History of Lewes FC Vets Founded 2016

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Lewes FC Vets was established in September 2016 as a weekly football session for players aged 35 and over. What began as a small group meeting on a Friday night has grown into one of the largest and most distinctive veterans football communities in Sussex, with over 100 members and multiple weekly sessions.

From the outset, the aim was not simply to provide football, but to create a space where people could play regularly, feel welcome, and be part of something consistent and supportive.

Origins (2016–2017)

Lewes FC Vets began when a small group of local players, led by Pete Bull, started organising informal Friday night football sessions at the 3G pitch. At the time, there was no established veterans football offer within Lewes FC, despite clear interest.

With the support of the club—particularly access to the 3G facility—the sessions quickly became a regular fixture. Early participants including Stefan Hellman, Daniel Horan, Pete Newell, Sam Holden, Tim Harris, Lee Shepherd and Kevin Hitchmough formed the core of the group.

An early milestone came with a representative match against FC Fortuna Wormerveer, where over 20 players took part. This marked the transition from an informal gathering to a more structured and recognisable club.

Culture and Ethos

From its earliest stages, Lewes FC Vets developed a distinctive approach to football.

Rather than replicating the competitive and often exclusionary nature of traditional amateur football, the club placed a strong emphasis on inclusivity, respect, enjoyment of the game, and care for players’ physical wellbeing.

This ethos is expressed most clearly through the club’s pre-match “poem,” which is read before sessions and sets expectations for behaviour on and off the pitch. Alongside a formal Code of Conduct, this has helped establish a consistent and widely understood culture.

Key principles include encouraging rather than criticising, avoiding reckless or dangerous play, recognising the realities of ageing and injury, and ensuring all players feel welcome and involved.

This explicit and regularly reinforced culture has been central to the club’s identity and long-term sustainability.

Growth and Development

Lewes FC Vets has grown steadily since its formation.

In its first year, the club had around 15 regular players. Within three years, membership had increased to 40–50. Today, the club has over 100 members and continues to grow.

Football provision has expanded accordingly, with sessions now running across multiple nights each week. The club delivers hundreds of sessions each year.

Growth has largely been driven by word of mouth, with new members joining through personal recommendation and the club’s reputation for a welcoming and well-organised environment.

Structure and Volunteers

As the club grew, so did the need for structure.

Lewes FC Vets developed into a volunteer-led organisation with defined roles and responsibilities, including treasurer, secretary, fixtures coordinators, membership management, and session facilitators.

Key contributors over the years have included Stefan Hellman, Roger Warner, Paul Harley, Tim Harris, John Masterson, Daniel Horan, Wayne Liddle, Tom Lake, Pat Griffin, Neil Emery, Nick Calvert, Mark Barkaway, Chris Finlay-Geer, Ben Terry, Chaz Newman, and many others.

This distributed model of leadership has allowed the club to grow sustainably while maintaining its core ethos.

Community and Connection

Lewes FC Vets has always been more than a football session.

The club has developed a strong social dimension, with annual tours to destinations including Blois, Amsterdam, Bruges, Varde and Hebden Bridge, as well as regular social events throughout the year.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when formal football was not possible, the community continued through informal gatherings and ongoing contact. This period demonstrated the strength of the relationships that had developed within the club.

For many members, Lewes FC Vets provides not only football, but friendship, routine, and a sense of belonging.

Relationship with Lewes FC

Lewes FC Vets operates within the wider Lewes FC ecosystem and would not exist without the club’s provision of facilities, particularly the 3G pitch.

At the same time, the relationship has largely been transactional in nature. While the vets has generated significant income through pitch fees and participation, there has historically been limited reinvestment into the facilities used by the group or integration into the wider governance of the club.

This has been a recurring area of discussion and reflects broader questions about how community football is structured and supported.

Lewes Football Foundation

Members of Lewes FC Vets played a key role in the development of Lewes Football Foundation, working alongside Lewes FC Juniors and other local groups.

The Foundation has contributed to a number of improvements in local football infrastructure, including enhanced facilities at the 3G, the installation of containers and CCTV, improved access to water, and the use of Priory School pitches for junior football.

It has also supported greater financial stability within junior football in Lewes.

The Club Today

Lewes FC Vets is now a large, established and volunteer-led football community.

With over 100 members and multiple weekly sessions, it provides regular football opportunities for players across a wide range of abilities and backgrounds.

The continued success of the club depends on maintaining the culture that has defined it since its formation: inclusivity, shared responsibility, respect for one another, and a commitment to playing the game in the right spirit.

Key Dates

September 2016 — Lewes FC Vets established
January 2017 — Early representative fixture vs FC Fortuna Wormerveer
2017–2019 — Growth in membership and introduction of structured sessions
2019 — Blois tour and further development of club identity
2020–2021 — COVID disruption; community maintained informally
2021 — AGM formalises roles, structure, and code of conduct
2022–2024 — Expansion to 3 times multiple weekly sessions
2024–2025 — Lewes Football Foundation established
2025–and Beyond Membership exceeds 100 players

Lewes FC Vets has grown from a small group of players into a significant community football club.

More than anything, it has created a way for people to continue playing football together in a way that is inclusive, consistent and sustainable over time.