News
9th August
Lewes 1 Canvey Island 1
Five changes from Saturday's starting line-up as Steve King elected to try out a 4-4-2 formation. In came trialist Francis Duku at centre half, as well as Lee Fieldwick at left back, a 22 year old who made a handful of appearances for Brentford and Swansea last season. Anthony Storey missed the game with a groin injury, and the late arrival of Dwain Clarke and Junior Kadi meant that Danny Davis and Barry Moore started instead.
We took the lead early on, when Barrington Belgrave was brought down by their 'keeper as he latched onto a poor back header, and Luke Cornwall converted the spot kick. Much of the rest of the game was spent defending against an impressive Canvey side, who changed their entire team in the second half without it having any real effect on the quality of their performance. They should have equalised shortly after the break, when Joe Vines conceded a penalty, but ace marksman Lee Boylan blasted it way over the bar.
Had Marc Whiteman converted a good chance soon afterwards, we might have been home and hosed. However they kept pressing, and finally got the goal they deserved just a couple of minutes from the end, when Boylan atoned for his earlier aberration by heading home from close range.
Overall another excellent display, with the only down side being an injury to Belgrave which may keep him out of Saturday. Fingers crossed that Storey also recovers by then, as if so, we must have a great chance of opening our campaign with a win. I would not bet against us even if they are not available though......
Lewes: Bankole; Lovett, Duku, Hustwick, Fieldwick; Davis, Moore, Kennett, Watts; Belgrave, Cornwall.
Subs used: Davies, Harvey, Cable, Vines, Clarke, Kadi, Whiteman, Haughton, Newman.
7th August
Lewes 2 Aldershot 0
The starting eleven was the same as on Tuesday, and the performance was of a similarly high standard. We more than matched the visitors for the first 25 minutes, and then took the lead with a beautifully worked goal. A lovely ball by Anthony Storey sent Kirk Watts racing clear down the right, and when he pulled the ball back from the byline, there was Barrington Belgrave powering in to slam the ball into the net. What a player.
We were two up by half time, and this time it was all about Belgrave's strike partner Luke Cornwall, who chased a hopeful ball forward and just kept it in, skinned the right back, and then pounced on the loose ball as Belgrave again made a nuisance of himself.
The second half was supposed to be all about the full time team getting back into the game, but in truth although they began to stretch us in the last 20 minutes as we tired in the fearsome heat, they rarely looked like scoring. Big George was a calm and assured presence between the sticks, the back three of Hustwick, Jordan and Lovett were outstanding, and in midfield Storey stood out again in the middle whilst Watts and Clarke worked their socks off out wide.
Aldershot will undoubtedly play a lot better on a number of occasions over the course of the next nine months, but this should not detract from what was an extremely good performance against a team full of England semi pro internationals who very nearly made it into the football league at the end of last season. Suddenly next Saturday cannot come quickly enough.....
Lewes: Bankole; Jordan, Hustwick, Lovett; Watts, Storey, Kennett, Clarke; Kadi; Belgrave, Cornwall.
Subs used: Cable, Fieldwick, Vines, Davis, Moore, Whiteman, Newman.
3rd August
Lewes 2 Brighton 2
A much better performance tonight against a strong Albion side. One new face at the back in trialist Tom Jordan, son of Joe, who had a steady game before being replaced near the end. There were a lot of late substitutions, but the eleven who would seem to be in pole position to start the first game played at least 70 minutes, save for giant 'keeper 'George' Bankole, who played just over a half. He was the busier of the two 'keepers in the first period, but the half ended goalless.
After the break we offered a lot more in the last third, and although we fell behind to a well-worked move, a brilliant run and shot by Barrington Belgarve which the Brighton 'keeper could only parry led to an equaliser for Luke Cornwall, who had earlier missed a great chance when put through by Junior Kadi.
We went behind again when Reid lashed in a 30 yarder, but near the end Haughton broke clear and Lee Newman was on hand when the ball broke loose. Overall a massive improvement on the Ringmer and Horsham games (not hard, I know, but a fact), and we might even have nicked it had their 'keeper made a brilliant save to tip over a thunderbolt from Anthony Storey, one of several who showed a lot more of what he is capable than he has done recently.
Lewes: Bankole; Hustwick, Lovett, Jordan; Watts, Kadi, Storey, Kennett, Clarke; Cornwall, Belgrave.
Subs used: Davies, Cable, Harvey, Davis, Moore, Haughton, Newman, Whiteman, Adeniyi.
31st July
Lewes 2 Horsham 3
First half side (3-4-3) - Davies; Cable, Hustwick, Ikpa; Clarke, Davis, Kennett, Watts (Lovett); Whiteman, Cornwall, Haughton.
All looked to be going to plan when Luke Cornwall raced onto a Warren Haughton through ball and finished clinically to give the Rooks a third minute lead. However the visitors were being allowed worryingly large amounts of space in which to play their football, and it came as little surprise when they equalised. A corner rom the left was met by an unmarked Tom Graves, and although Davies kept out his header well, John Kirby was on hand to bundle the ball in from close range.
Haughton missed a good chance to put us back in front before the break, but the visitors continued to look dangerous at the other end, and only a goalline clearance by Danny Davis kept out a Gary Charman volley as the half drew to a close.
Second half side (3-5-2) - Davies; Vines, Hustwick, Lovett; Clarke, Moore, Kadi, Storey, Davis; Belgrave, Newman.
A big moment in the game came at 1-1 when Barrington Belgrave was clearly fouled in the box, but the referee gave nothing. However that still does not excuse the quality of the performance for the remaining 35 minutes after that, with only three or four players with the right to feel that they had performed anywhere near the level of which they are capable. 2-1 became 3-1 by the hour mark, and although Belgrave scored for the fifth consecutive game, we rarely looked like getting an equaliser. Indeed the ball was given away with embarrassing regularity.
We are better than this, and I have no doubt that we can start the season with a bang regardless of a likely scenario now of only one win in seven friendlies, but there are a few of our players who have yet to hit top gear, and they need to do so pretty soon if we are to repeat the start we made last August.
27th July
Ash United 1 Lewes 4
Again there were moreorless two different sides on show, with the following lining up in a 4-4--2 formation in the first half:
Bankole; Harvey, Hustwick, Vines, Lovett; Clarke, Moore, Kennett, Adeniyi; Newman, Cornwall.
The only new face therefore was 'George' Bankole, who was at Crewe last season. He had little to do, although he did make one great save when keeping out a point blank Joe Vines header to save the defender from embarassment.
We took the lead when Lee Newman reacted quickest to a rebound from a Paul Kennett shot which the 'keeper really should have held. Newman was also involved in the second, with a trademark turn and cross right onto the head of Luke Cornwall, who finished emphatically. Then we conceded one when the referee and linesman on the far side, who were woeful throughout, failed to notice a clear foul on Harvey, and their forward tucked it away neatly.
In the second half we lined up in a 3-5-2 as follows:
Bankole (Davies); Vines, Cable, Ikpa; Adeniyi (Long), Storey, Davis, Kadi, Watts; Belgrave, Whiteman.
