Welcome to The Dripping Pan for this afternoon’s Isthmian League Premier game versus Welling United. Here is your complimentary e-programme.
CONTENTS
1. Notes from the Chair – Trevor Wells
2. Nelson’s Column
3. The Squad – See the Players
4. Club Updates
5. The Visitors – Welling United
6. One to Watch?
7. Head to Head
8. Kit Clash
9. On the Road… to Whitehawk
10. Legals and Credits
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/
A festive welcome to everyone at the Pan for this afternoon’s game against Welling Utd. And of course our usual warm welcome to everyone from Welling.
As many will know Welling Utd have been in the news this past week. Whilst it is not my place to comment on the ins and outs of the recent events I do want to reach out to the owners, board and staff of Welling. Running a football club at the best of times can be a stressful business and I am sure that stress limits have been off the scale this week and my thoughts have been with you all.
Back to the case in hand and let’s hope for a brilliant game of football this afternoon.
A Rooks win will take us into 2026 in good spirits meaning we will be unbeaten in our last four games. Welling of course will want to put that run to an end. Game on!
Here’s wishing everyone a brilliant Christmas.
Come on you Rooks!
Trevor
Pitts heaps praise on squad after emphatic win and strong month
Pitts spoke to the club right after our 4-1 away win at Dulwich Hamlet last week; the gaffer was full of praise for the squad for their hard work and resillience in recent weeks, particularly in how they have ‘solidified the way [we] want to play’. Pitts talked about how important substitutions have been in changing games, and particularly called out midfielder Arezki Hamouchene and striker Charlie Walker for their recent performances. You can watch the interview here:
Louis Rogers: Rogers joined the Rooks from Hastings United in summer 2025. Known for his sharp reflexes and excellent shot-stopping ability, he spent several years as first-choice keeper at Hastings, playing a key role in their promotion push. Louis brings leadership, composure, and a commanding presence to the Lewes backline as he steps up to the Isthmian Premier League once again.
Ryan Bernal: An athletic right back, Bernal joins the Rooks after impressing in the Combined Counties League. Quick and confident going forward, Ryan provides attacking width while maintaining strong defensive discipline. A promising addition to the squad, he will look to make the right flank his own.
Alex Kpakpe: A fast and phyiscal left-back, Alex joins from Cray Valley PM having previously played for Hastings United, Aveley, and Wingate & Finchley in this division. Alex is a product of the Chelsea academy and was also played in a friendly for Rangers in 2023.
Jack Burchell: A ball-playing centre back, 21-year-old defender Burchell came through the academy at Watford before joining Eastbourne Borough in October 2022, going on to play 26 times in the Vanarama National League South under Danny Bloor in 2022/23. He joined the Welling in July 2023 after impressing on trial during pre-season and proved to be a mainstay in defence, playing a vital part in the side’s successful survival bid in 2023/24.
Jamie Watson: Jamie is a solid, aerially strong centre-half who brings experience in defence despite being only 24; a product of the Bromley academy, Jamie has also spent time at Alfreton in the National League North, as well as Tonbridge Angels, who he joins from on a dual-registration basis.
Olly Hamstead: Olly is another young defender rising through the ranks, joining the Rooks from Carshalton where he has had two spells. Olly started his career at Chipstead, before moving on to Burgess Hill and Kingstonian where he was a commanding force in those back lines. Tall, strong, and a calm presence on the ball, Olly is a great example of a modern centre-half.
Antonio Morgan: A young up-and-coming full-back, Morgans joins the Rooks from Tonbridge Angels where he played under current gaffer Pitts for a time. Antonio is fast, direct, and tricky on the ball, and has displayed enough talent to earn several call ups for the Antigua & Barbuda national team.
Arezki Hamouchene: A tricky left-sided player with flair and pace, Hamouchene spent 14 years with Millwall, joining their youth setup at 7 years old. Spent the 24/25 season with Cray Wanderers and Erith Town from whom he joins the Rooks.
