East Grinstead Town v Three Bridges Feb 14 2023

EAST GRINSTEAD TOWN FOOTBALL CLUB

TheOHOBCommunityStadium|College Lane|EastGrinsteadRH193LS

Telephone : 01342 325885

Website : www.egtfc.co.uk

STAFF DIRECTORY

Chairman & Treasurer: Richard Tramontin

Vice Chairman & Secretary: Brian McCorquodale

Safety Officer: Barry Bryant

Media Manager: Bruce Talbot

Bar Manager & Webmaster: Stuart Gibson

First Team Manager: Drew Cooney

U23s Joint Managers: Andy Willis Grant Hearn

U18s Manager: Jay De Vito

Player Representative: Drew Cooney

Facilities Manager & Head of Youth

Development: Andy Willis

WELCOME TO EAST GRINSTEAD TOWN

Good evening and a warm welcome to everyone who has made the short trip from Three Bridges. It seems odd that the league have allocated this game and the reverse fixture (as well as a lot of other local derbies) to midweek nights. I'm sure they have their reasons - or it's just a computer thing - but gates are likely to be down compared to if it was a Saturday (or even Boxing or New Year's Day game), not forgetting it's also Valentine's Day.

Anyway, the league is as competitive as ever with just 13 points between ninth and 18th. Kent clubs are dominating the promotion race and occupy the bottom three places - and the Sussex contingent are all bunched in mid-table. I'm sure the respective managers tonight would be happy if that remained the case at the end of April!

We're back here on Saturday week to face Burgess Hill. C'mon the Wasps!

East Grinstead Town FC is a verified Community Amateur Sports Club.

LEAGUE DIVISION TABLE | 22 - 23

4Sheppey United2512584537841

5Cray Valley PM24117641231840

6Whitehawk24117639241540

ROLL OF HONOUR

SUSSEXCOUNTYLEAGUE:

DivisionTwochampions2007–08

BaldwinCupwinners1951–52

MID-SUSSEXLEAGUE:

Champions1901–02,1936–37

MontgomeryCupwinners1911–12,1912–13

SOUTHERNAMATEURLEAGUE:

DivisionThreechampions1931–32

SUSSEXRURCUP:

Winners2003–04

RECORDATTENDANCE

2006vLancing-FAAmateurCup,1947

Round–17thJanuary2015 www.egtfc.co.uk

7Ashford United26117843311240

8Sevenoaks Town2411493427737

9Chichester City249963228436

10Littlehampton Town2510693432236

11Hythe Town2410592526-135

12Lancing2695123644-832

13East Grinstead Town2393112732-530

14VCD Athletic2686123246-1430

15Three Bridges2284103436-228

16Haywards Heath Town2577113448-1428

17Burgess Hill Town2468103338-526

18Sittingbourne2458112332-923

19Corinthian2545162949-2017

20Faversham Town2635182560-3514

Up to and including February 4

Who We Are

MANAGER’S NOTES

We welcome everyone back for tonight's local derby against Three Bridges. We go into the game full of confidence after picking up seven points from the last three games. In that run we kept two clean sheets.

Saturday's 1-1 draw away to Littlehampton left the players really frustrated but if you had asked me a month or so ago would I take a point away to them I would have taken that all day long!

As I explained to the lads after Saturday's game, we need to be tactical where and when we pick our points up. Again we have set the lads a target for the month and we are well on our way towards meeting it, but need to keep the momentum going and our home games are critical to that!

It’s a difficult month with so many fixtures and my aim is keep making sure that game by game we are as fresh as we can be. This gives the whole squad lots of game time and special mention goes to Thibault Abie and Omar Folkes - these two lads have been training hard over the past few months with limited game time but already this month they have both been a big part in what we are doing and will continue to play a huge part until the end of the season.

As I have explained to the lads there is no way we can go eight games this month with no injuries and that has proved to be the case with Glenn Wilson missing Saturday's game at Littlehampton due to

a groin strain. Hopefully, he will feature in tonight's match.

As I have said previously, we need to remain focused as the table is so tight from 9th-18th, so we need to really try and continue this unbeaten run and see where we get to come the end of the month.

