As you will be aware if you follow our exploits regularly, we have become firm fans of Non-League football and in particular Lewes FC, down in Sussex-by-the-sea.  Lewes is famous of course for their annual bonfire festivities, the home of Anne of Cleeves after her divorce from King Henry VIII and more importantly the home of Harveys Beer.  But it also has a cracking little club, Lewes FC, who have suffered off the pitch of late, and recently got a stay of execution from the tax man after a winding up order was thrown out of court for the time being.  The club have a nice homely clubhouse, perched behind the goal where all fans are welcome.  But it needs some love and attention.  Based on some of TBIR’s and EFW’s adventures in Europe, we have come to admire the European approach with their clubhouses, full of memorabilia, photos, scarves and the like and that is what we want to recreate at Lewes.  Here’s Danny with more details…

“Somewhat foolishly, We’ve agreed to help turn around the clubhouse at the Dripping Pan – home to Lewes FC aka The Mighty Rooks. Cynical Dave, Big Deaks,  and I were having our usual nonsensical talk during last Saturday’s reverse at home to Newport County. We figured that it’s criminal that Lewes fans rarely use their own clubhouse. It’s pivitol for a club of our size to make our own bar make money. Due to it’s drab nature and previous problems with the beer on offer, most fans have turned their back on it, preferring instead to drink in town and pitch up at the Dripping Pan five minutes before kick off as well as shooting off straight after games. This needs to change.

Thankfully, due to an arrangement with a local pub – the beer issues have now been resolved and is now in fact perfect. So what’s the problem!? I tell you what, aside from no Sky Sports (which we can’t afford) it has nil character. This is where we can help. The plan is to make it a shrine to football. It is after all a football pub. The walls are to be decked with football memorabilia – not just Lewes FC related but scarves, pennants and anything else from your club.

Want to contribute in making a bit of history (or something like that – Ed)!?. Then send us a scarf of your club and we’ll make sure it gets pride of place in our new clubhouse – now known as The Rook Inn. After cleaning it up and giving it a paint job the walls will then be adorned with anything we can lay our hands on. We want to make it a place that Rooks fans can be proud of, away fans will appreciate and moreover a place that we can hold a European Football Weekends party in – you’re all cordially invited!”

If you can help in any way please let me know (theballisround@gmx.com) or Danny (danny.last@hotmail.com) and we will be very grateful.  In fact we will invite you to the opening ceremony once it has been transformed*

*of course you will have to pay to get in, but once you do the football is free!!!