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

You get:
– Matches LIVE streamed
– One share/one vote
– Discounts in Lewes & online
– Downloadable Share Certificate, Owner’s App and Gift Box

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

Welcome everyone back to the Pan for the 2024/25 season and of course our usual warm Lewes welcome to everyone from Chatham.

Hopefully you will notice several changes at the ground. We have at last been able to replace our scoreboard with a larger higher spec model courtesy of funding from our fantastic sponsor Xero.

We have been listening to your feedback on food and drink offerings and hopefully you will appreciate the new efficiencies at our bars and food outlets that continue to sell high quality food and drink that where possible is sourced locally.

Beer is not the be all and end all of the Dripping Pan experience but watching the match with a pie and a good pint (other refreshments are available) can be a great way of spending an afternoon and we have teamed up with our local breweries to provide a greater range of ales. We have revamped our cellars and bars in partnership with the grandparent of Sussex breweries. Harveys of Lewes and there will be an extended range of their brews on offer.

Returning to matters on the pitch, we were delighted to secure the services of Craig Nelson and his coaching team who have been working flat out all summer to build an almost completely new team (but we are delighted to have retained the amazing talents of Marcus Sablier). Craig will be the first to admit that the project is still a work in progress and this season could be transitional but I am excited to see how this team will grow during the season.

As you can tell there has been a huge amount of work going on all summer by our fantastic staff and volunteers who along with our supporters make this club superbly brilliant.

Chatham of course finished in the playoffs last season and are sure to provide stiff opposition this afternoon. We hope it will be a great game and a new set of heroes will emerge and be embraced by the Lewes faithful.

Have a enjoyable and safe season everyone

Come on You Rooks

Trevor

Welcome to Our First Home Game of the Season!

Dear Supporters,

It is with great excitement and pride that I write to you today as the new manager of this amazing football club. Our first home game of the season marks not just the beginning of a new chapter for the team, but also the dawn of a journey filled with ambition, hard work, and a shared vision of success.

I want to take a moment to thank all of you for the warm welcome I have received since my arrival. The passion and dedication that our fans display is truly inspiring, and it is this unwavering support that will drive us forward as we navigate through the season.

Reflecting on Pre-Season

Our pre-season has been a period of intense preparation. The players have shown tremendous commitment in training, and we have worked tirelessly on our tactics, fitness, and cohesion as a new unit. The friendly matches have provided valuable insights and allowed us to fine-tune our strategies. While there is always room for improvement, I am pleased with the progress we have made so far and look forward to improving throughout the season

Today’s Opponent

Today’s match is against Chatham Town, a formidable opponent who has consistently performed well in the league last year. They are a team with a solid defense and a potent attack, and we must be at our very best to secure a positive result. I have full confidence in our squad’s ability to rise to the occasion and showcase the brand of football that we have been cultivating.

Our Goals and Vision

As we embark on this season, our goals are clear: to play attractive, attacking football, with a strong team spirit, and to compete fiercely in every match. We aim not only to win games but to build a sustainable model of success that will serve us well in the years to come.

The support from the stands plays a crucial role in motivating the players and creating an electrifying atmosphere. I urge you all to get behind the team, cheer loudly, and be the twelfth person on the pitch. Your energy and enthusiasm make a significant difference.

Embracing the Journey

Football is a journey with its ups and downs, moments of joy and challenges. As a club, we will face these moments together, united in our pursuit of excellence. I assure you that the players, the staff, and I are committed to giving our all for this club and its supporters.

Let us embrace this season with optimism and determination. Together, we can achieve great things and create memories that will last a lifetime.

Thank you for your unwavering support. Enjoy the match, and let’s make this first home game a celebration of our shared passion for football.

Up the Rooks

Lewes FC is delighted to announce an exciting two-year partnership with Who Gives A Crap, the eco-friendly toilet paper company. As part of this pioneering move, Who Gives A Crap will be the club’s front of shirt sponsor. 

Who Gives A Crap is a profit for purpose organisation, they commit 50 percent of their profits to help ensure everyone has access to clean water and toilets within our lifetime and have already raised over £7m.

