VS ERITH TOWN
ISTHMIAN LEAGUE | SOUTH EAST DIVISION
TUESDAY 17 FEBRUARY 2026 | KICK OFF 3PM
EAST GRINSTEAD TOWN FC
The Vistavis Community Stadium College Lane | East Grinstead | RH19 3LS
Tel: 01342 325885
BUZZ FROM THE NEST
Good evening and welcome all to tonight's Isthmian League game against Erith Town.
Our visitors are in the thick of the relegation battle as Beckenham were when they came here in our last home game. It was one of our better performances of the season and Dan Perry's stoppage-time equaliser was no more than we deserved.
On Saturday it felt like going back to square one. An admittedly understrength team hammered 7-0 at Ashford United. There was no lack of effort from the players but Ashford were ruthless in front of goal.
This is the first of three home games in a week and an opportunity for us to extend our unbeaten record here which currently stands at a month... straw clutching I know but what else can you do!
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:
FROM THE Dugout
Good evening and welcome to the Vistavis Community Stadium for this evening's game against Erith Town.
I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome the players, management, committee and fans of Erith Town for what is no doubt an intriguing encounter within the bottom four. Firstly I’d like to offer a warm welcome to Ryan Gayler who joins our coaching team. Vastly experienced, Ryan enjoyed a 20-year playing career at Worthing, Horsham and Burgess Hill Town to name a few, before stepping into coaching and management at Burgess Hill Town, Varndeanians, Shoreham and Lewes.
Ryan will be a valuable to asset to the club and play a huge role in our future plans. On the pitch, after encouraging performances at Crowborough then again at home to Beckenham Town, the only word I have for Saturday's defeat at Ashford United is shambolic.
I have made it abundantly clear to the players that such a performance isn’t and will not be tolerated and all I can say on behalf of myself, staff and players is sorry. We have an opportunity to right a wrong quickly from Saturday with tonight’s game coming round so quickly, which is also the first of three back-to-back home games. Erith, much like us, will be desperate for the three points and will prove a tough test no doubt. Your unwavering support is needed now as much as ever as being the 12th man for us is vital at this stage of our season and undoubtedly will play it’s part in tonight’s fixture.
I hope you all enjoy the game
Up the Wasps!
AndyWillis
ERITH TOWN TheAwayEnd
Formed in 1956 as Woolwich Town, the Dockers attained senior status in 1995-96 upon reaching the London Spartan League Premier Division.
By then the club had already changed their name to Erith Town, reflecting a move to Erith Stadium. After one year in the Spartan Premier, the Dockers successfully applied to cross the pyramid to the Kent League.
After struggling in the lower reaches of the league for three seasons, the Dockers celebrated the new Millennium with a then best seventh place in 1999-2000 and reached the London Senior Cup Final, losing 5-1 to Bedfont.
In the following seven seasons Erith only once reached such heights again, finishing seventh in 2003-04.
The appointment of former Fisher Athletic player Mark Tompkins as player-manager midway through 2006-07 saw an upturn in fortunes and the following season he led the team to fifth in the Kent League. He also brought the club their first silverware as a senior club when record appearance maker Alan Hanlon lifted the Kent League Cup after a 1-0 win over much-fancied Hythe Town in the final at Folkestone.
Tommo’s departure on the eve of 2008-09 lead to the appointment of Steve O’Boyle who took the Dockers back to the Kent League Cup Final for a second season. Despite drawing 1-1 after extra time against Croydon, the Dockers went down 3-1 on penalties.
Tony Russell took over the reins when O’Boyle departed in October 2010 guiding the club to a third successive mid-table finish but bringing the Kent Senior Trophy to the club after a 3-1 win over Tunbridge Wells in the final.
Having achieved a new best of fourth the following season, Russell departed for neighbours VCD Athletic with Erith Town top of the league in November 2012 and, after a brief spell with James Collins in charge, Tompkins returned to take the Dockers to a new best finish in third spot.
Tommo repeated the feat in 2013-14 before departing and a turbulent 2014-15 saw three managers and a Houdini style escape from relegation under Martin and Joe Ford.
Two further seasons of struggle followed before Mark Deveney took over the club in the summer of 2017, immediately appointing former owner Albert Putnam as President for his work as player, manager and Chairman in over 50 years with the club.
On 26 August the club took part in the last ever game at Brentford’s Griffin Park ground, losing 6-3 to the Bees’ B team in the London Senior Cup semi-final.
After a fourth-place finish in 2022-23, their best for ten years, the Dockers moved to share with Sporting Club Thamesmead at Bayliss Avenue at the start of 2023-24.
No one could have foreseen how memorable the first season there would be as Adam Woodward led the club to a season of unprecedented success.
Erith Town won both the League Challenge Cup, beating Corinthian on penalties after a 1-1 draw, and Kent Senior Trophy, twice coming from behind to beat Croydon 3-2.
They also reached the SCEFL play-offs, where a 2-1 win at Glebe set up another meeting with Corinthian in the Final.
Trailing 1-0, Harry Taylor’s late penalty took the game to penalties, where the Dockers once again prevailed to reach the Isthmian League for the first time.
A strong start to the season had Erith in the top ten for much of the campaign, before they finished 14th, achieving their aim of consolidating their status of a step-four club.
