SHIRT
TO EAST GRINSTEAD TOWN
Good evening everyone and welcome to our first Sussex derby of the league campaign as we take on Broadbridge Heath.
After an excellent first season at this level Heath have picked up form in the last couple of weeks of the new campaign, progressing in both the FA Cup and Trophy.
As for ourselves, three defeats - allbeit by singlegoal margins - in a week have been a setback after such a positive start. The positives are that in all three games we could easily have come out on the right end of the result. Let's hope that is the case tonight.
PLAYER SPONSORSHIP
Our player sponsrship scheme is back this season and details can be found in tonight's programme of the benefits and cost. Please see our Commercial Manager Steve Norris to book your player.
ASHFORD GAME POSTPONED
Because of their involvement in the FA Trophy, our home game with Ashford on the 21st will have to be rescheduled. Our next fixture is at Phoenix Sports on Saturday and we end Setpember with a trip to Burgess Hill on the 28th.
LEAGUE DIVISION TABLE | 23-24
POSTEAM
PDWDLFAGDPTS
1Ramsgate4400114712
2Beckenham Town43101321110
3Sheppey United33009279
4Deal Town430111839
5Erith Town32106337
6Sittingbourne320110556
7Merstham32015416
8Eastbourne Town420267-16
9East Grinstead Town41216605
10Herne Bay21103214
11Sevenoaks Town4112611-54
12Burgess Hill Town21014313
13Margate30302203
14Broadbridge Heath310239-63
15Hythe Town4103211-93
16Ashford United302168-22
17AFC Croydon Athletic301224-21
18Three Bridges301247-31
19Phoenix Sports401338-51
20Littlehampton Town100123-10
21Steyning Town200213-20
MANAGER’S NOTES
We welcome everyone to tonight’s game against Broadbridge Heath as we return to league action.
Saturday’s disappointing 2-1 loss away to Hartley Wintney in the FA Trophy is still fresh in the heads of most of the group, but we need to get over that quickly.
Hartley are a very good team and recently beat the Central Division favourites Leatherhead 3-2 so we must put things in perspective, but again I thought we were the better team for longer periods than our opponents but what we must start doing is taking our chances and cutting out the individual errors that are being made that have caused us to lose our last three games.
As much as the last few results have been disappointing the football we have tried to play has been enjoyable to watch. So as a group we must keep believing in what we are doing and things will come good for the group.
We picked up another couple of injuries at the weekend which is now four main players potentially out for tonight’s fixture. But one thing we have improved on this year is squad depth so hopefully the boys that step in over the coming days can keep the standards high and we can get what we want from the games!
Broadbridge Heath have had a great run of late and are undefeated in their last four so we will be in for a very tough game.
All the boys look forward to seeing as many of you as possible tonight before our weekend away fixture at Phoenix Sports.
Best wishes, Drew
Thanks again Drew
FIXTURES & RESULTS
Aug 3GlebeHFA Cup1922-0PiersonDaCruzFilipeM.WilsonCadmanG.WilsonSinghHarrisTighe 1Folkes 1ThompsonCoulibalyDanielSpinksCashKouakou
Aug 10MargateAIsth SE4020-0PiersonDaCruzFilipeM.WilsonCadmanG.WilsonSinghHarrisTigheFolkesThompsonWearieSpinksDanielLawsonNunes
Aug 17RedhillHFA Cup1931-3PiersonSpinks 1CadmanM.WilsonWearieG.WilsonSinghThompsonTigheDanielNunesFilipeFolkesLawsonCoulibalyOnabanjo
Aug 23AFC Croydon AthleticHIsth SE2282-1PiersonCadmanFilipeM.WilsonWearie 1G.WilsonThompsonHarrisLawson 1SinghFolkesDanielTigheSpinksOnabanjo
Aug 26Sevenoaks TownAIsth SE1072-2PiersonCadmanFilipeM.WilsonWearieG.WilsonThompsonHarris 1LawsonSinghTigheDaniel 1SpinksOnabanjo
Aug 31Deal TownHIsth SE1242-3PiersonCadmanFilipeM.WilsonWearieG.WilsonThompsonSpinksDaniel 1Tighe 1SinghNunesLovattOnabanjoDacruz
SEPTEMBER
Sep 3MersthamHVT 11150-1CashThompsonFilipeHarrisHumpherstonKouakouCampbellLovattOnabanjoNunesFolkesDanielSpinksWearieM.Wilson Sep 7Hartley WintneyAFA T pre1631-2PiersonThompsonFilipeNunesWearieG.WilsonSpinksHarris 1DanielTigheSpinksLovattFolkesCampbellKouakouOnabanjo
Sep 10Broadbridge HeathHIsth SE
Sep 14Phoenix SportsAIsth SE
Sep 21Ashford UnitedHIsth SEPOSTP
Sep 28Burgess Hill TownAIsth SE OCTOBER
Oct 5MersthamHIsth SE
Oct 12Steyning Town CommunityAIsth SE
Oct 19RamsgateHIsth SE
Oct 26Three BridgesAIsth SE
NOVEMBER
Nov 2Erith TownHIsth SE
Nov 5Broadbridge HeathAIsth SE
Nov 9Phoenix SportsHIsth SE
Nov 16Ashford UnitedAIsth SE
Nov 23Burgess Hill TownHIsth SE
Nov 30LancingHIsth SE
DECEMBER
Dec 7Beckenham TownAIsth SE
Dec 14Herne BayAIsth SE
Dec 21Hythe TownHIsth SE
Dec 26Eastbourne TownAIsth SE
Dec 28MargateHIsth SE
JANUARY
Jan 4SittingbourneAIsth SE
Jan 11Sheppey UnitedHIsth SE
Jan 18Littlehampton TownAIsth SE
Jan 25LancingAIsth SE
FEBRUARY
Feb 1Beckenham TownHIsth SE
Feb 8MersthamAIsth SE