Perri Iandolo: A technically gifted central midfielder, Perri spent his formative years with Maidstone. Perri is known for his range of passing and ability to dictate tempo in midfield and most recently played with club legend Bradley Pritchard at Phoenix Sports.
Devonte West: Operating on the right flank, West is a young, powerful winger with explosive pace and a keen eye for goal. A product of the London grassroots scene, Devonte joins us from Hollands & Blair and adds an exciting dimension to the Rooks’ attacking play.
Billie Clark: A right-sided midfielder or winger, Clark joined Brighton & Hove Albion in 2022 before moving on to Reading in August 2023. Comfortable hugging the touchline or drifting inside, Billie offers pace and a dangerous delivery from wide areas.
Parish Muirhead: Returning to the club after a spell at Carshalton Athletic, Muirhead is a strong and tempo-dictating central midfielder, known for his game knowledge and passing ability. Parish has experience working under manager Craig Nelson and has earned several call-ups to the Grenada National Team.
Tyler Christian-Law: Tyler joined the Rooks in November, and is a vastly experienced midfielder at this level and above, with the 32 year old having spells with Braintree, Wealdstone, Potters Bar, Hornchurch, and most recently Dartford whom he joins from. A commanding presence in midfield, Tyler brings stability to the Rooks’ spine.
Alfie Allen: Allen is a central midfielder who can operate in both defensive or attacking-minded roles; a great passer of the ball and a calm presence in midfield, Alfie rejoins the Rooks after a spell at Tonbridge Angels.
Kaan Bennett: A clinical centre forward, Bennett is known for his movement and finishing ability. Kaan was a product of the Colchester United youth system before serious injury halted his progress. Kaan’s intelligent positioning and eye for goal make him a key figure in Lewes’ frontline.
Charlie Walker: Walker is a vastly experienced striker, and joins the Rooks as a number 9 outlet. Walker is no stranger to the professional game, having played for Luton Town in his career, as well as spells at Eastbourne Borough, Boreham Wood, Aldershot, and two spells with Whitehawk. Walker notched up 21 goals in 71 league games with the Hawks before joining Lewes, and will hope to continue that form.
Bobby Unwin: Bobby returns to Lewes after a good spell at Tonbridge Angels, scoring thrice and putting in multiple great performances at Step 2, before rejoining the Rooks to add pace, ball-carrying, and goal threat to the side.
Martell Taylor-Crossdale: Martell joins on loan from Tonbridge Angels, where he has experience working with manager Craig Nelson; Martell has experience at the highest level of English football, making an appearance for Premier League side Fulham, as well as being part of Chelsea’s youth academy. Playing either through the middle or on the wings, Martell provides powerful attacking threat to Pitts’ side.
Bassett is Back
Lewes are delighted to confirm the return of striker Danny Bassett to the club, who rejoins the club after playing last season under Pitts. Danny is a name who needs little introduction to any Rooks fans, racking up an impressive 22 goals and 12 assists in 43 appearances, finishing sixth in the top scorers list in the league last year. Bassett is a forward player who mostly operates as a number nine but occasionally puts a shift in on the wings. Everyone connected with the club is thrilled to have Danny back on board.
Player of the Month nominees
Congratulations to our number one Louis Rogers, striker Charlie Walker, and defender Ryan Bernal on their nominations for November’s player of the month. Owners can vote on the winner by following this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1E1Y9oSLrNsZtfkuODXmiblMPn8T2S84TufXTf0XP6yY. Another congratulations must go to Bernal, who won the vote for October.
Match Report: Lewes continue winning form with a Christmas treat in Dulwich
The Rooks travelled up to South London last week for our last pre-Christmas away fixture at Dulwich Hamlet. and travel they did, as over 200 Rooks faithful made up the bumper crowd of 2574 to witness three points gift-wrapped and brought back to Sussex in time for Christmas.
