Welcome to The Dripping Pan for this afternoon’s Isthmian Premier League fixture versus Wingate & Finchley. Here is your complimentary e-programme.

Our usual warm Lewes welcome to our guests from Wingate and Finchley and everyone at the Dripping Pan for this afternoon’s match. Now the clocks have gone back and Saturday 3pm kick off games finish under floodlights is when Lewes starts to get into the swing of bonfire and we will be bringing you a flavour of Lewes bonfire at both this afternoons game and Tuesdays match against Dartford.

Last week the Men’s team had a week off due to us sadly not progressing in either the FA Cup or the FA Trophy and therefore it seems to me more than a fortnight since we last played in a moving afternoon at the Pan when we remembered the passing of Colin Woffinden, Kevin Fingermeissi and David Arnold. A huge thanks to everyone in the ground that afternoon that marked the remembrance of these lost Rooks in such a dignified manner.

During our enforced hiatus some of our close rivals played some of their games in hand but we still came out of the period sitting in third place in the Isthmian Premier League and still unbeaten in October so the team will be keen to keep the run going this afternoon.

On Wednesday our Women’s team had a closely fought encounter with high flying Fulham Women and were unfortunate to lose 0-1 after dictating long periods of the game. At the ground all day helping to prepare the ground for the game and then serving Pizzas in the hatch was flying winger and Sussex Radio star Ryan Gandoh. Thanks for all your efforts Ryan, just another example of what makes this club so special.

Let’s make this an unbeaten October.

Come on you Rooks! –Trevor

Good afternoon and welcome to everyone joining us at The Dripping Pan for today’s fixture against Wingate & Finchley. A warm welcome to their players, management, officials and supporters.

Firstly, Happy Halloween to everyone celebrating! Hopefully, we can provide more treats than tricks this afternoon and make sure it’s our visitors who leave with the fright!

Having had no fixture last weekend, we’ve enjoyed a rare opportunity to step away from the demands of matchday football, recharge and spend some valuable time together as a group.We used the break to organise some team bonding activities, which were thoroughly enjoyable and important in continuing to build relationships within the squad. Football is about more than just what happens on the pitch. The connections, trust and togetherness we develop away from it are equally important to our success.

That has carried into what has been a really positive week of training. The energy, intensity and application from the players have been excellent, and there is a real determination within the group to continue building on the progress we’ve made in recent weeks. As we approach November, our message remains clear. Consistency is what separates good teams from successful ones. We’ve shown encouraging signs, but we know that maintaining our standards week after week is what will ultimately define our season.

One thing I constantly remind the players is that standards cannot be dictated by results. Whether we win, lose or draw, our attitude, application and desire to improve must remain the same. As a management team, we continue to challenge the players to be brave in possession, disciplined without the ball and ruthless in the moments that decide football matches. We have quality within this squad, but quality alone is never enough. It must be matched by hard work, togetherness and a willingness to compete for one another.

Wingate & Finchley will present another challenge today, and we know nothing comes easily in this division. After a weekend without football, we’re looking forward to getting back out there, competing and giving our supporters a performance to be proud of.

Finally, thank you to everyone who continues to support us, both home and away. Your backing never goes unnoticed, and we want to reward that support with performances and results. Enjoy the game, get behind the boys and hopefully we can make it a Halloween to remember with another three points!

🔴⚫️#UTR🔴⚫️ –Pitts

Goalkeepers

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 (Sponsored by Trevor Norwood) – 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 (Sponsored by Thomas & Richard Scrivener) – 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.
Harry Mills – Harry joins us from National League South outfit Walton & Hersham, where he previously helped the side in their quick rise up the leagues. Mills is a well-built strong centre-half also capable of playing off the right, and will provide plenty of competition in the back line.

Midfielders

Alfie Allen (Sponsored by Underdog Podcasts) – 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 (Sponsored by Trevor Wells) – 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.
Kurtis Cumberbatch – An experienced head in midfield, Kurtis joins the Rooks from Hayes & Yeading, having previously lined up against the Rooks many times for sides such as Billericay, Carshalton, Hendon, and Cray Valley. The 31-year old brings a calm presence on the ball in midfield, as well as senior experience for the younger players.
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.
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.
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.
Omar Al-Saedi – Omar joins us after a successful spell at Hilltop FC in the Combined Counties League, following trials at Wolves in his youth. An exciting young prospect who is quick and direct, Omar brings ball-carrying and attacking threat to the front line.
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 (Sponsored by Susie Artlett) – 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 (All Competitions)

Goals:
5 – Walker
4 – Fisher
3 – Gondoh
2 – Bassett, Spinks, Richardson, Garzon, Mills
1 – Newson, Christian-Law, Cox

