 Jan 2019 | Championship | Lewes | 0 | London Bees | 0 |
LEWES 0 CRYSTAL PALACE 1 – SUNDAY 4 DEC
Lewes suffered a first defeat in four games on Sunday as Polly Doran’s goal earned Crystal Palace a 1-0 win at the Dripping Pan, despite a flurry of chances for the Rooks.
Scott Booth’s side had the ball in the back of the net but the offside flag denied Emma Thompson a leveller in front of more than 600 fans at the Dripping Pan.
Palace sustained a barrage of attacked from the Rooks in the second half but an equaliser just wasn’t forthcoming.
And the result was a first home defeat of the season for Lewes, with focus now turning to next week’s Women’s FA Cup third-round contest with London Bees at the Pan.
Early chances spurned
Lewes headed into the encounter “right up for it”, according to boss Booth, following the previous weekend’s 4-1 win over Palace in the Conti Cup.
And indeed it appeared as though the Rooks would continue where they left off on Sunday. Paula Howells had already had an early shot saved when Palace keeper denied Emily Kraft one-on-one after the striker was put through following a slick move down the right.
Moments later and Ellie Mason’s low drive from a corner almost fell to Kraft at the far post as Lewes sought to break the deadlock early.
Meanwhile, at the other end Sophie Whitehouse was on hand to push wide a deflected Paige Bailey-Gayle effort – a rare chance for the visitors in the opening throes.
Indeed, much of the half was going Lewes’ way but a goal just wasn’t forthcoming. Howells, Nat Johnson and Kraft were all denied by keeper Fran Kitching, before Palace took the lead on 39 minutes. It was something of an odd goal, a cross from the right palmed clear by Whitehouse into the path of Doran, who scrambled home despite it appearing as though the keeper was impeded. Lewes’ protests were waived away.
Into the second half and the pattern of the game remained roughly the same – namely, Lewes coming forward seeking to breach the Palace goal. Howells saw a shot deflected wide after Rebecca McKenna had forced keeper Kitching into a scrambling parry, while Whitehouse was on hand to deny Kirsten Reilly’s header at the other end.
Flag denies Thompson
The Lewes players thought they’d earned their deserved equaliser on 55 minutes when Thompson forced over a rebound that had come off the crossbar. But the offside flag denied the youngster another goal for the club.
Cue a fresh barrage of Rooks attacks. First Howells had a low drive saved, before Amber-Keegan Stobbs fired one wide. Moments later and an almighty scramble in the Palace penalty area looked destined to finish with a goal, but somehow the Eagles kept the Rooks out.
Amelia Hazard – the metronome for Lewes all afternoon – then saw two chances go begging. That was the cue for Booth to bring on Charlyann Pizzarello and Libby Copus-Brown, and the hosts went forward once again. Mason – who spent more of the afternoon in the opposition half than her own – was next to fire wide following great work from Hazard to centre the ball from the right.
Five minutes of stoppage time and Palace were defending deep. So much so that another goal-mouth scramble was inevitable. This time the ball finally came loose to Howells but Kitching got down to her low show to deny the Rooks once more.
And that would prove the last opportunity for Lewes to get something from a chilly afternoon in East Sussex. A hard-fought, often free-flowing performance sadly yielded nothing in terms of league position, but Booth’s side can take heart from the positives heading into next weekend’s FA Cup tie.
JAMES BOYES GALLERY
THE 2022/23 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 |
| 17 | Zoe Smith | |
| 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 |
| 26 | Emily Moore | |
| 31 | Laura Hartley | Michael Scoates |
| 32 | Frankie Angel |
DATA TALKS PARTNERSHIP
We are delighted to announce our partnership with Data Talks, an industry-leading company to transform how we use our data.
Data Talks are already partnered with some of the biggest sporting institutions around the world including PAOK FC, AIK Fotboll, the Austrian Football Federation, and IFK Göteborg.
Following our fans survey, we took on the feedback we received in the need to respond to our fans better and gain a better understanding of their behaviour and experiences.
Our partnership with Data Talks will enable us to improve on our commercial success as well as our need to understand data better in terms of how we handle that.
Following the partnership, Data Talks CEO & Founder, Stefan Lavén, had this to say: “At the heart of Lewes FC is a strong passion for innovation and equality.
“This is evident in everything they do, not least in how they allocate their resources between their men’s and women’s teams.
“So of course, Data Talks could not miss out on the opportunity to partner with a club whose ethos reflects ours.
“With this partnership, Data Talks and Lewes FC have a chance to prove the merit of using data to create unparalleled commercial success, for both men’s and women’s teams.”
What’s more, our CEO Maggie Murphy added: “Football is full of emotion. But when you’re trying to hit targets and make good decisions, you need to be thoughtful and rational.
“For that, you need good evidence, good data and good ways of connecting, understanding and handling data.
“Data Talks will help us to clean up and streamline the way we handle information internally, which in turn, will help us make good commercial decisions and engage better with our fans, owners, partners and suppliers.
“We’re delighted to welcome Data Talks to the Lewes FC team.”
With this partnership, it will also enhance the work that our Fans & Community Engagement Coordinator, Shrey Nilvarna is involved in.
He also had this to say: “The partnership with Data Talks will definitely help us in organising and structuring the data we have internally.
“It will also help in providing more personalised service to all our fans and owners. It will be key in understanding how our fans and owners interact with the club and how we can improve what we offer to them.
“For my role, I like to work with data to improve on matchday experiences and marketing of the fixtures, hence this partnership is a leap forward to improving as a club.”
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
Acting Chair Trevor Wells
Directors Willa Bailey, Tim Bradshaw, Ed Briggs, Andy Gowland, John Peel, Trevor Wells, Priscilla Aldridge
Chief Executive Officer Maggie Murphy
Life Members
Peter Brook, Dorothy Brook RIP, Vic Blunt RIP, 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 Natalie Lawrence
General Manager Lynne Burrell
Club Doctor Dr Daniel Hudson
Head Physiotherapist Adam Hutchins
Sports Therapist Liam Jenman
Sports Therapist Intern Beth Lenihan
Sport Scientist Ivi Casagrande
Mental Coach Sarah Murray
Data Analyst Tom Drummer
Kit Manager Kerri Coombs
Communications Manager Jack Towers
Commercial Manager Stef McLoughlin
Operations Manager Ryan Sullivan
Fan Engagement Manager Shrey Nilvarna
Facilities Manager Damien Watts
Golden Rook Rob Read
Web Editors Jack Towers
Progcast Editors Jack Towers / Stan Lahood
Club Photographer James Boyes & Grace Jones
Communication Manager Jack Towers
Commercial Manager Stef McLoughlin
NEXT UP AT PAN…
WEDNESDAY 18 JANUARY 2023 – 6PM KICK OFF
THE FA WOMEN’S CONTINENTAL TYRES LEAGUE CUP
