Archived News – Season 2023-24

Pissarro’s, Hastings – Friday, 26th April 2024

Posted on Friday, 17th May 2024

An enjoyable and well-attended presentation evening was held at Pissarro’s in Hastings on Friday, 26th April when the awards for 2023-24 were handed out as well as some still outstanding from previous seasons!

Posted on Monday, 13th May 2024

Training for next season will continue throughout the summer at Icklesham Recreation Ground on a Tuesday evening from 6 to 7 pm.

New players welcome.

Posted on Friday, 19th April 2024

The club’s presentation evening will take place next Friday, 26th April at Pissarro’s in Hastings commencing at 7 pm.

Posted on Thursday, 11th January 2024

It was with great sadness that the Club learned shortly before Christmas of the passing of three stalwarts of Icklesham Casuals Football Club in Jack Brown, David French and Eric Hollingsworth.

The condolences of the Club go to their families and friends.

Jack made 640 appearances for Icklesham Casuals, scoring 131 goals. His first appearance for the Club was on the 9th October 1943, a friendly versus 30th Company Queen’s Regiment (Rye) and his final game was against Westfield Veterans in the Hastings F A Veterans Invitation Cup on the 25th April 1979.

He was a member of the 1st team that won the Sussex Junior Cup in 1963-64 playing at centre-half and having been ill, was only given permission by his doctor to play in the final on the morning of the match. Jack was part of the 1st XI that was Hastings League Division One Champions in 1960-61 and 1962-63 and runners-up in 1961-62, played for the 2nd team that won the Ashburnham Charity Cup in 1961-62, the 1st team that was runners-up in the Robertsbridge Charity Cup in 1959-60 and runners-up in the Hastings Midweek Cup in 1961-62 and for the 2nd team that was finalists in the Hastings League Lower Divisions Cup in 1967-68.

Jack was 2nd team leading goal scorer in the 1949-50 season with 20 goals and 2nd team vice-captain along with John Parsons in 1964-65 and vice-captain in 1965-66 and 1966-67. He captained the 2nd team in 1968-69 and shared the captaincy in both 1967-68 and 1969-70 and was Minor team vice-captain along with Don Boreham in 1945-46. His 309 matches puts him fourth in the all-time list of appearances for the 2nd team.

A presentation was made to Jack in recognition of his contribution to the Club at the 70th anniversary celebrations in 2007. He received an award from the Club for his services to football in 2010 and a Football Association 50 Year Service Award at the East Sussex Football League Presentation Evening in May 2010.

Jack was a member of the committees that organised the celebration to mark 1000 First team games on Friday, 16th May 1969, the 40th Birthday Party on Saturday, 30th April 1977 and the 70th anniversary celebrations on Saturday, 21st July 1997 and also organised a successful dinner for players, former players and friends which was held in June 1973.

Having qualified as a referee, Jack was a well-known figure in local football for many years.

Jack passed away on the 19th October.

David was from Icklesham and was a right-half who made 279 appearances for the Club between 1947 and 1962 and scored 37 goals. His debut was for the 3rd team in a friendly against East Guldeford 2nd XI on the 4th January 1947 and his final match was for the 1st team in the Sussex Junior Cup semi-final at home to Pagham on the 24th March 1962 when he suffered a serious knee injury and did not play again.

He captained the 3rd team in the 1948-49 season and was 1st team captain from 1956-57 to 1961-62 leading the side to the Hastings League Division One Championship in both 1957-58 and 1960-61 as well as being runners-up in 1956-57 and 1961-62. Under David’s leadership, the side also reached the final of both the Robertsbridge Charity Cup and the Hastings F A Midweek Cup. He also played in the Hastings League winning team of 1951-52.

As captain, David set an excellent example of determination combined with sportsmanship and was a captain in the wholehearted tradition of his predecessors, Les Beeney, Peter Moon, Reg Carter and Alf Holdstock. He was a regular selection for the Hastings League Representative side.

David was a member of the committees that organised the 40th Birthday Party held on Saturday, 30th April 1977 and the 50th anniversary celebrations held on Saturday, 2nd May 1987.

David passed away peacefully on Friday, 24th November 2023 at the age of 89.

Eric was from Fairlight and made his first appearance for the Club on the 7th April 1945 at Icklesham Recreation Ground in a friendly for the 1st team against ‘C’ Company, 2nd Royal West Kent Regiment (Hastings). He went on to play 404 matches, scoring 31 goals with his final game being for the 2nd team in a 3-3 league draw at home to Hollington United II on the 3rd April 1965.

He was 2nd XI captain from 1952-53 to 1957-58 leading the side that won the Hastings F A Lower Divisions Cup in the 1957-58 season and was runners-up in the Hastings League Division Three Cup in 1952-53, losing to Etchingham United in the final played at Westfield. Eric was 3rd team captain in 1959-60 and 1960-61 and for part of the 1962-63 season.

It was not until the 1997-98 season and forty years to the day before the 2nd team again won the Hastings F A Lower Divisions Cup and Eric was there to support the victorious team. A memorable photograph was taken of the two Lower Divisions Cup winning captains – Eric from 1957-58 and 1997-98 skipper Troy Whyborne.

Eric was vice-chairman of the club in 1975-76 and 1976-77 and chairman from 1977-78 to 1987-88. He presented a trophy to the club in the 1979-80 season to be awarded to the 2nd team Clubman of the Year. He was also a member of the committee that organised the 40th Birthday Party held on Saturday, 30th April 1977.