Sussex Non-League podcast - episode 4 | with special guest Hastings United bossChris Agutter
Matt Pole is joined by Sussex sport guru Steve Bone, and special guest Hastings United manager Chris Agutter, who returned to the Pilot Field for a second spell at the helm in October.
We get Chris’ take on the U’s season so far, and bring you all the latest from the local non-league scene here in Sussex.
We get Chris’ take on the U’s season so far, and bring you all the latest from the local non-league scene here in Sussex.
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00:00Right. Welcome to another episode of the Sussex Non-League Podcast, where we take a look at
00:05all things non-league in Sussex. I'm Matt Poul and I'm delighted to be joined by Sussex
00:09sport guru Steve Byrne and a very special guest. This week, we are joined by Hastings
00:13United manager Chris Agata, who returns to the pilot field for a second spell at the
00:17helm in October. We'll get Chris's take on the U season and bring you all the latest
00:21from the local non-league scene here in Sussex. Thank you for joining us, Chris. How are you
00:25getting on? You all right?
00:26Pleasure. Thank you for having me. Yeah, all good. Looking forward to looking forward to
00:31the cup final and also enjoying a mini break after the final league game.
00:37Absolutely. But as we mentioned in our intro, you're back at Hastings after a couple of
00:41years away from the club. Would you mind telling us about the work you were doing away from
00:44the U's?
00:46So, yeah, obviously left Hastings in the October, end of October. And then, to be honest, I
00:54didn't much to everyone's surprise. I didn't actually have the Stevenage opportunity lined
00:59up. It come through a mutual friend who knew somebody at Stevenage and said that I'd become
01:07available. And then that led to interviews and me being in the dugout for MK Don's Away.
01:13So that was that was that was crazy.
01:16I mean, I initially went in there to do the 21s and 18s to lead on that because I needed
01:24a bit of a breather from first-team football. Obviously, off the back of the Covid years
01:29and sort of back-to-back null and void decisions, which meant obviously we finished top and
01:35had not a lot to go for it.
01:37So that was frustrating. So I needed a breather off the back of that. And then when I went
01:42into Stevenage, I got offered the 21s and 18s job. But on the same day, the first-team
01:48manager lost his job. So they said, we know you wanted a breather from first-team football,
01:54but can you support the first team on the interim?
01:56So it was crazy because then on the following Tuesday, we were MK Don's at home in the FA
02:06Cup in the first round, probably the biggest game of football up until that I've been involved
02:12in. So, yes, I ended up doing the first-team interim. Done all right. We drew 2-1-2. We
02:20beat MK Don's that night. A bit of luck, I hope, to be honest. That's when Liam Manning
02:27was manager. And then Paul Tisdale came. I actually had an opportunity to stay with the
02:33first team, but I was sort of true to my word. I needed to step away from first-team football
02:39and just focus on the academy there. I was there for a year, which was great. Great experience.
02:46Great people. To be honest, I think I probably would have stayed longer. And because of my
02:52time with the first team there, the initial interim period and it going so well, there
02:57was a feeling that there was a real potential pathway for me at the football club. But as
03:03I said, I was travelling. And if I were to relocate, I probably would have stayed there,
03:10but just the travel was too much. So, then I got asked about a role at Brighton, working
03:17with their academy programme, which was obviously a lot closer to home. So, after the longest
03:23interviewing process in the world, I got offered the job there and I worked there for just
03:30over a year. And then that led me back to Hastings.
03:35So, while you were at Brighton, Chris, you would have been involved with some of the
03:40players that we've seen since coming to the first team, presumably, were you?
03:44Yeah. So, I coached Jack because I've been at Brighton a couple of times. So, I coached
03:49Jack Hinchwood when he was under 10. And then again, as an under 13, 14. And then by the
03:57time I went back, he was already far beyond the ages I was working at. So, I worked with
04:04the older academy ages. So, they do like a specialist coaching model. So, they have in-possession
04:10coaches and out-of-possession coaches. So, I was one of the in-possession coaches for
04:15the older academy ages. But what you will, or touch wood, hopefully you start to see
04:22over the next 18 months, the lads that I was trying to coach and trying to help for the first team.