Kevin Davies played for Crawley last week, but will not be joining them as they have signed ex Margate 'keeper Phil Smith as well as first choice Andy Little. He was similarly redundant as we totally dominated the half, with Barrington Belgrave adding another two fine goals to his collection. Marc Whiteman was twice denied by excellent saves and missed one free header, and others had chances as Ash ran out of steam.
So a comfortable victory as expected against CCL opposition, but still a good workout, with several players looking a lot sharper than they had done last Thursday against Ringmer. Now for Horsham.
22nd July
Lewes 2 Ringmer 3
The same formation in both halves this time, with the first half team being:
Kano; Cable, Lovett, Jackson; Davis, Fogden (Metcalf), Kadi, Ward, Harvey; Whiteman (Kissi), Newman.
The Ringmer team consisted almost entirely of ex Lewes players, and two of them got on the scoresheet before the break. First Dominic Shepherd ran clear with not a defender in sight and beat Kano at his near post. Then a free kick wrongly awarded against Jay Lovett for handball proved costly, as Gareth Green curled it straight in from the right flank. There was little to get excited about at the other end, although Fogden headed a good chance wide from a Davis cross, and Newman had a long range effort well saved by Ross Standen.
After the break the Lewes team lined up as follows:
Kano; Ikpa, Hustwick, Vines; Watts, Storey, Moore, Kennett, Clarke; Belgrave, Cornwall.
It got worse before it got better, with Kano coming for a corner and getting there second. 3-0. The visitors even had a fourth disallowed for offside before a stunning goal by Barrington Belgrave, his third in three games, got us back into it. Luke Cornwall finished well to make it 3-2 with a few minutes remaining, but the same player missed a great chance in the dying seconds to grab an equaliser which we probably didn't deserve.
Full credit to Ringmer, they worked incredibly hard and if they play that well all season, they will undoubtedly be challenging for the County league title. However before we get too carried away with the result, we need to look at in its proper context. Yes, it was disappointing, but pre-season is all about finding out who is good enough and who is not. I think it is safe to say that we will not be seeing either of last night's first time trialists again, and one or two others will probably not return either. Does anybody believe that had we fielded our best 11 players for the full 90 minutes, we would not have won? That would be the point at which I would start to be seriously worried.......
20th July
Lewes 2 Crawley 3
Another narrow defeat against quality opposition as the manager again took the opportunity to give everyone some playing time. The first half team were 4-4-2 as follows:
Glass: Lovett, Ward, Hustwick, Harvey; Clarke, Moore, Storey, Watts; Haughton, Cornwall.
The visitors certainly had the better of the first half as we held our own without really looking likely to score. Dwain Clarke did put in a couple of good crosses, but other than that most of the goal threat came at the other end, with trialist Louis Fazackerley giving Crawley the lead on 17 minutes.
After the break we switched to a 3-5-2:
Glass: Lovett, Hustwick, Metcalf; Adeniyi, Davis, Kadi, Kennett, Jarrett; Newman, Belgrave.
Unfortunately defensive errors gifted them two goals, which meant that the two we scored, one a far post effort by the impressive Hustwick, and the other a lovely move finished off by Belgrave, were ultimately in vain. However overall this was another excellent test from which we can draw a lot of encouragement.
17th July
Lewes 2 Northampton 3
The Rooks started their season in encouraging fashion this afternoon, with a narrow defeat against a strong Northampton side. Manager Steve King used a total of 21 players in all, including a trialist 'keeper from Austria known only as Ivan! The first half side played in a 4-4-2 formation and were as follows:
Jimmy Glass
Jay Lovett
Marc Cable
Ochea Ikpa
Junior Harvey
Kirk Watts
Danny Davis
Paul Kennett
Albert Jarrett
Lee Newman
Warren HaughtonWe more than held our own for the first twenty minutes, and indeed Haughton was just inches away from adding the finishing touch to a Watts cross. However two goals around the half hour mark exposed our defensive limitations against the impressive visitors, who had clearly not just turned up for an afternoon stroll. Probably the star of the half from a Lewes point of view was Jarrett, who played in the Wimbledon first team last year, so I suspect that even bearing in mind Mr King's persuasive powers, he is unlikely to be keen to drop down four divisions just yet!
After the break we switched to a 3-5-2 formation with intially Cable staying on (he was later replaced by Steve Metcalf), Jay Lovett playing a full game, and Glass playing all but the last few minutes before making way for 'Ivan'! The others were:
Adrian Ward
Dwain Clarke
Anthony Storey
Barry Moore
Junior Kadi
Peter Adeniyi
Barrington Belgrave
Luke Cornwall
Almost immediately after the break we went 3-0 down, and yet within ten minutes it was 3-2! First a lovely ball from Storey led to an illegal challenge on Cornwall, and Kadi tucked away the spot kick. Then Belgrave found himself with some space in the box and fired home a cracker from an acute angle.
Unfortunately we never quite managed to create another good chance from which to snatch an equaliser, although Belgrave did have another half chance from a Clarke cross, but couldn't direct his header on target. At the other Ward looked very steady and surprisingly quick for someone of his build, and Glass had only one dodgy moment when he tried to 'do a Dominique' and got caught in possession. So overall a very good workout for both sides, a fair outcome and a lot of promise shown by our three definite signings at this stage. Bring on Crawley!
16th July - The second round of the Sussex Senior Cup will take place towards the end of the year, and we have been handed a reasonably tough test away at the amusingly named Chichester City United. Well at least it's not Worthing again!
26th February - Goals from Kirk Watts and Sam Liebmann gave the Rooks a 2-0 win in a friendly against Combined Counties league side Merstham. The match marked the return of Justin Harris after his 35 day suspension.
20th February - For those not able to make it to Slough tomorrow (don't forget they play at Windsor!), the Reserves are at home tonight to Rye and Iden, kick-off 7.45pm. Then next Wednesday a team including a number of the first team squad, along with some trialists, will take on Merstham at he Pan, kicking off at 7.30pm. Admission will be £2.
24th October - Here is the full list of ways in which you could improve your company's turnover by sponsoring Lewes FC:
LEWES F C SPONSORSHIP MENU
There are many ways that an individual, a group of friends or a business can show their support and help Lewes Football Club. From the First team in the Ryman League, through the numerous Youth age groups, two Ladies sides and a Special needs team every Sponsor can be assured that their generosity is not only greatly appreciated but that every bit helps to maintain the commitment Lewes FC has made to its Football in the Community programme as well as maintaining its FA Charter Award for Coaching.
A. Match Day sponsor £350 + VAT
Sponsor receives signed match ball, Name inclusion on Match adverts, programme and announcements over public address before and after game, plus six tickets for pre-match, half-time and post-match boardroom hospitality. Choice of Lewes Man of the Match award with post match presentation of champagne to player, and the sponsor also receives a signed team poster.B. Match Day Ball sponsor £60 + VAT
Programme and announcements over public address before and after game. The Sponsor also receives a signed team poster, and is entertained in the Boardroom bar.C. Perimeter Board £350 + VAT (1st year.) The cost of the board and display for subsequent years is £250 + VAT.
