Chris Lewington

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Chris Lewington
Personal information
Full nameChristopher John Lewington[1]
Date of birth (1988-08-23) 23 August 1988[2]
Place of birthSidcup, England
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[2]
Playing positionGoalkeeper
Club information
Current clubDagenham & Redbridge
Number1
Youth career
1999–2002Charlton Athletic
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2005–2006Erith & Belvedere?(?)
2006–2007Dulwich Hamlet8(0)
2007–2008Fisher Athletic?(?)
2007–2008→ Sittingbourne (loan)?(?)
2008–2009Leatherhead?(?)
2009–Dagenham & Redbridge113(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19:58, 3 February 2014 (UTC).
† Appearances (Goals).

Christopher John Lewington (born 23 August 1988) is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for League Two club Dagenham & Redbridge.

Lewington started his career in the youth system at Charlton Athletic, where he spent three years up until the age of thirteen. He entered mens footall in 2005 when he signed for Southern Counties East Football League side Erith & Belvedere. He spent a season at Erith before joining Isthmian League Division One South side Dulwich Hamlet on a free transfer. In 2007, he followed Dulwich manager Wayne Burnett to Conference South side Fisher Athletic. The majority of his time at Fisher was spent on loan at Isthmian League Division One South side Sittingbourne on loan. During this time he also played for Southern Counties East Football League side Beckenham Town due to dual registration. In 2008, Lewington joined Isthmian League Division One South Leatherhead on a free transfer, and won player of the season in his first year at the club. This prompted Football League Two side Dagenham & Redbridge to offer Lewington a trial at the club during pre-season in 2009. He subsequently signed a professional contract with the Daggers. He combined his footballing career with working as a part-time Sports Lecturer at the North West Kent College.

Club career

Early career

Lewington was born in Sidcup, London.[2] He started his career in the youth system of Charlton Athletic, where he spent three seasons up unitl the age of thirteen.[3] After his release, he continued to play local Sunday league football until the age of sixteen.[3] He then entered mens football and joined Southern Counties East Football League side Erith & Belvedere.[3] He spent one season with Erith before joining Isthmian League Division One South side Dulwich Hamlet. He signed as understudy to Simon Overland, who suffered an injury during pre-season in 2006.[4] Lewington kept a clean sheet on his debut for Hamlet in the FA Cup in September 2006 in a 3–0 home win over Three Bridges.[5] His league debut came later in the month in a 4–1 defeat to Fleet Town.[6] He remained first choice until Simon Overland recovered from injury, making his final appearance for the club in a 2–0 win over Metropolitan Police in December 2006.[7] He didn't feature for Hamlet for the remainder of the campaign. In total, Lewington made 15 appearances for the club in all competitions.[8]

In June 2007, Lewington followed manager Wayne Burnett from Dulwich to Conference South side Fisher Athletic on a free transfer.[4] In December 2007, he was sent out on loan to Isthmian Division One South side Sittingbourne for an initial one-month loan.[9] Lewington was in fine form as Sittingbourne went five games unbeaten which saw them rise up the table.[10] His loan was later extended until the end of the season. In February 2008, he was sent off in a 2–1 defeat to Metropolitan Police, conceding a penalty.[11] This led to him serving a 21-day suspension.[12] He made his return in the league match against Croydon Athletic.[12]

In October 2008, he joined Isthmian League First Division South side Leatherhead on a free transfer, turning down several other clubs in the process.[13] He competed for a first team spot with Philippines international Neil Etheridge.[13] Lewington had a successful year at the club and was named player of the season.[14] This prompted Football League Two side Dagenham & Redbridge to offer him a trial period at the club during pre-season.[14]

Dagenham & Redbridge

In August 2009, Lewington signed permanently for Dagenham & Redbridge after impressing on trial.[14] In his first season at the club he served as back-up to Daggers legend Tony Roberts in his first season with the club. He featured regularly on the substitutes bench throughout the season as Dagenham were promoted to Football League One via the 2010 Football League Two play-off Final win over Rotherham United.[15] Despite not featuring for the club in the 2009–10 season, he signed a new two-year deal until 2012.[16]

