AFC VARNDEANIANS PROVIDING FOOTBALL TO THE BRIGHTON COMMUNITY SINCE 1929
News…
A great opportunity to manage the V’s at Withdean Stadium
This is an exciting opportunity to lead a Step 5 club playing out of the Withdean Stadium in Brighton with strong foundations for success and working in a supportive club environment.
We are a looking for a candidate who:
Has extensive coaching and managerial experience, either managing at Step 5 or demonstrating a clear pathway to this level
Is well connected and able to recruit players both through youth pathways and senior level networks
Supports the development of players both from within the club and outside
Can manage within a restricted budget
To apply please send your football CV and a short covering letter to afcvarndean@gmail.com
Manager Law Edwards moves onto pastures new
The V’s committee which to thank Law Edwards and his assistant Matt Stephens for such an enjoyable and successful season and we wish them both all the best at their new club.
Law has been at the club for 5 years having played in the great Kev Keehan side and then managed us through a difficult period during Covid. he managed our U18’s team and took over first team in the later stages of 2023/24.
Given a summer to build a squad and after 6 straight loses in August the players began to click and we went on a solid run of results. In among the league fixtures we experienced a wonderful Senior Cup match v Brighton U23 to a packed Withdean only losing 1-0. The New Year proved challenging with some tough fixtures but Law recruited some new players who gave us fresh impetus and we finished a very respectable 13th which for a club with our resources was a great achievement.
A top bloke and a top manager we wish you good luck in the future… apart from when your up against us in the dug out :)
End of season awards night at the Better Half pub
We had a great club awards night with all our teams coming together and over 80 players managers and parents attending the evening.
It really is a chance to see how many players we have provided football for this season within the Brighton community from u16’s to our oldies in the walking football team. We are proud to continue to run 3 men’s teams and this has created a patch for our youth players to experience senior football.
Alfie Proto-Gates who is pictured above won the first team Players Player Award, with Shay Tobin collecting the Manager’s Player Award and Ezra Roeg the Committee’s Player of the Year.
George Stone won the Players award for the 2nds and Lewis (Nat) Bennet collected the 3rd team prize. Frankie Cole won the U18 Players Player award and Henry Boyle the Players Player award and not forgetting Steven Wilson winning the Over 45’s vets award
However, on the night football was the winner!
V’s win 3-1 away at Saltdean United to round off a solid mid table position
Saltdean United 1-3 AFC Varndeanians
26th April 2025
A win today meant that the V’s claimed 13th place in the league and reached the tally of 42 points. This has been a tremendous achievement by manager Law Edwards, his assistant Matt Stephen’s and the players.
The squad has developed over the season as players have come and gone and Law has certainly had to dig deep into his contact book not only to attract the players but then also convince them to join. The current set of players have gelled well over the last month and we hope to take the same players into the new season.
Goals from Shay Tobin, an overhead kick, Ezra Roeg, a well controlled lob and a strikers finish from Harley Damario secured the points.
Hills Sound & Vision
MOM Sam Rogers
3rd team seal promotion with an away win at Barcombe FC
Barcombe 1-2 AFC Varndeanians III
12th April 2025
After an impressive 4-1 demolition midweek of 2nd place Welcroft Park Rangers II mid-week the V’s III’s could seal promotion if they won away at Barcombe which they duly achieved with goals from top scorer Lewis Bennet and Naadir Khan. It’s been a solid season for the third’s managed by Si nat who has played alot of the youth players mixed with some experienced players which is a formula that has worked while playing really attractive attacking football.
Old stalwarts Steve Low, Ant Faulkner and captain Richard Lenton have provided a solid core to let the youngsters shine, none more so than lewis bennet who has scored 14 goals this season.
Over 45’s vets win title against closest rivals TD Shipley FC
TD Shipley 0-2 AFC Varndeanians Over 45’s
4th April 2025
In a winner takes all match the V’s produced the goods to beat TD Shipley 2-0 become champions of the SSFL Sussex Sunday Intermediate division. Goals from marco Pucci and Mike (mind your hamstring) Setters were enough to secure the win.
Manager Chris Fouleton was delighte, ‘After losing the Cup final to Valley Rovers 4-2, I was determined to lift some silverware that the squad deserved and no matter what age or level of football you play it’s always satisying to win the league.”
The vet’s squad has got stronger and stronger throughout the season and will nest season have the challenge of playing in the premier.
V’s Over 60’s walking football team win SCFL league west
The V’s over 60’s have remained unbeaten in the league winning 9 and drawing one game with a goal difference of 47 so all in all an impressive season. The last game of the season saw us draw 1-1 with Worthing Black who are a quality team and our equaliser didn’t come until the last minute when Colin Addison-Milne finished off a delightful move.
There has been a reliable squad all season of Pete Passingham, Keith Chamberlain, Gareth Hall, Mark Neocleous, Jamie Hall, Gary Jakeman, Den O’Brien, Shaz, Dave Bridges and Norman Wright who at aged 74 still gets upset if he ever gives the ball away… which is a rare thing.
To view the league table click here
U16’s complete the season with a cup win
The V’s U16’s have had a solid season in the Mid Sussex Division One which is a tough league with some top sides like East Grinstead, Burgess Hill Bognor and Worthing. A notable win was a 4-3 victory over Worthing FC.
After a good cup run in the plate competition the V’s beat Seaford 2-1 after going one goal down but they held their nerve kept playing football on the deck and got their rewards with 2 well taken goals.
This team is a result of our link up with Seagulls Fc and has worked really well with many of the players stepping up the men’s football when they hit the age of 16. This relationship with the Seagulls in in it’s first season and has certainly been fruitful for the Vs’s and also provides a pathway for Seagulls players into mens football.
An amazing night at Withdean as we welcomed back the Seagulls
The crowd of 900 spectators enjoyed a trip down memory lane as Brighton and Hove Albion U21’s beat AFC Varndeanians 1-0. A resilient performance by the V’s was rewarded with a tight contest, despite the Albions dominance, and indeed we stayed in the game and had a chance at the end of the match. But the real winner tonight was football, as everyone involved enjoyed a close game and the atmosphere was quite special.
The Albion fanzine Dogma wrote a wonderful piece about the match which is worth a read. Read more
To watch match highlights click here
