Welcome to The Dripping Pan for this afternoon’s Isthmian Premier League game against Chatham Town. Here is your complimentary e-programme.

TO BECOME AN OWNER, CLICK HERE: https://lewesfc.com/become-an-owner/

A very warm welcome to today’s opponents Chatham Town to the Dripping Pan.

After last week’s Sussex Derby Demolition of Hastings the Rooks are again on the upward elevation of the Isthmian League Play Off Roller Coaster and a win this afternoon will be a further boost to our play off credentials.

However, high flying Chatham will be looking to reinforce their own promotion ambitions as they try to reel in League leaders Hornchurch so we may be in for a nail biter.

We will also be giving a warm Dripping Pan welcome to newest Rook Jack Leahy. Welcome to Lewes Jack.

Enjoy the game and come on you Rooks!

Trevor

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to today’s game against Chatham. Here are my thoughts from our recent results.

Lewes 0-3 Billericay

It was a challenging game, made even more complicated by the 48mph winds; an interesting referee call and a crazy OG. We had the wind in our faces in the first half, so it was always going to be hard, but 27 minutes in, I was pleased. We were controlling the game by passing it on the floor and playing a high line, so their long balls were just catching the wind and going out of play or rolling to Nathen. All is going well… Then, from a throw, Jake passes back to the keeper without looking, and Nathan standing to the right of his goal to give an angle and the rest, as they say! I was right behind it, so I had to watch it rolling towards the goal, knowing it was going in. So we were 1-0 down after 30 minutes without the other team having a shot on goal; it was a new one for me! We lost our way for the next 10 minutes, and I get it given the run we had been on one become two, and now we are facing 48mph wind and an uphill task. Then, right at halftime, Ronnie gets sent off. I wasn’t sure for what. I asked the players as we were walking off, and they said for swearing at a player.

Now, I’m not condoning players swearing at each other, but that goes on all over the pitch in every game we play. For context, the player lost the ball halfway and then started rolling around as if he was injured. The game continued, and we crossed it, and they cleared it, and the player jumped up off the floor and started attacking, so Ronnie fouled him and called him a cheating swear word. No pushing, etc, just that. The ref sending him off for that. I saw the ref at halftime, and the ref confirmed it. Like I said, I’m not saying it’s right, but players swear at each other all game, so if you start sending players off for that, we will be playing 3v3 most weeks and given in the 30 odd years in football, I had never heard of a player getting sent off for that it seemed a little harsh. We went on to lose the game 3-0, and I thought the players never gave up and kept fighting until the very end, and that’s the minimum I expect from us. I could see how down the players were, so I knew what a big week it was leading up to the Hastings game.

Hastings 1-3 Lewes

Hastings plays a 3-4-3 really well, and teams have struggled against it, so we did a lot of work leading into this game. Football is so mad because it wasn’t a great session, and I was moaning at the players during it, so I wasn’t sure how much of the game plan they had taken in, but full credit to the players from the first minute. They were brilliant. The game was 50/50 to be on, and you could see parts of the pitch were not great. The game itself went just how we planned it. The one slight disappointment was we got in some great areas in that first half, and I thought we should have created more chances from it. We limited them to long diagonals and long throws. Outside of that, they didn’t really do anything. Having gone 1-0 up, I thought they lost the plot, if I’m being honest. Their wingback kept fouling Sam time after time, and they started going mad at the ref about it. They were clearly fouls, so instead of telling the player to stop fouling, their bench was just screaming at the ref, and I thought that spread on & off the pitch. So when the penalty shout wasn’t given, all hell broke loose. It wasn’t a pen, but by now, the bench, Fans and players were gone. Far too emotional, and I think, as managers, that’s our job to control that.
I like Chris, their manager. He is a good guy, but when the dust settles, I’m sure he will understand. He maybe could have handled that situation a little better. The fallout from them not getting that pen was a lot. We get given a foul 2mins later, and their captain is throwing himself on the floor in front of the ref protesting, so he got booked for that, only for him to jump up and start clapping the ref and got sent off. At half time, and I’m walking off, and things are being thrown. I can’t get up the tunnel because the ref is surrounded in the tunnel. It was all a bit much, and they didn’t cover themselves in glory, that’s for sure.

