Exclusion FC. A Guest Blog

Exclusion FC. A guest blog by Tom.

On the 3rd November 2022, Lewes FC posted an announcement that young people under the age of
16 wishing to visit the Dripping Pan to support the club’s teams would only be granted entry if
accompanied by an adult. For some of us this was a surprising and immensely disappointing reaction
to what the club describes as “persistent aggressive behaviour from some of our Under-16
supporters…”. Club Statement: Under-16 Supporters – Lewes Community Football Club (lewesfc.com)
A supporter for almost 20 years and a season ticket holder for 15 or so of those, I was amongst the
individuals who committed early in support of Lewes FC’s vision of becoming a community owned
club and its tremendous efforts to practise and advocate for gender equality, including through parity
in players’ pay and prize money. Whilst I have listened carefully to the concerns that others have
voiced about the club’s strategic direction, apart from the odd frustration with relatively insignificant
aspects of match day operations, such as the growth in bar queues, I have found little to truly protest
about over the last 20 years. I have understood what the club is trying to do. Until now.
A community asset for cohesion and inclusion
Much has been said and written about the need to learn from our experiences of the COVID-19
pandemic, including the importance of community engagement, cohesion and inclusion to aid
resilience and wellbeing. Given the isolation and anxiety that young people experienced whilst
schools remained closed, a treasured community asset like a football club, can play a part in helping
young people (re)connect and enjoy themselves in a safe and welcoming space, especially given they
don’t have the likes of pubs to congregate and socialise. When I think about this, I am reminded how
moved I was by a head teacher in Brighton who told me that when his students were finally allowed
to return to school, instead of the usual playground energy and excitement at break times, he
witnessed several weeks of the children sitting in groups talking, sharing their experiences of
lockdowns and discussing their worries and hopes face to face for the first time in a long time.
The decision taken by the Lewes FC Board signalled to young people that they can only be part of
their local club if they behave in ways dictated to them by a group of adults without clear explanation
or legitimacy for intervention in their lives. This approach – seemingly palatable to some – fails to
recognise the diversity of household structures and young people’s social relations, prescribing a
rigid view that every young person has an adult that can take them to the Pan on a weekend
afternoon or midweek evening.
So many of us have developed our love for our local football teams by going to watch them play from
a young age with family or friends. These magical experiences are part of a patchwork of moments
that stay with us as we grow. My eldest son is a case in point. He started coming to the Pan when he
was six weeks old. Strapped to me and fed at half time in the Rook Inn. The Dripping Pan feels like a
second home to him and his affection for the Rooks runs deep. In a couple of years, he was to begin
attending home matches with his friends at times when I am unable to make it. That has instantly
become impossible. Instead, the pull of RDZ-ball at the big stadium down the A27 will become
stronger and his support for Lewes may dwindle.
But, my son is just one kid. This action will affect many young people now and in the future,
potentially shrinking Lewes FC’s next generations of support, including the cohorts of willing
volunteers so vital to a community football club.
Make young people part of the club

Yes, perhaps this a teachable moment for local young people, including those that the club considers
to have behaved inappropriately at the Pan, to understand they are a welcome and important part of
a club that needs to be fairly enjoyed and valued by all community members. But it is also now a
time for the Lewes FC Board to not just think this matter will blow over with the support of some
loud and trusted voices happy for their club to be secured for them through the exclusion of others.
The Board should take the opportunity to reflect on their decision and genuinely consider the views
of young people in decision-making as well as the ramifications for the club, now and in years to
come.
Now is the time for the club to build on its own effective engagement strategies on other important
social issues and reach out to young people through local schools, talking about their club and the
parts they can play, whilst also looking at the governance of the club and how local young people can
be involved in meaningful ways, including in decision-making processes that may directly and
indirectly affect them.
Real commitments to tackling inequality and inequity have to be grounded in an appreciation of the
different forms that discrimination and marginalisation take and their intersection. Lewes FC is in
danger of undermining its hard work on gender equality if it doesn’t create an inclusive environment
that enables the participation in the club by all members of its local community.
Don’t push the kids away, Lewes.