The club’s Commercial Manager, Stef McLoughlin said: “This is the perfect alignment of two purpose driven organisations joining forces to create change. We’re nothing but purposefully unconventional and this partnership symbolises everything we stand for as a club. I’m sure the fans and our owners across the world will all get behind our new signing and we look forward to delivering a lot of clean sheets together this season.”

Emily Kraftman, UK MD of Who Gives A Crap said: “This is not your normal sponsorship; it’s about driving donations not fame. As big fans of Lewes FC and what they stand for, we couldn’t turn down the opportunity to help drive change across football and society through our partnership. We look forward to successfully wiping the opposition together whilst supporting equal access for all to clean water and toilets. Here’s to bringing a bit of cheekiness to the home of the world’s second favourite team this season!

As part of the club’s ‘Impact on the World’ strategy, the club has committed to raising money for Who Gives A Crap’s charitable foundation that supports equal access to clean water and toilets. Toilets have saved more lives than any other modern invention, we hope that the Lewes FC community will join us in not only welcoming Who Gives A Crap to the Dripping Pan but also in joining their mission for this coming season and beyond.

We are delighted to announce our new partnership with Sussex’s oldest, independent brewery, Harvey’s. The new partnership will see us serving a full range of Harvey’s products throughout the Dripping Pan and coincides with the launch of their new table beer – Sisters – which champions the women inside Harvey’s who have played a significant role in securing their success and sustainability within the industry. 

Alongside Harvey’s we have revamped our cellar, optimised our ability to serve swiftly, and provided a brand-new feel to the Rook Inn, with a new bar set-up. Together, we have also ensured we are more sustainable by reducing our wastage, and that we can deliver amazing-quality beer to all, at every game. This season’s offer will include a wide variety of Harvey’s beers at every Lewes FC home game and a variety of guest beers from other Sussex-based breweries.

Lewes FC Director Joe Short said: “Our agreement with Harvey’s is part of a strategy to continually improve the club’s facilities and the fan experience for supporters at the Dripping Pan. We are a community-owned club, here to serve our fans, and we are delighted Harvey’s have come onboard to help us to deliver that going forward.

“We’re so proud to deepen our partnership with Lewes FC, with our range of beers now being served throughout The Dripping Pan. It’s especially exciting to launch our rebranded ‘Sisters Table Beer’ at a club renowned for its groundbreaking thirst for, and commitment to, gender equality. We say, ‘Cheers to Lewes FC!’

We expect Sisters table beer at 3.4% will be a popular choice amongst fans, while also highlighting the huge and invaluable contribution women make to our football club and sport as a whole.

• Chatham Town Football Club was founded under the name Chatham United in 1882 after a merger between Rochester Invicta and the Royal Engineers Band Football Team. The club played its home matches on army-owned pitches called ‘The Lines’ but moved to the Maidstone Road Ground in 1889. This was prompted by an impressive cup run in 1888-89 which saw them reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup with a famous victory over Nottingham Forest following two replays and admission fees could not be charged due to Army regulations. Chatham’s cup run was also a big part of The FA’s decision that all future FA Cup matches must be played in fully enclosed grounds and the away team would receive a share of the gate money.
• The 2000s saw Chatham move between the Ryman League North and South divisions where they would consistently beat the best teams but struggle against poorer opposition, much to the annoyance of the fans. Player coach Kevin Watson became first team manager in the final weeks of 2010/11 at the age of 30 following Paul Foley’s resignation. Watson lasted four seasons, finishing 15^th, 13^th, 12^th and 21^st while drawing many talents to the club. The Chats suffered a poor start to the 2016/17 season, with three managers having represented the club by November. Sadly, Paul Piggot was unable to improve results enough to avoid the drop to the SCEFL Premier. However, it was not all doom and gloom for the Chats as they appointed new chairman Kevin Hake. This brought about a whole host of ground improvements with the hopes of kickstarting a successful new era for the club. After a rocky start to the 2017/18 season with just one win in eight league games, Piggot was replaced by James Collins in September. Collins immediately proved why he was the right man for the role reaching two cup quarter-finals, both lost on penalties, and steering the club away from the threat of relegation.
• 2018/19 was an incredibly successful season for the Chats, finishing in 4^th while also winning the cup double of the Kent Senior Trophy and SCEFL Challenge Cup. In 2020, Chatham won community club of the year for its connections with people and businesses in the local area and building facilities that benefit everyone in the community. For the 2021/22 season, chairman Kevin Hake took over as manager and immediately guided The Chats to promotion with a step 5 record goal tally and goal difference. In that same season, Chatham received the Queen’s award for their work in the community, adding to their reputation of being one of the most community-centric football clubs in the country. In 2022/23 The Chats reached the highest level they have ever reached, becoming Champions of the Isthmian South East League and winning promotion to the Isthmian Premier League whilst also suffering painful defeats in the semi-final and final of the Isthmian League Velocity Cup and the Kent Senior Cup respectively, both on penalties. 2023/24 rolled around and Chatham Town continued their incredibly successful run, finishing 2^nd in their first season in the Isthmian Premier League. However, The Chats’ hopes of achieving three consecutive promotions were thwarted by 3^rd place finishers Enfield Town in the play-off final. Chatham are aiming to become Isthmian Premier League champions this season, so this is going to be an incredibly tough first match for us but it should give us an idea of the level our Rooks are at for this new season.