04:30A couple of names that we should look out for? Or is that putting too much pressure on you?
04:34Well, I've already played for the 21s. I mean, Jamie Howell's very own Harry Howell, his
04:40boy, is an exceptional talent. He's already played for the 21s as an under 16. He's very
04:49good. I think he plays regularly for the 18s now. So, he's no pressure Jamie. But yeah,
04:54he's a very, very talented player. I mean, during my time there, we went abroad and played
05:02the likes of Bayern Munich and some top, top teams. And I mean, Harry, amongst a few others,
05:08was more than comfortable in that level of company and competition. So, yeah, he'd be
05:17the one. And obviously, son of a Sussex legend as well. So, yeah, he's one of the most excited ones,
05:25definitely.
05:27And moving on to Hastings, you've been back just over six months now. How do you assess that six
05:31months and the season that you had and the team have had? There's been progress made?
05:37Yeah, it's been a bit of a whirlwind, to be honest. I mean, when it's gone so quickly,
05:41we were only talking about it the other day. Time's flown. I mean, the brief,
05:48as we've said a few times, the brief was to sort of keep them in the division, really,
05:54because we were not a million miles off the bottom of the league. And it was,
06:00I think, they lost seven out of their last eight games. And I think the biggest thing as well was
06:07a lot of Hastings success in recent years. Certainly, the team that I built and then
06:11Gary moved forwards was built on a certain type of profiler player. It was built on local,
06:20homegrown players that had a connection with the football club. And then it was,
06:28you know, with a sprinkling of very good experience, likes of Craig Stone, Gary Elphick himself
06:34and the right type of person, really. And I felt, and the club felt, which was ultimately probably
06:40why they wanted to make a change and give me the opportunity to go back there, was that, you know,
06:45I felt it lost its way a little bit. You know, you look at the team and there was no academy
06:52players involved. It was, in terms of the players on the pitch and their connection with the local
07:00community, it was virtually non-existent and also the type of football as well.
07:04The big thing for Hastings is, if you're going to lose games of football, there's ways to lose
07:09games of football. And they just felt that, you know, the manner of the way the team was
07:17not picking up points wasn't the fitting of Hastings and what it demands, really. So,
07:23we've managed to, well, we obviously stayed up, which is great. And we've done that,
07:28we achieved that sort of benchmark quite quickly. But what we have done, and I think it's reflected
07:34by the supporters and the gates that we're getting, is we've managed to rebuild the team.
07:41More local players, players that were at the start of the year were playing Step 5, Step 4. I mean,
07:49one of them was playing below East Sussex football. And what we've done is we've sort of,
07:55we've recruited really, I know it sounds obvious, but really deliberately. We've looked at the way
07:59that we want to play. We've looked at the profile of each position and then we've tried to look at
08:07the local area and go, is there players at Step 5 that are potentially playing below their level
08:13that we can bring back to the club? You know, have we got the next best player in the academy?
08:20And so, again, we've tried to develop the way that we play, but we've also put it back to what
08:25Hastings United, as a club and its supporters, want to see on the pitch, which is local,
08:31homegrown and hungry players that are fighting for the shirt. And I think it all
08:36sort of goes hand in hand to us, you know, being quite a bit further along than where we thought
08:41we would be. I mean, as I said, it was keep us up and keep us in the division. And for us to have
08:46got us close to the play-offs, to a cup final, you know, we never felt that we were going to
08:53fall out of the division because, obviously, we back what we do and we also felt that there
08:57was a lot of good players not at the football club that we could bring back to the club.
09:04And it's interesting, it's probably a reflection of how far we've come, that we are
09:07feeling as disappointed as what we are where we haven't got to the play-offs because when we've...
09:12Yeah, I mean, we spoke, didn't we? We had 10 games to go and we said 20 points would get us in there.
