Welcome to The Dripping Pan for this afternoon’s Isthmian League Premier game versus Eastbourne Borough. Here is your complimentary e-programme.

Well this is the big one. For the first time in 17 years Lewes face Eastbourne Borough at the Pan. We are expecting a bumper crowd as the bank holiday fixture has gripped the attention of both Rooks and Sports fans. So a warm welcome to you all, we are wanting everyone to have a fantastic afternoon (despite whatever the final result may be) and to embrace the passionate but good natured Sussex spirit.

This afternoon is likely to be the biggest crowd for a men’s game since we played Worthing five seasons ago. Like that match a monumental amount of work goes on behind the scenes to make these kind of games huge occasions. So we all owe a huge debt of gratitude to our staff, volunteers and directors who make the magic happen. We love to fill the Pan and the players want to set the place rocking so please keep showing up and making every game at the Pan a special occasion.

Match preparations aside it has been a busy week with the re-signing of Ryan Gondah squeezed in between two convincing Rooks victories against Whyteleafe and Aveley. Ryan played in both matches and scored both for and against Lewes (which is some kind of trivia question of the future).

In his Supporters Club match report of the Aveley game, Supporters Club chair Barry suggested the deal to recapture Ryan was clinched after a few arms were placed around Ryan’s shoulders in the Rook Inn as a precursor to getting the deal done and the whole thing was toasted with a pint of Harveys. Barry might not be altogether wrong, whilst a lot of work goes on between Pitts and the player, the fantastic efforts of John Peel and working the figures into the budget, the determining factor may well be the respect, friendship and support that the Lewes faithful show those who turn out in the Red and Black. Please don’t forget how important this is in making Lewes the fantastic club it is.

Can we make it three from three? Eastbourne will be doing everything to prevent this but with the Lewes support in full voice let’s do this!

Come on you Rooks! –Trevor

Nzinga high on squad following away victory

Assistant gaffer Bryan Nzinga spoke to the club on Saturday immediately following our 2-0 away victory to notorious thorns in our side Aveley. He praised the squad for their confidence and patience in breaking down the Essex outfit, and how the home side going down to 10 men did not change the game plan. Watch the discussion here:

🗣️ ‘Comfortable, confident, brave’

We caught up with assistant manager, Bryan Nzinga, for his perspective on today’s 2-0 success at Aveley.

Stay for the request for your support on Monday! (https://t.co/UxbZ9Dofir 😉)#COYR🔴⚫️ pic.twitter.com/eELxMzupKC

— Lewes FC Men (@LewesFCMen) August 29, 2026

Goalkeeper

Louis Rogers (Sponsored by Brian Ashdown) – A familiar face to the Sussex non-league scene, Louis returns to the Pan from last season. An agile keeper with excellent reactions, Louis is a very credible shotstopper as well as being able to play out from the back. Rogers featured in every league game last season for the Rooks, keeping 8 clean sheets.
Ed Cooper – Ed is a young goalkeeper rising through the Sussex football pyramid, and joins as an understudy to Rogers. A tall figure with good ball-playing ability, Cooper is an exciting young goalkeeping prospect.

Defenders

Tom Bender – A vastly experienced centre-half, Tom joins the Rooks to add strength and aerial ability, as well as a great deal of leadership to the back line. After gaining EFL experience with Colchester United and Millwall, Tom spent seven years with St. Albans City, making over 250 appearances.
Tyler Cox – Tyler joins the Rooks as a versatile utility man capable of playing on either side in a full-back or wing-back position, as well as being more than capable as an out-and-out winger. Fast, direct, and with a solid cross, Cox can help bring the exciting ball-playing style to the Pan.
Jack Enkh – Jack returns to the Pan for a third season after recovering from a long-term injury at the back end of the last campaign. Enkh is a very solid defensive left-back, being very strong in the tackle and great in the air, as well as being more than capable of leading an attack from the left-hand side.
Olly Hamstead – Returning for his second season with the Rooks, Olly brings a great deal of physicality and ball-playing ability to the heart of the defence. Joining from Carshalton midway through the last campaign, Olly has shown why he fits in perfectly with Craig Nelson’s possession-based style with plenty of line-breaking passes, aerial challenges, and threat from attacking set pieces.
Ben Mundele – A face who has been around Lewes for a while now, Ben rejoins for his third spell with the club after time at Tonbridge Angels and Ramsgate. Ben joined the club initially in 2021, but a long-term injury halted his time in the squad. A former England C international, Ben brings solid defensive structure to the right-back position
Josh Spinks – Another local face to the Sussex scene, Josh rejoins the Rooks for his second spell after previously returning to Burgess Hill Town. An incredibly composed and intelligent centre-half, Spinks previously captained the Rooks in his first spell with the club, and it’s easy to see why.

