PITCHING IN ISTHMIAN LEAGUE | SOUTH EAST DIVISION MONDAY AUGUST 25 | KICK OFF 3.00PM
REMEMBERING DAVE DART
Before today's game there will be a minute's applause to remember former Wasps player Dave Dart.
Dave first played for the club as a junior in 1975 and went on to play more than 200 first and reserve-team games during the 1980s.
A wholehearted and committed defender, Dave always played with a smile on his face. He loved playing football and his enthusiasm never wavered.
Dave's brother Roger, his nephew Adam and his Dad Eric all played for the Wasps - the Dart family was synonymous with the club for more than 50 years.
Roger and other members of his family and some of Dave's former teammates will be with us today to remember him, who emigrated to Australia and lost a brave battle with cancer earlier this year. RIP Darty
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)
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:
We are fresh off the back of Saturday’s game away at league favourites Sittingbourne. Defeat in the 91st minute was an absolute killer!
We went into the game with four of the regular lads unavailable, so we knew we were up against it. We changed the shape with the return of Tom Cadman and the improvement was evident from the first few minutes. Sittingbourne were undefeated for the whole of last year at home, but we took the lead after great work from Finn and a nice finish from Ollie Rawlins.
We then lost Joe Hassler to a nasty injury. Sittingbourne scored an equaliser midway through the second half on a day the home side needed no favours. The ref in my opinion was determined to give Sittingbourne all three points. I’m not one to normally get involved with officials but some of the decisions in the last 15 minutes were an utter disgrace. Sittingbourne's management said we had given them there hardest test in their first four games so we have to take the positives from that and hopefully with the return of Warren Colman today and then Alex, Dan Cadman and Luke Harrison next week we can start to pick up some points.
My thanks go to all the travelling support. We were robbed on Saturday and deserved the minimum of a point, but the players and the management appreciate all your support. We’ll need it again today against another tough opponent in Sevenoaks. Finally, please join us before kick-off as we remember one of our former players Dave Dart. I played with his nephew Adam and by all accounts they were very similardetermined fullbacks who loved playing for the club. On behalf of the players and staff, my condolences to Dave’s family.
Drew
SEVENOAKS TOWN TheAwayEnd
Sevenoaks Town - a history
In 1906, Sevenoaks Town became a founding member of the Sevenoaks League, and in 1951 they merged with St John’s United, winning the Kent Amateur League title on two occasions. The club achieved its first major success in 1984 when it became the inaugural champion of the reorganised Kent County League. After more than a century in amateur leagues, they ascended to the semiprofessional Kent League in 2003, marking a new era in their history. Their first season saw them achieve a respectable 11th place, highlighted by a thrilling comeback victory against former Football League side Maidstone United.
The club’s participation in senior leagues opened the door to prestigious FA competitions, and they made their FA Vase debut in the 2004-05 season. Their most notable FA Cup performance came in 2016-17 when they faced Chesham in a replay during the second qualifying round. They have also made strides in the FA Trophy, with their inaugural match in 2018-19 featuring a memorable victory over Grays Athletic.
Under the leadership of Micky Collins, who took charge in 2014, Sevenoaks enjoyed a period of impressive growth, culminating in the 2017-18 season when they secured the Southern Counties East League title and achieved promotion to Step 4 for the first time. Despite challenges from the Covid-19 pandemic, the club demonstrated resilience, with Harry Hudson taking over in 2021 and leading a remarkable turnaround, securing a mid-table finish and an impressive 13th place at the end of the season.
Cup success in 2022-23
The 2022-23 season brought about the club’s best-ever runs in both the Emirates FA Cup and the Isuzu FA Trophy, highlighted by a thrilling win over Bath City. As they moved into the 2023-24 season, Sevenoaks faced transitions, including managerial changes, but continued to thrive with a focus on rebuilding the squad and reintroducing a reserve team. The club remains committed to fostering talent across all ages, with a vibrant community of 1,299 players and dedicated volunteers.
