Welcome to The Dripping Pan for this afternoon’s Isthmian League Premier game versus Canvey Island. 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 – Canvey Island
6. One to Watch?
7. Head to Head
8. Kit Clash
9. On the Road… to Potters Bar Town
10. Legals and Credits
A very warm welcome to everyone at the Dripping Pan for this afternoon’s Non-League Day match against Canvey Island. Of course special welcome is reserved for our visitors from Canvey and anyone who might be making the trip to the Pan for the first time.
Non League day is celebrated annually during the spring international break when the Premier League and Championship match fixtures are put on ice. Supporters of the larger teams are encouraged to get their football fix by going to one of the hundreds of non league matches being played around the country.
Lewes FC have spent our entire history as a non league team so for us every day is a non league day and we feel that our special match day experience betters that of the Premier League. No designated seating areas, stand or sit in any part of the ground, luxuriate in our Wembley VIP seats, enjoy our varied food and drink options that can be consumed pitch side and witness a decent game of football and even have a chat with the players post match. What is there not to like and shouldn’t this be what every football fan desires.
Last time out at the Pan the Rooks survived an edgy second half to claim all three points against Dulwich Hamlet in front of a decent sized. good humoured crowd. Hopefully we can have more of the same this afternoon (perhaps with less edgyness)
Come on you Rooks!
Trevor
Pitts reflects on hard-fought Dulwich win
Pitts spoke to the club last time out at the Pan following our 2-1 win over Dulwich Hamlet; Pitts praised the team for their resillience, consistence and good morale despite a below-average second half of the season, and how we can kick on to end the season on a high. You can watch 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.
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.
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.
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.
Beaux Booth: Beaux joins from Farnham Town, and brings goalscoring threat to the midfield, on top of creativity. A product of Brentford’s B Team, Beaux joined Sholing after leaving the Bees before quickly impressing enough to get a jump up to Step 3 with Farnham, before linking up with the Rooks in 2026.
Aaron Jenkins: Aaron is a wide midfielder/winger capable of operating on either flank, and provides direct, fast, dangerous ball-carrying and crossing ability, as well as an eye for goal. Aaron joins from Sevenoaks where he previously scored 5 goals in 4 games last season, as well as lining up for Merstham in the past.
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.
Danny Bassett: Danny is no stranger to the Rooks, joining in the summer of 2024, before returning to the Pan after a spell away from the game. Bassett has experience at this level, previously lining up for Carshalton Athletic, and scored 22 goals for the Rooks last season.
Taurean Roberts: Taurean is a winger who has been around non-leauge football for a long time, previously featuring for Horsham, Hampton & Richmond, Chippenham, among others. Direct, fast, and a leader in the squad, Taurean links up with long time friend Pitts to bring threat to the wide areas.
Non League Day!
As Chairman Trev said, today is Non League Day, a special day where all top-level football is on pause due to the international break, so fans of those top teams are encouraged to come down and support their local non league side. If this is you today, thank you for choosing us, and we hope to see you more regularly if you enjoy it. Here are a few Rooks fans talking about how they got into supporting the club, and why they stick around. Hopefully they can convince you!
A Flock of new Rooks
Joining the Rooks today are quite a few new signings, as Pitts looks to shakeup the squad and keep legs fresh going into the end of the season. We would like to welcome Nikolai Krokhin, Charlie Paye, Jackson King, and Alfie Mansell to the club. these four join from Hendon, Bromley, Wycombe Wanderers, and Burgess Hill, respectively, and look to strengthen Craig Nelson’s squad.
Nikolai and Charlie are centre-halves, who both bring height, aerial ability, and a more physical presence to the backline. Jackson is a central midfielder who can also play in defence, and will serve as a young spark in the spine of the team. Alfie is a young goalkeeper who joins to serve as an understudy to number one Louis Rogers, but already has experience at this level, lining up for the Hillians multiple times this season. Welcome to the new Rooks!
We would also like to welcome Jack Enkh back to the club; Jack was with the Rooks last season, but a serious injury derailed his campaign. He returns this afternoon to link up with Craig Nelson once again.
As is always the case with incomings, there must always be outgoings, so we would like to thank Jack Burchell and George Nunn as they both leave the club. Jack has been with the Rooks since the start of the season, playing in the majority of games as the heart of the defence, wearing the captain’s armband for a lot of that time. George joined in the winter, and was part of the forward line that helped us beat Dulwich in his final game. Thank you to Jack and George for their contributions this season.
Canvey Island FC
- Canvey Island Football Club was founded in 1926, but the East Coast floods of 1953 wiped out all the information on the first 27 years of the club’s existence.
- After a severe downturn in the late 1980s and the club’s future in doubt, local businessman and former Canvey player Jeff King took over at the helm. This kickstarted a surge of momentum for the Gulls with silverware coming in 1993 when they won the Essex Senior League and reached the semi-final of the FA Vase.