Feb 15Steyning Town CommunityHIsth SE
Feb 22RamsgateAIsth SE MARCH
Mar 1Three BridgesHIsth SE
Mar 8Erith TownAIsth SE
Mar 15Herne BayHIsth SE
Mar 22Hythe TownAIsth SE
Mar 29Littlehampton TownHIsth SE APRIL
Apr 5Sheppey UnitedAIsth SE
Apr 12SittingbourneHIsth SE
Apr 19Deal TownAIsth SE
Apr 21Eastbourne TownHIsth SE
Apr 26AFC Croydon AthleticAIsth SE
PAST PROGRAMMES
We're going to have a look at a couple of programmes for games played in the past on or very close to today's date. And we start with a Sussex County League division 2 game played 24 years ago. East Grinstead v Bosham on Saturday 9 September 2000.
Programme editor Bruce Talbot's “Buzz from the Nest” welcomes Bosham to East Court after they had been promoted as champions of division three in the previous season. He goes on to say that we were now in fourth place in the league, our highest position for four years and was hopeful that we would soon be able to field our strongest team – James Hylton's cricket season was nearly at its end, Stuart Hardy would be back from holiday and Phil Thompson should soon be back from injury. Simon Rolfe however would disappear at the end of October because he was going to Turkey to work (and might find it difficult to get back home in time to play.)
Manager Bobby Smith talks about the previous Saturday's league match at home to league leaders Worthing United. We drew the match 1-1 but it “gave me mixed feelings.” With players missing (as described above) he was disappointed that he was hearing “unjustified criticisms levelled at individual players during recent games” and despite our being in that fourth place “some people find anything to moan about”. Not sure if Bobby had anybody in particular in mind?
A good very full match report of the game against Worthing was written by Stewart Ward – these days often talking to us on the loud speaker. John Richardson put us in front a couple of minutes before half-time only for Worthing to equalise early in the second half. Our visitors from Bosham were beginning to find their feet five places off the bottom of the league (with a game in hand over many other teams around them) and they won 1-0. Next we'll have a look at the programme for East Grinstead v Hassocks on Tuesday 10 September 2013 in the Sussex County League Cup with John Sinclair in our 2013 away kit challenging successfully for the ball.
Much was made in the programme about the previous Saturday's FA Vase match at home to AFC Uckfield with a very full and detailed match report from Anthony Scott. The AFC Uckfield goalkeeper seems to have had an inspired match with a number of great saves. And when AFC Uckfield opened the scoring some ten minutes after half-time they perhaps thought they might win. However, with 10 minutes to go Scott Johnston at last found a way past the keeper with Matt Geard similarly beating him five minutes later to give us the 21 win.
Richard Tramontin's Chairman notes remind us that we had already played Hassocks away in the league, and the 2-2 draw was the only league match that Hassocks had so far failed to win – both our goals coming from centrehalf Marc Pelling. The season was of course still young with most clubs having played just four league matches. The programme's division one league table showed Hassocks in second place with us in the middle of the table. So which team made it through to the next round of the league cup? It was us with goals from Sam Schaaf and Matt Geard giving us a 2-1 win. LESTER MEDCALF 2000
BROADBRIDGE HEATH
Broadbridge Heath Football Club was founded in 1919 by local ex-members of the armed forces who had just returned from the 191418 Great War. In the very first season of competitive football, with only 12 registered players, the club won the Horsham and District Championship and Challenge Cup. In 1970-71 the Horsham League amalgamated with the West Sussex Football League and Heath joined Division Three. Promotion was won to Division Two the following season. In 1978-79, following promotion from the Premier Division of the WSFL, Broadbridge Heath joined the Southern Counties Combination League which at that time was a feeder to the Sussex County Football League. The SCCL amalgamated with the County League in 1983-84 with Heath becoming founder members of Division Three. The club moved to the Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre in Wickhurst Lane in 1987 where we had exclusive use of the stadium pitch, bar and social area. At the end of the 1987-88 season the club were promoted to senior football in Division Two for the very first time. Heath remained in senior football for 20 years, with one season (1998-99) in Division One. Despite succeeding on the pitch off the field events deteriorated when the club’s landlord decided not to renew the lease to run the bar and social area and for several years with no home and no assets, the club struggled to survive.
