VS FAVERSHAM
ISTHMIAN LEAGUE | SOUTH EAST DIVISION SATURDAY 11 APRIL 2026 | KICK OFF 3PM
EAST GRINSTEAD TOWN FC
The Vistavis Community Stadium College Lane | East Grinstead | RH19 3LS
Tel: 01342 325885
WELCOME TO EAST COURT
Good afternoon and welcome to the players, officials and supporters who have made the trip down from Faversham.
Our October trip to Salters Lane was our first game after the change in management and we acquited ourselves very well that night, and were unfortunate to lose 2-1. It goes without saying that a lot has happened since then!
The Easter results were fairly predictable agains two teams in play-off contention, but it must have been a great experience especially for the youngsters in our squad to play in front of 1415 people on Monday. After conceding early, we again acquited ourselves well. It remains to be seen what division in Step 5 we will be in next season. Suffice to say if we want to 'stay local' then we need Hassocks and Littlehampton (in the central division) to stay up!
See you in a fortnight for the last rites.
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
OUR YOUNGSTERS CONTINUE TO FLOURISH
Welcome back to the Vistavis Community Stadium for this afternoon's clash with play-off chasing Faversham Town, to whom we welcome their players, staff and supporters.
Our last three outings have seen us play second, fourth and fifth-placed sides in Croydon Athletic, Sittingbourne and Jersey Bulls. All three games resulted in the same 3-0 defeat but also saw very credible efforts from our squad with an average age of 19.
Today’s game see us take on sixth which makes four of our last six games against top-six teams.
I must mention some standout performances in the past three games: Harry Howles in goal is proving to be a huge addition and at just 18 years old we now have a long term No1. Mason Saunders at just 17 has proved his quality week after week and has more than laid claim to a place in next season's squad while defenders Declan Spittles and Max Marshall, aged 18 and 16, have again proved that the pathway to the first team from the under-18s will be a key asset to us moving forwards as a club. Today's game once again will be a tough encounter against a well drilled Faversham side who, despite a management change over the past week, ran out 3-0 winners over Sheppey United last time out. Their attacking talent no doubt will make them dangerous opponents this afternoon.
Once again I must thank our supporters for their recent backing of our young team. Let's hope we can finish the campaign with a positive result or two before we step up preparations for next season.
FAVERSHAM TheAwayEnd
THE HISTORY OF THE THREE LIONS
Faversham Town are a semi-professional club competing in the Isthmian Football League, with U23 development, a post-16 football academy and youth teams at all ages. We also run girls' teams and have a woman’s first team.
Faversham Town are the only club in the country other than England to boast a Three Lions badge, proudly representing the town crest.
Faversham Town's origins go back to 1884. They initially played friendlies before entering the Kent League around the turn of the century. The club disbanded for the Second World War but reformed in 1947 as the Faversham Town we know today with their lilywhite shirts. The following year, the club moved to their current Salters Lane home.
Growing momentum in the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s culminated in a 2000 Kent League Challenge Cup victory, but in 2003 the club collapsed amid financial difficulties. The stadium became derelict and vandalised, but a strong desire by supporters and businessmen in the town to save their local team led to its revival in 2005. Volunteers hacked back shoulder-high grass and renovated the stands, and the club rose from the ashes.
Town won promotion to the Kent League in its first season back in 2005/06. In 2010 they were crowned champions and took the massive step up to the semiprofessional Isthmian League, the highest level in the club's long history, where they competed until relegation in 2022/23 season.
Season 2023-24 saw manager Sammy Moore get off to a solid start but a change in management came in January 2024 when Tommy Warrilow took charge. Under Tommy’s guidance the club finished with a creditable 13-match unbeaten run but regrettably lost out on promotion via the play-off system after coming runners-up.
Season 2024-25 was Warrilow’s first full season and it saw the club win the Southern Counties East FL Premier Division and promotion back to step 4. The 2025-25 season was without doubt one of the club’s most successful, as they ended eight points clear of runners-up VCD Athletic, who themselves won promotion via the play-off system. The Lilywhites lost only two league matches. This season they have been in and around the play-offs for much of the time, but Warrilow was replaced only last week, with four games to go, by Frannie Colin.