09:20And after five games into that 10-game spell, we were ahead of schedule and, you know,
09:29the next game was Wingate after the Bogda game, after we'd just won 1-0. And we felt we were right
09:38on track. We felt that Horsham, Enfield, Wingate would drop points. And just in the remaining
09:44four or five games, we just stopped putting the ball in the net, as basic as that sounds,
09:49and it's cost us. So, yes, we're ahead of schedule, but also there's a feeling of
09:54disappointment that actually we could have got in there.
09:58Yeah, we'll move on to the senior cup final in a minute, Chris, but you mentioned attendances
10:02and I think it's Hastings, I think it's got the third highest average attendance this season
10:05behind Dulwich and Chatham. Does that just show the massive potential that Hastings does
10:10have going forward?
10:11Yeah, it's similar to Worthing. I think it's similar to a lot of these seaside clubs, you
10:16know, and at times the location can be seen as a bit of a hindrance because of recruitment and
10:24attracting buyers. But equally, I think it's a real strength in terms of if you can put a team
10:29on the pitch that the supporters can connect with, it can very quickly build into a bit of
10:35a monster really. And Hastings is a massive town, you know, it is a sleeping giant. It's one of
10:43those clubs that, you know, once it gets on a roll, and as I said, if you can put a team on
10:49the pitch that the supporters can identify with and get behind, and ultimately if you win enough
10:54games of football, it can very quickly build momentum. So, I mean, we spoke only the other
10:58night that if we had a playoff semi-final at the pilot field, there'd be over 4,000 people there.
11:06And I think we're only scratching the surface as well, you know, if we can keep moving in the
11:13right direction, building momentum. But again, the most important thing, ultimately, is winning
11:18games of football as well. If we can keep putting a competitive team on the pitch that challenges,
11:22then we can only see those gates increasing.
11:26Absolutely. And Hastings, as mentioned, will take on Horsham on Wednesday night in the Sussex
11:31Senior Cup. That'll be the first time the user has appeared at the Showpiece Sussex
11:34final since the 1999-2000 campaign. Chris, how much are you and the players looking forward
11:39to the final? And how big is this game for not just yourself, but for both clubs?
11:44Yeah, we're excited. As I said, I mean, one of the owners actually said to us, because we're
11:51finished seventh, which is the joint highest league placement for the club at the level,
11:57which is great. Obviously, it's not the playoffs, which is what we wanted, but
12:01it's something. And if we can obviously win the cup final as well,
12:05pointed out that it's probably one of the most successful seasons the club's had in 20,
12:11maybe 30 years. So there's real incentive there. It's just excitement, really.
12:17It's there's pressure to it. But then equally, if we part of me thinks the fact that Hastings
12:24hasn't been to a senior cup final for over two decades, that's not that's not right.
12:29That's something that we need to address. So the big thing is, is, yes, it's a big occasion. And
12:33yes, there's going to be pressure. But equally, if we if we keep moving in the right direction,
12:38hopefully we'll be back there pretty soon. And equally, from a from a personal perspective,
12:44management wise, you know, if if I can do what I want to,
12:50hopefully the Amex isn't going to be the most impressive stadium. We've sort of managed that.
12:55So it's one of them. It's a great occasion. We're really excited about it. But equally,
12:59it's like this is just another step on the journey. And I think it I think it's great
13:05that also that it is against Horsham, it is against the team at our level that we're so
13:09closely competing with. I think it gives it even more of an edge.
13:15Because, as I said in the two games that I said to Steve the other day in the two games,
13:20we played Horsham. Yes, we've come on the wrong side of it. But there's been enough
13:24in both those games where you go, well, actually, it's a pretty close run thing.
13:30And ultimately, Horsham have been better in both boxes over those two games. And
13:34if we can, if we can get close to our best level in both boxes, I think we'll beat them.
13:41And looking beyond the Cup final and sort of to next season and maybe even beyond next season,
13:48you've talked a little bit about the journey that Hastings are on. But next season in particular,
13:53you've already got quite a few players tied down to contracts for next season. You know,
13:58you'll know how many more you want. Is the feeling that you can kick on from this season
14:03and really have a serious go next season at title or promotion?
