Sheppey United Feb 18 by brucetalbotegtfc

VS SHEPPEY UNITED

ISTHMIAN LEAGUE | SOUTH EAST DIVISION TUESDAY 18 FEBRUARY 2025 | KICK OFF 7.30PM

EAST GRINSTEAD TOWN FC

The Vistavis Community Stadium College Lane | East Grinstead | RH19 3LS

Tel: 01342 325885

FROM THE CHAIR

Good evening everyone and welcome to the Vistavis Community Stadium for tonight’s Isthmian League South East Division match against Sheppey United. I would like to extend a warm welcome to all the Sheppey officials, management, players and supporters as well as this evening’s match referee Jonathon Wilks and his assistants Nathaniel Roff and Mark Spence . I trust everyone enjoys their brief stay and our hospitality.

We played our first match for three weeks on Saturday against Steyning Town and it was one to forget. It was our first home match of 2025 and we certainly had the chances to secure victory in both halves. The match was a dull affair and had 0-0 written all over it until two minutes into stoppage time. Steyning were awarded a dubious free kick from which they then scored after not having really shown any threat on goal throughout the second half. That win moved Steyning off the bottom and Wasps stayed in 16th spot with 31 points from 25 games, 10 points clear of Lancing who are fourth from bottom and Wasps have six matches in-hand.

Tonight’s visitors are in the play-off places in fifth spot with 47 points from 30 games. Sheppey have lost their last three matches – a narrow 1-0 defeat at home against league leaders Ramsgate on Saturday and away defeats to Littlehampton Town and AFC Croydon Athletic.

Wasps travel to League leaders Ramsgate on Saturday before three consecutive home matches against Burgess Hill next Tuesday, Three Bridges the following Saturday and then Hythe Town on the next Tuesday.

Thank you all for coming along tonight and whatever the outcome of the match, I trust everyone enjoys their visit to East Court and I wish you all a safe journey home.

OWNERSHIP STATEMENT

In accordance with the Football Association's Rule 2.13 (publication of ownership) in relation to Step 1 to Step 6 Clubs within the National League System East Grinstead Town FC is an unincorporated association / members club and a Community Amateur Sports Club (reg no CASC 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: Kit manager:

Disability Team Manager:

Youth Coordinator & Development: Under-18 Managers:

Under-16 Amber Manager:

Under-16 Black Manager:

Under-14 Manager:

Under-12 Amber Manager:

Under 12 Black Manager:

Under 11 Manager:

Shannon McEvoy

Adam Robinson

Ant Bowler

Jay De Vito

Lewis McDonnell & Kevin Wright

Lewis McDonnell

Nigel Leach

Sean Clarabut

Ted Symes

Tom Butcher

Ben Payne

FROM THE Dugout

Evening everyone and welcome to tonight’s no doubt tough encounter against Sheppey. In my opinion Sheppey are without doubt one of the strongest teams in this league on their day. Year after year they finish in or around the playoffs so tonight’s fixture will be really hard, but as ever we believe if we play to our own strengths it’s a game we can get something from.

It’s been a really tough week for the squad and in particular Charlie Harris, who unfortunately lost his Dad Bradley Harris (a former Wasps’ player) a few days ago. I knew Bradley myself very well, so it was an honour to have his wife Lindsey and Charlie’s sister at Saturday’s game against Steyning where we honoured Bradley’s life with a minute’s silence. Special mention goes to Charlie who was involved in the matchday squad and who will have the full support of myself and the whole club going forward at this difficult time.

Saturday’s loss was a real sickener and tough to have to take. It was a very untidy game on a difficult surface and after two weeks without a game we knew it wasn’t going to be pretty. However, despite dominating pretty much all of the game we failed to take any of the four or five clear-cut chances we created although as the clock ticked down we had pretty much expected a point and a clean sheet.

But in the 92nd minute we failed to deal with a late free kick which was headed in and somehow we ended the game with nothing. Added to this we look to have injury concerns with Omar Folkes, Will Hoare and Ricardo Thompson going forward. This will put enormous pressure on an already small squad, but we will look to regroup and may try adding to the squad where and if we can.

As ever we thank everyone for all their support and ask you to get behind the lads again tonight.

