Season 2019-20
83RD SEASON
SEASON REPORT
The 2019-20 season, the 83rd of the Club, was a memorable one but not for the right reasons although there were some highlights in terms of the playing record.
The season will be remembered for the Club withdrawing the 1st team from the League which was not a decision the Club wished to make but it was hoped this would give time to rebuild. With football then being hit by the worldwide Covid 19 pandemic when initially grassroots football was suspended and then ultimately abandoned for the season, the fact the Club had only one Saturday side plus the Veterans eased the problems running the Club in such difficult circumstances.
1ST TEAM
After two successful seasons on the field, Michael Rogers stood down as 1st team manager following the 2018-19 season and the Club struggled to find a replacement. With the uncertainty surrounding the managerial position, players began to leave the Club.
Two pre-season friendlies were played but in order to fulfil the fixtures the teams were made up of a number of 2nd team players and the extremely difficult but inevitable decision was made shortly before the start of the season to withdraw the 1st team from Division One of the East Sussex League. The Club felt guilty of letting the League down with the season about to start but every possible avenue was explored before the decision was made.
1ST TEAM PLAYING RECORD
| DATE | OPPONENTS | VENUE | COMPETITION | RESULT | GOAL SCORERS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/9/2019 | Bexhill Amateur Athletic Club | Home | Friendly | 0 – 5 | |
| 14/8/2019 | Sporting Club Pass and Move | Home | Friendly | 2 – 5 | Leon Pettit, Phil Badrock |
2ND TEAM
The 2nd team were in fourth position in Division Four of the East Sussex League when the season was abandoned, winning seven and losing seven of the fourteen league matches played.
The best victory came against Old Town Lions in November when goals by Val Newman and Phil Badrock gave the side a 2-0 win over the second placed team in the division. The 2nd XI also ran leaders AFC Hollington, who won all thirteen of their league games, very close, going down by only two goals to one. The side reached the last four of the East Sussex League Divisions Four and Five Cup with a 4-2 away victory over Herstmonceux II in February and were scheduled to meet Hooe at home in the last four.
The Covid 19 pandemic initially disrupted local matches but on the 16th March 2020 the Football Association suspended all grassroots football and with the first national lockdown coming into force on the 23rd March, three days later the FA confirmed that all grassroots football was concluded for the season.
Despite the curtailed season two long standing Club records were broken. Phil Badrock, having scored seven goals in a 10-2 victory away to Magham Down two weeks earlier, bettered the individual scoring record for a game when he netted nine times in the 20-2 win over Parkfield at Icklesham Recreation Ground on Saturday, 26th October. The score also being the highest victory for any team in the Club’s history, beating the 18-1 win for the 3rd team against Westfield II in the 1957-58 season.
Due to the abandonment of the season, no player of the year awards were made.
1st Team v Parkfield
Icklesham Recreation Ground – Saturday, 26th October 2019
1st Team v Herstmonceux II
Lime Cross, Herstmonceux – Saturday, 8th February 2020
Man of the Match Awards…..
