01273 302170 www.staubynsschoolbrighton.co.uk - Viva Lewes

Photo: James boyes
Simon Wormull was appointed as caretaker manager
of Lewes FC in January, following the departure of
Steve King. Simon’s previously played for Lewes,
and coached them too. Viva met him down the Pan
on a bright, chilly day.
Is this your first senior management role? A few
years ago I was caretaker manager for Crawley for
six weeks, which was great experience. I hope to be
here for the foreseeable future, and I’ll do everything
I can to take our plans forward.
Are you juggling your new role with managing
the under 18s? No, my commitment now is to the
first team. I’m still overseeing the under 18s, but
Nick Brown has taken over the management.
Are you committed to bringing younger players
through? Absolutely. We’ve got some cracking 15
and 16 year olds this year. We’ve excited about our
plans for an Academy which we’re hoping will start
in September, offering school-leavers the chance to
experience what it’s like to be a full-time footballer.
It’ll be a great way to bring more players through.
Do you consider yourself a player-manager?
Yes, I do still think of myself as a player. I’m not
planning to put myself on regularly but I can if
necessary. When I went on recently [against Canvey
Island] I killed myself! I hadn’t really played for six
months. It was a hard decision – you have to balance
giving people the opportunity against choosing
someone with the right experience. And I enjoyed
it – it gave me a buzz.
What’s it like to manage a club that has 750
www.vivaLewes.CoM
FooTbaLL
Simon Wormull
Once more unto the breach
owners? Amazing! I absolutely love the club, the
way the community’s grabbed it. I haven’t used the
Spend & Save Scheme yet - I live in Crawley, so I’m
not here much outside of the football.
What do you think of the current success of the
ladies team? Fantastic; Jacquie’s done an amazing
job. She’s shown everyone the quality of players we
can attract. I saw the game where they won 8-1, a bit
easy for them. Women’s football is clearly on the up,
they deserve to get good crowds.
What are your ambitions for the remainder of
the season? To win the league, or get promotion..
There are lots of good changes going on. We’re implementing
a better training schedule. We’ve been
through an unsettling time but I’m confident we’re
coming out of it now.
What was your greatest ever Lewes FC moment?
Obviously, winning the league in 2008. Even though
I wasn’t playing – I was out injured. And beating
Crawley in the FA Cup (2007). No-one expected us
to win, so it was extremely satisfying [laughs].
What would you say to convince non-attending
owners to come to games? Oh, it’s the whole aura
of the place. We’ve got such fantastic fans, good
football, and honest, creative players working very
hard. We’re a community club – the more people we
get coming along the more we can do.
Interview by Beth Miller
March Home Fixtures: 10th v Carshalton Athletic,
17th v Lowestoft, 31st v Hendon, all 3pm KO
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