SHEPPEY UNITED TheAwayEnd

Sheppey United – the last five seasons

The club went into the 2019/20 season with high hopes as many new, experienced players were added to the squad and by 14 March 2020 the team had certainly not disappointed. Unbeaten in the whole of 2020 with only nine league games remaining they were one of four clubs fighting for promotion from the Southern Counties League East and had also fought their way to the final of the Kent Senior Trophy. But then Covid happened… and the season was declared null and void. By November, after nine unbeaten games, Sheppey were once again amongst the front runners, five points behind top club Chatham, but with two games in hand. Once again Covid brought the season to an end but because of a re-structure to the Step 4 level the FA announced one club from the Step 5 SCEFL league would be promoted. This was to be decided by combining the last two season’s final league tables and promote the top club on a points per game system. Corinthian were top with an average of 2.38 ppg with Sheppey second on 2.22 ppg, therefore Sheppey lost out on promotion to the Isthmian League by just 0.16 of a point. The lack of football at this time gave the directors the opportunity to further upgrade Holm Park including an all-weather 3G pitch and new LED floodlights.

Four trophies – in one season

The 2021/22 season was one Sheppey will never forget not only was it our first on the newly installed 3G pitch, but we won a never to be equalled four trophies. The postponed 2019/20 Kent Senior Trophy final was won 3-1 against Corinthian. In April we competed for the 2021/22 Kent Senior Trophy against Hollands & Blair and won a tight match 2-1 to lift the same cup twice in the same season. The SCEFL Premier Division title was finally sealed on the final day of the season with a points tally of 102 then in May Sheppey beat Crowborough Athletic 5-1 in the League Cup final.

On winning promotion to the Isthmian League, the Isle of Sheppey welcomed a level of football not seen for 32 years since their days in the Southern League southern division. They did themselves proud in the first season back by finishing seventh, missing out on a top five and promotion play-off place by just two points. In the 2023/24 season Sheppey came seventh again, but this was overshadowed by a brilliant FA Cup run. Wins over Merthyr Town and Billericay Town from higher divisions took them into the first round proper for the first time in their history. A televised home tie against League 2 Walsall was the reward and Sheppey even went a goal up. But in the second half Walsall’s experience and fitness finally overcame the gallant Sheppey and the Saddlers eventually ran out 4-1 victors.

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 30 NovHLancingIsthmian South East1-3119Jabbie DECEMBER