D. Players Kit £95 + VAT
E. Players Shirt £30 + VAT
F. Players Shorts £20 + VAT
G. Player Socks £10 + VAT
H. Players Boots £20 + VAT
I. Players Tracksuit £40 + VAT
All of the above guarantee you a signed poster and inclusion in all of the match programmes from now until the end of the season.
A combination of any of the above choices may be chosen by the Sponsor. Tailored packages can be arranged with a member of the Lewes FC Commercial team to ensure the wishes of the Sponsor are met and that the commitment pledged to the Club is reflected properly.
WHO TO CONTACT
To arrange your Sponsorship of Lewes Football Club please contact:
Steve White Mobile: 07967 806930 Office: 01273 606761 Email: steve@directmortgagegroup.com
Dave Williamson Mobile: 07732 265865 Email: lewesfc@hotmail.com
Lewes FC Commercial team 1st Floor Suite The Little Globe 153 Edward Street Brighton BN2 0JG
1st August - Here is the full list of Supporters Club membership numbers:
001 Pat Dartnell
002 Cliff Hart
003 Steve Kempton
004 David Arnold
005 Mark Fuller
006 Karen Gibson
007 Ruth Anglezarke
008 Peter Ward
009 Lionel Noakes
010 Marc Cable
011 Paul Johnson
012 Roy Graven
013 Julian Curnow
014 Sid Pittman
015 Kathy Pittman
016 Matthew Shepherd
017 Sean Trendall
018 Jon Palmer
019 Brett Ridley
020 Paul Newman
021 Allan Griffiths
022 Liam Bambridge
023 Graham Sullivan
024 Eddie Ellis
025 Steve Rook
026 Steve Rook
027 Jane Rook
028 Kevin Powell
029 Steve White
030 Paul Young
031 Mrs M Bulman
032 Peter Hiscox
033 Jimmy Quinn
034 Roger Feltham
035 Susan Evans
036 Norman Duncan
037 Derrick Parris
038 Terry Parris
039 David Oakley
040 David Graimes
041 Andy Fitzgerald
042 Dave Ford
043 A Huxley
044 Joseph Martin
045 Anthony Reilly
046 D Tanner
047 Paul Treagus
048 Nicola Warland
049 Marcus Warland
050 Steve Watts
051 Kevin Wells
052 Barabara Arnold
053 PB Hiscox
054 Dave Roberts
055 C Hooper
056 A T Thorpe
057 Dennis Hughes
058 Martin Elliott
059 Gary Blaber
060 Graham Purdye
061 Kevin Fingerneissl
062 Joseph Fingerneissl
063 Gemma Fingerneissl
064 Laurie Pilbeam
065 Sarah Soutar
066 Andy Bone
067 Paul Myles
068 Jacquie Agnew\\\\\\\ fd
069 Behind The Goal Boys
070 Behind The Goal Boys
071 Wayne Brockhurst
072 Gary's Team A
073 Gary's Team B
074 Lewes Life
075 Derek Watts
076 Robin Steadman
077 John Edwards
078 Michael Piller
079 Christopher Harris
080 John Ellis
081 Tim Brierly
082 William Ball
083 Russell Brooks
084 Ronnie Moore
085 Brian Ashdown
086 Reece Head
087 Bill Hendley
088 Alex Foord
089 Yvette Kitchener
090 Golden Cross
091 Jim Rawles19th July - The Rooks' first pre-season friendly at Oakwood ended in controversy this afternoon, with the game being abandoned half way through the third of the three 30 minute periods after a second mass brawl in quick succession.
The home side were clearly hyped up from the outset and their tackles were at best overenthusiastic and at worst cynical in the first ten minutes. The referee quickly lost control and some may feel that he should have acted more decisively when Rooks trialist Mark Hammond caught an Oakwood attacker with an elbow, although it did seem that the response was somewhat exaggerated.
With the hapless official clearly unable to realise that some cards or at least a chat with the two managers was required to calm things down, the game continued to be punctuated with a series of bad challenges, nearly all of them emanating from the home side. In some respects it was almost surprising that trouble did not erupt until the last twenty minutes, but when Dwayne Clark was tripped as he tried to get back on his feet, all hell broke loose, and one Oakwood supporter decided to throw a few punches for good measure. When Hammond was targeted for what one assumes was a bit of retribution halfway through the third period, the skirmishes started again, and that was that.
So did anything positive come out of the afternoon? Well there were so many trialists on show that it was difficult to keep up, but certainly defender James Hall and midfielder Junior Adeniyi (brother of Peter) looked promising, and Tom Graves also did well in the half hour he spent on the pitch. It was great to see Paul Stokes in the thick of things after nearly 19 months on the sidelines, and indeed it was his pass which created the best opportunity of the afternoon, but Lee Newman's effort was well saved. New signings Clark and Junior Kadi looked very impressive, and the latter's free kick created the only other Lewes chance of the afternoon, but Marc Cable's downward header lacked power.
Plenty of work still remains in terms of getting back behind the ball when the attacks break down, but overall this paled into insignificance when you consider the game's abrupt ending. And we didn't even play on their first team pitch as it 'wasn't ready'. All in all pretty much a wasted afternoon - at least next Sunday's game will be a bit more'friendly'.......
"Lewes FC are organising an Internet Auction ahead of their friendly match against Sky TV's Dream Team on July 27th, kick-off 2pm.
From next Monday (July 21st) the Club will be accepting bids for a trio of prizes related to the visit of Harchester United to the Dripping Pan.
The major prize is a guaranteed walk-on part for one individual in the forthcoming seventh series of the Dream Team. Filming is expected to take place in September.
Second prize is for a genuine Harchester Utd shirt signed by all the current players.
Thirdly we are offering one youngster the opportunity of being the Harchester Utd team mascot for the match against Lewes. He or she will take part in the team warm-up and match preparations and will then lead out Karl Fletcher, Monday Bandele and the rest of the team onto the pitch. They will also be able to meet the players after the game and obtain player autographs.
The Internet Auction will be open to all bidders and will be hosted on the main Club page, www.lewesfc.com.
From Monday bidders may stake their claim in one of two ways:- either:
1. Send an email to the address on the main www.lewesfc.com internet page
or:
2. Send a text message to 07960 081719 Bids must include your name, contact number, bid and prize you are bidding on (shirt/mascot/tv)These will then be added to previous bids, and a rolling record will be displayed on the front page of the website showing the highest bids received so far for each prize.
Bidders must include a contact name and telephone number and winning bidders will be contacted close to the final cut-off times.
29th May - Picture the scene. It's 10.25pm on an unusually warm Thursday evening at Hove Greyhound Stadium. A momentous moment for one of the six dogs in the 10.30 race, for he will be making his debut as the official Lewes FC greyhound. He is still known as Dry Release, but as the paperwork has been completed we feel that technically he is now Come on you Rooks, even if the greyhound authorities have yet to rubberstamp the name change. Let's use his pet name of Angelo to avoid confusion.
