East Grinstead Town v Whitehawk, April 4 2023

THE OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME OF EAST GRINSTEAD TOWN FC 2022/23

EAST GRINSTEAD TOWN FOOTBALL CLUB

TheOHOBCommunityStadium| CollegeLane|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

East Grinstead Town FC is an unincorporated association/members club and is a Community Amateur Sports Club, reg. no CASC 02270

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

WELCOME TO EAST GRINSTEAD TOWN

Good evening and welcome to what we hope (weather permitting) will be our last midweek game of the season. A warm welcome to all those who have made the trip up from Brighton to support Whitehawk.

Our visitors could go second if they win but I'm sure we will make it very difficult for them. The performance in our last home against play-off chasing Ashford was good - and although we left it late Matt Daniels' superbly-taken equaliser in stoppage time was no more than we deserved. We wish Matt all the best in his recovery from the broken tibia he suffered in the 4-0 loss at Hythe on Saturday.

There is little room for error at both ends of the table after that disappointing defeat and although there is a cushion between us and the teams 17th and 18th (who might end up in a play-off) I think two wins from the last five ought to keep us out of that potential scenario. So a lot to play for ahead of a busy Easter. Come on you Wasps!

LEAGUE DIVISION TABLE | 22 - 23

4Cray Valley PM34178962342859

5Beckenham Town33185105445959

6Ashford United34169955411457

7Sheppey United341671163501355

8Hythe Town34167114032855

9Sevenoaks Town331561249391051

10Chichester City331210114742546

11Littlehampton Town33127144453-943

12Sittingbourne33912123637-139

13Three Bridges33109144853-539

14Lancing34116174456-1239

15East Grinstead Town33115173559-2438

16Burgess Hill Town3489174653-735

17Haywards Heath Town34811154568-2335

18VCD Athletic3397173757-2034

19Faversham Town3366213569-3424

20Corinthian3358202652-2623

Up to and including 1 April

Who We Are

MANAGER’S NOTES

We welcome everyone back for tonight’s rearranged fixture.

Tonight’s game comes after another poor showing on Saturday away at Hythe. The biggest upset was the injury to Matt Daniels, who has fractured his tibia and will be out of action for the rest of the season. We all wish him well

The game started fairly brightly for us on a really really poor surface, but as we have done far too often of late we conceded the first goal. We then conceded the second whilst down to 10 men with MD off the pitch and after that we didn't really didn’t look like getting back in the game.

Hythe do what they do very well especially at home. We genuinely must have conceded 25 long throws in our final third in the first half, along with six or seven corners. This was really frustrating for me as the information I gave the lads pre-match was do not concede corners and avoid the long throw. The law of averages tells you that conceding this amount against a team who probably have at least six players above 6ft 3in means you are going to concede goals!

It wasn’t an ideal start with Matty Pierson playing whilst his wife was in labour with their first child, so he can be forgiven on the first goal which really should have just been tipped over the bar.

We need to put this game behind us quickly and I have asked the lads for far more consistency, we can’t play how we did at home to Ashford United ten days ago and then put that showing on against Hythe. Not only that but we just cannot seem to stop conceding goals away from home, we seem to fall apart and it's not good enough.

DREW COONEY

Whitehawk will be extremely tough tonight as they are still in the hunt to win the league outright, but we will do our best to bounce back. Again, we will be light on numbers with Matty missing, MD out and possibly Glenn Wilson unavailable after his marathon run on Sunday down in Brighton.

We must try and take something out of this game and carry that into Saturday’s huge match which is again at home to Sittingbourne. That really is a massive one for us and we must look to take all three points to keep the bottom four at bay.

Everyone’s support tonight and on Saturday is critical for not only myself and the management team but more so for the lads. Please give them plenty of vocal encouragement.

Drew

Photo courtesy of Stuart Gibson

CHAIRMAN’S NOTES

Good evening everyone and I hope I’m not tempting fate by finally welcoming you to The OHOB Community Stadium for tonight’s rearranged Isthmian League South East Division match against Whitehawk which has been postponed twice recently because of a waterlogged pitch.

We extend a warm and hopefully dry welcome to Shaun Saunders, his players and staff, the Hawks’ officials and supporters as well as to this evening’s match referee Billy Woods and his assistants Christopher Stobart and Mark Fitzpatrick and of course our own Wasps supporters. We trust you all enjoy your short stay and our hospitality.

Sean Saunders’ Hawks remained in third place despite losing 2-1 to Chatham Town on Saturday who moved into top spot above Ramsgate whose match was postponed. In front of a crowd of 1,480, the Chats took the lead in the 18th minute but the Hawks drew level just before the break, Kris Oti with the equaliser. Chatham clinched all three points deep into added time at the end of the match from the penalty spot.

It wasn’t a good away day for us at Hythe on Saturday. On what I would politely say was a very difficult pitch not conducive to playing good football, the Cannons took the lead in the 19th minute when Matte Pierson could only palm a long range free kick from under his bar straight at Jack Steventon who bundled the ball into the net.