Tue 3 DecHRamsgateIsthmian South East2-1102Lovatt 2

Sat 14 DecAHerne BayIsthmian South East2-1374Thompson, Harris

Tue 17 DecABeckenham TownIsthmian South East2-2182Tighe, Harris

Thu 26 DecAEastbourne TownIsthmian South East1-1309Tighe

Sat 28 DecHMargateIsthmian South East0-2210

JANUARY

Sat 18 JanALittlehampton TownIsthmian South East1-0278Harris pen

Tue 21 JanASittingbourneIsthmian South East0-3189

Sat 25 JanALancingIsthmian South East6-2263Lovatt 3, Daniel 2, Tighe

FEBRUARY

Sat 15 FebHSteyning Town CommunityIsthmian South East0-1139

Tue 18 FebHSheppey UnitedIsthmian South East7.30pm

Sat 22 FebARamsgateIsthmian South East3pm

Tue 25 FebHBurgess Hill TownIsthmian South East7.30pm

MARCH

Sat 1 MarHThree BridgesIsthmian South East3pm

Tue 4 MarHHythe TownIsthmian South East7.30pm

Sat 8 MarAErith TownIsthmian South East3pm

Tue 11 MarHBeckenham TownIsthmian South East7.30pm

Sat 15 MarHHerne BayIsthmian South East3pm

Sat 22 MarAHythe TownIsthmian South East3pm

Tue 25 MarHSevenoaks TownIsthmian South East7.30pm

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. SHEPPEY UNITED

Mattie Pierson

Warren Colman

Tom Cadman

Michael Wilson

Matthew Weaire

Glenn Wilson (C) nn

Finlay Lovatt

Charlie Harris

Connor Tighe

Alex Andrade Filipe

Omar Folkes

Matthew Daniel

Kieran Humpherston

Will Hoare

Luke Harrison

Terlochan Singh

Colours: Amber & Black

1 Aiden Prall nn 4 Olamilekan Majoyegbe (C)

5 Aaron Archibald nn 6 James Taylor

7 James Heasman

11 Gil Carvalho

Rhys Wyborn

Mamadou Diallo

Jordy Ndozid

Joshua Chambers nn 20 Oluwadamilola Olorunnisumo

2 Joseph Ganiwa nn 3 Ethan Cole nn

Joel Wakefield nn 19 Victor Aiye nn

8 Eitel Moumi Goueth nn

Burgess Hill Town

Tuesday 25th February 2025

7.30pm

Colours: Red & White

Referee: Jonathon Wilks

Assistant Ref: Nathaniel Rolf

Assistant Ref: Mark Spence

EAST GRINSTEAD TOWN HISTORY

Programmes from the Past by Lester Medcalf

I have a couple of programmes to share with you for games played in the past on today's date. I'm starting with a Sussex County League division one match East Grinstead v Horsham YMCA on Saturday 18 February 2012.

This would be our first game for three weeks and in welcoming our visitors Richard Tramontin reminds us that our team manager Simon Funnell had been Horsham YMCA's assistant manager at the start of the season. And a further reminder that we had already played our away league match v YMCA, a match which saw two goals from Gavin Gordon giving us a 2-0 lead at half-time only for HorshamYMCA to come back in the second half to beat us 4-2.

Our last game in the middle of January had been away to St Francis and again saw us lose a 2-0 half-term lead. First-half goals for us came from Michael Death and Conor Hider but the second half saw St Francis enjoying much more of the game and with 20 minutes left they had equalised. Further chances came and went for both sides though with five minutes left Niall Lee scored what proved to be our winning third goal. Simon Funnell thought that St Francis had deserved to win the game.

Richard Tramontin's notes talk about the FA's review of football at Step 4 and 5 level and a later page gives much more detail about the changes with a suggestion of who we could find ourselves playing against.

Let's get back to the Horsham YMCA match. The programme's league table shows us in the middle of the league, having lost four more games than we had won while Horsham YMCA were five places below us. And the difference between us became very clear as the game progressed. Goals from Tony Reid and Marc Pelling had us two goals ahead after the first 15 minutes. Early in the second half Tony Reid scored again and more or less straight afterwards completed his hat-trick. Horsham YMCA pulled a goal back but were followed by Tony Reid's fourth (and last) goal to give us a 5-1 win.

FEELING CHIPPER...

Moving on a few years we have East Grinstead v Chipstead on Saturday 18 February 2017 in the Isthmian League.

The previous Saturday had seen us beating Walton Casuals 7-3 (on Whyteleafe's 3G pitch) and so it's no surprise that the win gets lots of mention in the programme. However those three goals we conceded couldn't be ignored as Richard Tramontin reminds us -”although we can and do score goals we let in far too many. Manager Matt Longhurst was very happy with the goals last Saturday but far from happy with those we conceded.”

The seven goals we scored however gave Richard the opportunity to recall a few more of our past high scoring wins. Ten against Shoreham six years earlier, 8-0 against Worthing United three or four years earlier and another couple of 7-3 wins against Worthing United and Hailsham not too long ago. (But no mention of when we conceded lots of goals - like the Peacehaven match in the 1990s!)

We also have a number of photos from recent games – inevitably from that 7-3 win, but also from a recent 3-0 win against Molesey.

The programme's league table shows us in 17th place (24 teams in the league) with Chipstead a couple of places and six points below us – both teams probably thinking they could win the game. And there were stages in the match when both teams thought they had done enough to win. After some 30 minutes we found ourselves 2-0 up with both goals from Charlie Harris. Chipstead got back into the game with a goal just before half-time and then in the first 10 minutes of the second half they scored two more to take a 3-2 lead. Ten minutes to go and Chipstead still in the lead. Tashi Kwayie was then brought down by the Chipstead keeper and Charlie Harris scored goal number theree from the penalty spot to bring us level. A couple of minutes from the end and Dan Hogan's shot from outside the penalty area put us back in the lead – and 4-3 was how it ended. Lots of photos in our next home match programme. If you have had your memories jogged by this piece then I’d be happy to hear from you at lestermedcalf@btinternet.com.