Half-time, we were telling the players to stay calm and not to get drawn into the emotions of the game and them. 2nd half, we came out well and went 2-0 up and were in control of it, and then we started forcing it. Given the run we had been on, I think the players wanted to win so much that we lost our composure, and weren’t being brave enough on the ball, which brought them back into the game. Credit to Hastings, they gave it a good go, and they got a very soft pen, but given what had gone on, the ref wouldn’t turn that down as he probably wouldn’t have got out of there alive! There was also a shocking foul on Sam when the wingback jumped off the floor and down the back of his leg, and even Chris, their manager, said on the line that it was a red card, but again, the ref wasn’t going to give them a 2nd red card. I told the ref that it was a lot for anyone to take, and he said it’d been a hard day at the office . I felt for him as he looked shocked by it all. We went on and won the game 3-1, and were the better side over the 90 minutes, and I’m sure Hastings will have to deal with the fallout of what happened. I also heard a family who was supporting Lewes was attacked by a group of Hastings fans, leaving the boy with a cut head and the daughter crying in shock, me and the staff and the players have been told about this and plan to meet the family Saturday before the game in the changing room. No family should come to football and deal with that. Hastings is a great club, and the odd one or two wallys won’t take that fact away from me. Two thousand seven hundred people watching a league game is brilliant, and it made for a real derby atmosphere. Thank you to the Lewes fans who came to the game. Seeing you lot going mad when we scored was great to see.

Today’s game will be hard, and we need to stand up to their physicality and with no Ronnie, other players need to take responsibility. It is a chance for someone else to step up and show they should be playing week in and week out.

Keep up the support today and come on you Rooks!

Tony

There’s only one Archie Tamplin 🎵 #COYR🔴⚫️ pic.twitter.com/HfAFOVoTp7

— Lewes FC Men (@LewesFCMen) February 10, 2024

🗣️ “The game was played the way we wanted it to be played.”

Assistant Manager, Joe Vines, spoke to us ahead of Chatham tomorrow!#COYR🔴⚫️ pic.twitter.com/a1ibFffpkP

— Lewes FC Men (@LewesFCMen) February 16, 2024

Get your tickets for our next European game at the Dripping Pan NOW!

Lewes FC vs. KSK Beveren (7:45pm) – 27.02.2024

If Russell’s Rooks win, we confirm our qualification for the knockout rounds in Italy. It promises to be an incredible night!

BUY TICKETS HERE: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/lewesfootballclub2/1069577

Watch our trip to Belgium here:

• The club was formed in 1882 as Chatham United, when Rochester Invicta merged with the Royal Engineers Band football team. Chatham played their home games at the Army owned pitches called “The Lines”, where they were to remain until 1889 when they moved to the Maidstone Road Ground. The move to the new ground was prompted when the club reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup in 1888–89, and admission fees could not be charged at “The Lines” because of Army regulations. This cup run was also instrumental in the Football Association’s ruling that all future matches in the competition must be played on fully enclosed grounds, where the visiting club would receive a share of the gate money.
• The club’s current crest, features mostly red with a ship, was launched in 2019. The club stated that it “embraced our rich naval heritage which stems back to our forming in 1882”.
• On 9 April 2022, following a 10–1 defeat of Erith & Belvedere, Chatham secured promotion back to the Isthmian League. Despite finishing on 100 points and scoring 122 goals, Chatham finished the season in second place behind Sheppey United. The following season, the club achieved back-to-back promotions when they were crowned Champions of the Isthmian League South East Division.

Chatham League Stats Away From Home:

• Second most amount of goals scored (29)
• Most amount of goals scored in the last 15 minutes (9)
• Scored 2 or more goals in 10 games out of 15 played.

JACK EVANS

Evans scored 24 goals in the Isthmian South East last season, and has demonstrated he can still find the net this season, as he’s helped guide Chatham to second place in the league so far, with 10 goals.

RECENT HEAD TO HEAD

23rd Sep 2023	Isthmian Premier League	Chatham	3	Lewes	0
22nd Apr 2017	Isthmian South	Chatham	0	Lewes	0
27th Aug 2016	Isthmian South	Lewes	2	Chatham	0

Welcome to the next knockout round of One on One, where previous winners Tommy Wood and Ayo Olukoga now go head to head. After beating their previous opponents, who will win next?

