Gifts for all the family - Viva Lewes

THE GAFFER TAPES
We’re still capable of beating the drop, says Lewes FC manager Kevin Keehan
Rumours about me have been flying around, so I’d
like to use this space to dispel them. I have not at
any time in the last month offered to resign, and I
have not been asked to resign either.
I must say the possibility of doing the former
crossed my mind after we were knocked out of
the FA Cup by Leiston at the Dripping Pan at the
end of October. We should have beaten them at
their place: we missed a penalty and a number of
gilt-edged chances to put them out first time of
asking.
In the replay, we were missing eight regular players,
but that’s no excuse. We handed them easy
goals, they got their tails up, and we were unable
to break them down.
It was the lowpoint of my footballing career, but I
had to put it behind me. I believe that if we put out
our best XI, we still have a chance of staying up.
My main job is to keep us up, and I’m going to go
through with that battle.
Not getting to the next round cost the club at least
£12,000, but it was not that which led to the financial
problems that Lewes FC have been facing this
last month. We never inked any cup runs into the
budget, because we couldn’t be sure we’d progress
further than we did. The problem has come because
of the credit crunch affecting sponsorship,
and because the crowds have been slightly lower
than we estimated they would be. Of course that
money would have helped, but not for long.
Meanwhile, the club is looking at offers of either
investors or takeover bids. I’m fully aware that if a
consortium takes over, I might not be part of their
plans. But I’m not going to waste time worrying
about something that’s not in my control. It’s difficult
enough worrying about what is.
I don’t believe all the speculation is unsettling the
players. I’ve kept them in touch with what’s going
on, and at no point have their wages been at risk.
I’ve just told them to get on with things, and to
their credit, they have.
As I write this we’ve just played against the top
two teams in the league, and we’ve given a good
showing of ourselves, particularly against Burton
Albion, who beat us 1-0 with a dubious penalty.
I’ve got to say, that I think the only person in the
ground who thought it was a penalty was the ref-
eree, but he’s the one who counts. Afterwards their
manager Nigel Clough said that he thinks that
we’re good enough to stay up, and I’ve got to say
I agree with him – if we can keep our best players
fit, and if I can continue to attract good loan signings
to the Pan.
Finally it’s important to remember that Lewes FC
is a community club, and the Under 18 and Ladies
teams are both having fantastic seasons. The kids
qualified for the First Round proper of the Youth
Cup for the first time in their history, and the Ladies
are doing fantastically well in both their major
competitions. The two teams are getting better
and better and all credit to the players, and everybody
behind the scenes for that. V
Home games in December: Stevenage (6th); Woking
(20th); Kettering (28th). Eastbourne Borough visit
on New Year’s Day
W W W. V i V a L E W E s . C o M
F o o t b a L L
Photographs by James Boyes
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