We thank you all again for all your support home and away. It is much appreciated.

Good luck to us! Drew.

DREW COONEY

Photo courtesy of Stuart Gibson

CHAIRMAN’S NOTES

Good evening everyone and welcome to The OHOB Community Stadium for tonight’s Isthmian League South East Division match against near neighbours Three Bridges.

We extend a warm welcome to Jamie Crellin and Danny Lee, their players and staff, the Bridges’ officials and supporters, as well as to today’s referee Daniel Austin and his assistants Ashley Rodi and Richard Sargeant. We trust you all enjoy your short stay and our hospitality.

Drew Cooney’s Wasps are currently in 13th place with 30 points after 23 games, two points and two places ahead of Three Bridges who have a match in hand.

Both teams drew on Saturday – Bridges led fifth placed Cray Valley PM 2-1 at half time but conceded with seven minutes to go. Wasps took the lead at Littlehampton in the 29th minute from a Samuel (Benga) Williams spot kick which saw Golds’ Scott Kirkwood sent off for his foul that led to the penalty, but Marshall Ball equalised nine minutes later following a free kick before which play should have been stopped and a free kick awarded to us for a clear handball which went unpunished.

Although disappointed that we didn’t get the win on Saturday, Wasps have picked up seven points in the last three matches which we would have gladly taken immediately after two arguably better performances against Chatham and Sevenoaks where we came away with nothing.

Bridges have drawn their last three matches which followed a 3-1 home defeat to Hythe on the back of a 2-0 win over league leaders Ramsgate.

The two teams last met at the Jubilee Field in October with Wasps coming away with the

spoils in a 3-2 win after being 2-0 up at half time. Bridges drew level in the first ten minutes of the restart, but Andrew Briggs got the winner in the 67th minute.

Wasps travel to Lancing on Saturday for our fourth meeting this season and then to Sittingbourne next Tuesday (7.45pm ko). We then have two home matches against Burgess Hill (Saturday 25th) and Cray Valley on Tuesday 28th (7.30pm ko).

Before then, our Under-18s are here v Walton & Hersham on Thursday and the Under-23s host Margate the following Thursday (both 7.30pm kick off)

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

Enjoy the match

RichardTramontin(Chairman)

Photo courtesy of Stuart Gibson

FIXTURES & RESULTS

AUGUST

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-PlacidCascoe-

06-Sep-Beckenham TownAFACup11981-3PiersonClarkeStrakerUnwinParkerWilsonPrice-PlacidBriggsFolkesAbleM.WalshDaniel 1

13-Sep-2022WroxhamAFAT1q1311-4PiersonF.WalshClarkeUnwinCooneyWilsonDaniel 1BriggsAndersonM. WalshPrice-PlacidCascoe-Abie

17-Sep-2022Sheppey UnitedHPISEdiv2360-1PiersonF.WalshStrakerUnwinParkerWilsonPrice-PlacidBriggsCornwellUchechiAndersonM.WalshFolkesPerana

OCTOBER

01/10/22Burgess 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 22/10/22WhitehawkAPISEdiv3510-2PiersonF.WalshStrakerPeranaParkerWilsonCornwellBriggsAndersonDanielM.WalshEverittPrice-PlacidCascoe29/10/22Littlehampton TownHPISEdiv1850-1PiersonGarnerStrakerPeranaParkerWilsonDanielBriggsAndersonUchechiM.WalshF.WalshFolkesEverett

NOVEMBER

O5/11/22Faversham TownAPISEdiv2 6 11-3PiersonF.WalshStrakerM.WalshParkerWilsonDanielBriggsAnderson 1UchechiPrice-PlacidEverettUnwinCornwell

12-NovSevenoaks TownHPISEdiv2323-0PiersonF.WalshStrakerUnwinParkerWilsonDaniel 1NewmanAnderson 1UchechiBriggsEverettWilliams 1

19/11/22CorinthianAPISEdiv1121-1PiersonF.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 CityHPISEdiv2123-2PiersonParkerStrakerM.WalshGreen 1WilsonGreenwoodBriggsAndersonUchechiDaniel 1UnwinFolkesWilliams 1