He has been written off by both the Argus and the race programme. He opens at 4/1 and is soon around 8/1 as the foolish jackanapes around us back anything but him. Two of his co-owners, as well as myself, also fail to support him. Angelo doesn't care, for all that matters now is that he is a Rook. As the traps fly open he bounds out of trap 4 and is soon in the lead. Tracked all the way by the hot favourite, he eventually wavers on the last bend and is beaten by a head. Not bad for a supposed no-hoper.
He may not win his next race, nor the one after that, but one thing's for certain - this dog's got potential. Watch this space for his next race.
28th April - I have received this statement from director Sean Trendall this afternoon:
'This morning we received a letter from the Ryman League Secretary, Nick Robinson, informing us that our application for an 'A' standard Ground Grading has been refused. This would mean that in the event of Lewes achieving second place in Division One (South) on Saturday, we would be unable to take our place in the Premier Division next season. There is an appeal procedure which we intend to pursue and we maintain that we have complied with every requirement made for an 'A' Grading.
This is a bitter blow for the Club and has been completely unexpected. As far as the Board of Directors are concerned all of the criteria for the 'A' Grading have been fulfilled and the limited guidance we received before submitting our application has been followed scrupulously. We will seek clarification of a number of points in the rejection report and believe that these will provide a basis for appeal.
Our new stand was designed to have a maximum of four turnstiles for use during normal matches with the option of providing an additional temporary turnstile through the Players/Officials entrance for pre-paid ticket-holders ahead of high profile matches with attendances in excess of 2,000. The Ryman League inspectors refuse this argument and suggest that we require 5 permanent turnstiles in place for use at all games.
Other minor issues regarding the relocation of some seating in the old stand and improvement of hard standing behind the far goal were rectified within three days of the inspection. We submitted digital photographs to Nick Robinson as evidence to support our application, just as we had done previously when applying for a 'B' Grading at the start of this season.
We agree with the general principal that as the Club makes progress on the pitch, so should we improve facilities for spectators off the pitch. We feel that this commitment is evidenced by our new stand and that the disparity between our investment in this structure and the relatively minor matter of the siting of a temporary fifth turnstile, for example, is unreasonable.
The Directors have invested a significant amount of their own financial resources to fund developments at the Dripping Pan over the past three years and this set back has come as a major blow to our plans. There can be no suggestion that the team will somehow underperform against Windsor and Saturday so that our Sussex rivals at Bognor can have an easier passage. If Bognor achieve promotion they will do so on merit for their performance over the whole season, and Lewes will be pushing them all of the way. The match against Windsor remains an enormously important game for Lewes which we must win in order to justify our appeal.
The Board of Directors are aware that this must come as an awful disappointment to all of the players, officials and, of course, the supporters of the Club. We believe however, that we have acted in the best interests of the Club in this matter, and we will continue to do so in the future.
17th April - Although the Ladies have finally lost their brave battle against relegation, our other four sides are all on course for glory. The Reserves have a great chance of finishing third in their league, which is amazing when you consider that they were only promoted to it at the end of last season. Meanwhile the under 18s clinched the title on Tuesday night with a 4-0 win against Ringmer, the under 16s are well clear in their league and the under 15s are also top on goal difference, with a championship decider against Langney Point coming up in the next couple of weeks.
23rd March - I received an e-mail from Sean Trendall this week which deals with a number of issues and events involving the club over the next couple of months. Here is what he had to say:
1. The Club is currently setting up a 'Junior Rooks' scheme involving children from local schools. As an FA Charter Community Club we feel that this scheme will give local aspiring children the opportunity to visit there local senior club with the hope that they will eventually participate in our expanding football development programme. We hope to include every school in Lewes in the scheme and have initially invited pupils from Lewes Old Grammar School for the inaugural event.
2. On Saturday April 12th, 40 pupils will be meeting at the Dripping Pan at 11am where they will board an RDH coach taking them to Paradise Park, Newhaven. The coach returns to the Dripping Pan at 1:45pm and each child will receive a 'Junior Rooks' membership badge, match programme, certificate and lunch voucher. A segregated area will be reserved in the 'old' stand for the Junior Rooks party and they will be supervised at all times by 8 qualified teachers. Arrangements will be made for collection of children at 5pm at the end of the match. The cost for the day for each child will be £5 (payable on day) and teachers will be free. All children who become members of the Junior Rooks Club will be entitled to free entry at Lewes FC home matches and they will also be invited to any future Junior Rooks events. We would like to thank the teachers involved, RDH Coaches and Paradise Gardens without whose support this enterprise would be impossible. We will be organising a similar event before the Windsor & Eton match on May 3rd.
3. As no doubt everybody attending the Dripping Pan in recent weeks will have noticed, progress on construction of the stand continues on schedule. With the domed roofing sections now in place, the only remaining work involves the installation of emergency lighting, fitting out of the Club Shop, installation of the turnstiles and making good the area between the car park and the entrances. We still believe that work should be completed by the end of March and intend to open up the stand for normal use for the first time on Saturday April 12th at our home game against Egham Town.
One of the criteria for an 'A' Ground grading is a licenced ground capacity of 3,000 spectators. This means that we require 6 turnstiles to be available for use when expecting an attendance of this size. We are currently in discussion with a specialist ground inspector who is advising us on all aspects of our application for 'A' grading together with the general development of the ground. We are also liaising with the Ryman League and have formally submitted an application for an upgrading inspection which will probably take place at the end of March. Remember that the ground was a 'C' grade just two years ago.
4. The Worthing match was postponed recently due to a relatively small area of saturated ground by the far penalty area. This was caused by the bowed pitch which drains towards the middle rather than towards the touchlines. Contractors will be therefore be depositing tons of top-soil along the centre of the whole pitch to correct this situation as soon as our season finishes. We obviously need to allow the pitch as long as possible to recover from this operation and this will inevitably affect the timing of any pre-season friendlies.
5. With regard to the Sussex Senior Cup Semi-Final, we were very pleased to be invited to act as hosts for this match. There is no danger that this game will affect other home matches. The Worthing match, for example, was postponed due to the heavy rain in the week before and poor drainage, not due to overuse. We will always be happy to host prestigious matches at the Dripping Pan and hope that with the new stand and ground upgrade, these occasions will become more frequent.
6. Anybody who would like to be sent a weekly email including results and tables for all our junior teams please contact me at:- sean.trendall@virgin.net.
25th February - Jimmy Quinn has decided to release three players as he bids to end our miserable run. Dominic Barclay has rejoined Erith and Belvedere, whilst Junior Kamara and Lee Taylor have also been allowed to leave the club. Good luck to all three of them, especially Junior who has been with us for nearly a year and made lots of friends in the process.
Congratulations to the under 15s on winning their County Cup semi final against Horsham YMCA. Two goals from Liam Baicup secured a 2-1 victory, whilst Jamie Cullinane and Ben Towner were outstanding in the Lewes defence.
After their wins against the top two sides, the Reserves have lost their last two encounters against more modest opposition. For more on these disappointing setbacks, go to the reserves page. Meanwhile the Ladies scored a fine 3-1 win on Sunday.
Finally more news from the boardroom. Chairman Terry Parris sent me this e-mail last week:
Some sad news, 'Mouse' who has worked with Gary Elphick for many years with the youth team at Woodingdean has passed away, our thoughts go out to his family and also to Gary who worked closely with him.