At the end of the 2007-08 season Heath were relegated to Division Three and things got even worse when the team finished second from bottom two years later and only avoided demotion because there were not enough clubs in the feeder leagues with facilities to satisfy County League requirements.
Season 2010-11 saw an improvement with the team finishing in sixth position and a year later they finished one place higher behind some very good intermediate sides. As a result of restructuring in the leagues above, and despite finishing fifth, Broadbridge Heath were promoted back to senior football in Division Two at the end of the 2011-12 season. The finished in sixth position and reached the
final of the SCFA RUR Cup where they narrowly lost 1-0 to Division One runners-up East Preston. A year later the team went even better by finishing the season as runners-up to Eastbourne United AFC and with that promotion back to Division One for only the second time in the club’s history.
In the first two seasons Heath came ninth and eighth followed by a slight dip in 2017-18 to 15th, but they bounced back a year later to end in sixth place which at the time was our highest ever finish.
Things also improved off the field when, on 2 August 2019, the club took possession of their new purpose built facilities, a ground to satisfy the grading requirements for Step 5 football with two further pitches for use by our adult and youth teams for matches and training.
In January 2020 former Heath player Chris Simmons took over as First Team manager, initially on an interim basis but with performances improving he was offered the position on a permanent basis three months later. COVID then struck and two seasons became null and void, after his first full season in charge the team finished in seventh place and in 2022 they were crowned Southern Combination League champions with promotion to the Pitching In Isthmian League South-East Division. A top-half finish was a fine introduction to Step 4.
Our last home league game ended in a harsh 3-2 defeat against Deal. Above: Matt Wearie challenges for the ball and, below, Ollie Spinks tries to find a gap in the Deal defence. Photos by Stuart Gibson.
TODAY’S Teams
EAST GRINSTEAD FC BROADBRIDGE HEATH
Matte Pierson cc
Oli Cash cc
Marcel Campbell cc
Adonai DaCruz cc
Brissi Iwen-Kuwaku cc
Tom Cadman cc
Alex Filipe Andrade cc
Glenn Wilson cc
Matty Weaire cc
Kieran Humpherston cc
Matt Daniel cc
Michael Wilson cc
Ricardo Thompson cc
Ollie Spinks cc
Toch Singh cc
Charlie Harris cc
Connor Tighe cc
Alex Nunes cc
Finlay Lovatt cc
Camron Lawson cc
Omar Folkes cc
Abdoulaye Coulibally cc
Manager: Drew Cooney
Colours: Amber & Black
Alfie HADFIELD cc
Kyle SIM cc
Matt PENFOLD cc
Jamie CHESWORTH cc
Mason DOUGHTY cc
Andy WADDINGHAM cc
Louis EVANS cc
Salvatore MARINO cc
Jake LINDSEY cc
Sean TERRY cc
Sam LEMON cc
Tad BROMAGE cc
Billy COLLINGS cc
Owen CRANMER-FLYNN cc
Charlie PARMITER cc
Ash MUTONGERWA cc
Adrian TODD cc
Ben AUBREY cc
Leo ANDERSON cc
Ben DYSON cc
Callum DOWDELL cc
Matt HAY cc
Manager: Chris Simmons
Colours: Blue
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.
Next HOMe GAMe
MERSTHAM
Saturday 5 October - kick off 3pm
Isthmian League South East Division EastGrinsteadTownFCisan unicorporatedassociation. membersclubandaCommunity AmateurSportsClub(regno 02270)
ROLL OF HONOURS
SUSSEX COUNTY LEAGUE: Division Two champions 2007–08 Baldwin Cup winners 1951–52
MID-SUSSEX LEAGUE: Champions 1901–02, 1936–37
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: JONATHON WILKS
Assistant Referee: BILLY WOOTTEN
Assistant Referee: WAYNE PEACOCK
BROADBRIDGE HEATH
Montgomery Cup winners 1911–12, 1912–13
SOUTHERN AMATEUR LEAGUE: Division Three champions 1931–32
SUSSEX RUR CUP: Winners 2003–04
This matchday programme was created online via www.matchday-programmes.co.uk