The 2023/24 season saw Sevenoaks finish 10th - inconsistent results after a promising start seeing them feature in a congested mid-table with only five points separating as many as six clubs. Reaching the quarter-finals in the DFDS Kent Senior Cup was one highlight after disappointing early exits in the FA Cup and FA Trophy. The club said farewell to two managers: Harry Hudson left in October, replaced by his No.2 Mark Dacey who stepped down for personal reasons. Marcel Nimani was appointed in June with the task of rebuilding the squad with only two players remaining from last season. A reserve team has been re-introduced, managed by Steve McGinn, to play in the Sevenoaks League Premier Division.
The club's women's teams continue to progress in their respective competitions and there has been success for many of the club's junior teams - boys and girls - and Powerchair with Gregg Baxter selected for the England Development Squad and scoring a hat-trick against Spain. In June, the club confirmed they had been successful in receiving grant funding of £1.8m to build a new clubhouse.
2024/25 season in numbers
66 teams
1173 registered players 47 sponsors
197 volunteers totalling 52,144 hours of involvement at the club
STANDINGS LEAGUE
FIXTURES & RESULTS
AUGUST Sat 2 Aug H Eastbourne United FA
Sat 9 Aug A Whyteleafe Isthmian South East 0-5 321
Tues 12 Aug H Three Bridges Isthmian South East 1-4 190 Daniel
Sat 23 Aug A Sittingbourne Isthmian South East 1-2 262 Rawlins
Mon 25 Aug H Sevenoaks Town Isthmian South East 3pm
Sat 30 Aug H Eastbourne Town Isthmian South East 3pm
SEPTEMBER
Sat 6 Sep H Binfield FA Trophy 1st Q 3pm
Sat 13 Sep A Faversham Isthmian South East 3pm
Tue 16 Sep H Hassocks Isthmian South East 7.30pm
Sat 20 Sep A Broadbridge Heath Isthmian South East 3pm
Sat 27 Sep H Deal Town Isthmian South East 3pm
OCTOBER
Sat 4 Oct A Beckenham Town Isthmian South East 3pm
Sat 11 Oct H Crowborough Athletic Isthmian South East 3pm
Tue 14 Oct A Hassocks Isthmian South East 7.45pm
Sat 18 Oct H Ashford United Isthmian South East 3pm
Sat 25 Oct A Sheppey United Isthmian South East 3pm
NOVEMBER
Sat Nov 1 H Hastings United Isthmian South East 3pm
Sat Nov 8 A VCD Athletic Isthmian South East 3pm
Tue 11 Nov A Three Bridges Isthmian South East 7.45pm
Sat Nov 15 H Merstham Isthmian South East 3pm
Sat Nov 22 A Margate Isthmian South East 3pm
Sat 29 Nov H AFC Whyteleafe Isthmian South East 3pm
DECEMBER
Sat 6 Dec A AFC Croydon Athletic Isthmian South East 3pm
Sat 13 Dec H Herne Bay Isthmian South East 3pm
Sat 20 Dec A Eastbourne Town Isthmian South East 3pm
Sat 27 Dec H Jersey Bulls Isthmian South East 3pm
JANUARY
Sat 3 Jan A Sevenoaks Town Isthmian South East 3pm
Sat 10 Jan H Erith Town Isthmian South East 3pm
Sat 17 Jan H Broadbridge Heath Isthmian South East 3pm
Sat 24 Jan A Crowborough Athletic Isthmian South East 3pm
FEBRUARY
Sat 7 Feb A Deal Town Isthmian South East 3pm
Sat 14 Feb A Ashford United Isthmian South East 3pm
Sat 21 Feb H Sheppey United Isthmian South East 3pm
Sat 28 Feb A Hastings United Isthmian South East 3pm
MARCH
Sat 7 Mar H VCD Athletic Isthmian South East 3pm
Sat 14 Mar A Herne Bay Isthmian South East 3pm
Sat 21 Mar H AFC Croydon Athletic Isthmian South East 3pm
Sat 28 Mar A Erith Town Isthmian South East 3pm
APRIL
Sat 4 Apr H Sittingbourne Isthmian South East 3pm
Mon 6 Apr A Jersey Bulls Isthmian South East 3pm
Sat 11 Apr H Faversham Isthmian South East 3pm
Sat 18 Apr A Merstham Isthmian South East 3pm
Sat 25 Apr H Margate Isthmian South East 3pm
TEAM LINE UP
EAST GRINSTEAD TOWN F.C. SEVENOAKS TOWN
Rex Porter nn
Neo Wooster nn
Yashua Smith nn
Alex Andrade Filipe nn
Dan Cadman nn
Tom Cadman nn
Matt Weaire nn
Jay Richardson nn
Ollie Deurell Benito nn
Tyler Grant nn
Luke Harrison nn
George Griffiths nn
Powell Ukah nn
Warren Colman nn