Midfielders

Alfie Allen – A stalwart in the Rooks side for the last two years, Alfie returns for his third season at the Pan, continuing to be an important part of Craig Nelson’s midfield setup. A hardworking box-to-box centre-mid who is also comfortable in a more creative role, Allen provided 7 assists last campaign.
Andrew Briggs – Briggs joins the Rooks from neighbouring Whitehawk after a successful 25/26 season with the Hawks. Andrew is a creative midfielder with an especially good dead-ball delivery, which he used to great effect last season, racking up 9 assists for the Sussex outfit, and brings that attacking threat with him to the Pan.
Tyler Christian-Law – Christian-Law returns to the Pan for his second season as a leader in the midfield. An industrious defensive and central midfielder, Tyler was club captain last campaign and led the team from the middle, and hopes to continue to be a leader as an experienced figurehead in Nelson’s squad.
Brian Garzon – Brian links up with the Rooks after a very successful 25/26 season at Step 4 with Walthamstow, scoring 18 goals from midfield. A product of the Southend United youth system, Brian is a very attacking-minded midfielder with a keen eye for goal and is also an adept penalty taker.
Parish Muirhead – Returning for his third year at the Pan, Parish has become an incredibly familiar face in the Rooks midfield over the last few years. a number 8 by trade, Parish brings on-the-ball composure, aerial presence, and an excellent passing range to the centre of the Rooks squad, and his consistently good performances in his time with the Rooks has earnt him multiple call-ups to the Grenada national side.
Tyrese Owen – An incredible physical presence, Tyrese joins the Rooks from last season’s promotion-winning side Billericay Town, where he was arguably their player of the season from midfield. Standing at 6’6, Tyrese brings fantastic strength, aerial domination, and overall physicality to the midfield, while still retaining a lot of ball-playing ability.
Mackenzie Richardson – A product of the Lewes youth system, Mackenzie began making first-team appearances at the back-end of the 25/26 campaign, where he slotted right in in a creative role. A versatile young player, Richardson is capable in an attacking role, on the flanks, or as a more central presence.

Forwards

Danny Bassett – A fan-favourite at the Pan over the last couple of years, Danny returns for his third season with the Rooks in hope of rekindling his form from his debut year, where he notched a fantastic 24 goals in all competitions, including 20 in the league. Capable as an out-and-out striker or down the left wing, Danny brings considerable attacking threat to the front line.
Billie Clark – Billie returns to the Pan after a short spell at Eastbourne Town at Step 4, where he made an impact after joining midway through last season, including a hattrick in his first game. A direct and very quick young winger, Billie brings a lot of danger from ball-carrying and whipping crosses in from either flank.
Noel Fisher – Noel joins the Rooks as an incredibly exciting young talent, having a standout season with Horsham YM, scoring 18 goals and notching 7 assists in 28 games from the right wing. Noel was a wanted man by a lot of clubs over the summer, but chose to link up with Craig Nelson to bring technical excellence and fearless attacking play to his side.
Calum Newson (Sponsored by Nicole Roaf) – Joining from Essex outfit Canvey Island, Calum is a direct and physical number 9 who performed well in a below-par Canvey side, which led to his move to the Pan. Calum previously played in the USA for Kentucky Wesleyan College, racking up 35 goals in two seasons over in the states.
Bobby Unwin – A familiar face in the Rooks squad, Bobby returns for his third season with the club after rejoining last season following a spell at Tonbridge Angels. A direct, pacy winger capable of playing on either side, Bobby has notched 6 goals and 8 assists in his Lewes career so far, and hopes to expand on that this campaign.
Charlie Walker – A vastly experienced head in the dressing room, and a familiar face across the Sussex scene, Charlie returns to the Pan after joining last season from Whitehawk. A former EFL professional with bags of experience in the National League including Aldershot Town and Boreham Wood, Charlie is a player who knows where the goal is, bringing an instinctual fox-in-the-box style of play to the front line.
Ryan Gondoh – A man who Lewes fans will be very familiar with, Gondoh rejoins the Rooks for his second spell with the club after a memorable first stint from 2022-24, where he notched up 14 goals and 13 assists from 49 appearances. A winger who is very capable on either side, Gondoh brings flair, pace, finishing ability to the wide areas of attack, and quickly became a fan favourite in his previous stint in East Sussex.

