VS LANCING
ISTHMIAN LEAGUE | SOUTH EAST DIVISION SATURDAY 30TH NOVEMBER 2024 | KICK OFF 3PM
EAST GRINSTEAD TOWN FC
The Vistavis Community Stadium College Lane | East Grinstead | RH19 3LS
Tel: 01342 325885
WELCOME
Good afternoon and welcome to everyone who has made the trip up from Lancing. We met just over two weeks ago in a pretty forgettable Senior Cup tie which the visitors deserved to win. We will need to play a lot better today to get some much-needed points. We got some stick from Ramsgate fans on social media after our recent game here was postponed. We had organised a pitch inspection at 2.15pm but the referee conducting it was too unwell to attend. We tried others to no avail before contacting the match referee. He couldn't get there until 5.45pm at the earliest. Ramsgate were kept informed throughout. The ref then called the game off - to no one's surprise. Inconvenient we know for those travelling, but we followed the league's guidelines and, on this occasion, were frustrated by events - i.e. the ref calling in sick!
LAST HOME GAME ...
Anyway, let's hope we can play the Rams at the third time of asking with the fixture now rearranged for this Tuesday (December 3), kick off 7.30pm. Lancing know all about this from last season when we eventually played at the fourth time of asking. The forecast for today suggests we should get a game played (famous last words...) With last Saturday's match against Burgess Hill also called off the bottom half of the table is really tightening up. Let's hope we see the best version of the team today. COME ON THE WASPS!
East Grinstead Town FC is an unicorporated association . members club and a Community Amateur Sports Club (reg no 02270)
Followuson:
ClubManagement:
Chair & Treasurer: Richard Tramontin
Secretary & Vice chair: Brian McCorquodale
Senior Football Officer: Steve Norris
Head of Recruitment: Matt Wheeler
Commercial Manager: Steve Norris
Club Welfare Officer: Brian McCorquodale
Disability Welfare Officer: Stuart Gibson
Safety & Facilities Officer: Barry Bryant
Bar Manager: Stuart Gibson
Press Officer: Bruce Talbot
ED&I Officer: Andy Dodson
FootballManagement
Manager: Drew Cooney
Assistant Manager and Team Coach: Ian Nicholls
Assistant Team Coach: Steve Sargent, Matt Wheeler
Physiotherapist: Kate Moss
Kit manager: Adam Robinson
Disability Team Manager: Ant Bowler
Youth Coordinator & Development: Jay De Vito
Under-18 Managers: Lewis McDonnell & Kevin Wright
Under-16 Amber Manager: Lewis McDonnell
Under-16 Black Manager: Nigel Leach
Under-14 Manager: Sean Clarabut
Under-12 Amber Manager: Ted Symes
Under 12 Black Manager: Tom Butcher
Under 11 Manager: Ben Payne
FROM THE Dugout
GOOD AFTERNOON AND WELCOME TO TODAY'S GAME AGAINST LANCING.
We have had the best part of two weeks off since our last game away at Ashford. This has allowed us to get several good training sessions in (despite the frosty weather) and allowed to hopefully get a few players back who we have been missing for several months now.
Tom Cadman and Matt Pierson will both be welcome returns this coming week. Today’s game is very important for both sides. The bottom three are all on the same points with only six points separating them and 18th place. A win for us could see us go up to 13th.
Having played them recently in the Sussex Senior Cup, we know they are a much improved team to what their league position shows and have made several more signings since that game.
We have got one or two games in hand on a few teams around us, one of those is against title favourites Ramsgate at home on Tuesday so we know we have got a very busy and difficult month ahead.
We all have to make sure we are up for the challenge.
As ever we thank you and welcome your support for all the lads in the lead-up to the busy festive period.
LANCING TheAwayEnd
Lancing – the last five years
For the 2018/19 season, four new teams – ladies, two under-18 squads and a veterans’ side –joined the existing first team and under-23s. The club gained FA Charter Standard Community status in February 2019. Unfortunately, Ash Bailey was forced to retire from his post as manager in September and was replaced by Mark Pulling who enabled the team to finish 13th in the SCFL Premier Division table.
During the season, the club launched a new mental health initiative, named the ‘You’re Not In This Alone’ campaign, offering free entry to supporters with mental health issues, raising over £400 for Mind Lancing, supporting the Time to Talk Day in February 2019, and raising over £1,000 for CALM – The Campaign Against Living Miserably. In addition, Lancing supported the Fairtrade Foundation through the purchasing of Fairtrade certified footballs for the ladies squad. The club came runnersup in the Active Sussex ‘Club of the Year’ category in November 2018.
For the 2019/20 season, the club introduced a new disability team, and appointed a new first team management team, consisting of Naim Rouane, David Altendorff and Kane Louis. The first team had an excellent season, the best in the club’s history, however the season was brought to a premature end following the Covid-19 outbreak. The Lancers were top of the league looking to be promoted, but with the season voided by the FA, were left to compete in the SCFL for another season.