Cup Finals - A coach has been arranged for the u15s to get to the morning cup final at Lancing, U16s will not be watching this game because of the importance of their own afternoon match, but there will be a presentation and reception after the game at Lancing FC.
At the u16s afternoon final Dean has planned for Hollingbury u12s, who have never won a football match to go out with the players before the kick off, we will present each player with a memento.
Sunday 4th May - Women's county rep teams are playing at the Pan at 2:00 and 4:45pm, expect a large crowd, we will provide hot food which will be paid for. I suggest that on the same day that we have the Business Tournament on either the Convent fields or the Priory Grounds , we could make a whole day of it with the women playing as well.
Tuesday 6th May - We are looking at this date as being the last game played at the Pan for the season and we are trying to get a game to celebrate the opening of the stand, this will effectively be the last day before the contractors start work on the pitch.
Friendly - I have agreed with Lewes Grammar for their u18's to play our u16's in a friendly at some stage towards the end of April and Ian Turner is meeting me to arrange this.
Sunday Cup Finals - Lewes Sunday League Cup finals are at the Dripping Pan on the 6th, 13th and 27th April and ko's are 10:30 and 3:00. Youth Academy. Premier Soccer youth Academy will take place from Tuesday 25th February from 10:00 to 3:00 each day until Friday 28th February, this is done in conjunction with Lewes FC and takes place on the Convent fields but they use the Lewes FC facilities and the bar for the presentation.
New Teams - We have a new u12s next year which Gary Derkson will manage, but still need to see if the u17s league is going ahead and also we will need to form the special needs team, Shelley Brookes to help coordinate.
Ladies Team - The ladies team are to have training bottoms to go with current tops to make them look smarter, if anyone knows of a sponsor we would ideally like to get them new tracksuits for next year.
Jimmy Quinn - Compliments have been received from the youth teams towards Jimmy Quinn, Jimmy has attended many games of all ages and the youngsters and management have been delighted to see him there, he has also taken time out to coach some of the teams.
14th February - A great win for the Reserves last weekend against league leaders Horsham YMCA is described in more detail here. On Wednesday the Supporters Club held their first meeting and the following were elected:
Chairman Cliff Hart
Vice Chairman Pat Dartnell
Secretary David Arnold
Treasurer Angie Hart
plus 5 Committee MembersThe commitee will meet on Wednesday 19th February to iron out details, and hopefully will be in a position to send out Direct Debit forms before the Worthing game on 1st March.
Lewes director Sean Trendall has also sent me an update on various issues to have risen in the last couple of weeks, including our relationship with Brighton and Hove Albion and the work required to meet the Grade A level required of us if we do clinch promotion this season. Here is what he had to say (it's long but well worth reading to the end):
Man of the Match Awards will be announced just before the end of home matches, and awards made immediately after the final whistle so that more spectators may still be in the ground and able to show their appreciation to the player and sponsors.
Lewes U16's have taken on 3 new players who were released last year from Brighton &HA. Daniel Turner, Kieran Mercer and Phil Greatwich have all joined the Club on the recommendation of Martin Hinshelwood Director of Football at the Brighton Academy. The scheme allows young players that have not quite made the grade to continue to receive the highest standard of coaching, and also allows Lewes to strengthen our Development squads with the most talented young players in the region.
In addition, in February Brighton will again be releasing several youngsters of this age, and we will also have an opportunity to sign Academy under 19's as and when they are released by Steve Coppell. The link-up will hopefully benefit all parties and is part of our progress to being acknowledged as the most progressive club in the county.
Congratulations to Ladies team manager Russell Brooks for gaining the FA Level 2 Certificate in Coaching (UEFA B). Russell attended a week-long course on Coaching techniques and has been monitored for the last 4 months, during which time his work with the Ladies team has been continually assessed. There are now 7 fully qualified FA coaches at the club.
Our floodlighting system has passed the annual illumination test required by the Ryman League. Regular supporters will know that the floodlights have not always been totally reliable over the last few seasons. As problems have occurred, we have followed a patch-and-make-do policy in order to maintain football at the Pan. However, the entire system does now need replacement rather than repair and we would also like to be able to improve the lighting on the Convent Field used for training. Therefore we are now looking to install an efficient new set of lights that would ideally be in place for the start of next season.
As the season progresses and the likelihood of promotion (hopefully) increases, we will continue to re-examine the criteria required for the Dripping Pan to obtain an 'A' grading. Using the Ryman League Grading Report dated 17/11/2000 as a guide, we believe that an 'A' grading could be achieved at the ground at fairly short notice, particularly when construction of the new stand is complete. We will continue to prepare for a Grading Report later in the season. One of the requirements for all 'A' grade matches is the compulsory attendance by a registered doctor. We will look to appoint an official Club Doctor in order to satisfy the 'A' grade criteria in the near future.
Many thanks to all members of the Committee who have paid for the new 'lightweight' mower. Although a roller will flatten the lumps and bumps on the playing surface we will only be using it sparingly. Unfortunately it also compresses the top layers of soil, preventing good drainage and killing off grass roots. The work carried out on the pitch during the pre-season has been aimed at lifting and aerating the top levels of soil, and so overuse of a roller will be counter-productive in the long run. In addition, the pitch is also concave, in that the centre-spot is actually lower than the corner flags (apparently!). This also has a negative effect upon ground drainage and it is hoped that we can remedy the situation during the close season with the application of several tons of topsoil onto the middle of the pitch.
Another 5-a-side tournament will be held at the Dripping Pan in May following the success of the recent evening event. The structure may be divided into competitive and non-competitive sections. We are also investigating the possibility of hosting a Summer tournament for junior teams on the Convent Field. This is still at an early stage, but should include U16, U15 and Women's competitions.
A permanent secure Trophy Cabinet is to be constructed in the Rook Inn to house all our silverware, mementoes, etc. Our 3 home derby matches against Bognor, Horsham and Worthing are all going to be video-taped, together with our final league match at home to Windsor & Eton. A souvenir tape will be produced by local video specialists, Prime Cuts, and this will be on sale as soon as possible after the season end.
7th February - I am very sad to have to report that Tom Carr senior died this morning. He was Club President and a familar face at the Pan and also made it to away games whenever possible. He will be sadly missed.
26th January - Many of you will have seen for yourself yesterday how things are going with the new stand, but I bet you did not view it from the same angle that Sarah did when taking the second picture!
16th January - I received an e-mail from Lewes director Sean Trendall today which is mostly a progress report on the ongoing efforts to get the new stand up by early March. Here is what he had to say:
Work on the New Stand continues to progress on schedule and over the next few weeks the first signs of construction above ground should appear. Although the site may have appeared to be inactive over the last couple of months, a lot of unspectacular work has in fact been carried out to prepare proper drainage, etc.
The last Planning Permission hurdle concerning the materials used on the structure has been passed and arrangements have been made for the delivery of the hundreds of tons of steel and concrete that will be arriving shortly. The steelwork has now been fabricated and is being galvanised this week by PM Steel. Delivery will start next Tuesday (Jan 21st) and the steel 'skeleton' is expected to take three days to bolt together on site.