STANDINGS LEAGUE
FIXTURES & RESULTS
TEAM LINE UP
EAST GRINSTEAD TOWN F.C.
Harry Howes
Luke Leppard
Steve Smith ©
Curtis Gayler
Dan Perry
Tommy Seale
Tariq Richards
Omar Folkes
Tyler Grant
Leo Vowles
Harry Piper
Lewis McDonnell
Mason Saunders
Reegan Jeffery
Harry Bushell
Ethan Covus
Max Marshall
Jhon Murillo-Castillo
Declan Spittles
Josh Cryer
EAST GRINSTEAD TOWN HISTORY
PROGRAMMES FROM THE PAST BY LESTER MEDCALF
We’re going to look at a couple of programmes from the past for games played on today’s date. First up is East Grinstead v Broadbridge Heath on Tuesday 11 April 2006 in division two of the Sussex County League. The match was originally arranged for March 25 but had to be postponed because the pitch was waterlogged.
The programme has news of some of the work that would be done over the summer to improve the facilities here at East Court. The biggest piece of work would be the building of the new stand and its seating. The plan was for it to be built on the opposite side to where it was finally built. Work would of course also be done on the pitch which had suffered over the season - in particular when it was used with the frost was still in the ground. By the end of April we would have staged 63 matches over the season. And our Footie Fun Day still had to take place in Early May - a five-a-side competition for a range of younger players. It was a very popular tournament but not one that we have organised for some while.
Team manager Bobby Smith talks about a couple of recent league matches. The players showed a lot of character as in both of them we went down 1-0 before coming back to a 2-1 win. Away to Wealden Simon Tadman and Ben Burns scored our goals and then at home to Lancing Simon Tadman scored again with Phil Thompson heading home the winner.
Back to the game against Broadbridge Heath. The programme tells us that the away match against them had been played in August with nobody scoring. Our league table showed that we were eighth (in an 18 team league) while Broadbridge Heath were 11th. At 6pm on 11 April 2006 the weather was OK and the pitch was OK. But by the time that the referee and our opponents arrived we had had some very heavy rain and the pitch was flooded. So the match, like that due to be played on March 25, had to be postponed. I don’t know precisely when it finally took place or what the score was - though we did produce a four-page flyer for it but with no date on it.
The second programme is for an away match Walton & Hersham v East Grinstead on Saturday 11 April 2015 in our first season in the Isthmian League. We were coming to the end of the season with the programme’s league table showing us in 21st place (24 teams in the league) with Walton & Hersham in 18th place with four more points than us. (Looking at the league table in 2026 it’s a huge surprise to see Horsham sitting in the bottom place.)
The programme’s league table welcomes us for our first ever visit to Walton with a reminder that they had visited us in early December when we had won 2-0. Later in the programme we have a very full match report of that December game - I assume it was the match report they had used for their programme back in December.
“Walton dominated play almost throughout but could not break through a resolute home defence.” And after only the first five minutes of total Walton attacking we had pinched the lead when Steve Sargent took advantage of a defensive Walton mistake. And halfway through the first half we scored again. Matt Geard took a corner which a Walton defender headed clear. However the linesman waved his flag and said that the ball had crossed the goa-line before being headed clear. Walton thought “there was considerable doubt that this was the case” but it was now 2-0 to us. The report goes on to suggest that Walton should have been given a penalty early in the second half. But it wasn’t given and we managed to hold on to our 2-0 lead.
The programme does also have four pages of statistical information about themselves - in particular with a couple of pages about past Walton games played on April 11.
So how did the April 2015 game go? It was a game I went to see and I can remember the score, but not much else. It was a 1-1 draw with our goal coming from Richard Kissi. And it meant that we could not be relegated.
WASPS BEATEN BY PLAY-OFF CHASERS
Action from the defeat to Sittingbourne features two of our youngsters Mason Saunders (top) and Regan Jeffery. Photos by Stuart Gibson
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
