Welcome to The Dripping Pan for today’s FA Women’s National League South game against Watford.

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Lewes FC Women 2025/26

Hello and welcome to the Dripping Pan for the first league game of the 25/26 season! We are looking forward to building on the successes of last season, in which the Dripping Pan became a fortress for the Women’s side, who haven’t lost a game at home since October.

The Rooks will be facing off with the formidable Watford who finished a very impressive third place in the league last season. 

The last time Lewes faced Watford was away at Grosvenor Vale, in a game that will definitely be remembered. Played in freezing rain, Watford were reduced to 9 players, twice, thanks in part to a lost battle with a corner flag. Lewes won the 3-2 thriller, taking all three points. 

Watford has some new, and some familiar faces, including defender Grace Garrad, who played for Lewes in the Women’s Championship in 2023/24 and started her career at Arsenal.

And Lewes has plenty of new faces too. 

This game will be Emma Byrne’s first league game as manager. Emma spent 17 years in goal for Arsenal Women and was part of the first Arsenal Women’s team to win the Champions League. She played for her national team as well, and was capped an impressive 134 times for her native Ireland.

We are also thrilled to welcome new signings Rebekah Trewhitt, Ylenia Priest, Lois Edwards, Layla Banaras, Annie Rolf, Ella Newman and Dani Rowe and welcome back Chelsea Ferguson, who also played for Lewes in the Championship.

Today, mapped out!

Highlights from Lewes vs Dulwich Hamlet 10 August 2025

Photos Credit: James Boyes. https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesboyes/

Why the Eye?

“What a beautiful ground!” we hear you cry as you walk into our historic stadium. “The state of the art pitch, the rolling South Downs in the near distance, the gardens, the old flint wall, the warm welcome, but… hang on a second! What is that? What is that great big… eye? Over there in the far-right corner. There’s a massive blue, eye-lashed eye with red eyeshadow on it. What’s that doing at a football club?”

Great question… and we’re happy to answer.

The eye is the pop art symbol designed by local feminist artist Charlotte Colbert, of our ‘See Us As We Are’ campaign. Lewes FC is a unique football club, uniting profit with purpose and seeking to use football for social change. When, in 2017, we became the first club in the world (pro or semi-pro) to split resources equally between our men’s and women’s teams, we started to campaign to raise awareness of gender inequalities within the male bastion of football.

So, in 2024/25 we are drawing attention to the fact that women are not small men. Women footballers are women playing football. They need boots and equipment made for women; they need a league structure that helps ALL women footballers; and their fans want a stadium experience that is different from men’s games.

Our eye is a portal, as imagined by the artist, through which to envision a new utopia. A world in which we can see through both the male gaze AND the female lens, and not allow one to dominate the other. Enjoy the view!!

LEWES FC SQUAD LIST

• 1 Emily Moore
• 2 Becca Teale
• 3 Maddie Brant
• 4 Sydney Schreimaier
• 5 Layla Banaras
• 6 Hannah Godfrey
• 7 Kayla Ginger
• 8 Annie Rolf
• 9 Chelsea Ferguson
• 10 Liv Carpenter
• 11 Ella Newman
• 13 Rebekah Trewhitt
• 14 Paula Howells
• 15 Danielle Rowe
• 16 Sarah Harvey
• 18 Lois Roche
• 20 Taylor Bell
• 21 Katie Gilligan
• 23 Ylenia Priest
• 24 Lois Edwards
• 77 Leah Lane

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee – Imogen Hooper
Assistant Referee 1 – Owen Radley
Assistant Referee 2 – Andrew Prodger

2025/26 FA Women’s National League South

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 FA Women’s National League South 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
Chair Trevor Wells
Directors Ben Hall, John Peel, Stan Lahood, Tom McJennett, Joe Short, Steve Watts, Trevor Wells.

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 Emma Byrne
GK Coach and Analyst Manager Leah Samain
Head of Women’s Football Lynne Burrell

COO Kelly Lindsey
Fan Engagement & Operations Shrey Nilvarna
Facilities Manager Damien Watts

Golden Rook Rob Read

Web Editors Shrey Nilvarna
Progcast Editors Clare Boden
Club Photographer James Boyes & Cecily