Lewis Taylor

DOB: 1st August 1986

Position: Midfielder

Season of first appearance: 2014/15

Season of last appearance: 2016/17

Full Appearances: 86

Substitute: 12

Goals: 19

Also played for:

Whyteleafe, Whitehawk, Horsham, AFC Wimbledon, Carshalton, Bromley, Hampton & Richmond, Tonbridge, Kingstonian, Dorking Wanderers, Horsham YMCA, Burgess Hill Town, Chipstead.

Player Profile:

Energetic box-to-box midfielder who was a key part of our promotion-winning side of 2014-15.

A former youth player at Fulham and AFC Wimbledon, he played for Whyteleafe before joining Horsham and scored a late penalty equaliser against Swansea City in the FA Cup Second Round on 30.11.07 to earn a replay in Wales, which the Sussex side lost 6-2.

After 22 goals in 91 appearances for Horsham, Lewis returned to the Dons in the summer of 2008 but missed all of 2008-09 due to a serious knee injury.

He spent a further season with the Dons before joining Tonbridge Angels for whom he scored the winner in their 4-3 victory over Lowestoft in the Isthmian Premier play-off final on 7.5.11.

Spells at Bromley, Carshalton, Hampton & Richmond and Whitehawk followed before a return to Carshalton.

Lewis was playing for Carshalton against Margate on 19.4.14 when he was involved in an incident with Margate's Charlie Wassmer in which the Margate player was alleged to have headbutted Lewis and broken his cheek.

Despite that, Margate manager Terry Brown signed Lewis in the summer of 2014. On joining Margate, Lewis told the Sutton Guardian: "I have known manager Terry Brown a long time and we had an in-depth chat. The club has big ambitions and wants to be challenging for promotion, which I want to do too. Every footballer wants that. I'm joining a strong group, but I'll use that as motivation because I feel I can be a part of it."

Of the incident with Wassmer, he said: "The incident has been spoken about and it has all been left in the past. My cheek has healed nicely."

Lewis got off to a flying start for his new club with a goal against Ramsgate in the Thanet Cup in a 3-1 win at Southwood on 2.8.14 and provided the decisive strike in the opening league game, a 1-0 win over Hampton at Hartsdown on 9.8.14.

But he had a setback when breaking his cheekbone in a 2-1 defeat at Dulwich Hamlet on 2.9.14. He had scored Margate's goal in the game. It was reported that Lewis would be out of the side for two months to recover from the injury that required surgery but he played in the next two matches (and scored in a 2-0 win at Hornchurch on 6.9.14).

Lewis then had a spell of absence and returned for a 1-0 win at Chatham in the Kent Senior Cup on 14.10.14. He wore a mask over his injured cheek in matches after his return. He only missed a handful of matches from then until the end of the campaign.

Lewis contributed the occasional goal along the way, including the winner in a 1-0 victory at home to Leatherhead on 25.10.14. But his most crucial strike was the 77th minute winner in the play-off semi-final at home to Dulwich on 14.5.15. Lewis also started the play-off final against Hendon at Harrow on 17.5.15.

Terry Brown rebuilt the side in preparation for life in National League South with Lewis one of the members of the promotion-winning team that he retained.

On 16.1.16, Lewis scored a hat-trick in a 4-1 win over Chelmsford City at Hartsdown, which included two penalties. In the next match he scored Margate's injury-time winner as they shocked Ebbsfleet United 2-1 on their own ground on 23.1.16.

However, Lewis felt the need to apologise to his team-mates after he missed a last-minute penalty in a match at home to Bishop's Stortford on 30.1.16. He had already successfully converted from the spot in the 84th minute to level the scores at 1-1 but, when another penalty was awarded in stoppage time, he fired over. It was his first penalty miss in senior football.

Manager Nikki Bull said: "Lewis came in and apologised at the end but that boy has got nothing to apologise for. He's been a credit to the club since he's been here and next week if we get a penalty he'll take responsibility again and he'll go again."

Lewis was voted Supporters' Player of the Season for 2015-16.

Lewis started his third season at Hartsdown in 2016-17 but his appearances in the early part of the campaign were restricted by injury. He was sent off in a 5-0 defeat at home to Oxford City on 19.11.16.

Lewis left Margate in January 2017 and signed for Isthmian Premier side Kingstonian. His last game for Margate was a 5-1 defeat at Welling on 1.1.17.

In 2017-18, he joined Dorking Wanderers and had a successful period with them, scoring the goal that won promotion to National League South in 2019. His time at Dorking included a loan spell at Horsham YMCA.

Lewis returned to Horsham for the abandoned 2020-21 campaign.

Lewis signed for Burgess Hill Town for 2021-22 and became club captain. He was appointed manager in March 2023 following the shock departure of Matt Longhurst, who had only just been given the job. Lewis had the task of keeping the Hillians out of the Isthmian South East Division relegation zone, something which they achieved.

Lewis joined Chipstead for 2023-24 in a combined player and assistant manager role. However, halfway through the campaign he returned to Burgess Hill. He was still playing in 2024-25 and came on as a sub when the Hillians beat Margate 2-1 on 15.10.2024.