2ND TEAM PLAYING RECORD
| DATE | OPPONENTS | VENUE | COMPETITION | RESULT | GOAL SCORERS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24/7/2019 | Little Common Under 23s | Home | Friendly | 4 – 3 | Adam Sully. Phil Badrock, George Barrow, Joe Fraser |
| 10/8/2019 | Bexhill Amateur Athletic Club II | Home | Friendly | 6 – 6 | Charlie Cornford 5, Adam Knight (pen) |
| 28/8/2019 | Sedlescombe Rangers III | Home | Friendly | 2 – 3 | Phil Badrock, Lee Pierce |
| 14/9/2019 | Sovereign Saints II | Home | League | 2 – 1 | Phil Badrock 2 |
| 21/9/2019 | Welcroft Park Rangers | Away | League | 1 – 2 | Phil Badrock |
| 28/9/2019 | Sedlescombe Rangers III | Home | League | 5 – 2 | Leon Pettit 2, Phil Badrock 2, Ed White |
| 5/10/2019 | Barnham Trojans | Away | Sussex Junior Cup 1st Round | 1 – 5 | Ken Wadbrook |
| 12/10/2019 | Magham Down | Away | League | 10 – 2 | Phil Badrock 7, Leon Pettit, Joe Maylam, George Barrow |
| 19/10/2019 | West Hill United | Away | League | 0 – 4 | |
| 26/10/2019 | Parkfield | Home | League | 20 – 2 | Phil Badrock 9, Sam Garner 3, Paul Crane 3, Leon Pettit 2, Michael Benton 2, Adam Sully |
| 2/11/2019 | Battle Baptist III | Home | League | 1 – 2 | Jack Pullin |
| 9/11/2019 | Northiam 75 III | Home | East Sussex League Divisions 4 and 5 Cup 1st Round | 5 – 2 | Phil Badrock 3, Lee Pierce, Solly Cooke |
| 16/11/2019 | Sedlescombe Rangers III | Away | League | 3 – 2 | Michael Benton, Sean Baker, George Barrow |
| 23/11/2019 | Old Town Lions | Home | League | 2 – 0 | Val Newman, Phil Badrock |
| 30/11/2019 | Welcroft Park Rangers | Home | League | 2 – 3 | Phil Badrock, Leon Pettit |
| 7/12/2019 | AFC Hollington | Away | League | 1 – 2 | Phil Badrock |
| 4/1/2020 | Old Town Lions | Away | League | 4 – 7 | Phil Badrock 2, Adam Sully, Sean Baker (pen) |
| 18/1/2020 | West Hill United | Home | League | 2 – 4 | Leon Pettit, Lee Pierce |
| 1/2/2020 | Hooe | Away | Hastings F A Lower Divisions Cup 2nd Round | 0 – 4 | |
| 8/2/2020 | Herstmonceux II | Away | East Sussex League Divisions 4 and 5 Cup 2nd Round | 4 – 2 | Adam Sully 2, Lee Pierce, Phil Badrock |
| 22/2/2020 | Magham Down | Home | League | 3 – 2 | Sean Baker 2, Phil Badrock |
Division Four at the time the League was abandoned
NEWSPAPER REPORTS
VETERANS
A veterans competition was reintroduced by the Hastings and District Football Association after the 2016-17 Veterans Cup was abandoned due to a lack of interest from a number of clubs.
The competition was run on a league basis and attracted seven entrants with matches played on a Sunday and teams playing each other once during the season. The League was progressing well with the Veterans having played four league matches, winning one and losing three, when the Covid 19 pandemic struck and as with the 2nd team in the East Sussex League, the competition was suspended and then inevitably abandoned when the country went into lockdown.
Veterans v Bexhill Town Veterans
Icklesham Recreation Ground – Sunday, 24th November 2019
VETERANS PLAYING RECORD
| DATE | OPPONENTS | VENUE | COMPETITION | RESULT | GOAL SCORERS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29/9/2019 | Sedlescombe Rangers Veterans | Home | Friendly | 2 – 4 | Karl Tarrant, Matt Bushkell |
| 27/10/2019 | Battle Rangers Veterans | Away | League | 1 – 3 | Emmanuel McDonald |
| 24/11/2019 | Bexhill Town Veterans | Home | League | 4 – 3 | Val Newman 3 (1 pen), Michael Beaumont |
| 12/1/2020 | Sidley United Veterans | Away | League | 3 – 9 | Val Newman 2, Michael Beaumont |
| 15/3/2020 | Peche Hill Select Veterans | Home | League | 1 – 6 | Val Newman |
Veterans League at the time the League was abandoned
ICKLESHAM CASUALS FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT
Icklesham Recreation Ground – Sunday, 28th July 2019
Prior to the start of the season Sean Baker once again organised a football tournament at the Recreation Ground which raised an amazing amount of money for Club funds.
GENERAL MATTERS
Other off-field activities during the season were limited due to the coronavirus outbreak.
It was possible to play the two annual golf events. The 12th Icklesham Casuals Golf Tournament took place at Chartham Park Golf and Country Club in East Grinstead on Friday, 12th July 2019 with Gary Weller taking the trophy from Keith Swallow who was runner-up and Bob Baker in third place. The Christmas Golf Event was held once more at Seaford Head Golf Course on Saturday, 28th December and was won by the team of Bob Baker, John Crisford and Eric Hysted.
CLUB OFFICIALS