1. In which year did the Titanic sink in the Atlantic Ocean?

Ayo: 1912

Tommy: 1910

2. How many teeth does an adult human being have?

Ayo: 32

Tommy: 28

3. Which river is the longest in the world?

Ayo: Nile

Tommy: Nile

4. Which city did the Beatles come from?

Ayo: Somewhere up north

Tommy: Liverpool

5. What is the Italian word for “pie”?

Ayo: la tarte or la torta it’s one of them

Tommy: No idea…

6. Who sang about being an eggman and a walrus?

Ayo: Someone actually song about being an egg man?

Tommy: Stevie Wonder

7. Which stadium is known as “The Theatre of Dreams”?

Ayo: Old Trafford

Tommy: Old Trafford

8. Which footballer has won the Premier League with both Leicester City and Manchester City?

Ayo: Riyad Mahrez

Tommy: Riyad Mahrez

And the winner is….

AYO OLUKOGA

Answers:

1. 1912
2. 32
3. Nile
4. Liverpool
5. Torta
6. The Beatles
7. Old Trafford
8. Riyad Mahrez

To find out more, please visit: https://branchingoutadventures.co.uk/

ON THIS DAY IN FOOTBALL HISTORY – 17th FEBRUARY

No Shanghai Sling in Doha

Game 2 of the Asian cup and it was a simple journey from west to north via metro and bus before the organisation committees ridiculous exit routes for fans added a needless 20 minutes to the walk from the stadium to the metro. I fully understand the need for crowd control but it was taking it to extremes and by the time I reached the metro station platform, time was ticking.

The Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium is the smallest to be used in the tournament, with a capacity of just over 10,000. A perfect choice for a game where travelling support is limited and there’s not a lot of local interest. The stadium sits close to the University complex, with a shopping centre on one side and a huge, fortified government compound on the other, home to “internal security forces”. No sneaky peaks at Pornhub whilst you are watching a game then.

Three sides of the ground are single tier with a dozen or so rows of seats, with an impressive main stand that towered over the rest of the ground. The floodlights don’t tower here though, they lean in, on concrete knees, almost giving the impression they are peering in.

The crowd was sparse to say the least. A couple of sections of Chinese fans and a smattering of vocal Tajikistan supporters. Two young ladies sat directly behind the goal, in harm’s way of the warm up shots flying high and wide. One suggested they moved “in case they got hit in the face”. The irony here was both had overdone the lip fillers for Christmas and it would’ve been hard to tell if the ball had hit either of them.

It’s hardly ideal preparation when your former coach admits he paid bribes to “someone” to get the national gig in an interview on national TV, and that he was involved in match-fixing.

The former Everton midfielder’s confession was part of a crackdown on football corruption that triggered the downfall of at least 10 senior Chinese Football Association officials and has left a lot more worried, although Aleksander Janković looked the picture of calm in his smart suite in the dugout.

Tajikistan, making their debut in the tournament came out of the blocks quickly, eagerly chasing every loose ball. It reminded me of school football with a huddle of players always chasing the ball. Their response when they lost the ball was to simply bring the Chinese player down.

Half-time and a chance to try something from the official food kiosk. Not that there’s anything unofficial or even any variation on what’s on offer. I did get a bit excited when they said the Tomato Ketchup “chips” weren’t available but they did have some paprika ones. That was my highlight of the first hour I’d spent in the stadium.

The one, and that’s how bad this game was, came in the 80th minute. Former Liverpool-born England Under21 international Tyias Browning headed home and the Chinese fans went clap-happy. But before the game could restart, a quiet voice whispered in his ear the goal wouldn’t stand.

Boos rang around the ground at full-time. The two sides mustered just 4 shots on goal between themselves. It was a dour affair and one that won’t live long in the memories of the 4,001 to saw it.

At least the shuttle buses were only a five minute walk away, although rather than heading to the nearest metro station, they headed north to the conference centre. There, despite only half a dozen fans had got off the bus, we had to follow the long diversion, set out with the world’s biggest collection of metal barriers. Finally, I reached the metro platform and was on my way south to game 3 of the day, hoping that it would get better after two drab games in the afternoon.