14:07Yeah, I think it's a real interesting point in our journey because I think a lot of the players
14:14were at a crossroads as well. Because we've got, as I said, we've got a lot of lads that,
14:19I mean, six or seven were on the bench at Step 5 at the start of the year.
14:24And I think they've done incredibly well. Whereas now it's, I think it's the next step.
14:33It's like you've done well, you've come from nowhere, your expectations were pretty low.
14:38Now the goalposts have moved a little bit. Now the opposition knows you're a good player. What
14:42are you going to do next? And I think that's when you go from being a player that plays 50 games
14:48for Hastings or a decent side versus a player that potentially goes and plays 200, 300 or
14:53then gets a move higher up the pyramid. So I think it's more a challenge to the individual
15:00players in terms of, as I said, you've done well. Now you need to do even more to get on.
15:07I think with what we've got, I think we're more than capable of challenging at the level. But
15:15then equally you've got to respect what the opposition are doing and who they're bringing
15:18in and the clubs coming down. And also, and I hate to sort of shine a light on it, it's obviously
15:27financial challenges as well. Because we saw it with the teams that we've been directly
15:35competing with for the playoffs, especially at the business end of the season where
15:42we're making substitutions and we're bringing on 17-year-olds versus other clubs that are bringing
15:48on players that have played 300, 400 games at their level. So I think that's to see how we can
15:56compete or get closer to that moving forwards.
16:02The dog's got a view as well.
16:04Yeah, I know. Do you want me to go and sort him out?
16:08No, no, it's all right. All part of the fun, all part of the podcast fun.
16:13I'd be interested to know, Chris, what have you made of the standard of refereeing this season?
16:19A few bosses, we won't mention any names, have been disappointed by the standard they've seen
16:23in 2023-24. Diplomatically, why do you think this is?
16:30It's probably a good time that the dog's barking, to be honest.
16:32Yeah, it's difficult. I mean, where do you start, really? Because there's so many decisions
16:45which are obvious decisions, which you think are pretty straightforward, that seem to have gone
16:51against us. And when you speak to other managers and coaches and they sort of share their
16:56experiences, you realise that actually this is a bit of a trend, which is a concern, to be honest.
17:05I do get a feeling there's a real lack of experience at the level. I get a feeling that
17:09there's a lot of young referees, perhaps due to a shortage, that are getting fast-tracked.
17:16And as we've mentioned about the crowds and the growing support of non-league,
17:20obviously the occasions are becoming bigger, the pressure, the expectation at the level.
17:27And I think there's a question mark around whether or not referees that are getting
17:31fast-tracked are capable of managing such occasions. But then you could argue
17:37where do they get experience if they're not exposed?
17:43I feel like there's probably a middle ground to find between fast-tracking the best referees,
17:48but also making sure they're prepared to manage what are big footballing occasions at the level.
17:55But it's clearly something the FA need to get to grips with now, because this won't just be
18:00a problem in your division. We hear about it at higher levels and lower levels as well. So,
18:06the Sussex FA and the FA generally, they need to have a good sit down and look at this and
18:11look at the whole sort of structure, don't they?
18:15Yeah, I think so. I mean, as I said, I've never known it to be like it has this year.
18:26So, something's obviously gone wrong.
18:31Perhaps this is an indication as well of some of the mindsets of the match officials. I mean,
18:36we had it the other day where we had a decision given against us where the linesman and the
18:42referee didn't have a conversation around the decision for a handball decision. And we basically
18:50said to the referee after the game, when you reflect on that in terms of footage and you
18:54look back on it and you realise you've made the wrong decision, what will you do differently next
18:59time? And he said, absolutely nothing. That for me is the issue in terms of
19:08we're all going to make mistakes. I mean, we make millions of memories.
19:13They're honest mistakes, but equally we want to improve and develop and forwards. And when you're
19:20having that dialogue with a referee after the game, you're thinking, well, what chance have we got?
19:25So, I think it's probably not just one thing. It's probably lots of different things that
19:33can improve 10 per cent to sort of raise the overall level.