2026/27 Player Stats

Goals:
2 – Bassett, Spinks
1 – Newson, Fisher, Gondoh

Assists:
2 – Unwin
1 – Bender, Owen, Allen, Garzon

Clean Sheets:
3 – Rogers, Spinks, Bender, Enkh
2 – Mundele
1 – Allen

Matchday Guide

As this fixture is highly anticipated and will have a larger crowd, The Club have put together a short guide for fans to ensure the day goes as smoothly as possible for both the fans and The Club themselves. Please take a look here: https://lewesfc.com/2026/08/30/eastbourne-borough-matchday-guide-for-supporters/

Replica Kits avaliable

As stated in the matchday guide, The Club are delighted to announce that our 2026/27 replica kits from Hope & Glory will be on sale in the club shop this afternoon. We have quite a few of the quite beautiful Home and Away strips on sale, but we advise you to get to the Pan well before kickoff if you want to grab one (or both), to avoid queue times and potential stock exhaustion.

Ryan Returns

You’ve probably seen by now, but Lewes FC are delighted to welcome Ryan Gondoh back to The Club for his second stint. Ryan links up with Pitts after playing under former Manager Tony Russell from 2022-24, where he quickly became a fan favourite, and proved his worth on the pitch with 14 goals and 13 assists in 49 appearances for the Rooks. Ryan rejoins after playing against us just last week, where he scored for AFC Whyteleafe, but quickly righted his wrong with a goal on his second Rooks debut, the second in our 2-0 win over Aveley a few days ago. We forgive you Ryan, and welcome back!