07/01/23Chatham TownAPISEdiv6820-1PiersonSavaneParkerUnwinGreenWilsonDanielGreenwoodWilliamsUchechiM.WalshBriggsAndersonStraker

28/01/23Sevenoaks TownAPISEdiv1711-3PiersonParkerStrakerUnwinGreenWilsonDaniel 1GreenwoodWilliamsM.WalshBriggsAndersonUchechi

FEBRUARY

04/02/23CorinthianHPISEdiv1521-0PiersonBriggsUnwinParkerGreenWilsonAndersonGreenwood 1WilliamsUchechiM.WalshStrakerLawrenceDaniel

07/02/23Faversham TownHPISEdiv1051-0PiersonSavaneStrakerParkerGreenWilsonUnwinAbieDanielGreenwood 1FolkesBriggsM.Walsh

11/02/23Littlehampton TownAPISEdiv2221-1PiersonSavaneStrakerUnwinGreenParkerDanielGreenwoodWilliams 1M.WalshBriggsFolkesAnderson

14/02/23Three BridgesHPISEdiv

18/02/23LancingAPISEdiv

21/02/23SittingbourneAPISEdiv

25/02/23Burgess Hill TownHPISEdiv

28/02/23Cray ValleyHPISEdiv

MARCH

04/03/23Sheppey UnitedAPISEdiv

07/03/23Hythe TownHPISEdiv

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

PROGRAMMES FROM THE PAST

Here we are in 2023 half way through February and so I’m going to have a look, helped by the programmes, at games played in the past in the middle of February.

We’ll start with East Grinstead v Selsey on Saturday, 14 February 2004 in the Sussex County League division one (the top league at that time). The club notes start with a welcome to our visitors from the south of the county with a reminder that they had beaten us 3-0 in their home match in October.

However what the club notes really want to talk about is our recent Sussex RUR Charity Cup semi-final 2-0 win against Oakwood –leading to our first Cup Final since 1975. A goal in the first minute from Kris Trevor helped a lot with a second goal from Steve Banks some ten minutes before the end making sure. Our opponents in the final would be either Three Bridges or Chichester. It turned out to be Three Bridges – as it happens our opponents for this evening’s match in 2023.

Later in the programme we are told that our 2004 coach Dennis Moore had played in that 1975 Cup Final and his son Steve Moore would, injury permitting, play for us in the 2004 final (which he did).

One other big piece of news in the programme was that St Leonards, with debts of £20,000, had withdrawn from the league and all their results had been removed. One likely consequence of this was that only one team would be relegated at the end of the season –this was of significance for our 2004 visitors Selsey who were second from bottom. We meanwhile were in seventh place.

So how did that 2004 game go? We dominated the first half with goals from Adam Dart and Steve Banks in the first 30 minutes putting us 2-0 up, and with the Selsey keeper keeping his team in the match. Early in the second half Selsey’s Alan Morey put them back in the

game but we were able to see the game out for a 2-1 win.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

One of the last years with a pre-printed programme cover

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

Moving on a few years we have East Grinstead v Hassocks on Saturday 13 February 2010 again in division one of the County League

Bruce Talbot in his club notes has a bit of a go at whoever was doing the County League fixtures. We had only played the away game at Hassocks at the end of January (where we lost 1-0 to a very early Hassocks goal) while there were two or three clubs we hadn’t played at all And we were also part way through a run of four consecutive home matches.

Perhaps he was just getting rid of his disappointment at our very poor midweek performance at home to Crowborough. On what was a bitterly cold evening we had lost 31. Sharing that disappointment was manager Steve Johnson who had now been in charge for just over a year. That Crowborough defeat made it seven consecutive defeats (with only three goals to our name) and had started at a time where we looked to be doing okay.

Indeed in our better first half to the season we had had a couple of 5-1 wins as well as a 4-1 win – as it happens all those three wins came in away matches.