Lewington again served as back-up to Tony Roberts in the clubs maiden season in League One. He made his first team and professional debut for the Daggers against his boyhood club Charlton Athletic in the Football League Trophy in August 2010, a 1–0 defeat at The Valley Stadium.[17] His league debut came in November 2010, a 4–0 away defeat to Southampton.[18] Despite the result Lewington kept his first team place throughout November, however he failed to keep a clean sheet. His final appearance of the campaign came in a 1–0 home defeat to Oldham Athletic. He made a total of six appearances in all competitions during the season as the Daggers were relegated back to League Two on the final day of the season.[19]

Lewington started the 2011–12 season as first choice goalkeeper following the retirement of Tony Roberts and fought off competition from on loan Arsenal keeper James Shea.[19] He was sent off in the first game of the season for handball against Macclesfield Town, but the Daggers still went on to win the game 1–0.[20] In November 2011, Lewington signed a new three-year contract extension after establishing himself as the club's number one.[21] He received his second red card of the season in a 5–0 league defeat to Cheltenham Town, after denying a goalscoring opportunity in the first half.[22] Daggers boss John Still lodged an appeal to the Football Association, however this was dismissed and the two-game ban remained.[22] His final appearance of the season came in a 4–0 win over Bristol Rovers as the Daggers maintained their League Two status.[23] Lewington made a total of 47 appearances in all competitions.

Lewington remained first choice goalkeeper for the 2012–13 season, with the club bringing in young keeper Jordan Seabright as backup. His first appearance of the season came against Coventry City in the Football League Cup.[24] In December 2012, Lewington made a mistake which cost the Daggers the points in a 3–2 defeat to Port Vale.[25] He came out of his goal to claim a long throw-in, only to miss it and leave Vale striker Tom Pope with an open net.[25] However, Daggers manager John Still publically backed his keeper to bounce back.[25] He still remained first choice left-back after the departure of manager John Still to Luton Town.[26] The Daggers narrowly avoided relegation to the Conference Premier, this time on the final day of the season, despite losing 1–0 to York City.[27] Lewington made a total of 45 appearances throughout the season in all competitions.

Lewington was first choice keeper for a third consecutive season in 2013–14. He started in Wayne Burnett's first game in full charge of the Daggers, a 3–1 away defeat to Fleetwood Town. In August 2013, Lewington notched up his 100th professional appearance for the Daggers, in a 3–2 defeat to Brentford in the Football League Trophy.[28] In September 2013, Lewington had a man of the match display in a 2–0 win over Bristol Rovers, making a string of impressive saves.[29] During that month Lewington hailed the impact that new goalkeeping coach Jim Stannard had made on his game.[30] Stannard's arrival from Premier League side Southampton was welcomed as the Daggers went without a recognised goalkeeping coach for much of the 2012–13 season.[30]

Personal life

During his time playing non-league football, Lewington studied at University achieving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Physical Education and Sport.[3] Lewington combines his playing career with working as a part-time teacher at the North West Kent College in Dartford as a Sports Lecturer and Goalkeeper coach for the academy run by Gillingham.[21][31] Lewington himself was a graduate of the football academy in 2008.[32] He is also a qualified FA coach and runs his own specialised goalkeeping coaching sessions in Eltham, called CL Goalkeeping.[3] He is a big Charlton Athletic supporter.[33]

Career statistics

As of 1 February 2014.
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Dulwich Hamlet 2006–07[8] Isthmian Division One South 8020—5[lower-alpha 1]0150
Dagenham & Redbridge 2009–10[34] League Two 0000000000
2010–11[35] League One 3020001[lower-alpha 2]060
2011–12[36] League Two 41050001[lower-alpha 2]0470
2012–13[37] League Two 41010102[lower-alpha 2]0450
2013–14[38] League Two 28010101[lower-alpha 2]0310
Total 11309020501290
Career totals 1210110201001440
  1. ↑ 2 appearances in FA Trophy, 2 appearances in London Senior Cup, 1 appearance in Surrey Senior Cup
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Appearances in Football League Trophy

