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I published this blog earlier in the week. Today, 12/12 we have heard Lewes FC are being referred to the FA Integrity Team by the FA/Kick It Out over the assault on my wife and the degrading club handling she was subjected to.
When faced with injustice—choose your metaphor, whether “shat on” or “shafted”—you have two options: take the easy route and “get over it,” or fight back. Anyone who knows me will attest that I tend to choose the latter. Why? Because I can’t abide mediocrity, laziness, or the hypocrisy of institutions that fail to act ethically and transparently.
The Bigger Picture: Mediocrity and Decline
Our society is caught in a cycle of managed decline, where low standards and mediocrity have become the norm. Institutions fumble and obfuscate, tripping over themselves and creating messes they can’t clean up. This lack of accountability is what fuels my determination to fight back.
At the heart of this particular dispute lies an incident involving my wife outside the Dripping Pan, the home of Lewes FC early 2024. During this incident, a thug twice directed a vicious verbal and gestural assault at her—a blatantly misogynistic attack, as she was targeted instead of the burly man also selling the fanzine.
What happened next was equally appalling: instead of addressing the behaviour of the aggressor, club stewards allowed him entry and proceeded to intimidate my wife. For legal reasons, I cannot go into further detail, but suffice it to say that my wife lodged a formal complaint with the club. The matter was handled in a deeply inappropriate manner by the CEO, Maggie Murphy. What followed was a jaw-dropping whitewash of an internal inquiry, escalating the issue further. I will say though that our MP and Sussex Police were fortunately considerably more helpful and took the matter seriously.
Déjà Vu: A History of Disputes
This isn’t my first encounter with institutional incompetence. Twenty-five years ago, my parents and I found ourselves at the Construction and Technology Court in London, embroiled in a dispute with a property developer. Lewes District Council, who should have supported us, sat on the fence, deeming the developer “more trouble than he’s worth.”
That experience taught me a valuable lesson: disputes require diligence. You must gather facts, remain persistent, and let the other party’s missteps build your case. This is precisely the approach we’ve taken with Lewes FC. Over the past weeks, after ten months, we have completed the groundwork, and in doing so, we feel we have laid bare the dysfunctional state of the club’s leadership.
Phase One: Uncovering the Failings
The first phase of this journey has been both exasperating and revealing. From the start, it was clear that Lewes FC had no intention of addressing the situation fairly or professionally. Instead, we encountered stonewalling, dismissal, and behavior that could only be described as low-grade.
During this process, you endure a strange cocktail of emotions: humiliation, frustration, and, occasionally, trench humor as the incompetence of the other side becomes apparent. You fire off email after email, each one a step in building your case, until you start to feel like a pest. But persistence pays off.
Now, as we move into phase two, we have the evidence we need. The indignation and poor behavior directed at us by the club, rather than breaking us, have only strengthened our resolve. We are now positioned to use these failings to our advantage.
Phase Two: Turning the Tables
Instead of taking the simple, amicable route of acknowledging their mistakes and resolving the issue fairly, Lewes FC has doubled down, digging themselves deeper. This refusal to act with integrity has fueled our determination to see this through.
The goal is no longer just personal resolution—it’s about shining a light on the systemic prejudice and misogyny that remains entrenched in football. Despite the lofty claims of equality within the sport—and particularly at Lewes FC, which prides itself on being a beacon for gender equality—the hypocrisy is glaring.
“We Will Not Be Druv”: The Fight Ahead
In Sussex, there’s a saying: “We wunt be druv.” It’s a statement of defiance, and it perfectly captures our mindset as we move forward. This is now about more than just one incident; it’s about challenging the systemic failures within institutions that claim to champion equality but fall far short of their promises.
We are prepared to take this fight through every available channel—sporting authorities, safety regulators, legal avenues, government institutions, and the press. Lewes FC’s behavior in this matter will unravel, and the truth will emerge. For now, we stand firm as we begin, in earnest, to kick against the pricks.
The Rights of Fans. 