The pre-fabricated terracing is scheduled to arrive from Feb 10th and will be in blocks weighing some 5 tons each, carried on the backs of a dozen or so articulated lorries. A 50-ton crane will be required to lift the sections into place and this will be positioned in the car-park outside the ground.
We have liaised closely with the Council in an effort to cause the least disruption possible to the Mountfield Road area at this time, although inevitably, there will be some extra congestion. Normally these sections slot into a steel framework that is well above ground and therefore easily accessible. Due to the banking at the Dripping Pan, however, access below the concrete blocks as they are lowered into place will be limited, but it is hoped that they can be slotted into place without too many problems.
The final stage of construction is scheduled to start on Feb 24th with the delivery by local roofing company ICS of the polycarbonate domes. At the same time work on fitting out the turnstiles, shop, back wall, etc will carry on where possible, with completion scheduled for the beginning of March. The completed stand will consist of 5 bays of terracing complete with connecting stairways and proper disabled access.
The turnstiles will return to their previous location next to the Clubhouse, although the current turnstiles will also be retained in order to comply with the 'A' grading requirement. The stand is designed to hold 1,000 standing spectators.
Once the stand is complete, we will be looking to reinstate proper access to the pitch for mechanical mowers, tractors etc. One of the consequences of the stand construction has been that the original ramp down to the pitch disappeared. As a result, we have been unable to put a roller onto the surface for weeks and as the players will tell you, the pitch has deteriorated dramatically. We do now have a light mower and roller in operation and hopefully the surface will improve from now on.
However, the work carried out on the pitch by Farmura over the last two seasons is now bearing fruit, and despite a very wet winter, the pitch has an excellent cover of grass for this time of the year (Cast your mind back to the AFC Sudbury game). So fingers crossed we should have the stand complete and in use by March and our focus will switch to other areas of ground improvement such as the floodlighting and the remaining requirements for an 'A' grading.
14th December - Billy Nixon has asked me to include the following on the site:
To everyone connected with the club, from Terry to the Behind the Goal fans, thank you all for the last couple of years. This afternoon's defeat at Carshalton was my last game and I am off to Spain and a new wife before Christmas. To all of the people who have appreciated my efforts, thank you. To all of the people who I've upset - sorry- but none of us should worry about being popular. I urge all of you to keep up the momentum and rely on Jimmy as he is a winner.
I was surprised and delighted I was made a life member of the club, and consider this as reward way beyond my efforts (which were only 24 hours a day and seven days a week - joke!) To be named alongside servants of the club like Derek, Vic and Brian is truly remarkable and I will always be grateful for the privilege. I could go on and on about the individuals who I should thank but would like to reserve a special mention for the late Alan Waters. He was a great supporter of the management and a sad loss to the club.
At the other end of the scale, the kids now running around wearing replica shirts are the future. Great to see the crowds on the increase and the ground improvements. Thank you Jimmy, none of this would have happened without you. Hope to see you all at some stage in the future and especially in the Premier,
Regards to all
Billy
12th December- Players Contracted In!
Three players have seen their efforts rewarded with contracts this week. Striker Lee Newman, keeper Russel Tanner and defender Marc Cable have all been given contracts, ensuring that at least some of the key players will feel that their endeavours have been noted. Contracts are not a common occurrence at this level and this will hopefully be the first of many indications showing that the directors believe that the players in the current squad are what we need to compete at a higher level
The Club Xmas party will be held on the 28th of December. Details to follow.
8th December - A much improved display by the Ladies this afternoon saw them get within three goals of Milford and Witley, a side who had handed out a 10-0 thrashing earlier in the season. More of the same looked possible at half time as the visitors led 5-1, but a great second half performance meant that by the end the score was 6-3.
3rd December - Sighs of relief all round tonight as Gloucester City's 1-0 win at Merthyr in their FA Trophy 2nd round replay leaves us with a shorter journey and a considerably less hostile reception on January 11th. You may remember that Mangotsfield went to deepest Wales last season for an FA Cup replay and also won unexpectedly to save us the extra couple of hours' journey from east Sussex.
The under 15s, 16s and 18s are having great seasons, indeed the youngest of the three age groups currently sit proudly on top of their league with a 100% record, having scored 53 goals and conceded just 6 in their seven games. The under 16s are also unbeaten and lie second having let their opponents find the net just three times in their five fixtures. Not to be outdone, the under 18s have won seven and drawn one of their eight fixtures, and lie third with games in hand on the top two.
29th November - Luke Gedling has left the Rooks and seems likely to end up at either Gravesend and Northfleet or Aldershot. The circumstances surrounding his depature have been extensively debated on the forum, so all that it remains for me to say in this section is to thanks Luke for his efforts, and wish him the very best of luck at whichever turns out to be his next club.
12th November - Andy Driscoll has left the Rooks to join Division One south strugglers Ashford Town(Mx). A four hour round trip from his home in Chiswick as well as a niggling back injury are the main reasons for his departure, but despite it being a brief stay, Andy definitely left his mark. In all he made six starts and six substitute appearances, scoring three goals in the process. Let us hope that Andy manages to steer his new club out of the bottom three.
7th November - There are a number of rearranged fixtures to add to your 2003 diary. The Ryman league rules state that its cup fixtures take precedence over league encounters, thus we will now entertain Maidenhead United in the second round of the Bryco Cup on Tuesday November 26th, meaning that the visit to Corinthian Casuals will be on Tuesday January 14th. Bognor will now come to the Pan on Tuesday February 18th for the match which was to have taken place on FA Trophy second round day.
3rd November - Two new players signed for the club yesterday. Striker Dominic Barclay joins the club from Erith and Belvedere of the Dr Martens eastern division, whilst Tony Chin has left Dulwich Hamlet to join the Rooks.
31st October - The match report for the Reserves' 7-0 hammering of Littlehampton is available here.
30th October - The Buy a Brick fundraising scheme is being well supported, and remember that for every £10 brick purchased, your name will go into the hat at the end of the season for a chance to win an all expenses paid weekend for two in Dublin.
If you are able to buy ten bricks over the course of the next six months (which will also get you ten entries into the draw of course), then your name will be immortalised in a roll of honour to be erected at the back of the new stand. The possibility of paying £20 per month by direct debit between January and May is also being investigated. Pick up a form from the turnstile at any home game and carve your name in Rooks history!
29th October - It has been confirmed that our Sussex Senior Cup clash against Worthing at the Pan will take place on Tuesday 19th November.
22nd October - The Reserves suffered their second Cup exit in on successive Saturdays last weekend, although at least on this occasion they were able to field the team. However Worthing United Reserves triumphed 2-1 at the Pan, and it is to be hoped that when the injury list shortens, the side will put these two bad memories behind them quickly.
However the three Youth sides have had an altogether more successful last couple of weeks. The under 18s have collected 19 out of 21 points and conceded only five goals, whilst the under 16 side have three wins and a draw as well as a Cup win last weekend under their belts. However pride of place goes to the under 15s, who have a 100% record after five games and have scored 39 goals in the process.
