Welcome to The Dripping Pan for this afternoon’s Isthmian Premier League game against Canvey Island. Here is your complimentary e-programme.
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CONTENTS
1. Notes from the Chair
2. Tony’s Thoughts
3. The Squad
4. Introducing Our Visitors
5. Vox Pop – Our Second European Game at the Pan
6. On This Day In Footballing History Quiz
7. Tales From The Football Tourist – The Biggest Technical Area in Football
8. Kit Clash by Harvey Lock
9. League Table and Form
10. On The Road To…
Our usual welcome to everyone to the Dripping Pan this afternoon especially our guests from Canvey Island, who we will probably become pretty well aquatinted with over the next few days as they will be hosting us at Park Lane this coming Tuesday (if it ever stops raining).
Harold Wilson once mused that a week is a very long time in politics. Well the last week has seemed epic in the context of Lewes FC.
Kicking things of last Saturday we travelled to in form Horsham with our play off hopes looking to be hanging by a thread. An accomplished performance saw the Rooks control the game and come away with all three points.
The team returned to the Pan on Tuesday night with our tales up ready to rise to the challenge of European football against Belgium side SV Beveren in the Fenix Trophy. On the pitch the team did not disappoint and ran out worthy 4-0 winners. But what made the night so special was the immaculate behaviour on the terraces of the supporters from both teams who joined together in the Philcox at the final whistle to loudly applaud their appreciation to all the players whether in the Red of Lewes or the Yellow and Blue of Beveren. It was moments like this that make me so proud to be associated with this club.
For those that don’t know the acronym FENIX stands for Friendly European Non-professional Innovative Xenial (which derives from the ancient greek term for hospitality towards strangers). The supporters of both teams certainly encompassed the Friendliness and our hospitality towards our Belgium guests was rewarded by a good natured group of men and women who added quite a few pounds to our bar takings for the night.
Thanks as always to Bambi and her fantastic bar staff and of course Shrey who does so much to make special nights such as this a huge success.
On Thursday the club was sad to announce that our fantastic CEO Maggie Murphy will be leaving the club at the end of the season. To say that everyone at the club will be extremely sorry to see Maggie go is an understatement and there just aren’t enough plaudits to do justice to Maggie’s contribution to the club. We all wish her all the success she deserves in the next chapter of her career.
Obviously the life of a football club still goes on as we hope to see another fantastic Lewes performance this afternoon and three more points added to our tally.
Enjoy the game and come on you Rooks!
Trevor
MAGGIE MURPHY TO STEP DOWN AT THE END OF THE SEASON
Maggie Murphy has announced her decision to step down as Lewes FC CEO at the end of the current season. We will bid farewell to Maggie when the 2023-24 campaigns come to a close.
Maggie’s journey with Lewes FC has been one of dedication, growth, and profound impact on and off the pitch.
Under Maggie’s leadership, Lewes FC has not only flourished on the field but has also championed equality and challenged societal norms within the football community. Maggie’s tireless advocacy for a more ethical, equitable, accountable and inclusive form of football has made Lewes FC a beacon of progress and inclusivity.
Reflecting on her time with us, Maggie expressed: “It has been an honour to lead this incredible club over five exciting and challenging seasons, from navigating a global pandemic to breaking club and FA Cup attendance records. I am lucky to have worked alongside some incredible colleagues and players, and I am proud of all we have achieved on and off the pitch. But, after five incredible seasons, it’s time for me to pursue new challenges. For now though, I am completely focused on the next few important months and supporting Directors with their transition plan.”
Trevor Wells, Chair of Lewes FC, expressed gratitude for Maggie Murphy’s outstanding contributions, stating: “We thank Maggie for her exceptional work during her tenure at Lewes FC. It is a very different club to the one she walked into in 2019. Maggie has led this club with a verve and commitment that has impacted players, staff and the Lewes and wider football community. Her dedication to advancing the club’s mission, coupled with her relentless pursuit of equality and social justice within football, has been truly commendable. Maggie’s impact extends far beyond the confines of our club, resonating throughout the football community in England and beyond. We can’t thank her enough. While bidding farewell to Maggie, the club looks ahead with optimism and determination to build upon her remarkable legacy and continue the pursuit of excellence both on and off the field. ”
As Lewes FC navigates Maggie’s departure, we remain steadfastly focused on our immediate objectives for the remainder of the football season. Maggie will continue to serve in her role until the conclusion of the season, collaborating closely with the board to facilitate a smooth transition and ensure a seamless handover of responsibilities.
