Season 2020-21 Official Match Day Programme Sea Pioneer Southern Counties East Football League Division One KFCANDLES.CO.UK ISSUE NO. 118 £2.00 Tuesday 15th September 2020 Kick off 7.45pm Meridian Sports & Social Club, Charlton Park Lane, Charlton, London SE7 8QS Tel: 0208 856 1923 CHAIRMAN / SECRETARY/FIXTURE SECRETARY: Dwinder Tamna COMMITTEE: Jasmine Brinkley, Tammy Brinkley WEBSITE: www.meridianfc.co.uk WEBMASTER: Dwinder Tamna PROGRAMME EDITOR: Grant Wilbur Meridian VP FC SOCIAL MEDIA: Dwinder Tamna @MeridianFC CLUB PHOTOGRAPHER: Jenny Verrillo MAIN SPONSORS: EURO CAR AUCTIONS and KF Candles Meridian VP FC SHIRT SPONSORS: EURO CAR AUCTIONS and KF Candles @MVPFCofficial TEAM MANAGER: Dwinder Tamna Meridian VP FC ASSIST MANAGER & FIRST TEAM COACH: Sean Boothe @meridianvp_fc FIRST TEAM COACH: Hamzah Collins GOALKEEPER COACH: Paul Daley CLUB CAPTAIN: John Foster VICE CAPTAIN: Saidou Camara Ground Rules: Please note that our stadium is a family environment and also a NON SMOKING and ALCOHOL FREE facility. Please could everyone including spectators please respect this. Anyone found not adhering to these rules will be asked to leave the facility immediately by the management. This is by Order of The Meridian Sports and Social Club Management. Respect: The Southern Counties East Football League supports the ‘Swearing – Let’s Tackle It’ campaign and strongly condemns the use of foul and abusive language at foot - ball matches. The League also strongly supports recent FA statements that there should be a zero tolerance approach against racism and all forms of discrimination, accordingly any form of discriminatory abuse whether it be based on race or ethnicity, sexual orien - tation, gender, faith, age, ability or any other form of abuse will be reported to the rele - vant County Association for action by that Association. A warm welcome goes out to Lewisham Borough Premier Division clubs have enjoyed some good Community our visitors this evening and to the attendances so far this season. Hollands & Blair match officials, supporters and all in attendance enjoyed 267 versus Crowborough, Beckenham of tonight’s game. We at MVP hope you enjoy 300 against Glebe, Chatham Town 299 against your brief visit and wish you all a safe journey Punjab, Sheppey United 300 against Canterbury home. City and Rusthall 250 against Croydon. These attendances are worthy of a level above Tonight we entertain Lewisham Borough (Isthmian League). Community for our second league fixture at home. In our opening game here against Sutton Here at Meridian we could certainly do with Athletic we lost 0-2 with a very new looking some bigger attendances. If everyone attending squad. Captain John Foster stated after the games was to bring a friend it would double the game: “It was a hard game out there today. We gate. If you can’t bring a friend bring the wife or switched off and got caught out. Sutton Athletic better still bring someone else’s wife! kept the ball well and did what they had to do.” There are opportunities for spomsorship and On a positive note, last Tuesday (September 8th) advertising here at Meridian whether it be spon - Meridian VP Youth soring the kit of a team travelled to player, advertising Ramsgate in the FA on the website or in Youth Cup Preliminary the match day pro - Round and moved into gramme. Match the next round follow - sponsorhip and ing a resounding 5-2 match ball sponsor - victory. ship is also available and as we are on If you are reading this Twitter, Facebook on the night, you will and Instagram your have entered the business or compa - ground noticing Covid- ny name can get 19 warnings and guidelines regarding social dis - quite some coverage. tancing. Following the Governments new laws & guidelines, the FA have issued a statement that Thank you for your support and let’s get our first saying that spectators at our level are allowed to win of the season tonight! continue to attend, providing guidelines are adhered to. It is imperative that we all adhere to Enjoy the game. the guidlines because firstly, we don’t want to spread Covid-19 and secondly we don’t want to ALLEZ MVP! lose the benefit of attending matches. It is interesting to note that given all the issues surrounding attendance to matches, SCEFL DATE VENUE COMP ATT OPPOSITION RESULT SCORE ATT SCORERS 05.0920 H LGE 40 Sutton Athletic L 0-2 40 15.09.20 H LGE Lewisham Boro 19.09.20 A FAV Walton & Hersham 26.09.20 A LGE Kent Football Utd KEY: LGE = SCEFL Division One FAV = FA Vase TodaysTodays VisitorsVisitors Founded 2003 – Merged Moonshot FC, Ten Em Bee FC and Elms FC to form Lewisham Supporters – London Borough of Lewisham, Borough (Community) Football Club – nick - Simpson’s Consultancy Services, The Rising name ‘The Boro’ Sun PH, Inspire Futsal Academy, Bellstep London Ltd Founder