Lewes FC boss tells fans: Have a pop at me if you like, but not my young players

Hugo Langton has appealed to Lewes fans to be patient with his young team – and aim any criticism at him.
Hugo Langton issues the orders at Enfield / Picture: James BoyesHugo Langton issues the orders at Enfield / Picture: James Boyes
Hugo Langton issues the orders at Enfield / Picture: James Boyes

The Rooks began the season with a 4-1 Isthmian premier defeat at Enfield on Saturday – then bowed out of the FA Cup in a 3-1 loss away to lower-division Bedfont Sports in midweek.

It wasn’t the start Lewes wanted but Langton has appealed for patience as the club introduce a number of their under-18 prospects to the first-team squad.

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They aim to get their season up and running in back-to-back home games with Brightlingsea Regent (tomorrow) and Worthing (Tuesday).

Langton said his side were too lethargic against an experience Lewes side – but he was encouraged by big improvements, despite the result, at Bedfont.

“In the Cup game we created close to 30 scoring opportunities, and how we only scored one I don’t know,” he said.

“We’re a very young team – we had three 18-year-olds starting in both games, my right-back is 20, my forward is 21 and some on the bench are 21.

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“My remit is to develop these players but that is not going to happen overnight.

“If you look at Worthing, a club I have huge admiration for and who we welcome on Tuesay, they have done the same with their youngsters but it has not happened quickly.

“They are much further along the same path we are on.”

Langton knows fans will always want to see a winning team and won’t always have patience, and he has sympathy with that.

“My message to fans is they are very, very welcome to have a pop at me but I ask them to back our players,” Langton said.

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“Criticism aimed at young players affects them, but in the past not enough of the club’s under-18s went into the first team – they went somewhere else like Worthing. I don’t want that to happen with these players.”

Langton is hoping to bring two more players into the squad for tomorrow’s game, both with links to National League clubs.

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