Matt Daniel suffered a fractured tibia shortly before half time – we would like to thank the Hythe physio and staff for the support they gave MD when the incident occurred and for stretchering him off the field. We all wish him a speedy recovery.

Shortly after the very unfortunate incident, Wasps conceded a second and although we created a few chances in the second half, Hythe scored a further twice but Matte Pierson did

save a penalty kick. He rushed off after the match to be with his partner who gave birth to their daughter in the early hours of Sunday morning. Congratulations Matte and Izzy from all at EGTFC.

Wasps remain in 15th spot, three points ahead of Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill and just one point behind Lancing (who have played one more), Three Bridges and Sittingbourne who are 12th.

We are home again on Easter Saturday against Sittingbourne and away at Chichester City on Easter Monday – both game kick off at 3pm. The following Saturday we are away at Beckenham Town and are at home for the last match of the league season on Saturday 22nd April against VCD Athletic.

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.

Enjoythematch

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 BridgesHPISEdiv2211-1PiersonBriggsStrakerParkerGreenWilsonDanielGreenAnderson 1FolkesAbieUnwinWalshPerana

18/02/23LancingAPISEdiv1691-0PiersonUnwinStrakerAbieGreenParkerDanielBriggsWilliamsUchechiM.Walsh 1AndersonFolkes

21/02/23SittingbourneAPISEdiv1210-2PiersonUnwinStrakerAbieGreenParkerDanielBriggsAndersonM.WalshFolkesPeranaLawrenceUchechi

25/02/23Burgess Hill TownHPISEdiv2600-4PiersonBriggsParkerUnwinPeranaGreenDanielM.WalshWilliamsUchechiStrakerAstleAnderson

28/02/23Cray ValleyHPISEdiv890-3PiersonSavaneStrakerAbieGreenPeranaAstleUnwinWilliamsFolkesBriggsUchechiLawrenceDaniel

MARCH

28/02/23Sheppey UnitedAPISEdiv3221-4PiersonAstleM.WalshUnwinGreenWilsonDanielAbieWilliams 1BriggsUchechiFolkesAnderson

07/03/23Hythe TownHPISEdiv913-2PiersonSavaneParkerAbieGreenWilson 1Daniel 1UnwinM.Walsh 1AstleBriggsSummerfieldFolkes

11/03/23RamsgateAPISEdiv11410-5PiersonSavaneCooneySummerfieldGreenWilsonDanielAbieM.WalshAstleStrakerBriggsFolkesUchechi

25/03/23Ashford UnitedHPISEdiv21322PiersonParker 1StrakerUnwinT.CooneyWilsonDaniel 1SummerfieldAubreyM.WalshAstleBahFolkes

APRIL

01/04/23Hythe TownAPISEdiv2260-4PiersonParkerCooneyUnwinGreenWilsonDanielSummerfieldAubreyM.WalshAstleAbieFolkesBah

04/04/23WhitehawkHPISEdiv

08/04/33SittingbourneHPISEdiv

10/04/23Chichester CityAPISEdiv

15-AprBeckenham TownAPISEdiv

22/04/23VCD AthleticHPISEdiv

APRIL

PROGRAMMES FROM THE PAST

We’ll talk about a couple of games from the past which were played on more or less the same date as today’s match against Whitehawk – with the match programme issued for the match helping me.

To start with we have East Grinstead v Sidlesham on Saturday 18 March 2000 in division two of the Sussex County League. Bruce Talbot’s club notes welcome the visitors on perhaps their longest journey of the season - a team which Bruce says that “according to my maths are just two wins away from gaining promotion.”

He goes on to say that they have been top of the table for most of the season. So perhaps our away match in November when we only lost 3-2 was a good performance. However the score might have flattered us with our two goals - Steve Banks and James Hylton - both coming in the last three or four minutes.

The programme gives us three match reports with one of them about “the worst display of the season”. Our opponents Worthing United had spent an hour with 10 players after a sending off and still won 2-1. Perhaps just as well that in our next game away to Mile Oak – a fixture which “has never been a happy hunting ground for us” - we won 3-1.

Manager Bobby Smith in his notes says much the same thing about those matches, though he had missed the Mile Oak match because of a family celebration.

I’ve already told you that Sidlesham were top of the league. We were in 13th position out of the 18 teams in the league and just about keeping ourselves out of the relegation battle.

We did ourselves no favours though and Sidlesham went back home with a 5-1 win. Our goal came from Steve Banks and brought us back in the game at 2-1 – but giving away two penalties and scoring an own goal didn’t make

it too hard for our visitors.

Continued on Page 11

Continued from Page 10

Moving on a few years we have East Grinstead v Eastbourne United on Saturday 19 March 2011 in division one of the County League. Bruce Talbot’s notes start by telling us what a tough season our visitors were having, especially for a club that had been League champions two seasons ago - most of that winning squad having departed. However they did have ambitious development plans for their ground which might attract players in the future.

Manager Tony Beckingham says that it‘s great to be back at home as this would be our first home game for five weeks after five consecutive away matches – and later in April we would again have a run of 5 consecutive away matches!

