Soccer player's perfect match

LEWES mid-fielder Paul Thomsett played a blinder of a game in the club s classic FA Cup first round match against Stoke and then capped it off by successfully proposing marriage to his girlfriend Julie Williams.

The two were on separate coaches on the way home but man-of-the-match Paul, 37, in no mood to wait until his return to Lewes, sent Julie the text message: 'Will u marry me?

Paul, who works as a butcher in Lewes, told the Express: 'It had been such a great day so I decided to give it the perfect finish. I will never forget it.

Julie sent a message back to Paul with her acceptance because it was too noisy on the coach to speak on the phone.

She said: 'I have still got the message and I am going to keep it on my phone. It was a complete shock but I believed him.

The couple, who live in Green Lane, South Chailey, met two years ago when Paul was playing at Burgess Hill and Julie was working behind the club bar.

Said Julie about Lewes big day at Stoke: 'Paul played brilliantly. I was so proud of him. At the end of the game I ran down and gave him a big kiss.

The game, which Lewes lost 2-0, was played at Stoke s magnificent 28,000-capacity Britannia Stadium after the tie was switched from the Dripping Pan on police advice.

But the travelling band of nearly 1,500 Lewesians still managed to out-sing the Stoke fans for much of the game, despite being out-numbered four to one.