References

  1. ↑ "Professional retain lists & free transfers 2012/13" (PDF). The Football League. May 2013. p. 4. Retrieved 25 January 2014. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Brown, Tony; Joyce, Michael; Longbottom, David, eds. (2013). English National Football Archive Yearbook 2013. Tony Brown. ISBN 978-1-905891-62-7. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "Chris Lewington - CL Goalkeeping". CL Goalkeeping. Retrieved 24 January 2014. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "FOUR MORE SWITCH FROM LANDLORDS TO TENANTS". Non League Daily. 10 June 2007. Retrieved 24 January 2014. 
  5. ↑ "Dulwich Hamlet 3-0 Three Bridges". Dulwich Hamlet F.C. 3 September 2006. Retrieved 24 January 2014. 
  6. ↑ "Dulwich Hamlet 1-4 Fleet Town". Dulwich Hamlet F.C. 30 September 2006. Retrieved 24 January 2014. 
  7. ↑ "Dulwich Hamlet 2-0 Met Police". Dulwich Hamlet F.C. 9 December 2006. Retrieved 24 January 2014. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Dulwich 2006/2007 player appearances". Dulwich Hamlet F.C. Retrieved 11 November 2012. 
  9. ↑ "ABBOTT ANNOUNCES NEW SIGNINGS". Non League Daily. 18 December 2007. Retrieved 24 January 2014. 
  10. ↑ "POSITIVE VIBES AT SITTINGBOURNE". Non League Daily. 7 January 2008. Retrieved 25 January 2014. 
  11. ↑ "ABBOTT DISAPPOINTED TO LEAVE EMPTY-HANDED". Non League Daily. 4 February 2008. Retrieved 25 January 2014. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "ABBOTT CONFIDENT OF MAKING THE PLAY-OFFS". Non League Daily. 7 March 2008. Retrieved 25 January 2014. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Leatherhead's new boss wants more consistency". Surrey Mirror. 22 October 2008. Retrieved 25 January 2014. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 "Daggers sign two and release one". BBC Sport. 4 August 2009. Retrieved 20 September 2010. 
  15. ↑ "Dag & Red 3-2 Rotherham". BBC Sport. 30 May 2010. Retrieved 25 January 2014. 
  16. ↑ "Dagenham & Redbridge sign Gwillim and Lewis". BBC Sport. 3 June 2010. Retrieved 20 September 2010. 
  17. ↑ "Charlton 1 – 0 Dag & Red". BBC Sport. 31 August 2010. Retrieved 20 September 2010. 
  18. ↑ "Dag & Red 4 – 0 Dag & Red". BBC Sport. 2 November 2010. Retrieved 25 January 2014. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Daggers relegated by five-star Posh". Football. 7 May 2011. Retrieved 25 January 2014. 
  20. ↑ "Macclesfield Town 0-1 Dag & Red". BBC Sport. 6 August 2011. Retrieved 25 January 2014. 
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 "Lewington pens three-year deal". Barking & Dagenham Post. 1 November 2011. Retrieved 25 January 2014. 
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 "Lewington appeal dismissed". Barking & Dagenham Post. 21 February 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2014. 
  23. ↑ "Dag & Red 4-0 Bristol Rovers". Barking & Dagenham Post. 5 May 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2014. 
  24. ↑ "Dag & Red 0 - 1 Coventry". BBC Sport. 14 August 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2014. 
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 "Still backs Lewington and Daggers to bounce back". Barking & Dagenham Post. 31 December 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2014. 
  26. ↑ "John Still to become Luton Town boss and leave Dag & Red". BBC Sport. 25 February 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2014. 
  27. ↑ "Dag & Red 0-1 York". BBC Sport. 25 February 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2014. 
  28. ↑ "100 Appearances For Lewington". Vital Football. Retrieved 25 January 2014. 
  29. ↑ "Lewington the hero for Daggers". Sky Sports. 14 September 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2014. 
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 "Lewington commends Stannard’s impact at Daggers". Barking & Dagenham Post. 20 September 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2014. 
  31. ↑ "Daggers keeper teaching a valuable lesson". Barking & Dagenham Post. 8 February 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2014. 
  32. ↑ "GILLINGHAM FC NORTH WEST KENT COLLEGE". Barking & Dagenham Post. Retrieved 25 January 2014. 
  33. ↑ "Chris Lewington GK profile". GK Union. Retrieved 25 January 2014. 
  34. ↑ "Dag & Red 2009/2010 player appearances". Soccerbase. Retrieved 11 November 2012. 
  35. ↑ "Dag & Red 2010/2011 player appearances". Soccerbase. Retrieved 11 November 2012. 
  36. ↑ "Dag & Red 2011/2012 player appearances". Soccerbase. Retrieved 11 November 2012. 
  37. ↑ "Dag & Red 2012/2013 player appearances". Soccerbase. Retrieved 11 November 2012. 
  38. ↑ "Dag & Red 2013/2014 player appearances". Soccerbase. Retrieved 7 August 2013. 

External links

Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. – current squad
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