Eastbourne Borough FC

• Eastbourne Borough Football Club, nicknamed ‘the Sports’, was founded as Langney Football Club in 1965. Originally playing park football, by 1973-74, the club was starting to look for a future beyond that.
• In 1983, the club, now named Langney Sports, became a founder member of Division 3 of the Sussex County League, proving wrong the infamous words of a senior official in Sussex football who claimed, “they’ll never be more than a parks team.”
• Langney Sports enjoyed a lot of success from then as they moved through the divisions, eventually landing in Division 1 – where they would spend the next 11 years, rarely finishing outside of the top four. In 1999-00, the Sports clinched the Division 1 title under the leadership of management duo Garry Wilson and Nick Greenwood, winning promotion to the Southern League East.
• Langney Sports approached the council with an ambitious project – turning an expanse of empty marshland, known as Priory Lane, into a stadium. During the 2000-01 season, the club received a 117,000 grant from the football foundation to help develop Priory Lane.
• In 2001, the decision was made to rename Langney Sports to Eastbourne Borough, as they were beginning to represent the whole town, instead of just Langney. The new name brought instant success as Eastbourne Borough won the Sussex Senior Cup for the first time in 2002, beating Lewes, the holders, 2-1.
• The Sports were promoted once again the following season, to the Southern League Premier after finishing 2nd, missing out on the title on goal difference. The club only spent one season in the Southern League Premier, however, before they were elected to form part of the newly inaugurated Conference South after a mid-table finish.
• Eastbourne Borough had an extremely successful start to life in the Conference South, finishing 5th and making it to the North v South Play-Off Final. Over 1000 Borough fans made the 500-mile round trip to Stoke City’s Britannia Stadium as the Sports were eventually defeated by Altrincham.
• In 2005-06, a disappointing league season saw Eastbourne finish in 17th place. However, there was a silver lining, as they qualified for the first round of the FA Cup for the first time in the club’s history. A record 3770 fans crammed into Priory Lane to watch Borough force a dramatic 1-1 draw with a twice-taken last-minute penalty against League Two Oxford United. However, they lost 3-0 in the replay at the Kassam Stadium.
• Incredibly, Eastbourne Borough won promotion to the Conference National through the play-offs in 2007-08 after finishing second only to Lewes. The Sports defeated Braintree Town 5-0 on aggregate in the semi-final and Hampton & Richmond Borough 2-0 in the final to secure their place in the Conference National. The 2008-09 season saw the Sports in their highest position ever, now being at the summit of non-league. The club managed to hold their bottle and achieved an impressive mid-table finish. This was also the last time Eastbourne Borough and our Rooks were in the same division, as Lewes were unfortunately relegated to the Conference South.
• A relegation battle ensued the following season as Borough found themselves in need of a win over champions Oxford United going into the final day. With six minutes remaining, the scores level and results elsewhere going against them, Borough were awarded a penalty, which was coolly converted by Simon Weatherstone, securing another season in the Conference National. However, the next season proved too much for Eastbourne Borough as they suffered their first ever relegation.
• The following season, Borough made it to the Sussex Senior Cup Final once again, which would be the first ever match at the newly built Amex Stadium. The final, against Brighton & Hove Albion ended in a 1-0 defeat to the hosts in their brand-new ground. After a decade-long tenure at the club, managerial duo Garry Wilson and Nick Greenwood parted ways with the club after a run of only one league win in 12 games in the 2011-12 season.
• Tommy Widdrington took the reins and oversaw an era of mid-table stability in the National League South (formerly the Conference South). Widdrington remained at the club until April 2017 after he won the club its second Sussex Senior Cup. After the 2019-20 season was curtailed due to Covid, the Sports had a great 2020-21 campaign behind closed doors, sitting in 3rd place when that season was eventually also abandoned. The club also reached the first round of the FA Cup in 2020-21, eventually losing 3-0 to League One side Blackpool in a match streamed live on BT Sport.
• Borough reached the play-offs in 2021-22; however they were defeated in the semi-final by Oxford City. The club fell just three points short of the play-offs again the following season, but it wasn’t to be.
• 2023-24 saw big changes behind the scenes as local entrepreneur Simon Leslie took over the club. The club structure and badge were changed, and it also adopted a full-time model. During the transition season of 2023-24, Borough escaped relegation after a 14-game unbeaten run under new manager Adam Murray.
• The following season proved a great one for the Sports as they were one of five teams with a chance of winning the National League South title on the final day, but ultimately had to settle for a play-off place after a third-place finish. Borough lost to Maidstone United at home in the semi-final after the visitors scored a last-minute winner, bringing an end to Borough’s 400-day unbeaten home run.
• After a poor start to last season under new management, former boss Tommy Widdrington returned to the club to steady the ship 10 games into the season. However, he was unable to turn their form around and was replaced by Steve King in March in a desperate attempt to save their season. But it wasn’t to be and Eastbourne Borough were finally relegated to the Isthmian Premier for the first time, and the lowest the club have been for 22 years.
• The Sports haven’t had the start to the season that they would have hoped for with two wins, two draws and a loss in their first five games. They currently sit in 13th place, three points behind Lewes. This highly anticipated match will be the first time the two meet in a league match since New Year’s Day 2009. So, make sure you come down to the Pan this afternoon – if there are any tickets left!

Kai Corbett

Kai Corbett joined Eastbourne Borough in October 2025 after a trophy-winning season with National League side Aldershot Town.

Born in Barcelona, Corbett was part of the world famous ‘La Masia’ academy. He eventually joined West Ham, spending seven years with the Hammers, before going to Peterborough, where he had a loan spell at Scunthorpe. Corbett was also part of Aldershot Town’s first ever FA Trophy success in 2024-25, even scoring a hat-trick in the 4th round.

This season, Corbett has already scored four league goals for the Sports, including a hat-trick against Brentwood Town.

There are a pair of Ex-Rooks in the Sports’ squad, the main one that sticks out being goalkeeper Lewis Carey. Carey made over 100 appearances in the Rooks’ net, over two spells, and returns to the Pan for the second time since leaving the club, after previously lining up against us for Horsham as well. The other former Lewes name in the squad is left-back Sam Oguntayo, who returns to us for the first time since his departure in 2024, where he made 29 appearances in his one season with the Rooks.

Date	Competition	Home	Result	Away	Att.
Tue 19 Nov 2024	Sussex Senior Cup (R3)	Lewes	2-1	Boro	439
Thu 1 Jan 2009	Conference Premier	Lewes	0-2	Boro	2232
Fri 26 Dec 2008	Conference Premier	Boro	1-0	Lewes	1356

The table would show that we have a poor head-to-head record against the Sports, and it wouldn’t technically be wrong; failing to beat them in our last 3 efforts. However, one of them was a Sussex Senior Cup fixture, in a time where you had a better chance of winning the lottery than us winning a cup game, and the other two were long ago, back in the old Conference Premier days. You would hope said form has been erased since then, so treat this one as a fresh start.

