How the other half manage
In an age where Liverpool buy a defender Virgil van Dyck for £75m having sold Coutinho for £162m, it was refreshing yesterday to have a coffee with Darren Freeman manager of Lewes on top of the Bostik South League. A big gate there at their quaintly-named ground the Dripping Pan is 800 and the club survives through loyal support and bar takings.
Darren who had a successful career with Fulham as part of Micky Adams’ promotion side, Brentford and Brighton -where he scored the first goal of the new century – has brought together a team of youngsters, notably 17 year old Charlie Coppola who is attracting the attention of bigger clubs in the professional EFL.
He has to do another job as operations manager in a building and maintenance business that requires a long car trek from the south coast to Sheffield. It’s grassroots football and a timely reminder that most play their football for fun, exercise and love of the game and are not like Alexis Sanchez reputedly offered £ 350,000 per week should he move.
Brighton HA FC are continuing their slow and grim descent down the Premier after losing 2-0 to West Bromwich Albion.
The problem, as we all knew it would be, is scoring goals.
If the Seagulls go a goal down they have to score twice which seems beyond them. Those 38 points needed for survival seem a long way off now and on Saturday Chelsea visit the Amex.