Both he and Richard Tramontin in his notes talk about the injuries we incurred away to Hailsham. Four players had to leave the pitch and with the maximum number of subs being three we had to play the last 30 minutes with just 10 players.

A 0-0 draw in a “scrappy tussle on an awful pitch” was OK. And the match also saw Dave Tidy back in goal – five years after his previous appearance!

Eastbourne United were bottom of the league – two wins, four draws and 24 defeats – while we were doing pretty well in fifth place – and games in hand over most of the teams around us though top of the league Crawley Down, who had only been beaten once, had three games in hand over us.

In a horribly poor first half we had a nasty surprise when Eastbourne took the lead after 15 minutes and they might have had a couple more. We did pull a goal back after some 40 minutes through Peter Cooper.

After the riot act was read to the team at halftime we did re-assert ourselves with second half goals from Ashley Alexander, Marc Pelling and Rikki Cable seeing us win 4-1.

If you’ve had your memory jogged by this article then Lester Medcalf would be happy to hear from you at

A second-half surge saw us win 4-1 12 years ago.

WHITEHAWK

WHITEHAWK FC IN THE LAST THREE DECADES

The club gained its first club house in September 1980, using what was originally a prefabricated building that had been a temporary bank in Haywards Heath. This structure was replaced on the same footprint by a brick clubhouse that still stands today. Again, all the work was done by volunteers. A perimeter fence was added to the ground in 1981 and under new manager Sammy Donnelly, the Hawks won promotion from County League Division 2 as champions.

They entered the FA Cup for the first time in the 1982–83 season but lost 5–2 at Dartford in their first match. In 1983–84 Whitehawk won Sussex County League Division One for the third time, winning their last 18 games of the season, as well as enjoying a good run in the FA Vase before losing 1-0 at Corinthian Casuals in the fourth round.

1986–87 saw the Hawks finish as runners-up to Arundel. Youth team player Ian Chapman was signed by Brighton & Hove Albion and became their youngest ever player when he made his first team debut in 1987. Chapman went on to play over 300 league games for the Albion and Gillingham, the record for league games by any former Hawk.

In 1988–89, again under manager Sammy Donnelly, Whitehawk had what was at the time their best run in the FA Cup, going out 2-0 in a fourth qualifying round replay to Bognor Regis Town, having previously drawn 2–2 at Nyewood Lane. Former Brighton & Hove Albion winger Gerry Fell scored the second equaliser in the away game with virtually the last kick of the match after coming off the bench. Mark Dunk scored the Hawks’ opener.

The home attendance record of 2,100 at the Enclosed Ground for the replay stood for 27 years and was only bettered in 2015 for the FA Cup 2ndround replay with Dagenham and Redbridge.

Floodlights were erected in 1988 and were first used in a match organised to mark the occasion against then First Division Luton Town on 21 March 1988. The game finished 22. Luton sent their first team down for the game, less than a week before they met Arsenal in the League Cup Final at Wembley, thanks to the link the Hawks had with the old Albion player Steve Foster.

The Hawks won the Sussex RUR Cup for the third time in 1990–91, beating Peacehaven & Telscombe in the final 2–1, with youth player Darren Freeman, later to become our most successful ever manager, heading the winner.

1993–94 was another good season for the club, finishing once again as runners-up, this time to Wick, as well as having at the time our best ever run in the FA Vase, reaching the fifth round before losing 3-2 at home to Boston Town.

In 2006–07 the Hawks reached the quarterfinal of the FA Vase, losing 1-0 at home to the eventual winners Truro City in front of a crowd of 1,009. Under Russell Bromage in 2007-08, the Hawks once more finished runners up in the league.

The club finally achieved the league title success that had previously eluded them, winning the County League in 2009–10 under Darren Freeman, to gain promotion to the Isthmian League Division One South.

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SQUAD STATS

TODAYS Teams

EAST GRINSTEAD FC WHITEHAWK

Mattie Pearson cc

Harrison Parker cc

Thomas Cooney cc

Lewis Unwin cc

Ryan Green cc

Glenn Wilson © cc

Tom Summerfield cc

Ben Aubrey cc

Max Walsh cc

Matt Astle cc

Omar Folkes cc

Tariq Straker cc

Thibault Abie cc

Dean Perana cc

Lamin Bah cc

Daniel Uchechi cc

Manager: Drew Cooney

Luke Glover cc

Hamish Morrison cc

Leon Moore cc

Joel Daly cc

Nathan Cooper cc

Luca Cocoracchio cc

Alfie Rogers cc

Charlie Harris cc

Kris Oti cc

Rob O’Toole cc

Luke Robinson cc

Will Miles cc

Stefan Wright cc

Charlie Lambert cc

Marvin Herschel cc

Lauric Diakiesse cc

Manager: Shaun Saunders

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

SITTINGBOURNE

Saturday April 8 2023

Kick off 3pm

Referee: Billy Woods

VS Fin A l sCORe

Colours: Red

TODAY’S OTHER GAMES

MATCH OFFICIALS

Assistant Referee: Matt Charles

Colours: Amber & Black WHITEHAWK

GRINSTEAD FC

Assistant Referee: Mark Fitzpatrick

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