VS LITTLEHAMPTON TOWN
ISTHMIAN LEAGUE | SOUTH EAST DIVISION SATURDAY 29 MARCH 2025 | KICK OFF 3PM
EAST GRINSTEAD TOWN FC
The Vistavis Community Stadium College Lane | East Grinstead | RH19 3LS
Tel: 01342 325885
FROM THE CHAIR
Good afternoon everyone and welcome to the Vistavis Community Stadium for today’s Isthmian League South East Division match against Littlehampton Town.
I would like to extend a warm welcome to all the Littlehampton officials, management, players and supporters as well as this afternoon’s match referee Pablo Aguilar Cabanes and his assistants JohnPatrick Kane and Patrick O'Reilly. I trust everyone enjoys their brief stay and our hospitality.
I was unable to attend Tuesday’s match here against Sevenoaks - by all accounts we didn’t deserve to lose but conceded a penalty in the 83rd minute and were punished again a minute later.
Today’s visitors are just one place above the relegation zone, with two more points than fourth from bottom Phoenix Sports, who have a game in hand. Phoenix are away at Burgess Hill this afternoon. Littlehampton drew at home to Erith Town last Saturday following a win against AFC Croydon. They will be determined to try and avenge the defeat at the hands of Wasps at the Sportsfield in January when we played for 83 minutes with 10 men, Charlie Harris scoring from the spot in the second half.
Drew Cooney’s Wasps are in 15th place with 44 points after 35 matches. A win this afternoon would ensure mathematical safety still with another six matches to play.
We are at home again on Wednesday against Burgess Hill, a change to our normal midweek Tuesday night. Next Saturday we travel to Sheppey United.
We are still looking for a kit manager following Robbo’s relocation, so if anyone is interested, please get in touch.
Thank you all for coming along this afternoon 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
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 Vacant
Ant Bowler
Jay De Vito
Lewis McDonnell & Kevin Wright
Lewis McDonnell
Nigel Leach
Sean Clarabut
Ted Symes
Tom Butcher
Ben Payne
FROM THE Dugout
A WARM WELCOME TO TODAY'S GAME AGAINST LITTLEHAMPTON.
We come in to today's game off the back of Tuesday night's 3-1 home defeat against in-form Sevenoaks. It was more of the same of what we had seen earlier in the season if I’m honest. We dominated many parts of the game, especially with our set pieces, but weren’t clinical in taking our chances.
If both teams were honest it looked for 82 minutes that it was going to end in a fair draw! But unfortunately we were punished with a penalty after failing to comfortably clear our own lines. This was then quickly followed up by a counter-attacking goal only two minutes later.
That was so frustrating because we were actually breaking and in the Sevenoaks box when we gave the ball away and got done on the counter. We have been so poor this year at conceding quick-fire goals whilst on top and it is something which has to change.
As I’ve said previously it’s been a horrible couple of weeks for me and the coaching team, but we need to bounce back positively this weekend. We still have the opportunity to finish in the top half this season which will be a great achievement but we have to start finishing teams off when we are on top and not become reliant on seeing games out by the odd goal.
We will be missing a few more key players this weekend but are hopeful Tom Cadman and Connor Tighe will be back for Wednesday's tough local derby against high-flying Burgess Hill here at home.
As ever I'd like to thank everyone for their support as we look to finish this month on a positive note.
LITTLEHAMPTON TOWN TheAwayEnd
A history of the Golds
A HISTORY OF THE GOLDS
Littlehampton Town Football Club was officially in 1896, but evidence suggests football was played in the town as early as 1891 and the club started in 1893.
Littlehampton Town joined the Sussex County Football League in 1928 and the club stayed in Division 1 for 67 years. The first match in the new league was against Haywards Heath and the team won 5-1. In 1949 they won the Royal Ulster Rifles (RUR) Charity Cup and the Sussex Senior Challenge Cup.
The team changed to a gold strip in 1953 and the first reference to their nickname ‘The Marigolds’ was in the Littlehampton Gazette on 13th November 1953.
Under the guidance of Terry Gill the team were successful in the late 1960s and they won the Sussex Senior Challenge Cup again in 1970. Littlehampton Town were Division 1 runners-up eight times until they finally won the title in 1991. That year will never be forgotten.
A draw at Peacehaven & Telscombe in front of 1,400 fans meant Golds won the title on goal difference. The same year the club got through to the first round proper of The FA Cup. The highlight was a home match against Northampton Town, staged at The Sportsfield in front of 4,000 fans.
The Golds also reached the semifinal of the FA Vase, losing to Gresley Rovers over two legs. That year the team played more cup matches than league games and won the Sussex League Challenge Cup and reached the final of the Sussex Senior Cup too. Littlehampton Town dropped to Division 2 in 1995 and Carl Stabler came back as manager and took them back up in 1997, where they were again runners-up in the division. In 2003 they were relegated once more but made a swift return with a Division 2 league and cup double success. They fell out of the topflight again in 2008 and spent six years in Division 2.
Mark Bennett, a former player from the 1991 season, joined as manager and oversaw the Division 2 title in 2013, where they only lost four league games all season and were finalists in the John O’Hara Cup. In 2015 they recaptured the Division 1 title for the first time in 23 years on the final day and the last year of the Sussex County Football League.
With Mark Bennett’s departure, player George Gaskin took over management of the club and guided the team to a mid-table finish. A year later the team dropped out of the topflight and into Division 1. In 2018, Littlehampton Town welcomed back both Mark Bennett as manager and George Gaskin as striker to help rebuild the club and return them to former glories.
