WHAT has gone wrong at Lewes, one of the first clubs to introduce equal pay across their men and women’s teams? The Isthmian Premier outfit recently made a plea to their fans to raise £ 120,000, a sum that would allow them to get through a close season that includes maintenance at their much-loved Dripping Pan stadium. With crowds of close to 1,000 and turnover of over £ 1.2 million, what has happened to push Lewes towards a crisis? The Rooks have been trailblazers in many ways, transforming a club that has had management issues in the past. As a fan-owned organisation, they were known for their allegiance with causes, the pursuit of equality across genders and their community initiatives. The appeal, at the end of May, suggested the club was in significant trouble: “What we do together in the next few weeks will shape the future of Lewes FC for next season and beyond.” Right-wing media outlets have labelled the club “woke” and have, rather inappropriately, linked the problems to their “Equality FC” campaign. This has outraged some Lewes fans, but it does appear the community-owned club has been dependent on loans from directors. Whatever happens next should concern anyone who wants to see football supporters having a say in the running of their clubs. Lewes were not just good at producing innovative matchday posters, their activities were also very eye-catching.
**Club Review: Arsenal – losing momentum?**
FOR the third consecutive season, Arsenal finished runners-up in the Premier League, but there was an underlying feeling that maybe the team in its current form has achieved as much as it can. Arsenal were 10 points behind champions Liverpool, compared to the two and five they trailed Manchester City in the previous two campaigns. Nevertheless, there were times when Arsenal looked very good indeed, thrashing City 5-1, beating Real Madrid twice and putting seven past PSV Eindhoven away from home. Injuries hampered their season and a lack of a prolific scorer was exposed on a number of occasions. Their top scorer in the Premier was Kai Havertz, who netted nine. Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard were all sidelined at one stage of the campaign and all were very much missed. More positively, they benefitted from the emergence of young talent in the form of Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri, the former who went on to be selected for England. In vital games such as the EFL Cup and Champions League semi-finals, Arsenal were found wanting, but coach Mikel Arteta was convinced his team was the best in Europe’s flagship club competition, despite being eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain. Once again, the Gunners went into the summer with pundits urging them to have a “big transfer window”.
**FIFA Club World Cup: Not the intro Gianni wanted**
THERE were 60,000 in the high security Hard Rock Stadium, but not everyone was impressed with the opening night of the FIFA Club World Cup. On a day when millions insisted that there were “no Kings” in the USA in response to the behaviour of their president, Lionel Messi was welcomed onto the pitch like royalty. But the Argentinian made little impact as his team, Inter Miami, failed to prise open Egypt’s Al-Ahly, arguably the best team on the African continent. Messi, naturally, displayed quality, but as Barney Ronay of _The Guardian_ noted, he showed he was a “truly great footballer who can still see it, but just can’t call the shapes into being”. The 0-0 draw was just about right, but FIFA’s Gianni Infantino did not get what he probably wanted, a goal-fest and a Messi masterclass. It is unlikely that either side will feature in the closing stages of the competition.
**Burnley: A multi-club future looms**
WITH Spain becoming an increasingly attractive market for football investors, Espanyol could be the next name to be incorporated into a multi-club ownership model (MCO). ALK Capital, owners of newly-promoted Burnley, are eager to a acquire the Barcelona-based club. ALK are talking to Espanyol’s owners, the Chinese group Rastar, who took control of the club a decade ago. Rastar rode in promising Champions League football, but last season, Espanyol finished just two points clear of relegated Leganés. With the club at the foot of the La Liga table, Espanyol’s fans protested outside the Chinese Consulate in Barcelona about Rastar and their president Chen Yansheng. ALK bought an 84% stake in Burnley in December 2020 for £ 170 million, should Espanyol become part of a MCO group, the club could benefit from links with European and South American talent pools, an important consideration given the rising cost of Premier League players. ALK also have a strategic partnership with Scotland’s Dundee.
**Club Review: Olympique Marseille – in the shadows**
FINISHING 19 points behind the league champions may not seem like a sign of success, but Marseille were chasing eventual European champions Paris Saint-Germain. OM had a distraction-free season in so far that they were absent from Europe for the first time since 2020. This was their first year under coach Roberto De Zerbi and they camped in the top three from September to the end of the campaign. OM remain the best supported club in France, with an average of 63,500 at the Stade Vélodrome. Appetite for _Les Minots_ is very high, as evidenced by season ticket sales of almost 50,000. They had a busy summer in 2024 and among their signings was controversial Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood, who cost € 26 million. He repaid them with 22 goals in league and cup. Greenwood was in fine form in the first few months of the season, but he was not the only player to attract attention; 23-year-old Brazilian winger Luis Henrique was being monitored by nearly every major club in Europe. He moved to Inter Milan in June 2025, costing € 23 million. OM might have narrowed the margin between themselves and PSG, but between February and April, they lost five in Seven games. However, they regained their composure and can look forward to Champions League football in 2025-26.
Game of the People was founded in 2012 and is ranked among the 100 best football websites by various sources. The site consistently wins awards for its work, across a broad range of subjects. [View all posts by Neil Fredrik Jensen](https://gameofthepeople.com/author/georgefjord/)