With warm regards,
The Board of Lewes FC
Good afternoon everyone and welcome to today’s game against Canvey. Here are my thoughts from our recent results.
Horsham 1-3 Lewes
The class of 23/24 are the most frustrating but brilliant group I have ever worked with. When you start to give up hope on them doing anything, they give you a week like we have just had. I have concluded that I can’t look too far ahead with this group; I just take it game by game, and I try not to get too high when we win or too low when we don’t win because it’s been a crazy season so far. Horsham are one of the best teams I have seen this season. They are everything I have ever tried to do over the years. Keep a core of players year on year out and add 3-4 a season onto it. I have won 3 leagues doing that, so that’s what makes them so good. For various reasons, its been so hard to build something that needs to be designed to be consistent in an inconsistent environment. So, it means we have lost most of the team every season, so you have to start again so doing the template that has worked for me is pretty much impossible, so going into the Horsham game, I was saying to the players we are going to need to play above anything we had done this season to win this game. The running stats from that game were the best I had ever seen from a team. Brad and Welps, our two older players, ran 12.4k and 12.2k to give you some sort of indication of what they did last week. We just ran all over them and went on to win the game pretty well. One thing that come from this week is it’s safe to say Marcus is back to his best. It took him a little while to get back up to speed following his knee injury, but he is back to his brilliant best, and even at training last night, you can see he has a spring in his step. It was also great to see the fans enjoying themselves on Saturday, you looked like you were all having a great time.
Lewes 4-0 Beveren
I knew I needed to mix the team up after Horsham, but I also really wanted to win. In the first half, we looked like a team that had made many changes; it was too slow, and we also needed to up the quality with the ball. We kept turning the ball over in the final 3rd cheaply, so at half time, we really got into them about them very points. We came out a lot better and really pushed them back, and we should have scored more than 4 in the end. It was another memorable night at the Pan. The European Nights under the Lights at the Pan is really something unique; it just has a different feel to most games. I really wanted to win because I knew it would unlock a trip to Italy; this competition, up to this point, has never been about winning it; it is about giving people opportunities to experience things they would never normally do. Me & Joe are from humble beginnings; like 70% plus of this team, we grew up in a council house or flat, so we never had the luxury of travelling.
I didn’t go on a plane until I was 18, so it isn’t lost on me this opportunity. I see what it meant to everyone to travel to Belgium. Most of the players had never been, and one couldn’t come because of a passport problem so meant he couldn’t travel. We have sorted that out now, so he will come to Oslo, which gives you some indication of what I’m saying. Lewes has given us all an opportunity to travel to Belgium, Norway and Italy to this group that means so much to them, and I don’t think the club realise the impact that will have on so many of them, so I knew this going into it so like I said this was never about winning it. In my eyes, we have won by giving a group of people the chance to travel and see parts of Europe. We are all so grateful to the club and everyone involved for allowing us to do that. At Thursday’s training, I heard them talking about how family members want to come and see them play in a European final. It’s a beautiful thing that goes way beyond football. We do need to find a sponsor for the Italy trip. The club won’t be able to pay the players once the league campaign finishes so we do need to raise some money somehow to help pay for the group’s meals, etc., so if anyone has any ideas, please let me know.
Today’s game
We trained really well last night. We sat as a group after Chatham, and all challenged each other. Are we doing enough? Can we do more? Are we giving this everything we have? We talked about the importance of every training session, and so far, the levels of training have definitely gone up. Canvey’s shape means we have to move them about, and if we do that well in the last 20 minutes in both halves, we will get our rewards, but they are a dangerous side, and the manager knows football, so we will have to play well.
Keep up the support today and come on you Rooks!
Tony
- The Club was founded in 1926, but unfortunately most of the early records of the Club were lost in the devastating East Coast floods of 1953. The Club were very successful during their days in the local leagues, winning many cups and league championships in the process. During these years, the club appointed Denis Neville as manager, his first job after leaving his position as the Dutch National Team manager.
- The Club gained promotion to the Isthmian League in 1994 and won promotion from Division Three and Division Two in successive seasons. In 1995/96 after beating Conference team Hednesford Town in the FA Cup they reached the First Round Proper and drew 2-2 with Football League team Brighton & Hove Albion at Park Lane in front of a then ground record crowd of 3,400. The replay was lost at Brighton in front of a crowd of over 7,000. As well as winning Division Two the team were also winners of the Carlton Trophy and Thames-side Trophy.