19:39Yeah, as Steve mentioned, I think this has been the worst year for it. And as you mentioned there,
19:43Chris, I can't remember a season where, not that they've been criticised as much, referees, but
19:47where decisions have been contested, if you know what I mean. And yeah, very straight. I don't know.
19:53Why do you think this year has been the worst? Is there any reason for it being as bad this year?
19:58I've got no, honestly, I've got no idea. As I said, I've come out of the level and then gone
20:03back into it. And obviously, I've come in from step four and then you come back into it at a
20:10higher level and you think, well, actually, it should be, it should be, it certainly should be
20:16an improved level in terms of depreciating. And as I said, it's been really poor, but consistently
20:23poor to almost to the point where some of the decisions you think, well, you're not surprised
20:29by it. And I think that's the biggest sort of indictment of what we're seeing is when you see
20:33some of the decisions, you're like, well, it's not a surprise. I mean, and it's a lack of
20:37consistency as well. So on the Saturday, we get a handball given against us where the two match
20:44officials haven't consulted. And then on the Tuesday, we get a handball given against us.
20:51And then on the Tuesday, we get a handball given against us, which is given by the linesman where
20:55the referee consults with him. And both decisions are wrong. But after both games,
21:03you get the feeling that the referee's looking and they go, I've got that wrong.
21:08But ultimately, their approach and their way of working is completely different. And that
21:13lack of consistency is frustrating.
21:16Absolutely. And we're moving away from referees. We're going to take a look at
21:20Worthing, who could create history on Monday in the National League South playoff final.
21:24Who stands between the Reds and promotion to Step 1 for the first time ever? Stephen,
21:27how do you see the final going?
21:29Yes, a massive day for Worthing on Monday. They've sold out their tickets. They've sold
21:34out about sort of getting on for 3,000 tickets. I think they sold them in about 12 hours.
21:41Incredible, really. Sort of almost sold them overnight. So they are home to Braintree on
21:45Monday in the playoff final, having beaten Maidstone 2-1 with a late goal by Ollie Pearce
21:52last Sunday. You've got to say Worthing are probably favourites for two reasons. They've
21:56got home advantage. Actually, more than two reasons. They've got home advantage. Braintree
22:01finished a little bit below them in the league. Braintree were one of the teams that had to come
22:04through a playoff eliminator before they got to the semi-finals, which they then won. And
22:10Worthing are on a great run of form. They won their last six league games and they've won
22:14the playoff semi-final since. So I think that makes them firm favourites. They'll have that
22:19big home vocal crowd behind them. But it's the playoffs and it's not always logical.
22:26So we wish them well. I think they'll do it. I'd be interested to know what Chris thinks.
22:30Were the Braintree Monday? I'm saying Worthing favourites and should. If they get it right and
22:38if they turn up, they'll win that. Do you think? Yeah, I think it's a testament to the
22:45unbelievable work that's gone on at the football club over the last few years, to be honest.
22:51Obviously, Adam Hinsherwood on the face of it. Obviously, the support behind the scenes. Nathan,
22:58George, Barry and Carter. I think the fact that almost more of a glowing feedback,
23:08on how well they've done, is the fact that Hinsher's obviously gone. Aaron's come in
23:14with Dean and Darren Barden. The good work's just carried on. I think it's a real reflection of
23:21a club effort and they're a very good club effort. But even though they've had huge upheaval,
23:26it seems to have been relatively seamless in terms of them being able to keep attacking the playoff.
23:32I hope they go up purely from a footballing perspective as well. I would pay to watch
23:39Worthing play football. I love the way they play. It has a big influence on us further down the
23:47road in terms of what type of football we want to play. If the football club can get
23:54remotely close to Worthing's impressive track record, then we'll be on the right lines.
24:00I'm just really hopeful they get through. But you know what it's like. It often comes down
24:05to both boxes. I think we saw that against Maidstone. Ultimately, Worthing were more
24:13clinical in the opposition's box and that's why they got through. I think it was a very,
24:16very close game. I think most people thought Maidstone had best of the second half really.