Bradley Sach played for Boreham Wood in the National League in the 2017/18 season, after securing his first professional contract following extremely successful seasons in the Under 17s and Under 18s for the club. However, Sach’s career really picked up during his two-and-a-half year stint at Canvey island, where he scored 35 goals in his two full seasons for The Gulls. Sach joined Chatham Town this summer and has already impressed in pre-season with four goals for the club already.

RECENT HEAD TO HEAD

17th Feb 2024	Isthmian Premier League	Lewes	0	Chatham	3
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

In our first Progcast of the season, we interviewed one of our most exciting signings of the summer, Eddie Allsopp.

1. How have you found your time at Lewes so far?

I’m really enjoying it so far, we have a clear style we want to play, obviously it’s a brand new side under a new manager, but I’m sure in time the boys will gel and I’m sure we can have success.

2. Where did you grow up? And what team do you support?

I grew up in a place called Meopham In Kent, but I’m a massive Liverpool fan as my dad is a Scouser.

3. What sets Craig apart from previous managers you’ve worked under?

Pitts obviously has an exciting style of play that he wants but I think his man management is really good. He’s very approachable and you feel you can talk to him about anything really.

4. For anyone that hasn’t seen you play yet, what type of player are you?

I’m a technical player that likes to create and score goals, but I’m also an honest player that will give 100% every week.

5. Do you have any pre match rituals?

I wouldn’t say I have any pre match rituals, maybe that I always like to wear wrist tape just because I like the look of it!

6. What was it like to play in Charlton’s academy?

It was an unreal experience obviously being full time, for me that is still my aim to become a professional player. I learned loads from some top coaches and players and I’m hoping that Lewes will be the club that can help me get back to playing full time football.

7. What do you make of the chant our younger fans have made for you? They seem to be a big fan of you already!

I love the chant, I always appreciate fans that dedicate their Saturdays and Tuesdays to coming to watch us play, so when you hear your name sung during the game it gives you an extra boost to do well for them.

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

In today’s Vox Pop, we asked fans for their predictions ahead of the 24/25 season, here are their responses…

“8th-12th. Marcus Sablier as player of the season, with Ethan Kaiser as our hidden gem and Eddie Allsopp as our fans favourite for the season” – Fin Smith

“Mid table but entertaining!” – Chris Sallis

“Don’t want to be the one to say it but I reckon we will be in a relegation scrap! ” – Ollie Horton

“I reckon we may be a bit inconsistent, and it seems like we have quite a young team, but I think we’ll finish 11th. Toby Bull to be player of the season, Malachi Morris as our hidden gem, and Eddie Allsopp as fan favourite” – James Campbell

“14th. A new manager and a new squad of players, with quite a few stepping up a level or two. It’s the start of something new and it’s going to take time to build. Lowering my expectations compared to previous seasons but still looking forward to seeing what Pitts can do with this team. Toby Bull I think will be my player of the season, after some impressive pre-season performances against Crawley and Worthing. Malachi Morris as my hidden gem. He’s taken a big step up from Glebe but he’s definitely got something about him. It might take him some time to adapt to this level but he’s young and has potential. Fan favourite has to be Eddie Allsopp. Already a hit with the younger fans who didn’t take long to make a chant for him” – Perry Anderson

Music To My Ears

Nashville SC 1 Atlanta United 1 – The MLS Eastern Conference

Such is the geographic distances in the US that this game was considered to be a local derby. Whilst it is only a 40 minute flight from Atlanta to Nashville, the two cities are some 250 miles apart. But that didn’t stop Atlanta, who are the best supported team in the MLS, bringing a sizeable support to Tennessee.