- The season 1998/99 was yet another exciting one for the supporters as the Club won the Division One championship and the Essex Senior Cup, beating Leyton Orient in the final. Season 1999/2000 was the Club’s first season in the Premier Division of the Ryman League and they finished a very creditable fifth in the League and retained the Essex Senior Cup, defeating Purfleet in the Final.
- The following season had seen the team win the FA Trophy by beating Forest Green Rovers 1-0 in the final in front of over 10,000 people at Villa Park and thousands more watching live on television. To win the FA Trophy they had to beat four Conference League teams in succession – Stevenage Borough, Telford United, Chester City (over two legs) and Forest Green.
- These tremendous cup runs took their toll in the League. With a large number of matches being postponed on opponents’ grounds because of waterlogged pitches, it meant they had to complete the season with ten league games in fifteen days and consequently dropped points that may have taken them to the league title and a place in the Conference League. However, it was still a fine performance to finish runners-up in their second season in the Premier Division.
- The Club had enjoyed a then record-breaking season the following year when they reached the 3rd Round Proper of the FA Cup for the first time. On the way they beat five teams including two from the Second Division of the Football League, Wigan Athletic at the JJB Stadium, and Northampton Town in front of a full house at Park Lane and five million television viewers on ‘Match of the Day Live’. Burnley finally knocked them out in a memorable game at Turf Moor.
Canvey League Stats Away From Home:
- In every game Canvey conceded first, they then went on to lose (8)
- Conceded the most goals (36)
- Conceded the most amount in the first 15 minutes (6)
- Failed to score in only 2/16 games, only Dulwich and Hornchurch beat this with 1/16.
SAM HIGGINS
Top league goalscorer of the 22/23 season with 32 goals, Higgins is a new signing for Canvey, with 3 goals already to his name.
RECENT HEAD TO HEAD
| 22nd Apr 2023 | Isthmian Premier League | Canvey Island | 1 | Lewes | 3 |
| 21st Mar 2023 | Isthmian Premier League | Lewes | 0 | Canvey Island | 2 |
| 27th Feb 2016 | Isthmian Premier League | Canvey Island | 5 | Lewes | 2 |
| 23rd Jan 2016 | Isthmian Premier League | Lewes | 3 | Canvey Island | 1 |
| 28th Feb 2015 | Isthmian Premier League | Canvey Island | 1 | Lewes | 1 |
| 4th Feb 2015 | Isthmian Premier League | Lewes | 1 | Canvey Island | 2 |
In this edition of Vox Pop, we asked Lewes fans “What did you enjoy about our second European game at the Pan?”. Here are their responses…
“My free student pint” – George Mann
“Atmosphere, best game in a while” – Gwil
“Mid week football under the lights, atmosphere was class from both sets of fans” – Jamie Kean
“The full time celebrations” – Alex
“That we now go to Italy!” – Sam Barnett
“The atmosphere was quality and was good to see some Beveren fans there too” – Tyler Barr
“The quality food and the away support, also being in Europe” – Jamie Cave
“Class atmosphere” – FootballMatchCentre
“Rook juice in my veins” – Toby
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the atmosphere is great” – Ollie Horton
“Rook juice, Gondoh’s celebration and the Beveren fans singing all game” – Perry Anderson
“Good banter with the Beveren fans” – Benjamin Cook
“Everything. Toads. Singing. Chips. Chants. Goals. Belgians” – Martin Brown
“Fantastic, where will the semi final be played, and who against?” – Pete Smith
The answer to question above can be found here:
To find out more, please visit: https://branchingoutadventures.co.uk/
ON THIS DAY IN FOOTBALL HISTORY – 2nd MARCH
Results
#1. On this day in 1995, Crystal Palace striker Chris Armstrong became the first Premier League player to do what?
#2. On this day in 1963, what unusual “thing” did Halifax Town do?
#3. On this day in 1980 Everton legend Dixie Dean died at Goodison Park whilst watching his beloved Toffees. Who were they playing on that day?
#4. On this day in 2014, what did Newcastle United manager do that got him in hot water?
#5. On this day in 2019, the Rooks lost 3-1 here at the Pan against Whitehawk. Two double-barrelled named players started for the Rooks. One was Michael Dome-Bemwim, but who was the other?
The Biggest Technical Area in Football
Game 3 of my Asian Cup Super Saturday .Thankfully, with a metro station close by, it seemed like the journey to the third and final match of the day between Syria and Uzbekistan would be easy. If only. I was beginning to realise that there was nothing easy about the logistics for fans during the tournament. Exiting the Al-Sudan metro station you can’t fail to see the massive floodlights next door. Except this wasn’t the Jassim Bin Hamad – that would be too simple.