- The club joined the Isthmian system in 1994 and achieved a second successive promotion the following season to find themselves in Division Two. The Gulls reached the FA Cup First Round Proper in 1995-96 and were drawn at home to Brighton & Hove Albion. After a hard-fought 90 minutes, the game ended 2-2 and a replay was in order. Canvey lost the replay in front of a crowd of over 7000. The Gulls also won the Division Two title that same season and were promoted to Division One. 1998-99 saw Canvey achieve promotion to the Isthmian Premier Division for the first time in the club’s history.
- 2000-01 saw Canvey win the FA Trophy for the only time in their history, beating Forest Green Rovers in the final in front of a crowd of over 10,000 people at Villa Park. A very impressive FA Cup run that season saw Canvey qualify for the second round, eventually losing to Southend United.
- This was bettered, however, the following season when they made the third round, beating League Two sides Wigan Athletic and Northampton Town before eventually losing to Championship opposition Burnley at Turf Moor with over 5 million people watching on ‘Match of the Day Live’. In 2003-04, the club finally won the Isthmian Premier with a 19-point buffer after three consecutive runners-up finishes, booking their spot in the Conference National.
- In their first season in the division, the Gulls managed to avoid relegation and finished in 18th place. The following season saw Canvey achieve an impressive 14th place finish but the lack of support that came with less success compared to previous seasons prompted manager Jeff King, who had also been contributing financially to the club, to withdraw his finances and step away from the club. Following this decision, the club’s supporters came together to allow the team to play in the Isthmian League Division One North.
- In their second season in Division One North, Canvey gained promotion through the play-offs to the Premier Division. The Gulls won the Essex Senior Cup in 2012 without conceding a single goal in the competition and defeating two Football League sides in Colchester United and Dagenham & Redbridge.
- Canvey suffered relegation in 2016-17 and found themselves playing in the Isthmian Division One North once again. In an attempt to bounce straight back up to the Isthmian Premier, Canvey qualified for the play-offs, but the Gulls failed to beat Haringey Borough in the play-off final.
- In 2020/21, although the league was cut short, Canvey qualified for the second round of the FA Cup, eventually being defeated by National League side Boreham Wood. The following season, Canvey’s fate was hanging in the balance, a penalty shootout in the play-off final would decide whether the Gulls would return to the Premier Division. Canvey netted all their spot-kicks and won promotion.
- In their first season back in the division, the Gulls mounted a late title charge and finished 3rd. Eventual winners Aveley defeated Canvey in the play-offs that season and meant that they would be spending another season in the Premier Division. In 2023-24, Canvey finished in a disappointing 14th place after suffering lots of injuries. Things have got even worse since then. Last season, the Gulls finished in a poor 17th place. 2025-26 has been a shocking season for Canvey as they currently sit bottom of the table, ten points off safety.
Callum Newson
Callum Newson has been one of Canvey Island’s standout players in a disappointing season. He is their top scorer and will be looking to help pick up the Gulls’ form.
| Date | Competition | Home | Away | Att. | |
| Sat 10 Jan 2026 | Isthmian Prem | CIFC | 0-1 | Lewes | 267 |
| Sat 15 Mar 2025 | Isthmian Prem | CIFC | 4-0 | Lewes | 336 |
| Sat 30 Nov 2024 | Isthmian Prem | Lewes | 2-1 | CIFC | 863 |
| Tue 9 Apr 2024 | Isthmian Prem | CIFC | 0-2 | Lewes | 174 |
| Sat 2 Mar 2024 | Isthmian Prem | Lewes | 2-2 | CIFC | 882 |
Well, well, well. a team we have a good record against. Thought I’d never see the day. We generally do quite well against the Gulls, beating them more often than not since their return to this division in 2022/23. Our most recent outing was in January of this season, with a solitary goal (and overall fantastic performance) from midfielder Alfie Allen making the difference up in Essex.
HOME
Proper ugly. no idea what’s really even going on here, the yellow is perhaps the brightest colour I’ve ever seen and the stripes do it no favours at all. also who on Earth are Venom? 3/10
AWAY
Better, but only by virtue of not hurting my eyes to look at. I think this is the same one as last season, and it’s not the worst thing in the world, but the weird white arrow things are not a good choice. 5/10
To Potters Bar Town
Who are they?: Potters Bar Town, known as the Scholars, are a Hertfordshire side who have been steadily climbing the non-league pyramid since their formation in 1960, originally as Mount Grace Old Scholars, a team for former pupils of the local school. They only adopted their current name in 1991, and have risen from the Spartan South Midlands League to the Isthmian Premier in the years since. The Scholars finished 14th last season and have had a difficult 2025/26 campaign, so this could be a good time to pay them a visit.
How do we get there?: Potters Bar is served by the Great Northern line out of London King’s Cross, so from Lewes you’ll be heading into London Bridge first, then crossing the city to King’s Cross. From Potters Bar station the ground is a short and straightforward 15-minute walk away, and there are local buses cover that route if need be.
What’s around?: There have only been two recommendations for pubs in the Potters Bar area; The Old Manor is a proper community local pub with guest ales and a welcoming atmosphere. If you fancy something with a bit more history, The Builder’s Arms also comes recommended from previous years.
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, 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, Joe Warsop-Davies, Aidan Elve, Noah Bercott
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