Members - Ray Simpson, George Davis, Joe Collymore and the late Clinton Affiliated to London FA & Kent FA Rhule The Directors are determined and commit - Home ground - Ladywell Arena, Silvermere ted in further developing this Senior club Road, Catford, SE6 4QX which represent the people of Lewisham. The Club are still looking to progress further Awarded Senior Status 2006. Awarded and are still developing their stadium. The Charter Standard Club 2010 aim of the Community Club is to be accessi - ble to Lewisham residents and to be sup - 2011/12 season secured place in the new ported by the Lewisham business sector. Step 6 Kent Invicta League Club Honours: 2013 secured place in Kent County Under 21 League 2015/16 FA Respect, Fair Play & Sportsmanship Winners (Kent Invicta Former members of Vandanel Kent County League) League (Premier Division) 2011/12 David Leach Memorial Trophy - Former Members of the Southern Youth Winners League 2010/11 John Denham Fairplay Award Members of Lewisham Football Partnership (Academy) - Winners (former Chairman Ray Simpson) 2010/11 David Leach Memorial Trophy - 2016/17 Secured place in Southern Counties Winners East Football League (Div 1) 2006/07 GR Roofing Cup - Runners up 2016/17 Grand Opening of the Clinton Rhule 2005/06 British Energy Kent County - 100 Seater Stand Premier Division Winners 2003/04 British Energy Kent County - Division 1 West 2017/18 Entered FA Vase and FA Youth Cup Winners 2017/18 Secured place in Combined Counties Under 18 League (North) Lewisham Borough have kept things quiet whilst players having the during pre-season and will also be hoping to opportunity to feature go under the radar once the season gets against some very good under way. opposition. Manager Owen Spence is pleased with the “The squad has been fully squad that he has brought together and integrated from last season. We went feels that with a good start they could end through a transition during my arrival in up surprising a few people, and a few teams January and some signings were very new too. to the club. The time off has allowed such players to build bonds between each other, “I am very hopeful that Lewisham Borough as well as the coaches and backroom staff. will be one of the dark horses this season Most of the players are not known amongst that nobody will expect to be challenging at the SCEFL league, but I’m sure will make an the top end of the table. We started to show impact quite early on. I have focused on glimpses of what Lewisham are capable of building a squad capable of competing before COVID ended last season premature - against established players and teams in the ly with results against Thamesmead SC and SCEFL league and build a name of their own FC Elmstead. This season we plan to start on in the process. the front foot and take it game by game; then see what position we are in after the First up for Lewisham Borough was a trip to first half of games during the season. Snodland Town, a team many fancy to be challenging for honours this year. Lewisham “I expect the season to be an interesting came away with a point following a 1-1 journey for all involved at non-league level. draw. Aidan Dwyer scoring for the visitors. Our season will be an honest and deter - mined approach for all opposition we come LAST SEASON against. Every game will be competitive and Today’s teams met here on 5th October and I believe we will hand out a few unexpected it was Lewisham who took the spoils scoring results along the way. a goal in each half to win 0-2. “We have kept our pre-season very quiet, as MERIDIAN VP: Ben Ashton, Gideon we wanted to focus on the team without Acheampong, Daniel Akintimetin, Amadi distractions around COVID and the non- Ugochukwu, Jacob Skelly, Micah Banton, league circuit. Pre-season was a time for us Martin Begg, Timothy Moffatt, Leslie Juch, to embed our philosophy and style of play Adrian Spence, Dewain West. Subs: Alfie we intend to bring into the new season. It Collins, Brandon Hobbs, Trey Small. also allowed us to look at new players that would fit into and improve our existing LEWISHAM: Mohamed Savage, Kristupas squad; and also add another dimension to Burba (Sent Off 75), Jerome Cole, Cairo our group. We have been steady and sys - Duhoney-Burton, Kieran Hughes, Steven tematic behind the scenes; building the Ikpeme, Bruce Muchenje, Charles Opoku, environment so the players not only devel - Josh Owen, Darnell Simpson-Tomlinson, op individually but as a collective. Game by Archie Todd. Subs: Khalifa Jabbie, Harry game our team principles began to flourish, Main, Rymel Samms. MIDWEEK REPORTS spot. Monday 7th Sept Deal Town returned from Aylesford with Billy Bennett was the star for Sheppey United maximum points following a 2-0 victory over as the Ites came from behind to beat K Sports.