Around most stadiums in Doha you’ll find first class football facilities. Immaculate pitches, state of the art floodlights, a perfect infrastructure to develop the next generation of world-class players. But you need the raw talent to start with and that’s the main piece of the puzzle the Qataris haven’t yet cracked. The training pitches, belonging to Al Saad FC, were the source of the floodlights rather than the club’s main stadium, which was a further 10 minutes walk away.
When finally the stadium came into view it was a thing of beauty. The official line will speak of four light towers, representing something profound, when actually the best description would be “a smaller version of Köln’s RheinEnergie stadium”. Everyone understands that, right? The crowds were out in force, with a heavy and vocal support for the Syrians. Inside, they outnumbered the Uzbekistan fans in number by 4 or 5 to 1, but in terms of noise it was fairly equal, helped by the drums the Uzbekistan fans had been allowed to bring in – a pair of converse are deemed a dangerous weapon out here but a massive drum and drumsticks to match are perfectly acceptable.
The stadium had an English look and feel with a single tier steep stand that wrapped around on three sides, with a walkway along the back, providing an excellent pathway to take some atmospheric pictures and get in among the noisiest fans. As with some of the other teams playing in the tournament, it’s hard to forget the political situation back home, especially as the majority of the fans following the team have to do so from a distance.
I sat next to a Syrian family who explained they left their homeland five years ago and now lived “just up the road” in Bahrain where it was a safe environment to raise their children. They had made a weekend of it and it was the first time they’d ever seen their country play.
The Syrian squad were coached by Argentine Héctor Cúper, and unsurprisingly, only had a handful of domestically based players. Star of the show was Omar Khriban, who was now playing at Al-Wahda in the United Arab Emirates, with 21 goals in his 55 international appearances. The rest were true global travellers, playing at clubs from Argentina to Sweden and various places in between, whilst the 68th seed Uzbekistan team was packed with experience, if not talent.
It was Uzbekistan who started the stronger and had a shot blocked, then the rebound flying just wide in the first sixty seconds. Cúper raced to the edge of the biggest technical area in football to berate his side for the poor start. The game ebbed and flowed with interest rather than excitement. The passion of the fans certainly added to the occasion but failed to lift either side as the first half ended goal less despite the Uzbekistan dominance.
Being more adventurous with my half-time food options, I went with your traditional football fare of a Qatari take on a pot noodle. Interesting choice on the official AFC list of refreshments in that you have to wait three minutes for the boiling water to “invigorate” the noodles before you actually got your hands on it. The plastic fork provided was useless, so you ended up drinking rather than eating it. Tasty but zero marks for the place on the menu at football.
The second half saw a lot of fans milling around at the top of the stands, posing for pictures or doing video calls with their family and friends. There was a lessening interest in the game and the Syrian vocal support started to wane. There appeared only one possible winner in the game, but despite the samba beat soundtrack from the stands, 65% of possession and 14 shots to Syria’s 7, it finished goal less, meaning it had now been over 400 minutes since I last saw a goal.
Day two, three game and just two goals. Surely it couldn’t get any worse tomorrow, could it?
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
One that ensures the players won’t get lost in the dark, this almost aggressively yellow strip is actually quite nice. The blue stripes (chevrons?) down the side paired with the blue badge and kit logo are clean, and the sponsor matches perfectly which is always a bonus. The white lines on the sleeve are placed seemingly at random, which is a bit weird, but it doesn’t distract too much from an otherwise solid kit. 7/10
Away
As is so unfortunately common at this level, we have another ‘same design, different colour’ set. The deeper blue paired with the white accents is still nice, as is the clever touch of adjusting the sponsor colours to still match, but it is unoriginal, and will be docked points for doing so. 6/10
How was last season?
Along with Aveley, Canvey Island showed there was nothing to it, adapting to life in a higher division as they came mightily close to back to back promotions, ironically losing out in their Play-Off semi-final at home to Aveley.
Whilst the season started steadily, if unspectacularly, it was Canvey’s relentlessness after Christmas that saw them the form team for weeks on end, spending the last third of the season in the play-off spots. Twenty four goals from Evans Kouassi and twenty three from Bradley Sachs certainly helped but it was their team work that saw them win seven successive games coming into the final furlong and upsetting the form book.
This season will be a test for Brad Wellman and his relatively unique diamond formation. Some key players have moved on and the standard of the league will have shifted a gear, so the question for Canvey fans is whether Wellman can keep up with the pace of change.
