Epsom & Ewell: Surrey football fan climbs tree to watch his local team

A lifelong fan of a non-league football club has resorted to cheering on his team from the branches of a nearby tree after being served with what he describes as an "unwarranted" lifetime stadium ban by the club.

Richard Lambert, 58, who has followed ninth tier Epsom & Ewell FC for almost 44 years, has been refused entry to the ground since January following a long-running series of disputes with the committee that runs the club.

He claims the suspension was ultimately issued after he upset the committee by changing the name of his personal X account to appear as though it was the official club account.

Mr Lambert has been highly critical of the club, which plays in the Combined Counties Premier Division South, from his own social media feed and website with some of that criticism personal in nature against named committee members.

Since April, BBC London has asked Epsom & Ewell on three separate occasions why Mr Lambert has been banned for life.

The club has declined to provide details, saying only: "We have had a number of issues with this supporter over the years. We do not want to discuss this any further. The matter has been dealt with."

BBC London has seen the letter the club sent to Mr Lambert notifying him of his ban. It gives the sole reason for the punishment as being his breaking of a previous agreement not to use his social media account in such a way.

The letter also refers to it as an "indefinite" ban.

After BBC London's most recent approach to the club this week, they again declined to give details but said: "The ban is now for life and that will never change."

Mr Lambert says the club has not informed him of this change to the status of the ban.

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