Sadly the Ladies are struggling and have yet to record a win, although results are improving. Indeed a 3-1 loss at home to Buxted last Sunday was their best return so far this season - surely the first win will arrive sooner rather than later.
5th October - The preliminary round of the FA Trophy was played today, and the most meaningful result from a Rooks perspective was that Slough Town beat Wembley 2-0 to book a trip to the Dripping Pan in the first round proper on November 2nd.
4th October - The fixtures which were postponed because of our Cup commitments have now been rearranged, and thus we will travel to Worthing on Tuesday December 3rd, just four days after what will now be our first all Sussex clash of the season when Bognor visit the Pan. The Met Police game scheduled for saturday week will now be played on Tuesday January 7th, and another new date for your diary is Tuesday October 29th, when we will play Wivenhoe in the Ryman League Cup (now known as the Bryco Cup). We will entertain Maidenhead if we win that one. A date for our Sussex Senior Cup clash with Worthing at the Pan has yet to be arranged.
The Reserves kept up their superb home form this season with a 2-0 victory over Burgess Hill reserves this evening - a report will follow. However the Youth team suffered their first defeat of the campaign on Wednesday night, going down 4-0 to Aldershot Youth in the FA Youth Cup. Let us hope that this is not an omen!
30th September - A busy weekend for the club, with the exception of the ladies, whose match was postponed. The Reserves won 3-0 at BTS Brakes (Worthing) with goals from Watts, Boddy and Neal, whilst the under 15 and under 16 sides won again and kept clen sheets in the process. Indeed the seven games which the two teams have contested between them have so far produced 52 goals for our boys and only 3 for the opposition!
If you are not going to Eastleigh on Wednesday, then the Youth team would appreciate your support for their big FA Cup match up at...er.... Aldershot. The supporters coach leaves at 5.00 from Lewes and costs £8 for members and £10 for non-members. Contact Pat Dartnell on 477739 to see if there any spaces left on it.
Please take note of a rearranged fixture next Tuesday, when Tooting and Mitcham United will be at the Pan - we had been scheduled to play them last Saturday. However the prospect of a trip to Worthing on Saturday (neither side is involved in the FA Trophy preliminary round, and so this would be an opportunity to play the game due to be contested tomorrow night) and a debut for new signing Paul Kennett on his old stamping ground now seems unlikely as the first team are apparently 'going away' for the weekend.
Finally some heartening news concerning players of whom we have not seen much this season. Germain Amanuel should begin training again soon after his hamstring problems, while Junior Kamara is training again after a period in which the premature arrival of his child was quite rightly the focus of his attention. Justin Harris has also been given the all-clear to step up his training, although he will still not be back until Christmas at the earliest.
29th September - I recently received this account of the steps involved in making the new stand a reality from director Sean Trendall:
'You cannot fail to notice that major works are in progress down at the Dripping Pan, and it is probably a good time to let everybody know exactly what is going on. First, a little background. In order to compete in Division 1 this season, we had to improve the facilities at the Dripping Pan from our existing 'C' grading to at least a 'B' grading.
The most serious obstacle to achieving this at Lewes was the lack of a covered standing area that could hold 300 people. The options available to us were either to construct a new permanent stand, or to continue using some kind of cheaper temporary structure such as the 'marquee' that appeared before our FA Vase exit last season. It was felt that a permanent structure was the preferable long-term option, and as a result, plans were drawn up for a new covered stand that would stretch from the existing Clubhouse towards Mountfield Road.
An application for a grant was made to the Football Foundation, the FA/Government partnership established to fund deserving grass-roots football facilities. After some minor alterations to our plans, the Football Foundation agreed to fund the project, on the understanding that Lewes FC would raise 30% of the total cost. Planning permission was sought and approved.
Due to the close proximity of the Mount and the houses along Mountfield Road, we were prevented from erecting a simple (and cheaper) breeze-block and tin 'shed'. That is why the design incorporates curved, translucent roof sections and other aesthetically pleasing details. For the start of this season, a temporary covered marquee was put up at the far end of the south stand in order to satisfy the B-grade criteria while the new stand is being built.
Building Regulation approval has also been granted and an independent investigation of the site discovered no significant archaeological evidence. As a result, the area was sectioned off at the start of the season and work could begin. Already the principal foundations are all in place and the drainage work is nearing completion.
Over the coming weeks, the concourse wall fronting the car-park will be constructed and orders placed for the steel-work (thanks to Paul Myles at PM Trading), the roofing sections (thanks to Jon Botting at ICS Roofing) and also the pre-cast concrete terracing (thanks to Bison Concrete). We are planning to have the steel framework in place before Christmas, allowing the terracing and roofing sections to be slotted together in line with our anticipated completion date at the end of February.
When complete, the new stand will consist of 5 bays and should be able to hold just under a thousand spectators, if necessary. There will be 2 modern turnstiles in addition to a new entrance for players and officials, and also proper emergency exits. A Club shop will be housed at the back of the stand, and a suitable bay designated for disabled spectators, as required. The design is such that further bays can be added to the stand in the future, if necessary. In addition our landlords, Lewes District Council, have agreed to install a new fence at the Ham Lane end of the ground to improve the existing flint wall which has fallen into some disrepair.
So how would this leave us next season if we win promotion? We would be required to hold an A-grading in order to compete in the Premier Division, and this would obviously require further work to be carried out. The main stumbling-block would be the requirement to completely segregate supporters when expecting large or unruly crowds.
The new stand does allow us to have separate entrances, and it would be a relatively simple matter to construct appropriate fencing to keep opposing spectators apart. We would also need to create extra tea bars and toilet facilities in the segregated sections and also install more covered seating for opposition fans. An additional uncovered terracing area would also have to be built, perhaps cut directly into the bank behind the goal, or even along the Mountfield Road side of the ground.
The bottom-line is that if the players win promotion, we will do whatever is necessary to ensure that they take their rightful place in the Premier Division. Although this seems a lot of work, it is far from impossible and is in line with the kind of ground development that we expect to achieve over the coming years anyway. As for this season, expect progress on the new stand to appear in fits and starts, and please support the 'Buy-a-Brick' campaign which will be launched shortly.
16th September - The Rooks were handed their third successive home draw this season in the FA Cup this season, but the bad news is that their opponents are once again from the Wessex league, whose teams have hardly brought out the best in us this season or last. Eastleigh are currently unbeaten and will provide an even sterner test if Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier can be persuaded to end his self-imposed absence from away games. With another £7,500 up for grabs, I think it's fairly safe to say that the great man will almost certainly get a first taste of the hallowed Dripping Pan turf on September 28th.
Of the other Sussex clubs involved in the draw, Horsham and Crawley would look to have pretty straightforward passages at home against Yaxley and either Leyton Pennant or Great Yarmouth respectively. Hastings will almost certainly dispose of either Tunbridge Wells or Selsey, but Bognor and Eastbourne Borough must travel to Hayes and AFC Wallingford. Three Bridges will host the winners of the Aveley-Stotfold replay.