STANDINGS LEAGUE
FIXTURES & RESULTS
SEPTEMBER
21 Oct A Faversham
28 Oct H Deal Town
NOVEMBER
11 Nov A Three Bridges
31 Jan H Beckenham Town
Sat 14 Feb A Ashford United
17 Feb H Erith Town
Sat 21 Feb H Sheppey United
South East
South East 3pm Tue 24 Feb H AFC Whyteleafe Isthmian South East
Sat 28 Feb A Hastings United Isthmian South East 3pm MARCH
Tues 3 Mar A Deal Town
Sat 7 Mar H VCD Athletic
South East
South East 3pm Sat 14 Mar A Herne Bay
South East 3pm Sat 21 Mar H AFC Croydon Athletic
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. ERITH TOWN
Ajae Patel nn
Luke Leppard nn
Ridwan Euba nn
Steve Smith © nn
Dan Thompson nn
Curtis Gayler nn
Dan Perry nn
Kieron Pamment nn
Tommy Seale nn
Tariq Richards nn
Omar Folkes nn
Tyler Grant nn
Leo Vowles nn
Jordan Maguire-Drew nn
Jerson Dos Santos nn
Harry Piper nn
Lewis McDonnell nn
Mason Saunders nn
Reegan Jeffery nn
Harry Bushell nn
Ethan Covus nn
Harrison Firth nn
Luke Northwood nn
Andrew Dythe nn
Jerome Jayaguru nn
Danny Nesbitt nn
Alfie Hilden nn
James Dyer nn
Bertie Valler nn
Destiny Oladipo nn
Albie O’Mara-Knapp nn
Ollie Milton nn
Mal Turner nn
Carlos Richards nn
Calum McGeehan nn
Richie Atkins nn
Hugo Taylor nn
Elliot Wenham nn
Brandon Hatega nn
Malachi Mbogba nn
NEXT HOME MATCH
Sheppey United
Saturday 21 February 2026
3pm
MATCH OFFICIALS:
Referee: Brendan Bradley
Assistant Ref: Thomas Murray
Assistant Ref: Patrick O'Reilly
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 in the second half of February. We’ll start with East Grinstead v Horsham YMCA on Saturday 18 February 2012 in division one of the Sussex County League.
Richard Tramontin’s club notes get us started with a reminder that our last two games had been postponed because of the wintry weather. He also reminded us that our manager Simon Funnell had in fact been Horsham YMCA’s assistant manager at the start of the season before taking over as our manager in October. As well as losing Simon, Horsham YMCA had also lost their team manager at the start of the season, Sammy Donnelly. We had played the reverse match at Horsham YMCA’s Goring Meads ground in November and, after Gavin Gordon had scored twice to put us 2-0 up, Horsham YMCA hit back to take both points in a 4-2 win. Simon Funnell’s notes tell us about our most recent game - played three weeks ago as a result of the previously mentioned winter weather - away to St Francis Rangers. Conditions had not been great though St Francis had started well. However, and rather against the run of play, we were to take the lead a few minutes before half-time from a Michael Death free-kick. And on the stroke of half-time Conor Hider scored our second goal. But St Francis had much the better of the second half and got things back to 2-2. Simon Funnell made a few changes and with a few minutes left Niall Lee put us back in front. St Francis still came at us and should have equalised but missed an open goal and we had somehow won 32.
The programme’s league table showed us in 11th place (20 teams in the league) with our visitors from Horsham YMCA 16th (St Francis somehow were second from last.) Two early goals from Tony Reid and Marc Pelling gave us a good start which got even better in the first few minutes of the second half as Tony Reid added two more goals. Horsham YMCA pulled one goal back, but Tony Reid had not finished his afternoon’s work as he added his fourth goal for us to win 5-1.
LATE WINNER AT SITTINGBOURNE
We’ll now have a look at the programme for Sittingbourne v East Grinstead on Saturday 17 February 2018 in the Isthmian League. “The Secretary’s Jottings” get us started with a rather short welcoming to us, followed by reminders that Sittingbourne had had three postponements since they last played. However, the big news was that they had lost their management duo, with a new manager now in charge. The Programme Editor also talks about the management changes - but he talks more about the club’s new website. He has had to start from scratch with it as he hasn’t been able to gain access to the previous website. In particular he has lost access to all match reports from the last three years - although he does have paper copies.
We do have a couple of very full match reports for league matches that Sittingbourne had played towards the end of January - one at home and one away. They had lost both of the matches - perhaps part of the reason for the management changes - by the same 3-1 score.
Rather surprisingly no mention is made of Sittingbourne’s visit to East Court in early December which saw them winning 3-1.
The programme’s 24 club league table shows that Sittingbourne were in 15th place with us six places lower. The match started somewhat slowly but after 25 minutes Sittingbourne took the lead. However, a few more minutes and we were level, though a bit fortunate. The Sittingbourne keeper made a clearance which hit one of his defenders. The ball bounced back towards the Sittingbourne goal and our Tim Cookin his very first game - had the simplest of jobs to tap the ball over the line.
The second half didn’t see much, but with the ref getting ready to blow the final whistle a cross from Dan Hogan found the head of an unmarked Ricardo Thompson in the middle of the six-yard box. And we had won the game 2-1 – a very rare win for us at Sittingbourne.
DAN'S THE MAN LATE ON
Action from the 1-1 draw against Beckenham on Jan 31 when Dan Perry equalised late on. Pictures show Kieran Pamment (top) and Jerson Dos Santos in action.
MATCH ACTION
Ever thought of volunteering to help your local football club?
There are many different volunteer roles in non-league football and Isthmian League football clubs need your help with them.
The Trident Leagues and Pitching In’s online Volunteer Hub is the place where you can find opportunities and contact your local football club.
Please visit Pitchinginvolunteers.co.uk to find out more
