Soon after the presentation ceremony on Saturday, Steve King walked up to where Ethel Treagus (right) was sitting with her family and presented her with his medal. Ethel is the wife of Gordon Treagus, a loyal Rooks servant who played for the club for 15 years in the minor leagues and three different divisions.

Ethel said, "I didn't know he was going to do it. I was with his family all the afternoon and they said he wanted to see us at the end. After the game he came straight off the pitch, up the stairs and into the crowd where I was with my two daughters and son. He took the medal off and put it on me. I didn't know what to think. He just cuddled me and none of us really spoke."

Gordon, who lived with Ethel in Meridian Road, died at the age of 76 after a short battle with pancreatic cancer in 2005. The following year King dedicated the club's Sussex Senior Cup win to Gordon, and Ethel is full of praise for the man who her husband called 'The Boy'.

Ethel said: 'He was so good to my husband when he was dying with cancer. He's a lovely man. He was very supportive and came to the hospital to see him. Gordon was very fond of him and used to call him The Boy."

Ethel, who was Lewes Football Club's Supporter of the Year 2004-2005 season, said she was "choked" at Steve King's controversial departure.