My travel to Atlanta had been booked prior to the MLS fixtures being released. My “home” for 5 days in May would be the Georgia World Conference Center, slap-bang next to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the 70,000+ indoor arena, home to Atlanta United. It was disappointing to discover on fixture release day that United would not be at home, but would be at Nashville SC, the newest franchise in the league, and as close as they could be.

Forty minutes after departing the world’s busiest airport, Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, we were touching down in Nashville, Tennessee. Fun fact for those wishing to visit The Volunteer State – the only animal that is legal to shoot out of a moving car via the window is a whale. Good luck finding one of those in land-locked Tennessee!

Whilst the game was an early 12.30pm kick-off, I still had a couple of hours to explore the city centre. And in truth, that would simply be a walk down the legendary Broadway Street, also known as Honky Tonk Highway, a long strip of bars which have live music playing all day long, and where the careers of such musical legends as Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Gretchen Wilson.

The bars were rammed at 10.30am, with cowboy boots, daisy dukes and Stetson’s as far as the eye could see. Small groups of football fans shared elbow room with Hen/Bachelorette Parties, Stag Do’s and weekenders making the most of the liberal licensing hours.

It was hard to drag myself away but I had a game to get to. Nashville Sporting Club had been awarded an expansion franchise back in December 2017, to join the MLS at the start of the 2020 season. A few months after being awarded their franchise, the newly formed Nashville SC played their first game, losing 3-1 to Atlanta United in a friendly.

Unfortunately, legal wranglings, spiralling costs and COVID meant that the construction of the new stadium in the Fairgrounds area to the south of the centre, didn’t start until 2020, just weeks before they began their life as a MLS club, meaning they had to play for the first two seasons at the Tennessee Titan’s Nissan Stadium in the city centre – just across the bridge from the end of Broadway Street, which must be an amazing pre-match experience when the NFL is in town and 69,000 fans pile out of the bars for the game.

Finally, Geodis Park opened in May 2022 as a 30,000 capacity venue, making it the largest football/soccer specific stadium in North America, for the moment at least. It’s a similar affair to a number of other US “soccer” stadiums (Red Bull Arena, Mercy Park in Kansas City and the Shell Energy stadium in Houston), with two tiers of seating/safe standing, on three sides and then a main stand with corporate boxes and facilities on the other side.

I hopped out of my cab and followed the fans, the majority of which were bedecked in the yellow home shirts. The noise of the cicadas in the trees was deafening, but it wouldn’t be the sound they created, rather the sound they caused which would be the issue.

Experts predicted over a trillion of the harmless bugs would be emerging from their 12+ year hibernation in the US over the coming weeks and they were everywhere. They look like hornets, with red eyes but flew almost sleepishly around, landing on people, getting caught in peoples hair or even in one instance, up a trouser leg. You heard the yelps and the screams throughout the afternoon.

I don’t think I have ever been to a ground where so many fans are wearing so many different designs of replica kits. Despite being less than 4 years old, I counted over fifteen different shirts including one that was covered in Marvel Studios logos and one specifically designed to commemorate the military. At a rough estimate, I would say 30% of the home fans wore a shirt.

The Atlanta fans arrived en-masse, with their own band heralding their progress around the concourse to their seats in the upper tier and we were ready for some action. Except we wasn’t.

“Kick-off” was 12.30pm. At 12.37pm the teams finally left the pitch after their warm up. At 12.41pm, the flags were unfurled and four minutes later, the teams emerged to a fanfare of fireworks and a military helicopter buzzing overhead. 12:49pm the toss was carried out and finally, at 12:51pm we were underway. What exactly is the point of putting a kick-off time for these games?