The first half was not all smiles, as the home side pressed high to keep the Lewes defenders restricted on the ball, and their press was rewarded when a 24th minute corner was swung in and hit a collection of both red and pink shirts, before being bundled in by Joseph Adewunmi. 1-0, not a good moment. However, this seemed to wake up Pitts’ squad, as ten minutes later an onrushing Alex Kpakpe was cut down in the box by former Rook Toby Bull, with Charlie Walker obliging in blasting the resulting spot-kick into the roof of the net and equalising. 1-1 was how the half finished, despite some increasing pressure and opportunities from the visitors, with Kpakpe somehow sending a shot from a zipped cross into Kent from about 4 yards out (we’ll give him the benefit of the angle this time, though).
The second half was cagey for the most part, with neither side wanting to commit too much and risk going behind. Lewes generally dominated the ball, and invited the Hamlet to try and fall into their trap, but it was to not much avail for a large part of the half. However, subs were made and things got better fast. Arezki Hamouchene was superb when he was introduced in the 50th minute, and was partly responsible for the deadlock breaker in the 81st, when his corner was sent into the near post before being backheel flicked into the Dulwich net by centre-half Jack Burchell, with such technique you’d think it was a seasoned number 10 on the end of it. 2-1, lovely.
The Rooks smelt blood after this, as Dulwich heads began to drop and they got nervy. Toby Bull provided another Christmas present a few minutes later, when he quite simply, under no real pressure, passed the ball to Charlie Walker from about 6 yards out, leaving Chaz with the easy task of slotting it into an empty net, his second goal of the day, and no less than he deserved after a superb performance; those prematch Red Bulls clearly worked a treat. Devonte West piled on the misery just two minutes later, with a skillfully worked goal that made it 4-1 and sent the travelling contingent into madness. A good day’s work all round, and a result that pushed the Rooks to the lofty heights of 9th. (what relegation battle, eh?)
Coming soon…
After a long wait, our 140th anniversary shirts are finally on their way. Look out on the socials very soon…
Welling United FC
- Welling United Football Club, nicknamed ‘the Wings’, was founded in 1963, initially as a youth club, quickly expanding to a senior team. At the start of the club’s life, Welling achieved three promotions in five years.
- Promotion to the Southern League Premier Division was then secured after the league was reorganised. It took Welling just five seasons in the division before they got promoted again, this time to the Conference after winning the league by 23 points.
- The Wings managed to remain in non-league’s top flight for 14 years. During the late 80s and early 90s, they qualified for six consecutive FA Cup first rounds and won the County Cup four times, however, league success was limited.
- When the Conference system was restructured with the addition of the Conference South and the Conference becoming the Conference National, the Wings finished just high enough to qualify for the Conference South.
- Welling struggled in their first season in the division, residing near the bottom of the table for the first three months before switching managers with Adrian Pennock steering them to 16th place.
- Welling qualified for the first round of the FA Cup in the following season, eventually losing to Huddersfield Town away from home. The Wings spent most of the season in and around the play-off spots, but a poor run-in caused them to drop to 9th.
- An 8th place finish and the quarter-final of the FA Trophy for the second time in the club’s history were achieved the following season.
- During the 2010-11 season, the fans of Welling United came together, raising a necessary 60,000 to save the club from going bust due to a winding-up order from HMRC.
- Somehow, for most of the season, the Wings managed to hold a play-off position. However, eventually fatigue hit the team and they dropped to 6th, missing out on the play-offs by one point.
- 2011-12 saw Welling finally manage to finish in the play-off places with a 3rd place finish, however, they were defeated in the final by arch-rivals Dartford, meaning they would not be returning to step one football.
- Despite the heartbreak of the previous season, 2012-13 saw the Wings finally achieve promotion to the Conference National by becoming Conference South champions, setting a new Conference South record of 12 consecutive wins in the process.