24:21They looked like the team that were going to go on and win it. So, it just shows you.
24:26When you've got Ollie Pearce up top, he doesn't need many chances.
24:33As I say, I think it will come down to both boxes and touch wood, Worthing get over the line.
24:38Meanwhile, Horsham suffered heartbreak as they were beaten on penalties by
24:43Chatham Town in the semi-finals on Tuesday. A cruel way to lose out, wasn't it, Steve?
24:48Yeah, they've done so well to get into the play-offs. It's kind of made hard work of it
24:55in a way because they had a couple of games where they could have won and qualified and
25:00made sure fifth place and they just struggled to get over the line a bit. I just wonder if
25:04they're sort of tiring a bit now, tiring legs. Chris will be pleased to hear it ahead of the
25:07cup final if they are. But Dom has got a big squad, so he'll probably make changes for the
25:14cup final. We'll see, won't we? But no, cruel on Horsham. Close game at Chatham. I mean,
25:21they went to Chatham not so long ago and won, didn't they? Which again shows that you can't
25:27read anything into the league result between two clubs when it comes to a play-off. It's a
25:31different game, really. Yeah, I think it was a good goal by James Hammond, wasn't it, to sort
25:36of take it to penalties the other night. And it was two very experienced players who missed from
25:42the spot or had penalties saved. So, it can happen to anyone. It can happen to the best of
25:47them, can't it? But Horsham will be, after the cup final anyway, we'll be looking at what they
25:53can do to make next season more of a sort of serious promotion bid. I'm sure you talk to Dom
26:00every week and he'll be plotting next season already, won't he? Yeah, he can and they can
26:05look on with great pride at the season they've had. Highest ever league finish, best run in the
26:10FA Trophy, best run in the FA Cup and a first senior cup final in 16 years, I think. So,
26:17yeah, great season all together. My only worry would have been if they had got to the player
26:21final. I think it might have either been their 61st or 62nd game and after a play an extra time
26:27as well, I think their legs would have gone. But yeah, player final now, Chris, is Chatham against
26:33Enfield. Who do you see winning that one? It's been ever so tight, this division. It's the tightest
26:39I can remember at this spin premier this season. Yeah, to be honest, my money going into the
26:46playoffs was on Horsham. When I looked at the teams in the playoffs, I thought Horsham had enough
26:58on and off the pitch, really, in terms of a squad to get through that. I've experienced that now,
27:06a lot of players that have played at a lot of different levels. I was surprised
27:13because when Horsham went down to Chatham the other week, 3-1, I wasn't surprised at all.
27:20But then Enfield, Enfield do have an awful lot of firepower. My money would be on Enfield
27:27because, as I said, Enfield can win a game of football without being very good at all
27:32because of their firepower. Like you said about Worthing,
27:36Maidstone and both boxes, we've played Enfield twice and created more chances,
27:44had more possession, had more territory, and they've taken six points off us because when it
27:50comes down to both boxes, they are lethal, especially in the opposition's box. Marcus
27:54Wylie up top, Beckles as well, they've got a lot of firepower. So, it wouldn't surprise me
28:02if Enfield won that. But then equally Chatham, probably again similar to Worthing, where
28:09back-to-back promotions, they've got momentum, they know how to win games.
28:13I think that needs to be factored into it as well.
28:17Absolutely. It's a very difficult one to predict because apart from Hornchurch,
28:27Chatham seemed to be second all season, but even when they lost games, they never seemed to drop
28:31a place to Chatham. And as you mentioned, Horsham took four points off of them. So,
28:36yeah, it'll be a tough one to call. But in the Ittingham South East,
28:40we have a mouth-watering All Sussex play-off final to look forward to as Three Bridges entertain
28:44West Sussex Canadiens, Chichester City on Friday evening. Well, we'll start with the semi-final,
28:50Steve. Remarkable set of results for our sides, wasn't it?