The league table tells its own story. We were second from bottom (19th out of 20 teams) and Crowborough’s midweek win took them off the bottom to one place above us Hassocks meanwhile were in ninth place. So did the match against Hassocks mark our recovery spot? No great surprise that we again failed to score – but neither did Hassocks and so we picked up our first point since the middle of December.

If any of you have had your memories jogged by this piece then I’d be happy to hear from you at lestermedcalf@btinternet.com.

Front cover from our game v Hassocks back in 2010

THREE BRIDGES

THREE BRIDGES - THE ISTHMIAN LEAGUE YEARS

Their first season in the Isthmian Football League South Division saw them struggle for much of the time. However, having been 10 points adrift at the bottom of the table in mid February, they went on a run of 11 matches that produced seven victories. It meant that they survived the drop, but their second season saw them struggle at times again but some key signings midway through the season helped them to 19th place.

The 2014/15 season saw an even greater improvement with a healthy mixture of youth and experience guiding them into seventh position and, whilst they were happy to score 94 League goals, they were less than happy about the 95 they conceded! They improved their defensive record in conceding 67 goals in season 2015/16 but only scored 59, hardly helped by long-term injuries to strike partners Allan Tait and Tony Garrod. With 66 points, they slumped to 14th position, although they only accumulated six points fewer than in the previous campaign!

Bridges maintained most of that season's squad for the 2016/17 campaign. However, with at least 11 first team players out injured by September, they had to use a lot of the U21s, Academy and U18s players and by November had lost 12 games in a row, drew three and won just one game. Towards the end of the season, they strengthened the squad but it was too late to avoid relegation. For the 2017/18 season, Bridges kept a few of the best of the players from the previous season and strengthened the team with more experienced players in the hope of promotion once again.

That season turned out to be an extremely tough one with every team wanting to beat us. However, Bridges accomplished what they set out to do by gaining promotion back to the Isthmian League having finished second place in the Southern Combination League Premier Division, just one point behind the winners, Haywards Heath Town, and despite having only lost three games all season.

After serving 25 years with the Club as a manager, Paul Faili stood down as First Team Manager for the 2018/19 season in order to concentrate on his role as Club Chairman, and handed the management reins over to Martin Dynan, assisted by Liam Collins alongside Keith George.

After losing eight out of 12 League games by the end of November, as well as being knocked out of all four cup competitions the future looked bleak for Martin Dynan. However, the team then went on an unbeaten run in December, but that didn’t last and Martin’s demise was inevitable by the end of February.

Paul Faili stepped in for the remaining nine games of the season and they finished 14 points clear of relegation in 14th.

Paul remained as Manager, ably assisted by Keith George and coached by Jamie Crellin who played for the Club for five seasons, but sadly had to hang up his boots after sustaining an ankle injury, having made 164 appearances for the Club.

2021/22 saw Crellin take over as First Team Manager, with both Danny Lee and Lee Cole (former Academy manager and coach) returning to the club to join Jamie in the dugout as assistant manager and First Team coach respectively.

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SQUAD STATS

TODAYS Teams

EAST GRINSTEAD FCTHREE BRIDGES

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: Dan Austin

GRINSTEAD

Mitch Bromage cc

Dan Ferreria cc

#Michael Wilson cc

Tad Bromage cc

Bryan Villavicencio cc

Curtis Gayler cc

Brannon O'Neill cc

Kieron Pamment cc

Noel Leighton cc

Joe Tennent cc

Billy Irving cc

Leo Anderson cc

Giani Ashley cc

Joe Stone cc

Camron Lawson cc

Harvey Woollard cc

Manager: Jamie Crellin

Colours: Grey & Sky 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

BURGESS HILL TOWN

Saturday, February 25, 2023

Kick off 3pm

TODAY’S OTHER GAMES

Chichester City vs Littlehampton Town

Cray Valley PM vs Beckenham Town

Haywards Heath Town vs Burgess Hill Town

Hythe Town vs Sittingbourne

Whitehawk vs Lancing

MATCH OFFICIALS

Assistant Referee: Ashley Rodi

VS Fin A l sCORe

Assistant Referee: Richard Sargeant

THREE BRIDGES