Finlay Lovatt nn
Kian Price nn
James Laws nn
Liam Trevatt nn
Brady Ayoola nn
Joe Hasler nn
Terrique Hall-Anderson nn
Matt Daniel nn
Omar Folkes nn
Ollie Rawlins nn
Mason Saunders nn
Archie Burnett nn
Archie Howard nn
Charlie Dickens nn
Daniel Duncanson nn
Jahmal Howlett-Mundle nn
James Ding nn
James Jeffrey nn
Jed Borders nn
Jordan Perrin nn
Joshua Wisson nn
Kevin Diomande nn
Mason Doughty nn
Ryan Sawyer nn
Thomas Hanfrey nn
Toluope Jonah nn
Mfula Warren-Hughes nn
Palomeque Bernal Wilson nn
NEXT HOME MATCH
Eastbourne Town
3pm Saturday 30 August 2025
MATCH OFFICIALS:
Referee: Pablo Cabanes
Assistant Ref: Matthew Dyson
Assistant Ref: Jack Healy
EAST GRINSTEAD TOWN HISTORY
PROGRAMMES FROM THE PAST BY LESTER MEDCALF
We're going to have a look at the programmes produced for a couple of previous games played on today's date. First up is East Grinstead v Bexhill on Saturday 25 August 2012 in the first round of the John O'Hara Sussex County League Challenge Cup. (The programme actually covers two games, with Lingfield coming to East Court on the Bank Holiday Monday for a League match.)
Richard Tramontin's club notes welcome Bexhill to East Court and tell us that they are in division two of the County League (while we were in division one). They had won both of their two opening league games. It has been some seven years since we were both in the same division – when we won both games – 5-1 and 2-0. We had, however, played them in the John O'Hara Cup in Bexhill some four years ago and had beaten them 2-0, while we had played them in a friendly more recently.
Manager Simon Funnell talks about our previous Saturday's league match at home to St Francis Rangers where goals from Marc Pelling and Adam Davies gave us a half-time 2-0 lead. Early in the second half St Francis had a player sent off – however we had to wait until the very last minute to add to our score with Luke Piscina scoring for a 3-0 win in what was our first of the season. But also in that St Francis game we had lost both Charlie Tomsett and our 2025 manager Drew Cooney to injuries. Drew's hamstring injury could keep him out for as long as eight weeks. So how did the Bexhill Cup match go? Bexhill twice had the lead in the 90 minutes with George Hillier and Mannie Neville both pulling us level. Extra-time was a bit different though Bexhill again scored a couple of goals – though this time we couldn't reply. We could have no complaints about the 4-2 defeat.
FLYING HIGH ON GUERNSEY
A couple of years later saw us in our first season in the Isthmian League with an away August Bank Holiday Monday game – Guernsey v East Grinstead on Monday 25 August 2014. (As with our programme above the Guernsey programme also covers two games with South Park having gone over to the Channel Island club on the Saturday.)
Perhaps no surprise that the programme's welcome to us says “We know very little about The Wasps” though there was “A warm welcome to our players, staff, officials and fans” with the hope that “we enjoyed our stay in the island.”
The programme concentrates of course on Guernsey's recent games – after losing their first match of the season they had won two and drawn one of their last three. The draw was 2-2 and had seen them 2-0 down with some 15 minutes to go and so they were pleased to have pulled the game back. The programme's league table showed them in sixth place while we were in 18th place (24 teams in the league.)
However, our journey to Guernsey was delayed as a bird flew into the engine of a scheduled aeroplane on its early morning way from Guernsey over to Gatwick. We had to stay for a number of hours longer than scheduled while the plane was sorted out. The original kick-off time was 13.00 but had to be put back to about 15.00 and some 70 seconds after the match started Guernsey took the lead.