28:55Absolutely. Three Bridges did really well to go to Sittingbourne because Sittingbourne,
29:00they've been in that sort of third position or very close to it pretty much all season. Three
29:05Bridges have had a funny season. They started so well, they were away, weren't they? And
29:09came up with the top two and then fell away and looked as though they were not going to
29:14finish in mid-table at one point. Then they got second wind, made sure they finished in the top
29:18five and had a very good win at Sittingbourne. Even more remarkable really was Chichester winning at
29:25Ramsgate. Chichester have been in great form, but you look at this being South East table
29:31and you think, you know, if ever there's a league where the top two should both be allowed to go up
29:36because they're so far ahead that bit because they were going toe-to-toe all season. I think
29:41Ramsgate probably a little bit of fatigue from not managing to quite pip Cray Valley to the title.
29:50Probably a bit of, you know, a bit of a psychological thing comes into it then.
29:54You think you've got to play at home to a team who had finished 20, I think they were 20 points
29:59behind. And Chichester went there, nil-nil. Miles Rutherford said the first 20 minutes of
30:06the second half were like the Alamo, you know, it was a case of when they were going to score
30:14and not if. And then 87th minute Chichester go away and score and are through. So we were either
30:20going to have Chichester or Three Bridges in the Isthmian Premier. We assume the Isthmian Premier,
30:24it's always the chance of re-jigs. Chichester could go into the Southern League, possibly
30:29depending on who else goes up and comes down. But yeah, again, great for Sussex football that those
30:34two have got there. And Chris, you will keep an eye on the Isthmian South East, I'm sure.
30:41For Chichester particularly, Chris, that is quite a feat to get as far as they have, isn't it?
30:46Yeah, but do you know what? It doesn't surprise me.
30:49You played them in the cup, didn't you?
30:51Yeah, whenever Darren Kilpatrick's involved in the team, you know that they're going to be very,
30:57very good. And especially in a one-off game like a play-off semi-final,
31:05there's not many people you want putting a game plan together more than Dabba, to be fair. So
31:11that didn't surprise me, to be honest. And equally, looking ahead to the final, what a job
31:19Jamie Crowley has done at Three Bridges. Again, similar to Worthing and Chichester in terms of
31:26the way that they play and the way they've gone about it as well. Three Bridges play some great
31:32football, same as Chichester, so that would be a great game for the neutral. I think it's just
31:36in general a really good advert for how strong South East football is at the minute.
31:43Absolutely. And go on then, Chris, who's your money on, Bridges or Chichester?
31:47Chichester.
31:50Yeah, you're going down, aren't you, Steve, to the final?
31:51I'll be there, yeah, I'm going to see it, which I'm looking forward to. New ground for me,
31:55never been to Three Bridges. I think I've been through Three Bridges on the train,
31:58but I'm now going to find out if there's any more, you know, much more there than a railway station.
32:03I'm sure there is, I'm sure it's very nice, so I'm looking forward to it.
32:06I just think we're, again, without sort of talking Dabba up too much, but I don't mind
32:11doing it with him and Miles and putting together a plan. You know, they're so shrewd and switched on,
32:20but in a one-off game like that, I'd fancy them to come out on top against a lot of teams. But
32:31again, that's not a reflection of Three Bridges and Jamie Crennan, because, as I said, I think
32:35Jamie's done a brilliant job there. He has indeed. Well, best of luck to both
32:39sides in that player final on Friday. We also now know who will contest the SCFL Premier
32:44Player Final following this week's semi-finals. Steve, who will fire out to join Champion
32:49Stenning in the Isthmian South East next season? And how do you see that one going?