14th September - An own goal and one from Lee Newman was enough to take the Rooks through to the FA Cup second qualifying round despite another below par performance against Wessex league side Brockenhurst. The full report on the 90 minutes is here. The only other Sussex sides who will join Crawley and Hastings in the draw on Monday morning are Eastbourne Borough, Horsham, Bognor and Three Bridges after Pagham, Ringmer, Peacehaven and St Leonards all lost.
Talking of Ringmer, Paul Thomsett has left the Rooks to join them and will apparently be on a contract there. Having decided to stay despite the overtures of Withdean 2000 in the summer, it is sad to see him leave now having seemingly fallen out of favour in the last few matches. However leaving all that aside I am sure that everybody connected with Lewes FC appreciates the wonderful service he has given the club over the past two years, and will understand that at this stage in his career he does not want to be sitting on the bench for long spells.
31st August - Another win and clean sheet for the Rooks, as Julian Curnow's 12th minute header was enough to beat Wessex league side Thatcham Town in a dour match. The full report is here. Next up will be Brockenhurst, who play in the same league and today defeated Fleet Town 3-2 to book a trip to the Pan on September 14th.
However off the field news of the death of director Alan Waters came as a great shock to many - he was a lovely man, and he will be sorely missed by all those who knew him.
26th August - A great Bank Holiday weekend for Rooks supporters, with four goals scored and none conceded as Ashford Town (Mx) and Bromley became the second and third victims of the season. For more on the Ashford game go here, whilst the Bromley report can be found here.12th August - There have been a number of comings and goings over the past couple of weeks. Assistant manager Billy Nixon has resigned and has not been replaced, whilst it seems likely that Chris Dicker and Reece Head will play most, if not all, of their football with Shoreham next season. One definite arrival is Graham Harper, a midfielder who was at Croydon FC last season, and also featuring in pre-season has been Andy Driscoll, a midfielder who was once on Brentford's books.Off the field the Football Foundation have finally approved the £150,000 grant for which we applied, and thus construction of the new stand can begin in earnest. Finally it has been confirmed that contrary to earlier speculation, coaches will run to away games next season - the cost will be £8 for members and £10 for non-members, with places needing to be booked in advance on a first come first served basis.26th July - Just as it seemed that Sam Francis was destined to play his football at Bognor next season after a promising performance against a strong Brighton side on Monday night , the following appeared on the messagboard from Russell Mason :"I have been advised today that Sam Francis has signed for Withdean 2000. I would like to report that his decision is for football reasons. However I am informed that the talk of a £1000 signing-on fee and £200 per week incentive has probably lured Sam to play in intermediate football this season. We wish him well."19th July - the Rooks' second new face this summer is Gareth Green, a skilful winger who has had spells with Shoreham (he played in the same side as Chris Dicker), Steyning and Wick, but was last seen at Bognor towards the end of last season. Meanwhile Sam Francis's whereabouts are still the subject of some speculation - he is rumoured to have agreed terms with the Rocks, but let us hope that he has a change of heart if this is indeed true. He's not trained yet but he hadn't at this stage last year either - maybe you'd like to come on here and tell us what's going on Sam!10th July - the draw for the Sussex Senior Cup has been made, and the Rooks enter the competitition at the second round stage with a home tie against Worthing, who of course were vanquished 3-1 at the quarter final stage last year. With Bognor drawing Crawley and Hastings facing Brighton's reserves, it would seem that holders Eastbourne Borough have got off lightly, as they will play the winners of the first round clash between Shoreham and Southwick. Neither will Horsham be too displeased with the prospect of an encounter againat either Hassocks or Shinewater. The other ties are as follows :St Leonards v Sidlesham or Seaford
Mile Oak or Horsham YMCA v Eastbourne United or Peacehaven
Worthing United or Westfield v Arundel
Pagham v Littlehampton or Steyning Town
Wick or Lancing v Selsey
Whitehawk or East Grinstead Town v Ringmer
Wealden or East Preston v Oakwood or Broadbridge Heath
Oving or Pease Pottage v Crawley Down or Rye and Iden United
Eastbourne Town or Saltdean v Sidley United
Burgess Hill v Three Bridges
Chichester v Hailsham.2nd July - The Rooks start their pre-season preparations this evening, although it will be three weeks before we see them in semi-competitive action at Seaford. The bookies have obviously been impressed with their recent exploits, installing them as 9/2 third favourites to lift the inaugural Division 1 south trophy. Not great value when you consider that there are going to be a lot more good teams than we have faced during the last two league seasons. Bognor are just behind us at 5/1, whilst Worthing are 7/1 and Horsham are considered no better than 22/1 shots. The other odds are:10/3 Carshalton Athletic
4/1 Tooting & Mitcham Utd
8/1 Walton & Hersham
12/1 Croydon, Windsor & Eton
14/1 Bromley
16/1 Whyteleafe
22/1 Dulwich Hamlet
25/1 Staines Town
28/1 Banstead Athletic, Chertsey Town
33/1 Ashford Town (Middx) , Leatherhead
40/1 Metropolitan Police
50/1 Croydon Athletic, Epsom & Ewell, Molesey
66/1 Bracknell Town, Corinthian Casuals
80/1 Egham TownSome seem generous, others seem very skinny - it'll be interesting to see how accurate they were next May!Several of the Cup draws have also been made, and first up for the Rooks in the FA Cup will be a preliminary round tie on August 31st against Thatcham Town, who like Gosport Borough last season play in the Wessex league. Let's hope they're a bit less dirty! If we win that one, it will be another home tie on September 14th against either Brockenhurst, also of the Wessex league, or Fleet Town, who won promotion to the Dr Martens eastern division last season.Our first appearance in the FA Trophy will be on November 2nd, when we will play the winners of a preliminary round encounter between Slough Town and Wembley. As for the FA Youth Cup, a number of rounds have already been drawn, although there are as yet no dates for the ties. They are as follows :R1 Lewes v. Pagham
R2 Lewes/Pagham v Molesey/Fleet Town
R3 Eastleigh/Banstead or Alderhot/Farnborough v Lewes/Pagham or Molesey/Fleet TownMany thanks to Reg Towner for this information.19th June
Div 1 South 2002-3Ashford
Banstead
Bognor
Bracknell
Bromley
Carshalton
Chertsey
Corinthian Casuals
Croydon
Croydon Ath.
Dulwich
Egham
Epsom and Ewell
Horsham
Leatherhead
LEWES
Met Police
Molesey
Staines
Tooting and Mitcham
Walton/Hersham
Whyteleafe
Windsor and Eton
Worthing
6th May - the pre-season friendly programme is already almost finalised, with the hope that our illustrious neighbours from the Withdean might be persuaded to pay us a visit at some point...23/7 - Seaford (a) k-o 6.30pm (reserves/1st team)
27/7 - Horsham YMCA (a) k-o 3pm (reserves/1st team)
30/7 - Hailsham (a) k-o 7.30pm (reserves/1st team)
30/7 - Kingstonian (h) k-o 7.45pm (1st team)
1/8 - Redhill (a) k-o 8pm (reserves/1st team)
3/8 - Sutton (?) k-o 3pm (1st team)
6/8 - Hastings (?) k-o 7.45pm (1st team)Thanks to Russell Mason for this information.