Two days before the game, Nashville fired their head coach Gary Smith, who had been with them since day 1, and his assistant, former Leicester City winger Steve Guppy. Despite a win at Toronto in midweek, there was a feeling among the fans he had taken them as far as he could.

It wasn’t the best of games. Nashville probably just edged the first half and went in 1-0 thanks to a hotly disputed penalty after Hany Mukhtar went down easily after a challenge from Atlanta’s keeper Brad Guzan. The midfielder slotted home the penalty after a lengthy VAR check.

The away side equalised ten minutes into the second half when Tristan Muyumba squared the ball to Bartosz Slisz, whose shot from the edge of the box found the back of the net.

I wandered down from the upper tier to the safe standing area behind the goal for the final ten minutes. There, four pairs of “capos” were trying to get the crowd going, using the enthusiasm of primary school teachers and large signs, like a game of pictionary to engage with the fans. Quite bizarre.

The official crowd was just over 28,000 but that must have been based on tickets sold/handed out rather than the actual attendance as it was some way short of that. Cleverly, with the seats being yellow and dark blue, the colours of the shirts of the team, it did give a slightly enhanced feel to the crowd.

I was heading straight back to the airport for my flight to Atlanta. To say it was chaos on the roads outside was an understatement. The club had a designated ride share area for Uber bookings. A great idea, except the traffic control from the local police was preventing any drivers getting anywhere near. A minor grumble on an excellent day trip though.

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

About Nyewood Lane
Nyewood Lane is a picturesque ground that has an open feel to it. One end is overlooked by ‘Seasons”, the clubhouse and has a small open terrace in front. Opposite is a small covered terrace, at the Sports Club End, which has a small electric scoreboard on its roof. On the North side of the ground is a small covered terrace, being a few steps high, which runs for around half the length of the pitch. On the other side is the new Main Stand, constructed 18 months ago and is a smart addition to an already excellent non-league ground.

How to get to Nyewood Lane
From Lewes head west on the A27 all the way to the Fontwell Roundabout and take the A29, the second exit, passing the racecourse on your right-hand side. Continue to follow the A29 towards Bognor Regis town centre, passing over numerous roundabouts until you get to South Bersted and the roundabout where the B2259 intersects.  Take the fourth exit and then the third left into Hawthorn Road.  After ½ mile just after passing the Co-Op on your right-hand side, take a left into Nyewood Lane and the ground is 200 yards on the right-hand side.  Journey time around an hour from Lewes (38 miles).

There is ample on-street parking in Nyewood Lane and surrounding roads. There is also free parking available within the Bognor Sports Club, via the entrance in Hawthorn Road. There is a turnstile giving access into the ground from this car park and you will also find a bar within the Sports Club which you are very welcome to use.

If coming by train (approx. 90 minutes and at least one change at Brighton), either take a taxi (approx. cost £4.50) or if walking, turn right out of Bognor Regis station and walk along Linden Road until you reach Parklands Avenue, where there is a footpath on your left (opposite Town Cross Avenue) that leads all the way to the entrance of the football club – should take around 15 minutes to walk.

Admission at Nyewood Lane
Admission this season is £12 for adults, £10 for concessions (senior citizens and students), Under18s £6 and accompanied under16s free of charge. There’s an extra £1 charge to sit in the main stand.

Fancy a beer?
The nearest pub to the ground is The Wheatsheaf, which is a pub-restaurant chain, on Hawthorn Lane, about five minutes away from the ground.  The pub of choice in the past has been the Wetherspoons outlet, the Hatters Inn on the corner of Queensway and West Street. The bar at the ground is also pretty decent.

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, Jen Kerrison, Tom McJennett, Joe Short, Stan Lahood, Steve Watts, John Peel, Trevor Wells, Ben Hall
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 Craig Nelson
Assistant manager Danny Oakins
First team coach Bryan Nzinga
First team coach Frankie Sawyer
Goalkeeping coach Sheikh Ceesay
S&G Coach Arron Fray
Under-18s Manager Jon Miller

Golden Rook Rob Read
Web Editor Shrey Nilvarna
Progcast Editor Stan Lahood

Progcast Assistant Editors Harvey Lock and Charlie Sundaram

Club Photographer James Boyes