Isthmian Premier League – 3rd – P 42 W 24 D 9 L 9 GS 80 GA 44 GD +36 PTS 81
- FA Cup – Second Qualifying Round – St Ives Town (A) 0-2
- FA Trophy – Third Qualifying Round– Bracknell Town (H) 1-4
- Essex Senior Cup – Quarter Final – Concord Rangers (H) 0-0 Lost 3-2 on penalties
When did we last meet Canvey Island?
Two monumental games, both for very different reasons. The weather-delayed home game in late March saw Canvey Island arrive in Sussex on a seven game unbeaten run and the form team in the division. They sat back, soaked up the Lewes pressure then ruthlessly took advantage of two late errors, punished by top scorer Evans Kouassi to not only take all three valuable points, but to bring to end the longest unbeaten home record in the Isthmian Premier League.
Come the last Saturday of the season and the Rooks travelled to Canvey Island needing a miracle to pip Cray Wanderers for the final play-off spot. Canvey had secured third spot, and a home play-off tie but still had pride to play for. However, a Razz Coleman De-Graft hattrick, his first for the club in his last game (for now) saw the Rooks claim a superb win. Alas, results elsewhere meant the Play-off dream ended, as we fell short by just 2 goals.
Our last six meetings
W 2 D 1 L 3 GS 10 GA 12
About The Movie Starr Stadium
It’s not just the ground name that has changed significantly in recent years. The club demolished the old club house and have built a cracking new venue for the club and its fans. The rest of the ground is as it was, and quite frankly, didn’t really need much changing. Yes, the wind blows off the Thames Estuary but the view, well the view from the excellent steep terrace at the north end of the stadium is one of the best in Non-League football. Perfect for watching the game and the massive container ships and cruise liners passing by. Opposite the club house are two narrow covered terrace areas which are the haunt of the home fans, and they use the low roof to make quite a din. Be warned, cash is king here and attempting to pay with a rectangle piece of plastic will see you frown upon at best, keel hauled at worst.
How to get to The Movie Starr Stadium
Head to the M25 and then take anti-clockwise route towards Dartford Crossing. Exit M25 at Junction 30 and take the A13 towards Southend. You will reach a series of mini roundabouts. At these roundabouts, take the A130 towards Canvey Island. At the next roundabout take the 2nd exit which will keep a sports centre on your right and follow signs for Canvey Island Football Club. Eventually, you will enter a one way system. Keep left through the one way system and after one mile you will pass the Transport Museum on your right. Park Lane is on the right hand side shortly afterwards, with The Prospects Stadium located in front of you. There is plenty of parking outside the ground.
Benfleet Station is 40 minutes from London Fenchurch Street and 50 minutes from London Liverpool Street on the C2C line. The station is 5 miles from the ground. There is a taxi rank around the back of the station. Alternatively, you can use the frequent bus service from the front of the station – the number 22 or 27 buses drop you directly outside Park Lane. Alternatively, you can use the number 21 or 21A to be dropped by the sea wall. From here, continue walking in the direction you travelled across some playing fields, and you will see The Prospects Stadium on your left.
Admission at The Movie Starr Stadium
Admission is £12 for Adults, £7 for Concessions and £2 for accompanied under 16s.
Fancy a beer?
There’s not much in the way of good pubs around the ground. The Hoy & Helmet and The Half Crown are next to Benfleet Station, whilst the Lobster Smack on the island has some interesting history but nowhere near the ground. Probably best to stick to the excellent clubhouse at the ground.
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
- It was announced on this day in 1995 that he had become the first Premier Division player to fail a drugs test. The test made on 23rd January 1995 had tested positive for cannabis.
- The arctic weather that hit the country during the 1962/63 season decimated football up and down the country with Yorkshire being particularly hit. Third Division Halifax Town hadn’t played at home since December 15th when they decided to cash in on the conditions and on March 2nd 1963 opened their Shay ground – as an ice-skating rink!
- Everton legend Dixie Dean died at his spiritual home Goodison Park when attending an Everton v Liverpool fixture. He was the most prolific scorer in Everton’s history – 383 goals in 433 appearances including 37 hat-tricks while his 60 League goals in the 1927/28 season is an all-time League record.
- The Hull City v Newcastle United Premier League match at the KC Stadium hit the headlines when a touchline spat saw Newcastle manager Alan Pardew headbutt Hull midfielder David Meyler. The incident also hit the pocket of Pardew who was fined £100,000 by the Magpies with the FA taking another £60,000 as well banning him for seven matches.
- It was George Tuson-Firth