Lewes skipper Steve Robinson revealed to the Sussex Express that the players had only found out about King's departure on the morning of the game. And with the Rooks boss opting to sit in the stand, instead of his usual patrolling position in the technical area, coupled with the chants of "stitched up and we know we are," from the fans, there could not have been a more stranger feel to a so-called Championship parade.

The group huddle is synonymous with most teams nowadays, but the group huddle of Lewes contained the whole squad and management team. And if the message was let's do it for Kingy, the XI which made the field did not disappoint.

The game itself started in a lull, understandable due to the circumstances, but once Lewes got going, Weston simply could not handle them. Rooks' first opportunity fell to Gary Holloway, who blazed a volley over after good work from Hamid Barr and Jean-Michel Sigere, with the latter also fluffing his left foot shot wide when sent through just after. Moments later, though, it was Sigere who broke the deadlock in the 21st minute. Barr's shot-cum-cross found its way through to Jamie Cade, who fired the ball back into the danger area where Sigere steadied himself before firing home from eight yards. Immediately Sigere, and the rest of the Lewes players sprinted over to the home dugout to celebrate with the management.

Just seven minutes later Lewes were two up, courtesy of a bullet header from Robinson, who met Andy Drury's pinpoint corner. On a personal level it capped off a marvellous season for the Rooks skipper, who later scooped the supporters' and players' player of the year awards, while sharing the outgoing manager's player of the year award with fellow centre half Ian Simpemba.

Robinson and Holloway then both proceeded to raise their shirts (and get booked in the process) to reveal T-shirts with a message saying, "The King is gone, long live the KING."

Clearly the players were fraught with emotion and their first half performance was extremely commendable given the strange circumstances.
Chances kept coming for Lewes after the interval; Sigere squandered another one-on-one and just short of the hour mark the tricky Barr found Kennet on the edge of the area, but his left foot shot just dipped the wrong side of the bar.

But on the hour Lewes got their third, and Sigere his second. Simpemba, usually known for his defending skills, meandered his way down the right hand side and delivered a cross from the byline, and it was Sigere's long left leg that stretched to connect and send the ball trickling over the goal-line. The game hit a sour note when Weston's Jason Burt received his marching orders after he went in late on Robinson, who recieved a second yellow card for retaliation. Just before the final whistle, Weston's Lewis Powell also got the early use of the bath for receiving two yellow cards.

At the end of the game, the fireworks were pumped and the tears for Steve King flowed. Lewes are going up, but the future is an uncertain one, on and off the pitch.

Lewes: Robinson, Conroy, Barness, Kennett, Robinson, Simpemba, Drury, Holloway (Wheeler), Barr (Groves), Sigere (Legge), Cade.
ATT: 1,017. REF: I Crouch.f