East Grinstead Town v Chichester City Jan 2 2023

Good afternoon and welcome to our first home fixture of 2023 and the start of the 133rd year of our club - wow!

December was ruined by the weather and a couple of 2-0 defeats but we go again, excited about what the new year can bring for the Wasps. We're only ten points off the play-offs! I'm sure all home fans are looking forward to seeing the new faces Drew and his management team have brought in so make sure you give them (and the rest of the lads) plenty of support from behind the goal.

Before the game we'll be applauding for a minute to remember Pele, who died last week. He never played here at East Court but if he'd ever clapped eyes on the place I'm sure he would like to have. What a player he was!

COME ON YOU WASPS!

East Grinstead Town FC is incorporated as a Community Amateur Sports Club.

Front cover pic: Dean Perena at VCD Athletic last month

16East Grinstead Town176292025-520

17Lancing185492231-919

18Sittingbourne174581927-817

19Corinthian1724111027-178

20Faversham Town1822141748-318

Up to and including January 1, 2023

MANAGER’S NOTES

Afternoon all,

Firstly I would like to wish everyone associated with the club a belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

It’s been a stop-start December having only played two games and losing both of them has been really disappointing. The lads are eager to get back playing regular football again and more importantly get back to winning ways. With the prospect of seven matches in January we have that opportunity.

I was away for the Haywards Heath game on Boxing Day but looking back at the footage and speaking to Ian and Sarg I thought we were on the harsh end of a 20 score line. Dominating large chunks of the game means nothing unless you take your chances at this level.

We had the lads in twice last week for two really good sessions and are looking forward to putting things right against a tough opponent today and getting a much needed three points to kick start the new year.

Again as ever, we thank you for all your support and look forward to the new year ahead!

Good luck to us!

Drew

DREW COONEY

Photo courtesy of Stuart Gibson

CHAIRMAN’S NOTES

Good afternoon everyone, a Happy New Year and welcome to The OHOB Community Stadium for today’s Isthmian League South East Division match against Chichester City. I trust you all had a great Christmas and New Year.

We extend a warm welcome to Miles Rutherford, his players and staff, the Chi officials and supporters as well as to today’s referee Jonathon Wilks and his assistants Harry Wood and Ryan Calver and trust you all enjoy your short stay and our hospitality.

Our visitors’ scheduled home match last Wednesday against Lancing was postponed but they managed to play three times in December all away and drew against Ashford United and Ramsgate and lost to Beckenham Town, all three opponents in the top four. They are currently in 11th place and three points ahead of Wasps having played the same number of matches – those three points make a difference of five places with Sheppey United and Sevenoaks Town just one point ahead of Chi and Lancing one point below Wasps. All very tight.

Our last match was at Haywards Heath on Boxing Day – it was a pretty poor match and had a goalless draw written all over it, but Heath managed to score twice in the second half and Wasps hit the bar and had a couple of goalbound efforts saved well by the keeper.

Our previous match was here on 3rd December against Beckenham Town which we lost 2-0 but quite honestly, I thought we deserved at least a draw, if not all three points. Beckenham created little but took their chances with ex Wasp Louie Theophanous being instrumental in both second half goals, setting one up and then scoring in added time - whereas we didn’t take our chances.

We welcome new signing Charlie Greenwood to East Court - Charlie made his Wasps debut on Boxing Day having joined us from Merstham where he made 17 appearances in Isthmian South Central this season, scoring four times, and made thirty five appearances for the Moatsiders in the isthmian Premier last season. We also welcome back Ryan Green, who left us to join Corinthian Casuals in the Isthmian Premier after our first match of the season. Greeny was on the bench on Boxing Day.

Drew Cooney’s Wasps won this fixture on 3rd January here last year and I would be happy with the same result today and a springboard for the new year. We have seven fixtures in January including today - away at Chatham Town on Saturday who we beat on the opening day of the season - we then host Cray Valley here the following Saturday quickly followed by an away trip to Sittingbourne on Tuesday 17 (ko 7.45pm) and then two consecutive home matches – Faversham Town Saturday 21 and Hythe Town Tuesday 24we finish January on Saturday 28 at Sevenoaks.

We also have to try and stage three Under 18s and one Under 23s matches here this month, starting on Thursday in the U18s Isthmian League Cup against Horsham (ko 7.30pm). A tough test for the pitch.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all and your families a Happy and Healthy New Year as well as thanking you all for coming along this afternoon.

Whatever the outcome of the match, I trust everyone enjoys their visit to The OHOB Community Stadium and I wish you all a safe journey home.

