Lewes 'a club going places' says boss Darren Freeman

The Dripping Pan may be situated eight miles from Sussex’s beaches but it is likely the only place in England you can watch football from the comfort of a luxury beach hut.

Lewes, it can be said, are a community-run club that likes to do things differently and manager Darren Freeman admits it is all a far cry from the mud bowl he used to play on more than two decades ago.

Since a brush with financial difficulties in 2010, the Rooks have put the community at its heart – every fan can own a share of the club for a small annual fee.

But that’s not to say they do not cater for those who like the finer things in life after coming up with their own version of corporate hospitality.

Food, mini-bar and free Wi-Fi are just some of the amenities on offer, though Freeman is just grateful his side have a pristine pitch to call upon ahead of their Buildbase FA Trophy opener.

"I played in the youth team at Lewes and the senior team as well," said Freeman. "It means a lot to now be managing the club – the main difference between then and now is that we’ve got grass on the pitch and some stands!.

"It’s a community-run club with loads of followers, 500 came down last week – it’s a club that is going places. [Chairman] Stuart Fuller works tremendously hard off the pitch, he even goes watching other teams for us. 

"Then there’s others, like the secretary Barry Collins, they’re all behind the successful model and all the planning that’s gone over the years. 

"We’ve got a 4G pitch now and there are League clubs who would love to have that. It’ll take a couple of years for it to come together but I’m sure it will."

Lewes reached the National League before the community takeover, but slipped into Isthmian Division One South for this season as they continue to reshape their identity.

That is why any opportunity to progress and pick up prize money in competitions is so important for the Rooks with Tilbury, who play in Isthmian Division One North, lying in wait on Saturday.

And Freeman is a man who knows how to string together a cup run – having guided Whitehawk to within a round of The FA Vase final in 2010.

“I’ve not had many memorable runs in The FA Trophy but when I was manager of Whitehawk, we got to the semi-finals of The FA Vase,” he added. “We had that togetherness as a team and you need a little bit of luck along the way by getting beatable teams in the draw. 

"A cup run would be a great journey for us and the fans, and there’s the prize money that means a lot – especially in the later rounds – which would be great payback for the people who put the work in."

Buildbase FA Trophy history

Lewes reached the third round of The FA Trophy in consecutive years during the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons. And it is the second of those runs that still burns brightly in the memory of Rooks fans as they went down in an 8-5 thriller at home to Weymouth. Tilbury also reached the third round some 34 years ago, but gave National League outfit Welling an almighty scare last season after scoring three late goals in a 4-3 defeat.

Did you know?
Rooks boss Freeman was forced into retirement at the age of 28 after a succession of injuries had taken their toll. But the former forward, who played more than 100 times in the Football League, is still remembered by Brighton fans for two particular feats at the turn of the century. Freeman became the first Seagulls goalscorer of the new millennium – against Exeter City on 3 January – after marking the club’s first-ever game at the Withdean Stadium with a hat-trick.

One to watch
Lewes place great pride in their youth set-up and Charlie Coppola could well go on to be one of their finest products by the time he has finished his career. The 17-year-old, who was reported to have been handed a trial by Premier League champions Leicester City earlier this year, is a winger with bundles of pace and he was a key cog during the Rooks’ recent three-game winning run, brought to an end by Greenwich Borough on Tuesday. 

The prize
The winner will be in the hat for first round qualifying later this month and also pick up a cheque for £2,500.