However, shortly before half-time we were to score twice through Steve Sargent and Sam Schaaf. Early in the second half Steve Sargent was to score again with Brad Curtis adding a fourth goal a little later. Guernsey did score again right at the end but 4-2 in our favour was how it ended. lf you have had your memories jogged by this piece then I’d be happy to hear from you at lestermedcalf@btinternet.com.
DERBY DAY ACTION
Dan Cadman presses his opponent and, below, Matt Daniel celebrates after giving us an early lead against Bridges.
MATCH ACTION
MEET THE 2025-26 SQUAD
Rex Porter
Goalkeeper Rex joined us from Bromley in the summer on a season-long loan. At 17 he already has the physical attributes to be a good keeper.
Neo Wooster
Midfielder is a product of the Dorking FC academy and has gained first team experience at Dorking and Lancing last season.
Yashua Smith
Midfielder who joined the club this summer. Played in the Combined Counties League for Wembley last season.
Alex Andrade Filipe
Experienced defender who joined the club in 2023 and has made more than 70 appearances since then.
Dan Cadman
Younger brother of Tom and, like his sibling, a full-back. Previous clubs include Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill Town.
Tom Cadman
Tom is a versatile player who has played for multiple clubs at this level and above including Burgess Hill, Whitehawk and Haywards Heath. Into his second spell with the Wasps, for whom his dad and grandfather also played.
Matt Weaire
Central defender who joined the club in July 2023. Was a youngster with Brighton and Colchester United before spells in non-league at Lewes and Cray Wanderers.
Jay Richardson
After being in our youth system, Jay has been part of the Dorking Wanderers academy and made several first team appearances at the club as well as on loan at both Bognor and Steying. An imposing central defender, Jay’s dad John also played for the club.
Ollie Deurell Benito
Another summer signing, Ollie played youth football for Kingstonian and London South Lions last season.
Tyler Grant
Defender Tyler made his first-team debut last season aged 16 having come through the club’s youth system.
Luke Harrison
Midfielder Luke joined the club in November 2024 having previously played for Horsham YMCA and Worthing.
George Griffiths
Former Burgess Hill midfielder who joined the club in pre-season. Previous clubs also include Wimborne Town.
Powell Ukah
Another summer addition to the squad, Powell’s previous clubs include Banstead Athletic and Corinthian Casuals. Warren Colman
Industrious midfielder who joined the club from Horley Town at the end of 2024 and quickly established himself in the team, making 22 appearances in the second half of last season.
Finlay Lovatt
Skilful attacking midfielder who was in Leyton Orient’s academy and had two years as a pro with Bromley in the National League. Has also played for Dulwich Hamlet and Beckenham Town amongst others before joining the Wasps in 2024.
Kian Price
Midfielder Kian joined the first-team squad this summer, having come through the club’s youth system.
James Laws
Another product of Dorking Wanderers’ academy, attacking midfielder James scored against Crawley Town in our preseason friendly in July.
Liam Trevatt
Midfielder Liam joined the club this summer, having previously played for Reigate Priory.
Brady Ayoola
Midfielder Brady joined the club in March 2025 and went on to make 12 appearances.
Joe Hasler
Another product of Dorking Wanderers’ academy, striker Joe played 18 games for Lancing last season on loan.
Terrique Hall-Anderson
Former Charlton midfielder now in his third spell with the Wasps.
Matt Daniel
Matt joined the club in 2022 from Lancing and became a regular last season when he also chipped in with some important goals, finishing as top scorer in the league with 14 in 2023/24 before scoring ten times in the league last season. Has also played for Horsham YMCA.
Omar Folkes
Powerful striker who joined Wasps in 2022 and has become a regular member of the squad, contributing three league goals last season. Former clubs include Merstham and Three Bridges. His hold-up play is among the best in the league and he chips in with the odd goal as well.
Ollie Rawlins
Striker Ollie played for Cray Wanderers and Steyning last season on loan from Dorking Wanderers, before joining the Wasps this summer.
Mason Saunders
Another player from the club’s youth system, Mason will be looking to establish himself in the first team squad this season after making his debut in the final home game of the 2024/25 campaign.
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