Enjoy the match - Richard

Photo courtesy of Stuart Gibson

FIXTURES & RESULTS

AUGUST

HOME GAMES IN CAPITALS, USED SUBS IN BRACKETS, NUMBERS IN BRACKETS = GOAL SCORER

06-Aug-Hollands & BlairHFACupe1431-0PiersonF.WalshStrakerUnwinGreenWilsonDaniel

1BriggsCornwellUchechiM.WalshAndersonCascoe-Newman 13-Aug-2022Chatham TownHPISEdiv2161-0PiersonF.WalshStrakerUnwinParkerWilsonDanielBriggsAnderson 1CornwellM.WalshUchechiPeranaPreece-Placid 16-Aug-2022Cray ValleyAPISEdiv900-1PiersonF.WalshStrakerUnwinParkerWilsonDanielBriggsAndersonUchechiPrice-PlacidCornwellM.WalshAbie 20-Aug-2022LancingAFACupp1474-1PiersonF.WalshStrakerUnwinParkerWilsonDaniel 2BriggsCornwellUchechi 1Anderson 1M.WalshClarkePreece-Placid 27-Aug-2022Ashford UnitedAPISEdiv2862-2PiersonClarkeStrakerPeranaParkerWilsonPrice-PlacidBriggsCornwellUchechiM.WalshDaniel 1Abie 1Folkes 29-Aug-2022Haywards Heath TownHPISEdiv2702-1PiersonF.WalshStrakerUnwinParkerWilsonDaniel 1BriggsCornwellUchechiAnderson 1FoakesM.WalshPrice-Placid SEPTEMBER

03-Sep-Beckenham TownHFACup12452-2PiersonF.WalshStrakerUnwinParkerWilsonDaniel 1BriggsCornwellUchechiAnderson 1FoakesPrice-PlacidCascoe06-Sep-Beckenham TownAFACup11981-3PiersonClarkeStrakerUnwinParkerWilsonPrice-PlacidBriggsFolkesAbleM.WalshDaniel 1 13-Sep-2022WroxhamAFAT1q1311-4PiersonF.WalshClarkeUnwinCooneyWilsonDaniel 1BriggsAndersonM. WalshPrice-PlacidCascoe-Abie 17-Sep-2022HPISEdiv2360-1PiersonF.WalshStrakerUnwinParkerWilsonPrice-PlacidBriggsCornwellUchechiAndersonM.WalshFolkesPerana Sheppey United OCTOBER

01-Oct Burgess Hill TownAPISEdiv4530-1PiersonF.WalshStrakerUnwinParkerWilsonDanielBriggsCornwellUchechiAndersonPrice-PlacidPeranaM.Walsh 08-Oct-2022LancingHPISEdiv2372-0PiersonF.WalshStrakerPeranaParkerWilsonDaniel 1Briggs 1CornwellPrice-PlacidM.WalshA.ClarkeAndersonAbie 11-Oct-2022Three BridgesAPISEdiv1493-2PiersonF.WalshStrakerPeranaParkerWilsonDanielBriggs 1AndersonPrice-PlacidM.WalshCornwellClarkeUnwin 15-Oct-2022RamsgateHPISEdiv2 0 11-3PiersonF.WalshM.WalshPeranaParkerWilsonDanielBriggsAnderson 1CornwellPrice-PlacidUchechiUnwinSargent 18-Oct-2022LeatherheadHVT11191-1PiersonClarkeM.WalshUnwinParkerGarnerEverettAbieFolkesCascoe-NewmanPrice-PlacidWilliamsAkabuoguBuchananSargent 22 Oct WhitehawkAPISEdiv3510-2PiersonF.WalshStrakerPeranaParkerWilsonCornwellBriggsAndersonDanielM.WalshEverittPrice-PlacidCascoe29 Oct Littlehampton TownHPISEdiv1850-1PiersonGarnerStrakerPeranaParkerWilsonDanielBriggsAndersonUchechiM.WalshF.WalshFolkesEverett NOVEMBER

05 Nov Faversham TownAPISEdiv2 6 11-3PiersonF.WalshStrakerM.WalshParkerWilsonDanielBriggsAnderson 1UchechiPrice-PlacidEverettUnwinCornwell Sevenoaks TownHPISEdiv2323-0PiersonF.WalshStrakerUnwinParkerWilsonDaniel 1NewmanAnderson 1UchechiM.WalshBriggsEverettWilliams 12-Nov1 19 Nov CorinthianAPISEdiv1121-1PiersonF.WalshM.WalshUnwinParkerWilsonDanielEverettWilliams 1UchechiAndersonBriggsFolkes 26-NovVCD AthleticAPISEdiv954-3ParkerSavaneStrakerUnwinPeranaWilson 1EverettBriggs 1Williams 1AndersonM.Walsh 1Folkes 1UchechiAbie