Ahead of the 2020/21 season, Kane Louis and James Rhodes were appointed Joint Managers of the first team following the departure Rouane and Altendorff. James and Kane kept the existing backroom staff of Matt Evans, Mark Stuart, Lloyd Osland and Georgina Hill. Following a second curtailed season due to Covid-19, thanks to FA restructuring, Lancing were promoted to the Pitching In Isthmian League South East Division, finishing top on PPG in the SCFL Premier Division over the course of two seasons. This movement from Step 5 to Step 4 marked a huge achievement for the club, in what was appropriately also their 80th anniversary.
Isthmian League years
Now competing at Step four the club escaped relegation in their first season by beating Newhaven 2-1 in a play-off final at Culver Road after they finished third bottom. The following season saw the club consolidate its position in the League with some encouraging results under joint managers Alex Walsh and Dale Hurley who took over from Louis and Rhodes after they both stood down at the end of last season but were rocked by their sudden departure along with Coach Matt Evans when they joined local rivals Haywards Heath Town.
The club wasted no time in appointing their replacements with the experienced Dean Cox taking over. Cox came to the club having made over 300 appearances with Brighton & Hove Albion, Leyton Orient and Crawley Town. However, after a brief spell Cox and his management team left for Burgess Hill Town just after the season ended having guided the club to safety.
Lancing again wasted little time in finding a replacement and appointed David Altendorff who had previously been the assistant manager before Covid interrupted proceedings back in 2020. He built a new squad that saw the club enjoy their best ever season and narrowly missing out on a play-off place. However, in the close season Altendorff left to become assistant manager at Whitehawk and a mass exodus of first team players followed. Jamie Hollis took over but last month he was replaced by Sam Morgan, formerly in charge of Epsom & Ewell and Sutton Common Rovers.
FIXTURES & RESULTS
AUGUST
Sat 3 AugAGlebeFA Cup EP2-0192Folkes, Tighe
Sat 10 AugAMargateIsthmian South East0-0402
Sat 17 AugHRedhillFA Cup P1-3193Spinks
Fri 23 AugHAFC Croydon AthleticIsthmian South East2-1228Lawson, Weaire
Mon 26 AugASevenoaks TownIsthmian South East2-2107Harris, Daniel
Sat 31 AugHDeal TownIsthmian South East2-3124Daniel, Tighe SEPTEMBER
Tue 3 SepHMersthamVelocity Cup 20-1115
Sat 7 SepAHartley WintneyFA Trophy 1Q1-2163Harris
Tue 10 SepHBroadbridge HeathIsthmian South East1-293Folkes
Sat 14 SepAPhoenix SportsIsthmian South East2-186Daniel, Weaire
Sat 28 SepABurgess Hill TownIsthmian South East1-2415Humpherston OCTOBER
Tue 8 OctANewhavenSussex Cup 21-1Harris
East Grinstead Town win 7-6 on penalties
Sat 12 OctASteyning Town CommunityIsthmian South East3-2110Andrade Filipe, Tighe, Folkes
Tue 15 OctHAshford UnitedIsthmian South East1-3113Tighe
Sat 26 OctAThree BridgesIsthmian South East1-066Christmas NOVEMBER
Sat 2 NovHErith TownIsthmian South East0-4123
Tue 5 NovABroadbridge HeathIsthmian South East2-4107Daniel, Tighe
Sat 9 NovHPhoenix SportsIsthmian South East4-2101Harris, Humpherston, Christmas, Daniel
Tue 12 NovHLancingSussex Cup 30-277
Sat 16 NovAAshford UnitedIsthmian South East0-3434
Sat 23 NovHBurgess Hill TownIsthmian South EastPostponed
Sat 30 NovHLancingIsthmian South East3pm DECEMBER
Tue 3 DecHRamsgateIsthmian South East7.30pm
Sat 7 DecABeckenham TownIsthmian South East3pm
Sat 14 DecAHerne BayIsthmian South East3pm
Sat 21 DecHHythe TownIsthmian South East3pm
Thu 26 DecAEastbourne TownIsthmian South East1pm
Sat 28 DecHMargateIsthmian South East3pm JANUARY
Wed 1 JanHSevenoaks TownIsthmian South East3pm
Sat 4 JanASittingbourneIsthmian South East3pm
Sat 11 JanHSheppey UnitedIsthmian South East3pm
Sat 18 JanALittlehampton TownIsthmian South East3pm
Sat 25 JanALancingIsthmian South East3pm FEBRUARY
Sat 1 FebHBeckenham TownIsthmian South East3pm
Sat 8 FebAMersthamIsthmian South East3pm
Sat 15 FebHSteyning Town CommunityIsthmian South East3pm
Sat 22 FebARamsgateIsthmian South East3pm
MARCH
Sat 1 MarHThree BridgesIsthmian South East3pm
Sat 8 MarAErith TownIsthmian South East3pm
Sat 15 MarHHerne BayIsthmian South East3pm
Sat 22 MarAHythe TownIsthmian South East3pm
Sat 29 MarHLittlehampton TownIsthmian South East3pm APRIL
Sat 5 AprASheppey UnitedIsthmian South East3pm
Sat 12 AprHSittingbourneIsthmian South East3pm
Sat 19 AprADeal TownIsthmian South East3pm
Mon 21 AprHEastbourne TownIsthmian South East3pm
Sat 26 AprAAFC Croydon AthleticIsthmian South East3pm
TEAM LINE UP
EAST GRINSTEAD TOWN F.C. LANCING
Mattie Pierson nn