HOME

Bit boring. The white and gold trim along the collar and sleeves are quite classy, and the octopus logo on the sponsor is a bit of fun, but otherwise a pretty plain red strip. Not terrible, though. 6/10

AWAY

Much better. This is actually a very unique looking strip, with pink and purple normally being reserved for whatever nonsense Dulwich Hamlet cook up every year. I think they’ve leant into the octopus colour more as well, which is a sentence I’d never thought I’d have to write doing this. All that plus the funky sleeves make for a quite decent effort. 7/10

31 August

31 August 2019: Lewes pick up their first win of the Isthmian Premier season, a 4-1 away victory at Leatherhead. Goals from Charlie Coppola (what a player), Jordy Mongoy, Martin Box, and Kayne Diedrick-Roberts sealed the victory for the Rooks. at last, a win on one of these.

31 August 2024: Lewes battle out a goalless FA Cup first qualifying round replay at home to step five side Harefield United, only to lose 4-2 on penalties at the Dripping Pan. Honestly, one of the worst days of my life, made worse by the Harefield striker giving it large on Twitter all night afterward.

31 August 2013: To round off the win-loss-draw trifecta of Lewes games on this day, the Rooks travelled up to Hendon in the 13/14 season, and snatched a point thanks to an 86th minute equaliser from Jack Dixon to secure a 1-1 result.

31 August 2004: Manchester United complete a deadline-day swoop for Everton’s 18-year-old sensation Wayne Rooney, in a deal worth an initial £25.6m. Rooney would go on to become United’s all-time record goalscorer, winning five Premier League titles and the Champions League during a glittering 13-year spell at Old Trafford.

31 August 2006: Deadline day drama again, as Chelsea sign England left-back Ashley Cole from bitter rivals Arsenal for £5m plus William Gallas, in a transfer so controversial it has become one of the more notorious deadline day sagas in Premier League history. Cole would go on to make over 300 appearances for the Blues, winning three Premier Leagues and a Champions League title.

31 August 2005: Down at the other end of the football pyramid, non-league Tunbridge Wells and Littlehampton Town play out the longest penalty shoot-out in FA Cup history in a preliminary round replay, with Tunbridge Wells eventually prevailing 16-15 after a marathon 20 spot-kicks apiece. Funny.

To Chatham Town

Who are they?: Chatham are a familiar face in the league at this point, being promoted to the Premier Division in 2022 after storming up the leagues in previous years. The Chats are a well-equipped side, playing out of the lovely Bauvill Stadium and boasting a fair bit of financial backing that has helped them finish in the playoff places multiple times since their promotion. They have been unlucky to not go up again in those playoff campaigns, and will be looking to try again this year, so expect a tough old game when we go to visit.

How do we get there?: This is a very simple Kent job, one we will have to make a few times this seasons for the likes of Ramsgate and Welling. From Lewes, you should go via Haywards Heath to London Bridge, and then a Southeastern train to Chatham station will get you to the town centre. From there, make the long old walk up the road to the Bauvill, or jump on a bus if you can’t be bothered (like me).

What’s around?: There aren’t a great deal of good pubs in Chatham, so I am going to instead recommend the club bar in the Bauvill itself. It is one of the better ones in the league, and is more than adequate for any travelling fans. If you must go to an outside bar, I am going to recommend the Dead Pigeon in nearby Rochester (I think all these Medway towns are basically the same place), purely for its funny name.

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, Danny Maltby
Club Secretary John Peel

CFO Russell Davies
Social Media Team Stan Lahood, Daniel Lloyd, Joe Warsop-Davies, Noah Bercott, Luke Hawkins, Ethan Rawlings, Will Hugall, Sam Coldy

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 Bryan Nzinga, David Altendorff

First Team Analyst Dan McDonnell
First team Coach Elyon Marshall-Katung
Goalkeeping Coach Sheikh Ceesay
Under-18s Manager Ryan Reid

Golden Rook Rob Read
Web Editor John Peel, Daniel Lloyd

Progcast Editors Stan Lahood, Harvey Lock, Charlie Sundaram

Club Photographer James Boyes