DECEMBER

03/12/22Beckenham TownHPISEdiv1820-2PiersonSavaneStrakerM.WalshPeranaWilsonEverettBriggsAndersonUchechiWilliamsParkerFolkesDaniel 26/12/22Haywards Heath TownAPISEdiv3480-2PiersonSavaneStrakerUnwinParkerWilsonDanielBriggsWilliamsGreenwoodM.WalshUchechiAndersonFolkes

JANUARY

02/01/23Chichester CityHPISEdiv 07/01/23Chatham TownAPISEdiv 14/01/23Cray ValleyHPISEdiv 17/01/23SittingbourneAPISEdiv 21/01/23Faversham TownHPISEdiv 24/01/23Hythe TownHPISEdiv 28/01/23Sevenoaks TownAPISEdiv

FEBRUARY

04/02/23CorinthianHPISEdiv 11/02/23Littlehampton TownAPISEdiv 14/02/23Three BridgesHPISEdiv 18/02/23LancingAPISEdiv 25/02/23Burgess Hill TownHPISEdiv

MARCH

04/03/23Sheppey UnitedAPISEdiv 11/03/23RamsgateAPISEdiv 18/03/23WhitehawkHPISEdiv 25/03/23Ashford UnitedHPISEdiv

APRIL

01/04/23Hythe TownAPISEdiv 08/04/33SittingbourneHPISEdiv 10/04/23Chichester CityAPISEdiv 15-AprBeckenham TownAPISEdiv 22/04/23VCD AthleticHPISEdiv

APRIL

EastGrinsteadTownFC

PROGRAMMES FROM THE PAST

I’ll start my look back at old programmes for past games played on the second day of the New Year with Lingfield v East Grinstead on Monday 2 January 2012. Division One of the Sussex County League against our closest rivals just 3-4 miles away. The programme is one of the poorest I have seen, though I suppose that getting a programme ready and printed for early January is not the easiest task.

The manager’s notes by Dixie Dean have two and a half lines welcoming us and three and a half lines talking about Lingfield’s two most recent games, both of which they won – you might have thought that he’d take up a bit more space to tell us about those successes. He ends his notes by asking us to “Keep screaming”.

There is one more page taken up by Lingfield’s history - though if you were a Lingfield fan you’d have read the same thing in every home match programme.

We do get a league table (though no results or future games). Lingfield are seventh and we are three places below them. We had however played six more league matches than Lingfield (and nine more than Three Bridges) – and we had lost more league matches than we had won. Indeed after the Lingfield match we had only nine league games left.

I think I went to the game though I can’t remember much about it. Lingfield took the lead after some 30 minutes and we equalised ten minutes into the second half when Tony Reid converted a penalty.

But Lingfield restored their lead a few minutes afterwards and 2-1 to them was how it finished. And the Tony Reid that scored for us is the same Tony Reid who was our manager for the first few weeks of the 2021/22 season.

Not much to read at Lingfield 11 years ago.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

Some five years later we have the programme for East Grinstead v Hastings United on Monday 2 January 2017 – by now of course we were playing in the Isthmian League. As you can see from the front cover our programme covered two home matches over the New Year period – Greenwich Borough on New Year’s Eve as well as the Hastings match two days later.

You will see that the kick-off for the New Year’s Eve game was 1pm. I assume that this early kick-off time was so the players (and the spectators) had time to make themselves ready for New Year’s Eve celebrations?

We had also played on 27 December – away to Three Bridges where a Marcus Elliott hat-trick helped us in a 4-2 win – but not surprisingly the programme was printed before that game and so there is no mention of that Three Bridges game.

As it happens the last game before Christmas was another 4-2 away win for us and it gets ample coverage. (Maybe they are the only 4-2 wins in our time in the Isthmian League?) Cray Wanderers had been our hosts as we came back from being 2-0 downMarcus Elliot again among the goals with a pair of them.

One feature of our programmes over the Christmas period is that we have a photo of our Chairman Richard Tramontin wearing something Christmas-y. The tradition was maintained.

Back to the Hastings match. The programme’s league table shows us in 17th place (out of 24) with Hastings for once nowhere near the top in 11th place – though with games in hand over everybody above them. They had beaten us 20 down in Hastings early in the season. And to celebrate the New Year we again scored four goals –though this time we also conceded four goals. Marcus Elliott was once more amongst our goals with a couple, as was Tashi Kwayie. I don’t think I was at the game - I can’t remember how the goal-scoring went.

If you’ve had your memories jogged by this

piece then I’d be happy to hear from you at lestermedcalf@btinternet.com

Happy New Year!