Finlay Westen nn
Oliver Spinks nn
Tom Cadman nn
Michael Wilson nn
Matthew Weaire nn
Glenn Wilson (C) nn
Finlay Lovatt nn
Charlie Harris nn
Connor Tighe nn
Alex Andrade Filipe nn
Omar Folkes nn
Matthew Daniel nn
Kieran Humpherston nn
Jabari Christmas nn
Oluremi Onabanjo nn
Terlochan Singh nn
Khalifa Jabbie nn
Luke Harrison nn
Colours: Amber & Black
ALIEU SECKA (GK) nn
ALEX LAING (CAPTAIN) nn
SHAY MATTHEWS nn
CHARLIE GIBSON nn
SAM BULL nn
HARRY DOCHERTY nn
HARRISON PARKER nn
BLAKE LOYAZA nn
HARRY HEATH nn
NOEL FISHER nn
TA'SHE ANDALL-GIBBONS nn
EMMANUAEL ABUDIORE nn
LEON FISHER nn
RYAN RIDDLES nn
ETIENNE FRIMPONG nn
NEXT MATCH
Ramsgate
Tuesday 3rd December
7.30pm
MATCH OFFICIALS:
Referee: Michael Ryan
Assistant Ref: Michael Jones
Assistant Ref: Sean Ridley
EAST GRINSTEAD TOWN HISTORY
Programmes from the Past by Lester Medcalf
We're going to have a look at programmes for games played in the past at the end of November. First up is East Grinstead v Sidley United on Friday 30 November 2012 in division one of the Sussex County League - under the East Court floodlights of course.
There was much talk in the programme that we were one of only two games that had taken place – at East Court - in the County League on the previous Saturday. There'd been lots of rain but we managed to get the pitch fit enough for the game to take place – though of course it all got heavy as the game proceeded. We had won the game (against Selsey) 4-0 to make it seven consecutive league match wins with 22 goals in our last four matches.
The programme looks back a few years at a fixture against our Sidley visitors on the Easter Saturday of 2005. We were in a division one relegation battle and so were pleased to beat Sidley 2-0 – our first goal coming from our 2024 team manager Drew Cooney with Aaron Zimmatore adding the second goal. We followed this with another Easter win against Rye and it looked even better when we next beat Pagham. But this was followed by a series of defeats and the horrible last match down in Sidlesham when we were relegated.
But how did the 2012 game go? Well the programme's league table showed us in seventh place with Sidley five places below. Sidley looked the better side for much of the game and after a goalless first half they took the lead after about an hour. Chances came and went at both ends but in the last couple of minutes our Ben Chick headed home from a corner. There was still time for Sidley to miss a golden chance with the last kick of the game as we drew 1-1.
A Casuals affair in 2016 ...
Next we'll have a look at the programme for an away match – Corinthian Casuals v East Grinstead on Tuesday 29 November 2016 in the Isthmian League of course.
The programme had some rather unusual – but rather good and enjoyable – features. Firstly the front cover shows an action picture of a challenge between one of our players (not sure who it is) and one of Corinthian Casuals' players. And inside the programme we have a number of action photos from past Isthmian games between us.
But perhaps the most interesting feature was a page with six past front covers from our East Grinstead match programmes – not just the covers themselves but a warm commentary on them. For example: “One thing that strikes me about researching East Grinstead's programmes is the simplistic yet striking designs that they display.” The early covers from 1951, 1964 and 1988 certainly show that. Moving on to 1994, 2002 and 2003 we see the club's strong colours dominating the covers.” I don't know if the writer of this feature contacted us for copies, or whether they had their own collection to call on. And was it a regular feature?
In addition the programme’s look at our struggles to retain our place in the Isthmian League is again sympathetic. The writer doesn't really understand why we have struggled given that Corinthian Casuals had only beaten us once in the five matches we had so far played against them. The programme's league table shows us in 20th place (out of 24) while Corinthian Casuals were at the other end of the table in fifth place. We had already played them at East Court in September where two goals from Casuals had been matched by Marcus Elliott and Tashi Jay Kwayie to give us a 2-2 draw. Now at the end of November we had much the better of the game, but on a cold frosty night the pitch began to freeze and the match was abandoned after about an hour. Neither side had scored. The match was then replayed at the beginning of February and unfortunately we were beaten 2-0.
GLENN AND MATT GETTING PHYSICAL!
Glenn Wilson and Matt Wearie show their commitment during our recent games against Ashford United and Phoenix Sports. Photos by Stuart Gibson.