32:53In the SCFL Premier Final, that will be played on Sunday, get this right, Sunday,
33:00and it's between Eastbourne Town and New Haven. It's at the Saffrons. Eastbourne have got the home
33:06advantage, having finished second in the league. Eastbourne are on a great run of form. They've
33:10hit their best form at the right time. I think they've won 14 and drawn two of their last 16,
33:17something like that. Whereas New Haven were top for quite a while, then slipped to second when
33:22Stenning overtook them. Ended up actually fourth, but beat Crobra in their semi-final penalties the
33:28other night. Eastbourne Town got through against Hassox. It's difficult to see beyond Eastbourne
33:33Town getting the job finished and winning there and therefore going back into the Isthmian South
33:40East, which they were in. I don't think it was actually called Isthmian South East last time
33:43they were in it. I think they were in it about, I want to say about 10, might even be a bit longer
33:48than that, about 10 years ago. So, there'll be people at that club, maybe not many players,
33:53but there'll be people at that club that know what they're doing at that level.
33:57Equally, if New Haven go up, they've got very good facilities there. They've got the 3G.
34:02They've been close to promotion before. I think they got to one of the step four,
34:05five play-offs. So, they'll be ready if it's them. But it should be a good game. There'll
34:10be a massive crowd at the Saffrons. Eastbourne Borough, we've seen recently, have had success
34:16in terms of staying up. So, it could be a double celebration for Eastbourne football.
34:22Do you keep much of an eye on the SFL Premier, Chris?
34:24Yeah, loads.
34:27Half of your squad have got from there.
34:32Yeah, no, I think it's an interesting one because New Haven on paper will have more experience and
34:37more nous and more appearances at that level, whereas Eastbourne is a very young group. Jude's
34:46put together a very young, exciting team with, as I said earlier, a sprinkling of experience in
34:53there. So, I think it'll be a really interesting dynamic on that occasion with the sort of
34:59fearlessness of the younger players that just keep going in terms of momentum and
35:04take it as the next game and the next win. Or will it be the more experienced New Haven players
35:11that have sort of been around the block a little bit more that have maybe been in more of those
35:15games that will just find a way to cover it. So, it'll be interesting. But again, I think Jude's
35:23done a fantastic job at Eastbourne Town, as I said, because when he's rebuilt the team. And as
35:30I said, they're another team that play some great football. So, yeah, no, again, it'll be a really
35:35interesting game.
35:37Yeah, and last but by no means least, we also now know which teams will face off in the SCFL
35:42Division 1 play-off final. Who is going to meet in that one, Steve? And how did both teams reach
35:48the final?
35:49So, that one is Seaford Town against Wick. And it's at Seaford because Seaford finished second
35:55in the table. Seaford actually were very consistent. They were second for a lot of the
36:00season. In any other season, they'd have been going for the title with Ruffey, but Ruffey were
36:05so far ahead. They're back up in the Premier now, having won the title. So, well done to them. So,
36:10Seaford home advantage. Wick have had a funny season. They've had some long, unbeaten runs.
36:16Wick, we cover them quite a lot. We do quite a lot on Wick in the Little Hampton Gazette. We've
36:22got people that send reports in. A thriller of a play-off semi-final they had against
36:28Worthing United. Wick were at home to Worthing United in the semi. Three times went behind,
36:33three times they equalised, including an injury time. Worthing United then had a penalty in the
36:38shootout, which had they scored it, they'd have been through. Didn't go in. Wick saved one and
36:44scored one. So, they go through. Just shows you the fine margins of it all, doesn't it? Whereas,
36:48Seaford had an easier, much easier semi-final. They beat Salsey 3-1 in theirs. Again, you'd say,
36:56if you put your sensible head on, you'd say Seaford are strong favourites there. But Wick
37:02have got nothing to lose. They were in the play-offs last year, so they know a little
37:05bit about this knockout football. They'll go down there tomorrow thinking they've got a good chance.
37:14Excellent stuff. Yeah, we'd like to extend all our best of luck to all the Sussex
37:18teams that are in the play-off finals in their respective divisions. And also,
37:22thank you very much for joining us, Chris. It's been an absolute pleasure and best of
37:25luck in the senior cup final against Horsham on Wednesday. Yeah, I never know how to end this,
37:30as Steve well knows. So, thank you very much for listening and we'll speak to you when we speak to
37:34you. Thank you.
37:35Thank you very much for having me. Thank you. Apologies about the dog.
37:40He spoke a lot of sense.
37:44I wasn't going to say that.