In this segment of the Progcast, we welcome young Harvey Lock, who throughout the rest of this season, plans to rate each Isthmian Premier team’s home and away kit, as we all know we’ve seen some unique kits during our time…

Home

These kits are apparently made in-house by Chatham themselves, and I have to say they’ve done a bloody good job. The classic red (meaning we definitely won’t see this today) is adorned with pictures of ships and the old dockyard, paying homage to Chatham’s history as a naval and docking town in the last century. Kits with designs like these are almost always beautiful, and the slick white and black detailing on the trim makes it even nicer. This is a job well done. 9/10

Away

What we’ll be seeing this afternoon (feigning a bout of colour blindness from the ref), this white strip has performed the extraordinary task of making a ‘same design, different colour’ kit work. The white allows the naval-themed patterns to show even more clearly, and the inversion of the details now being red is very clever indeed. I have to knock off a point for lack of originality, but this is also still a lovely bit of gear. 8/10

Lewes U18’s returned to action on Thursday night, as they welcomed Hastings U18’s to the Dripping Pan.

Following on from the Worthing defeat a couple weeks a go, Lewes had won two on the bounce, against Horsham YMCA and Horsham. If this game was to be anything like the Sussex Derby the weekend before, then the spectators would be in for a treat.

Both sides started the game with no clear cut chances, as Lewes controlled most of the possession. Lewes did come close to scoring first, towards the middle of the first half, after a shot by Smart was pushed onto the post by the Hastings keeper. Both sides went into the changing rooms at HT with the scores at 0-0.

Hastings started the second half brightly, with a stunning shot from outside the box, straight into the top left hand corner, to make it 1-0 to Hastings. Lewes, too, started brightly, with a barrage of shots inside the box in quick reply. Unfortunately, due to an injury to a Hastings U18 player, the referee decided to abandon the game. Everyone at Lewes FC wishes a speedy recovery to the Hastings player and hopes he is okay. Next up, the Rooks travel away to Whitehawk on the 26th of February.

For more information on our U18’s, please visit: https://fulltime.thefa.com/table.html?league=854276820&selectedSeason=247163682&selectedDivision=960625557&selectedCompetition=0&selectedFixtureGroupKey=1_153605376

How was last season?
Once again Horsham proved to be dangerous opponents but didn’t quite have the quality or the consistency to make a serious push for the play-offs, finishing two points off Cray Wanderers in 5^th.  Boosted by the best average attendance in the league, their home form was good, with only four defeats at the Camping World Stadium, but only six wins on the road was their undoing.

The team had plenty of goals in them, with Jack Mazzone top scoring with 24, supported by Daniel Ajakaiye with 14, but the poor form in the Autumn that saw them slip down to 12^th was their undoing in the end, despite the strong finish to the season.

Dom di Paolo has strengthened this squad with a Lewes feel to it, bringing in Lewis Carey, Will Salmon and James Hammond among others and will be one of the favourites for a top five finish based on the budget available.

Isthmian Premier League – 7^th – P 42 W 20 D 12 L 10 GS 84 GA 57 GD +27 PTS 72

• FA Cup – First Qualifying Round – Herne Bay (A) 1-2
• FA Trophy – First Qualifying Round – Folkestone Invicta (A) 0-2
• Sussex Senior Cup – Quarter Final – Hastings United (A) 1-4
• Isthmian League Cup – Third Round – Whitehawk (H) 2-3

When did we last meet Horsham?
Our recent poor run of form against our West Sussex rivals continued last season as we took just one point from the two games against the Hornets.  In mid-September we were completely undone by two first half goals at The Camping World Stadium, both results of defensive errors.  Daniel Ajakaiye gave the home side the lead in the 9^th minute, with Tom Kavanagh adding a second in the 40^th minute.  Despite a much better second half performance from the Rooks, it ended 2-0.

Back at the Pan on Valentine’s Day, Joe Taylor gave the Rooks the lead just before half-time, capitalising on a mistake between centre-back and goal keeper, but a Lee Harding equaliser ten minutes before time was probably a fair result based on the whole game.

Our last six meetings

W 1 D 2 L 3 GS 4 GA 9

About The Camping World Stadium
Rivalries aside, the Camping World Community Stadium is impressive, and if the club manage the facilities well, it could be the compelling reason why they progress beyond Step 3.  Opened before COVID it has superb facilities that can be used 7 days a week, aside from the 3G pitch.  The Clubhouse is spacious and has excellent facilities, with food being served from a hatch on the side.

The Main Stand straddles the half way line and can seat 300, with an elevated situation so that fans can still pass in front without blocking the view.  There are three covered, stepped terracing sections. The Octotech Stand behind the goal at the far end of the ground provides cover along around half the length of that end.