With Gaskin joined at the managerial helm by Mitchell Hand, the first year back in the Southern Combination Football League Premier Division was arguably the best in the team’s 126-year history to date. The Marigolds won the title, again on the final day of the season in front of 1,000 fans.
But it was also in the cups that brought them so much glory. As winners of both the League Cup and the RUR Charity Cup, a historic treble was nearly a quadruple as the team became the first from Sussex to reach Wembley to play in the FA Vase final, losing 3-0 to Newport Pagnell. Still, a fantastic achievement and the club finished a respectable 12th in their first-ever season at Step 4 in the Isthmian Football League South East Division in 2023.
Littlehampton finished in mid-table last season but this campaign has been a struggle, although they do have an appearance at the Amex in the Sussex Senior Cup to look forward to in May when they take on the holders Horsham.
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 East2-196Daniel, Humpherston
Sat 22 FebARamsgateIsthmian South East1-21208Tighe
MARCH
Sat 1 MarHThree BridgesIsthmian South East0-1220
Tue 4 MarHHythe TownIsthmian South East2-195Own goal, Lovatt
Sat 8 MarAErith TownIsthmian South East0-0107
Tue 11 MarHBeckenham TownIsthmian South East2-1121Gibson, Daniel
Sat 15 MarHHerne BayIsthmian South East0-4164
Tue 18 MarAMersthamIsthmian South East0-9356
Sat 22 MarAHythe TownIsthmian South East1-0287Tighe
Tue 25 MarHSevenoaks TownIsthmian South East1-3116Harrison
Sat 29 MarHLittlehampton TownIsthmian South East3pm APRIL
Wed 2 AprHBurgess Hill TownIsthmian South East7.30pm
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.
Mattie Pierson
Warren Colman
Tom Cadman
Michael Wilson
Matthew Weaire
Glenn Wilson (C)
Charlie Harris
Connor Tighe
Alex Andrade Filipe
Omar Folkes
Matthew Daniel
Kieran Humpherston
Will Hoare
Luke Harrison
Harrison Parker
Charlie Gibson
Brady Ayoola
Chris Ojemen
Colours:
TOWN
EAST GRINSTEAD TOWN HISTORY
Programmes from the Past by Lester Medcalf
As we approach the end of March I have a couple of programmes from the past for games played at this time. I'll start with a game played 22 years ago – East Grinstead v Eastbourne Town on Saturday 29 March 2003. Though in one or two places the programme says it's in 2002 with a 7.30 kick-off rather than 2003 with a 3 pm kick-off.
It's a County League division two match with both teams in the league's top three places. However, in welcoming our Eastbourne visitors we're told that following their win last week they had already got enough points to go up – and were now looking to gather enough points to win the league. The club notes go on to remind us that we had already played the league match down in Eastbourne – a 1-1 draw with Steve Banks scoring for us.
We next have a match report of our game on the previous Tuesday evening at home to middle of the table Shinewater. Team manager Bobby Smith tells us that in his view “nobody played poorly” and with a 5-0 win that seems very likely. Kris Trevor scored the only first half goal while in the second half James Horner helped himself to a hat-trick (the last of the three being a penalty) – with Steve Banks also scoring.
The programme's centre pages are taken up by an invite to buy one of the seats we were going to put in the stand over the following summer - 72 seats were planned with 23 having already been bought. (Of course, in 2025 we have some 160 seats).
Not much room left to talk about the game against Eastbourne – it was goalless though Ten minutes from the end an Adam Dart free-kick “clattered off the crossbar”. And earlier it looked as if Grant Hearn had given Eastbourne a penalty when one of their forwards went down under Grant's challenge. The ref thought otherwise saying that the player involved had dived - and so was booked.
A HAPPY EASTER AGAINST GUERNSEY
Moving on a few years we have East Grinstead v Guernsey on Easter Monday 28 March 2016 – in the Isthmian League of course - with cows on the front cover. Not sure why there are cows there. If I'm missing something I'm sure somebody will tell me.
A rather unusual item in Richard Tramontin's club notes - “a special day for the Guernsey manager's nephew who was born and still lives in East Grinstead and is our guest of honour”. He also reminds us of the “unrivalled hospitality” we were given on our visit to Guernsey in early January (we had lost 3-1) since when the form of both clubs had slipped. Our slip was particularly horrible with just one point in our 13 games since the New Year –and we had scored just one goal in our last 9 games. However, the performance in the most recent game against second in the table Dorking with two or three new signings and with the general approach of the team gave some hope – we had lost 2-0 but perhaps deserved at least a draw, if not a win.
The programme included a one-page flyer that also offered some hope. Because it was the Easter weekend the programme for the visitors from Guernsey had to be printed before the previous Saturday matches. The flyer contained the league table taking into account the results of all the matches that were played on that Saturday – and we had one more point and had scored two more goals. We had drawn 2-2 away to Carshalton who were in the middle of the league – we were 2-0 down before goals from Trevor McCreadie (a penalty) and Christian Nanetti gave us a 2-2 draw. And it got even better against Guernsey despite Guernsey taking a 15th-minute lead. Jake McIntyre tapped home a cross just before half-time and then in the second half a Guernsey defender helped us by heading into his own goal. And 2-1 was how it ended. To us. If you’ve had your memory jogged by this article then I’d be happy to hear from you at lestermedcalf@btinternet.com.
GREAT START ... THEN LATE DISAPPOINTMENT
Action from Tuesday's game shows Luke Harrison's strike hitting the back of the net and Charlie Gibson, below, at full stretch. Photos: Stuart Gibson.
MATCH ACTION