Assists:
3 – Unwin, Gondoh
2 – Briggs, Allen, Garzon
1 – Bender, Owen, Mundele

Clean Sheets (Started and/or played majority of match in defence):
7 – Rogers, Enkh
6 – Spinks
4 – Mundele, Bender
2 – Hamstead, Cox, Owen
1 – Allen

Lewes Bonfire

It’s that time of year again, as Chairman Trev eluded to in his notes, where the six Bonfire societies begin the annual celebrations for Bonfire Night. There will be small touches of Bonfire in both this afternoon’s game, and moreso in Tuesday’s fixture against Dartford, featuring a torch-led player walkout. Fans are also invited to wear the societies’ guernseys on Tuesday, and will receive a free drink at the Rook Inn for doing so.

Bonfire has become a famous Lewes tradition over the years, and we hope everyone who celebrates enjoys themselves in the festivities.

Squad Shifts

There have been a couple of movements in the Rooks squad in the last week or two; firstly, the Club would like to welcome Kurtis Cumberbatch, who signs from Southern League side Hayes & Yeading. The 31-year-old midfielder made his debut in our 1-1 draw with Maldon and Tiptree last time out.

And secondly, the Club sends its best wishes to Calum Newson and Billy Clark, who have both left the Rooks. Calum scored in our away win against St Albans early in the season, and Billy started the season with the Rooks before moving on to Steyning Town, and recently moved again to Whitstable Town. The Club thanks both of them for their efforts and wishes them well.

Wingate & Finchley FC

• Wingate & Finchley Football Club can trace its roots back to 1874 with the formation of Finchley FC, making them one of the clubs with the most history in the captial, despite their modern merging date.
• Finchley FC were founder members of the Athenian League in 1912. They remained in the Athenian League system until they joined the Isthmian League’s new Division Two in 1973-74. Wingate FC was founded in 1946 by Major Harry Sadow, Frank Davis, George Hyams, Maurice Rebak and Asher Rebak. The club was formed believing the field of play was a ground for fighting fascism. In 1953, Finchley FC reached the FA Cup Third Round, beating Crystal Palace along the way. However, they were eventually defeated by Shrewsbury Town at Gay Meadow.
• Wingate & Finchley merged in 1991. After extensive refurbishment and a name change of the Summers Lane ground in honour of long time Wingate supporter Harry Abrahams, Wingate & Finchley joined the South Midlands Premier Division ahead of the 1991-92 season. It only took four seasons for the newly formed club to gain promotion to the Isthmian system. They joined Division Three in 1995-96. And later became founder members of Division One North in 2002-03.
• Wingate & Finchley won promotion to the Premier Division in 2010-11 with a 118th minute winner over Brentwood Town in extra-time of the play-off final. Earlier that season, Wingate lifted the Ryman League Cup (now named the Velocity Cup) and later beat Hendon to win the London Senior Cup. The club achieved play-off qualification in 2016-17, finishing the season in 5th place. They were defeated by Bognor Regis Town in the semi-final; however this achievement was enough for them to win the league’s Team Performance of the Year Award.
• Club legend Ahmet Rifat became first team manager in 2022, after playing over 450 games for the club. In 2023-24, Wingate finished in 4th place and qualified for the play-offs once again, finishing the season with a club record haul of 76 points. They narrowly lost to local rivals Enfield Town in front of a crowd of over 2000 at the Queen Elizabeth II Stadium.
• Last season, Wingate & Finchley won the Velocity Cup, 15 years after they first won it, beating Ramsgate 1-0 in front of a crowd of over 1000 and led by a coaching team that were all in the side that won the cup in 2011 – Ahmet Rifat, Gavin King and Ola Williams. The Blues currently sit in 12th place, six points behind our Rooks. Make sure you get down to the Pan this Halloween to support our boys.

Anointed Chukwu

Anointed Chukwu joined Wingate & Finchley this summer and has already shone for the club, scoring seven league goals. This is his second spell at the North London club, as he scored 18 goals for Wingate in the 2023-24 season, helping them qualify for the play-offs. At 6’4″, the forward will be looking to pose a big threat to our defenders in the box this afternoon.

The only Ex-Rook I could find in the Blues’ squad is a man that needs little introduction to recent Lewes fans; Gianluca Botti returns to the Pan in blue for the second time, returning to Wingate just a few weeks ago after leaving Dartford (who we’re playing on Tuesday, so we’d have seen him either way). The Italian striker made 15 appearances for Pitts’ side in 2024/25, scoring 9 goals in that time before departing for Tonbridge Angels; his time with the Rooks may have been short, but it was certainly memorable.