- The Wings managed to hold on for two seasons, finishing 16th and 20th, however, they were relegated in 2015-16.
- After a disappointing first season back in the Conference South (now known as the National League South), the Wings managed to improve, achieving a top half finish in 2017-18.
- Welling made it to the play-off final the following season after a 3rd place finish, but once again, they lost, this time to Woking.
- The 2019-20 season was curtailed due to Covid with the club sitting in 12th at the time. The following season was abandoned for the same reason, this time with Welling sitting in last place.
- Mid-table finishes followed before last season, Welling finished in 22nd, thus dropping to the Isthmian Premier, the lowest they’ve been in the pyramid for over four decades.
- Despite feeling that they don’t belong in this division, Welling have had a very poor start to this season. They currently sit 20th and inside of the relegation zone with 20 games played. With it being so close in the mid-to-low table, our Rooks should be looking to maximise the points gained in this afternoon’s game.
Bradley Sach
Bradley Sach joined Welling United from Hashtag United earlier this month. Sach made an instant impact last time out for the Wings, scoring three minutes into his debut. The forward has already made his mark on this season, scoring five goals in a below-par Hashtag side. He also has National League experience, and seems to always bloody score against us, so will definitely be one to look out for this afternoon.
| Date | Competition | Home | Away | Att. | |
| Sat 16 Aug 2025 | Isthmian Prem | Welling | 0~1 | Lewes | 480 |
Our away day in August was our first and only battle with the Wings that I could find, meaning we have a 100% record against the Kent(or London?) side. That encounter was part of our early-season stint at the head of the league table, when we took the fight to a struggling Wings side that defended with real grit, but we eventually found a weak point and capitalised in the 84th minute thanks to a volley smashed in by Kaan Bennett. Hopefully this encounter goes the same way this afternoon.
HOME
Hey, that’s our kit – this is more or less our current home strip but in a slightly different shade of red, and with white pinstripes instead of black. More of a blood red, which is not quite as good as ours imo. Sponsor also looks a bit naff. 6/10
AWAY
Better. The navy is pretty nice, and somehow makes the sponsor look less egregious, and it looks good with the red back half and almost rugby-looking collar pattern thing. However, as was brought up with Dulwich the other season; are you allowed to use the same colour on your away kit as your home? sort of defeats the points when viewing from the side, but what do I know. 7.5/10
To Whitehawk
Who are they?: The Hawks probably don’t need much introduction, but I’ll do it anyway because I have to; they are a team based in the Brighton estate of the same name, and are probably the Rook’s oldest and fiercest rivals. Having been promoted in 2023, the rivalry has rekindled in recent years as both sides have fought at similar ends of the table, as well as of course the local pride of the derby.
How do we get there?: The Hawks’ Enclosed Ground is a fair way away for Brighton standards, with all the train stations in the city all being equally useless in terms of distance. However, the buses 21, 23, and 1/1X all run fairly near the bottom of the hill the ground is located on, so that may be your best bet.
What’s around?: Kemptown is absolutely the detour of choice for any pubgoers, as there are plenty of good establishments on the roads up to the Whitehawk area. Hand in Hand, Brighton Bierhaus, The Independent, and many more are all in that general area of Brighton, so take your pick honestly.
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 Trevor Wells, John Peel, Stan Lahood, Jim Cheek, Roger Warner, Ben Hall, Lisa Emery
Club Secretary John Peel
COO Kelly Lindsey
Fan Engagement Manager Shrey Nilvarna
Social Media Team Stan Lahood, Tom Mason, Daniel Lloyd, Luke Underhill, Joe Warsop-Davies
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
First team Coach Elyon Marshall-Katung
Goalkeeping Coach Sheikh Ceesay
Under-18s Manager Dale Hurley
Golden Rook Rob Read
Web Editor Shrey Nilvarna
Progcast Editors Stan Lahood, Harvey Lock, Charlie Sundaram
Club Photographer James Boyes