Latest news with #LewesFC
Irish Daily Mirror
31-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Emma Byrne's Ireland coaching status clarified as she lands first managerial job
Ireland's most capped women's international has landed her first managerial role, with Lewes FC confirming Emma Byrne's appointment as first-team manager. Byrne will also head up the club's goalkeeping department - and despite her new dual role she will continue as Ireland assistant coach under Carla Ward. The 46-year-old was on Thursday confirmed as Lewes boss by the FA Women's National League South side. Playing in English football's third tier, former Arsenal star Byrne will be charged with driving the team's bid to return to the Women's Super League 2, the new name for the Women's Championship. She said: 'I am delighted to join Lewes FC – a special club that is ambitious and relentless in raising standards at the club and for women's football everywhere, with an amazing community spirit. 'I am looking forward to working with a talented group of players and staff.' Lewes' head of women's football Lynne Burrell welcomed the Leixlip native into her new role, saying: 'We are thrilled to welcome Emma into the Lewes FC family. 'She is a winner, a leader, and someone who deeply understands what it takes to succeed at both domestic and international levels. 'Her passion for developing players and pushing professional standards is exactly what we need at this stage in our journey.' The club also confirmed that Byrne would continue her role with the FAI and the Ireland Women's national team. 'We are proud to support her in balancing her dual responsibilities,' read a statement. 'The club believe Emma is the right person to bring it all together – leading with integrity, ambition, and a relentless commitment to excellence as we embark on this next chapter.' Lewes FC COO and sporting director Kelly Lindsey said: 'This is more than a managerial appointment - it's a statement of intent. 'We want to be back in the Championship - the new WSL2 - and we know what it takes: the right ecosystem, strategic alignment, collaboration, and the time commitment to earn our way back through hard work, unity and grit. 'Emma is eager to join us on that journey, and we're excited to cultivate our elite standards together.' Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
RTÉ News
31-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Republic of Ireland goalkeeping coach Emma Byrne appointed Lewes FC manager
Republic of Ireland women's senior assistant coach and former goalkeeper Emma Byrne has been appointed as manager of English third tier side Lewes FC. The 46-year-old Kildare native - the most capped Irish women's international of all time - will however retain her position within Carla Ward's Girls in Green set-up, where she serves as goalkeeping coach. Lewes play in the FA Women's National League South, which is directly below Women's Super League 2, and the club from East Sussex said they intend to support Byrne in combining her new role with her FAI commitments. "Emma will continue her role with the FAI and the Ireland women's national team, and we are proud to support her in balancing her dual responsibilities. Her presence at Lewes reflects the club's ambition to connect domestic development with the international game," Lewes said. The former Arsenal goalkeeper, who won the Women's Champions League with the Gunners in 2007 as well as multiple domestic trophies during her illustrious career, said she was excited to succeed Nat Lawrence as Lewes boss. "I am delighted to join Lewes FC – a special club that is ambitious and relentless in raising standards at the club and for women's football everywhere, with an amazing community spirit," she said. "I am looking forward to working with a talented group of players and staff, and want to thank Nat for all her hard work last season to build the foundation for us to continue to grow from." The appointment means Byrne will also work again with Lewes' sports science lead Ivi Casgrande, who was Ireland's performance coach until March when she resigned from the role.
Daily Mail
13-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
'Woke' football club beg fans for £120,000 to escape going bust after becoming the only team to pay their women's team the same as their men
Lewes FC have begged fans to help raise £120,000 amid a desperate effort to avoid going bust. The East Sussex side, which has been labelled ' woke ' for providing equal pay for both genders, issued an urgent plea for financial support 'to keep the club running' as they struggle to maintain their ground. Lewes, described as 'the world's first and only equal football club' are known for being the only side to pay their women the same as the men, having done so since 2017. In a remarkable appeal, the community owned club admitted they had only 'just' survived last season but need extra cash to maintain their pitch at their stadium The Dripping Ground, pay utility bills develop the club's hospitality. They revealed that 'cash was tight' and they are dealing with 'financial challenges' after their women's team were relegated from the Women's Championship, the second tier, last year. They added that despite having a 'better-than-break-even season' last campaign, the next few weeks could be crucial and will 'shape the future' of the club for 'next season and beyond'. Fans could support them by making becoming an owner, buying a season ticket, sponsoring its teams, or making a donation, the club said. Lewes announced their equality drive eight years ago and it paid immediate dividends, with the women's side selected for the Women's Championship in the 2018/19 season. Their 'Equality FC' campaign vowed to 'put an end to the excuses for why such a deep pay disparity has persisted in our sport'. The women's team will compete in the third tier next season, in the same league as Bournemouth and Watford, while the men feature in the Isthmian Football League's premier division, level seven on the pyramid. Lewes were handed a £750,000 grant for a new pitch from the Premier League Stadium Fund but the cost of professional women's football has challenged the club. Financial difficulties largely comes as a result of a reliance of director loans. Although the women's team have thrived since the equality campaign, it has caused some division at the club In a blistering resignation letter, former board member Barry Collins wrote: 'I joined a football club and feel like I'm leaving a political party.' He added: 'The club has become overwhelmed by the single issue of the equality campaign.' Collins, chair of the their supporters club, told Telegraph Sport he was not 'ideologically opposed to equality' but 'ideologically opposed to spending that much money that the club doesn't have'. Lewes said their current appeal would be 'the last time we will need to ask for financial support and donations like this' and that they have 'managed to transform our operating budget and our entire management processes.' They added women's football is in 'severe need of change' due to clubs 'defaulting their league status', while non-league men's football is 'ultra competitive and every penny counts'.
BBC News
27-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Lewes FC appeals for financial help from fans to 'keep evolving'
Lewes FC is asking fans to help it meet stadium running costs between of The Dripping Pan ground will cost around £120,000 for the period until next season begins, according to the community-owned football said the club had a "better-than-break-even season" in 2024/25 but needed financial help to "move forward and keep evolving".The Rooks said: "We have to be honest about the challenges we face, especially during the summer off-season when there are no matchdays to generate income but plenty of work to be done." The club said fans could help by becoming an owner, buying a season ticket, sponsoring its teams, or making a FC faced "a number of financial challenges" after its women's team was relegated from the Women's Championship - the second tier of English women's football - in April 2024, it its first season in the Women's National League Southern Premier Division, the club has finished sixth."We've managed to transform our operating budget and our entire management processes," the club said, adding it hoped this would be "the last time we will need to ask for financial support and donations like this".Women's football is in "severe need of change" due to clubs "defaulting their league status", according to the the club, while non-league men's football is "ultra competitive and every penny counts".Lewes FC's men's team finished 13th in the Isthmian Football League's premier division in 2024/25.
