Success in uncertain times: Lewes Women reflect on solid season

After Natalie Lawrence left as manager following the club’s Sussex Women’s Challenge Cup victory last May, the Rooks had to rebuild their squad against the backdrop of an attempted sale of the women’s team.

While this deal never came to fruition during the season, new manager Emma Byrne steered her players through these uncertainties and exceeded the past campaign’s achievements.

Lewes retained the Sussex Women’s Challenge Cup with a 5-0 Final win over Saltdean United, reached the Women’s FA Cup Third Round and bettered their league finish, rising from 6th to 5th.

This remained a long way from the possibility of promotion back to the Women’s Super League 2, but given the financial implications of such success, Lewes will be happy to finish in mid-table.

The side can go toe-to-toe with the FA Women’s National League’s most ambitious clubs, too, after taking four points off eventual Southern Premier Division champions, Watford, this season.

As more money pours into English women’s football, Lewes will be pleased to have survived a campaign that has seen other sides without the backing of a large men’s team drop away.

In the Rooks’ division, Billericay Town and Gwalia United suffered relegation, while in the Northern Premier Division, Halifax and Sporting Khalsa went the same way.

The only other Sussex team in the top four tiers, Worthing, sank to the bottom of the Division One South West and face relegation.

With Lewes flying the flag for Sussex, their continued success is paramount to the wider club’s reputation.

The Rooks remain an attractive proposition for local and international talent, as demonstrated by their standout players last season.

Paula Howells, Leah Lane and Danielle Rowe are amongst Sussex’s most exciting talents, while Chelsea Ferguson, Maddie Brant and Lois Edwards came through academies in neighbouring areas such as Kent and London.

The addition of those without existing ties to the area, such as goalkeeper Emily Moore and defenders Layla Banaras and Rebecca Trewhitt, has complemented the squad well.

Byrne has built a solid unit, and her task, amidst a continuing backdrop of sale conversations, will be to build on that again in 2026-27.

With another clutch of ambitious teams, such as Fulham, Swindon Town and Portsmouth, set to join them next season, that challenge only gets harder.