Date	Competition	Home	Result	Away	Att.
Sat 18 Apr 2026	Isthmian Prem	Lewes	1-1	N/A	972
Sat 15 Nov 2025	Isthmian Prem	W&F	3-0	Lewes	304
Sat 5 Apr 2025	Isthmian Prem	Lewes	0-0	W&F	1008
Sat 21 Dec 2024	Isthmian Prem	W&F	2-2	Lewes	232
Sat 3 Feb 2024	Isthmian Prem	W&F	3-0	Lewes	179

Ah, bogey teams. Every team worth their salt has one, and it seems the Blues are the thorn in our side every year for no discernable reason. Ever since we trounced them 5-0 at the Pan in January 2023, we’ve not been able to take three points off them again. Our most recent encounter was the penultimate game of last season, in which the Rooks technically secured our safety in the Isthmian Premier – depsite being basically confirmed safe, barring an absolute castastrophe, the week before – thanks to a Charlie Paye goal that drew the game level after Ruben Bartlett-Antwi opened the scoring for Wingate. Hopefully we can use the Halloween spirit to exorcise the demons of the bogey team (or something).

HOME

A pretty classy home strip for the Blues this year, a bit of a departure from their funkier shirts of the last few seasons. Reminds me a bit too much of that one Brighton shirt from a few years ago with the white pinstripes, but overall quite solid. Before scrolling down to see the away strip, I promise you, it is not what you are thinking. 7/10

AWAY

Probably the worst football shirt, and possibly shirt in general, I have ever seen in my entire life. 0/10

31 October

31 October 2020 – Lewes’s FA Trophy run ends in Suffolk as they lose 3-1 to Lowestoft Town in the third qualifying round. The club’s report described a ‘stormy afternoon’ and a strong Lowestoft side, and the Rooks went back to concentrating on the Isthmian Premier. They had gone unbeaten in the league for four games before the trip.

31 October 2015 – Lewes and Hampton & Richmond Borough play out a goalless draw at the Dripping Pan in the FA Trophy first qualifying round. The replay three days later went Hampton’s way, 2-1 at the Beveree, ending the Rooks’ cup run. It was a frustrating spell in a difficult season that finished in relegation.

31 October 2010 – Newcastle United beat Sunderland 5-1 at St James’ Park, their biggest Tyne-Wear derby win in over half a century. Captain Kevin Nolan scored a hat-trick, his first in the top flight, and Titus Bramble, the former Newcastle defender, was sent off for Sunderland. Nolan opened the scoring with an overhead flick, and Newcastle were 3-0 up at half-time on their way to the ‘Demolition Derby’.

31 October 2011 – A year later, Newcastle are on the winning end again, beating Stoke City 3-1 at the Britannia Stadium on a Monday night. Demba Ba scored all three, on 12, 40 and 81 minutes, in a Premier League hat-trick on Halloween. Ba – and Nolan from the year before – are two of only three players to have scored a Premier League hat-trick on the date; the third was Aruna Dindane (no, me neither), for Portsmouth against Wigan in 2009.

This is not strictly relevant to today’s date, but in my research for this I found that there’s only one player who has scored a Premier Leauge goal on Halloween, Bonfire Night, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day, and his own birthday – former Villa, Liverpool, and Palace striker Christian Benteke.

To Dulwich Hamlet

Who are they?: Dulwich Hamlet are a team based in the Dulwich part of Croydon in South London, and are one of the more establised teams in the division, having previously spent multiple years in the National League South. Formed in 1893, the Hamlet have become famous for their pink and blue club colours, large crowds, and their home ground of Champion Hill has become one of the more recognisable in non-league.

How do we get there?: The nearest two train stations to Champion Hill are East Dulwich and Denmark Hill; both are equally pretty close to the ground, and spit you out right in the Dulwich area, so it’s a pretty easy journey.

What’s around?: For a change, there’s quite a lot going on around Champion Hill. Dulwich is something of a hipstery bit of South London, so there are dozens of pubs to choose from, as well as food options. Two that tend to be popular with Rooks fans are The East Dulwich Tavern and The Cherry Tree, but you could probably walk five minutes in any direction and find a somewhat decent pub, so take your pick.

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.
The Dripping Pan, Mountfield Road, Lewes, BN7 2XQ

Honorary President Terry Parris
Chair Trevor Wells
Directors Trevor Wells, John Peel, Stan Lahood, Jim Cheek, Ben Hall, Lisa Emery, Danny Maltby, Sinclair Spencer
Club Secretary John Peel

CFO Russell Davies
Social Media Team Stan Lahood, Daniel Lloyd, Joe Warsop-Davies, 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
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