Double issue for our New Year's games back in 2016-17

CHICHESTER CITY

The first Chichester Football Club was formed in 1873 and added the title 'City' to its name in 1948.

The club’s original home was Priory Park but it relocated to Oaklands Park in the early fifties. The club was represented at the inaugural meeting of the Sussex County FA in 1882 and featured in the first ever Sussex Senior Cup in the same year, losing 5-0 to Storrington. In 1896 Chichester became members of the newly formed West Sussex League and remained there until they joined the Sussex County League in 1920. The first major honour was achieved in 1926 when they won the Sussex Senior Cup but inter-war success was limited.

In 1960 Chichester clinched their first Sussex County League title and then retained it the following season, shared the Sussex RUR Cup with Brighton & Hove Albion after a 2-2 draw and reached the first round of the FA Cup, only to lose 11-0 to Bristol City. Chichester beat Eastbourne in the RUR Cup final in 1964 and recaptured the league title in 1968.

In the 1970s Chichester’s fortunes were mixed; the high point being another league championship in 1973 and a good run in the FA Amateur Cup. At the end of the decade, City faced relegation for the first time. However, the appointment of ex-Plymouth and Portsmouth player Richie Reynolds as manager sparked an amazing revival which saw City claw their way to safety. The following season was one of City’s best ever as Reynolds masterminded a league championship win.

The club was relegated though in 1983 after a dismal season. Promotion and Division Two Cup success followed in 1985 but they returned to the Second Division for the 198788 campaign, winning the Division Two Challenge Cup again in 1988.

Steve White took over as manager in 1990 and the side enjoyed another promotion campaign alongside Division Two Challenge Cup success. The club struggled for several seasons in the County League before again being relegated to Division Two in 1994. In 1997, City returned to Division One after

finishing runners-up. Permission was finally granted for floodlights at Oaklands Park and they remained in the top flight of the Sussex County League in one guise or another for over 20 years.

Following a millennium merger with Portfield FC the club became known as Chichester City United FC and in 2004 Adie Girdler and his assistant Gary Brockway led Chichester to their first Sussex County League title since 1980. The club also won the RUR Cup for a third time in 2007. At the start of the 20092010 season, following discussions with Chichester District Council, it was agreed to revert back to the name of Chichester City FC as this more clearly reflected the club and the city.

The club faced challenges after this, both on and off the pitch, for a number of years. But a top five finish in the Southern Combination premier division in 2015-16 was followed by third place in 2016-17, a six month unbeaten run in the league and a record fifth round appearance in the FA Vase.

In 2018 Chi gained promotion to Step 4 for the first time after clinching the SCFL premier division title in 2018-19. Darin Killpartrick joined the coaching staff in 2019 and an exceptional start to life in the Isthmian League was complemented by an extraordinary FA Cup adventure as City made it to the first round. In a unique FA Cup first round draw Chichester, the lowest ranked team left in the competition, were given the bye into the second round, only to lose 5-1 away at Tranmere Rovers.

visitors recent league forM

TODAYS Teams

EAST GRINSTEAD FC CHICHESTER CITY

Matte Pierson cc Junior Savane cc

Tariq Straker cc

Lewis Unwin cc Harrison Parker cc Glenn Wilson cc Matthew Daniel cc Andrew Briggs cc Sam Williams cc Charlie Greenwood cc Max Walsh cc

Daniel Uchechi cc Tahjae Anderson cc Omar Folkes cc Ryan Green cc Thibault Abie cc

Manager: Drew Cooney Colours: Amber & Black

Referee: Jonathan Wilks

Kieran Magee cc Ryan Davidson cc Rob Hutchings cc Jamie Horncastle cc Connor Cody cc Emmett Dunn cc Josh Clack cc Lloyd Rowlatt cc Ethan Prichard cc Ben Pashley cc Tom Chalaye cc Kaleem Haitham cc Joe Moore cc Isaac Bello cc Joe Clarke cc

Ollie Munt cc

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

Cray Valley PM Saturday January 14, 2023

Kick off 3pm

MATCH OFFICIALS

Assistant Referee: Harry Wood

VS Fin A l sCORe

EAST GRINSTEAD FC

Manager: Miles Rutherford Colours: White & Green trim ........ vs ........

TODAY’S OTHER GAMES

Corinthian vs Sittingbourne Faversham Town vs Hythe Town Lancing vs Littlehampton Town Ramsgate vs Chatham Town Sevenoaks Town vs Beckenham Town Sheppey United vs Ashford United

Assistant Referee: Ryan Calver

CHICHESTER CITY

Three Bridges vs Burgess Hill Town VCD Athletic vs Cray Valley PM Whitehawk vs Haywards Heath Town

This matchday programme was created online by www.matchday-programmes.co.uk