On the side opposite the Main stand, we have two covered standing sections either side of the dugouts. Again these cover about half the length of that side of the ground

With viewing is possible at the Clubhouse end of the ground, netting is erected for obvious reasons which does impede the view.  This area also gets very busy around half-time and can lead to bottlenecks. Minor quibbles about an excellent ground.

How to get to The Camping World Community Stadium
It’s a simple journey from Lewes to the ground – A27, A23 and the A272 towards Petersfield.  At the junction with the A24 head north and the ground is off the first roundabout just before you reach Horsham.

Parking in the Stadium Car Park will be limited on matchdays to Players, Match Officials, Home and Visiting Club Officials and Invited Guests. There are a small number of reserved spaces for drivers displaying Blue Parking Badges.

Supporters should park in Horsham Park & Ride, Worthing Road, RH13 0AR. There is no charge for parking here and stewards will be on hand to give directions to the ground which is approximately a 200 metre walk away. Whilst we strive to accommodate all supporters in this car park or close by demand can outstrip supply when a large crowd is in attendance. If there is insufficient room it may be necessary to park in the Town Centre and catch a bus or walk to the ground. There is strictly NO MATCHDAY PARKING in Worthing Road, Denne Park, Salisbury Road, Horsham Golf & Fitness or the access lane to the Stadium.

Metrobus run up to four services an hour on Route 98 to the Stadium from Roffey, Southwater and Horsham Railway and Bus Stations, with more extensive hourly services on Route 23 from Crawley and Worthing. Travel time from Horsham Bus Station is five minutes.

Admission to The Camping World Community Stadium
Admission prices for this season are £13 for Adults, £8 for Seniors, U18s and Students (proof may be required), Under16s are £2 and Under5s are admitted free of charge.

Fancy a beer?
Horsham town centre has some excellent pubs including the Anchor Tap in East Street and the Sit and Sip in Piries Place in the pedestrian area.  The Malt Shovel in Springfield Road is also worth a visit.  The Club House at the ground also offers a decent selection of beers.

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 Trevor Wells
Directors Priscila Aldridge, Tim Bradshaw, Andy Gowland, Ben Hall, Jen Kerrison, Stan Lahood, Tom McJennett, John Peel, Joe Short, Steve Watts, Trevor Wells,
Chief Executive Officer Maggie Murphy
Club Secretary John Peel
Fan Engagement Manager Shrey Nilvarna
Operations Manager Damian Watts

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 Charlie Himbury
Match logistics Vikram Dogra
First Team Performance Analyst Henderson Russell
Under-18s Manager Jon Miller

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

TODAY’S QUIZ ANSWERS

1. Players were literally quaking in their boots on this Saturday afternoon in South Wales. The worst earthquake to hit the country in ten years – it had a 4.4 magnitude – was felt between Liverpool and Devon but it had its epicentre in South Wales. It saw the referee in the Welsh League match between Port Talbot and Taff’s Well stop play for a spell in the first half, surely a unique experience for all concerned!
2. Footballers behaving badly again hit the headlines on this day in 2000 when Leicester City were kicked out of the exclusive La Manga resort in Spain. Leicester were taking a mid-winter break prior to their League Cup final against Tranmere Rovers but with their players generally misbehaving and Stan Collymore emptying the contents of a fire extinguisher over players and guests their stay was cut short. The club got the players to pay for the damage and fined the person they thought the ringleader – Stan Collymore – two weeks wages.
3. In the days before substitutes injured players were often expected to stay on the pitch and do their duty. On this day in 1952, Stoke goalkeeper Dennis Herod suffered a first half injury in a Division 1 match against Aston Villa at Villa Park. He was patched up and sent out for the second half and asked ‘to make a nuisance of himself’ on the left wing. He did just that – and scored the winning goal in Stoke’s 3-2 victory. His injury – a broken arm!
4. A Guinness world record was set at the Rochdale v Charlton Athletic League 1 fixture – Derby fan Ed Wood reclaimed the record for attending matches at all the League grounds in England in the shortest time. He had started his quest at the League 1 match between Bristol Rovers and Oxford United on August 14th 2016 and 189 days later at Spotland had visited the 93 League grounds – that’s the 92 Premier and Football League grounds plus the Shielfied Park home of Berwick Rangers, the Scottish League side who had their home in England.
5. Bradley Pritchard was the recipient of the yellow card in the game against Greenwich Borough.