Season 2024-25
88TH SEASON
SEASON REPORT
The 88th season started badly but improved as the season progressed and culminated in an exciting finish when the veterans, having lost the Hastings F A Veterans Cup Final the previous Sunday, were crowned champions of the Veterans League on a memorable Saturday morning in May.
1ST TEAM
The team struggled at the start of the season, losing five out of six friendly matches – some by large margins – and suffered a narrow defeat in their opening league fixture against Sovereign Saints Development but recorded an excellent 3-1 home victory over Bexhill Amateur Athletic Club III in the next game. This proved to be the highlight of the early part of the season with the next win not coming until the 30th November.
This period saw two heavy defeats against division runners-up Pevensey and Westham, who along with league winners The Junior Club Tackleway III, were clearly too good for Division Four. Despite this team spirit remained good and under the leadership of Wayne Dedman, assisted, as always, by Martin Tytherleigh results on the field improved which continued when Dan Rumsey joined the Club in March and took over from Wayne as manager for the final games of the season.
The spirit in the side could be clearly seen when, having lost 9-0 at home to Pevensey and Westham, they recovered win a 2-0 victory in the return fixture with Sovereign Saints Development the following Saturday. The team was competitive in all the remaining games with further league victories achieved over Hastings Athletic II (home and away), Robertsbridge United II and St Leonards Social II.
The side was on the whole a young one with a number of very promising players which bodes well for the future.
1st Team v Hastings Athletic II
Bulverhythe Recreation Ground – Saturday, 8th February 2025
1st Team v Hastings Athletic II
Icklesham Recreation Ground – Saturday, 15th March 2025
1ST TEAM PLAYING RECORD
| DATE | OPPONENTS | VENUE | COMPETITION | RESULT | GOAL SCORERS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20/7/2024 | Crowhurst III | Away | Friendly | 0 – 10 | |
| 7/8/2024 | Little Common II | Home | Friendly | 2 – 8 | Jake Hughes, Freddie Novis |
| 10/8/2024 | Northiam 75 II | Away | Friendly | 2 – 3 | Zak Mansfield, Jake Hughes |
| 14/8/2024 | Hastings Athletic | Away | Friendly | 1 – 4 | Tom Cumber |
| 20/8/2024 | Icklesham Casuals Veterans | Home | Friendly | 5 – 5 | Ryleigh Harris 3, Keiron Buss, Zak Mansfield |
| 31/8/2024 | Westfield III | Away | Friendly | 0 – 7 | |
| 7/9/2024 | Sovereign Saints Development | Away | League | 1 – 2 | Zak Mansfield |
| 14/9/2024 | Bexhill Amateur Athletic Club III | Home | League | 3 – 1 | Mike Amar, Zak Mansfield, Jake Hughes |
| 21/9/2024 | Bexhill Amateur Athletic Club III | Away | League | 1 – 4 | Tom Cumber (pen) |
| 28/9/2024 | Pevensey and Westham | Away | League | 0 – 8 | |
| 5/10/2024 | Hawkhurst United II | Home | League | 3 – 3 | Sean Baker (pen), George Richardson, Kelvin Lowes |
| 12/10/2024 | Pevensey and Westham | Home | East Sussex League Macron Store Hastings Vase 2nd Round | 0 – 3 | |
| 26/10/2024 | The Junior Club Tackleway III | Away | League | 2 – 4 | Keiron Buss, Chris Anderson |
| 2/11/2024 | Hastings Comets | Away | League | 2 – 2 | Zak Mansfield, Lee Pierce |
| 9/11/2024 | Robertsbridge United II | Home | League | 2 – 3 | Keiron Buss, George Stoodley |
| 16/11/2024 | Northiam 75 II | Away | League | 1 – 4 | Own Goal |
| 23/11/2024 | Pevensey and Westham | Home | League | 0 – 9 | |
| 30/11/2024 | Sovereign Saints Development | Home | League | 2 – 0 | Keiron Buss, Own Goal |
| 18/1/2025 | Hawkhurst United II | Away | League | 2 – 3 | George Stoodley 2 |
| 8/2/2025 | Hastings Athletic II | Away | League | 4 – 0 | Keiron Buss 2, George Stoodley, Archie Brunt |
| 23/2/2025 | Hastings Comets | Away< | League | 2 – 3 | Zak Mansfield, George Stoodley |
| 1/3/2025 | Northiam 75 II | Home | League | 2 – 2 | George Stoodley (pen), Archie Brunt |
| 8/3/2025 | Bexhill Amateur Athletic Club III | Away | East Sussex League Challenge Cup (Divisions 3 and 4) 2nd Round | 0 – 3 | |
| 15/3/2025 | Hastings Athletic II | Home | League | 7 – 1 | Chris Anderson 2, Archie Brunt 2, Steve Buss, George Stoodley, Ryan Harffey (pen) |
| 22/3/2025 | St Leonards Social II | Home | League | 2 – 3 | Tom Cumber, George Stoodley |
| 29/3/2025 | Robertsbridge United II | Away | League | 3 – 0 | George Stoodley 2, Steve Buss |
| 5/4/2025 | The Junior Club Tackleway III | Home | League | 0 – 5 | |
| 10/4/2025 | Crowhurst III | Away | Hastings F A Lower Divisions Cup 2nd Round | 0 – 5 | |
| 12/4/2025 | St Leonards Social II | Away | League | 3 – 1 | Keiron Buss 2, George Stoodley |
| 17/5/2025 | Hastings Athletic | Home | Friendly | 5 – 2 | Keiron Buss 3, Lee Pierce, John Darvill |
VETERANS
The Veterans had an interesting and ultimately successful season, winning the Veterans League and losing in the final of the Veterans Cup competition.
The season started with a league victory over Battle Town Veterans followed by an excellent cup win against Sidley United Veterans but then a heavy defeat was suffered away to the Junior Club Tackleway Veterans but they fielded a player still playing senior football which made him ineligible for the competition so the Veterans were awarded the points. The Junior Club Tackleway Veterans withdrew from the competition later in the season.
The wet weather then caused a number of postponements leaving the Veterans with a backlog of fixtures with the next league game not played until February when Sidley United Veterans gained comfortable revenge for the cup defeat.
After reaching the cup final by defeating Sedlescombe Rangers Veterans, the Veterans, missing a number of players, earned a hard-fought but deserved 1-0 victory against Westfield Veterans in an evening fixture which put them in the running for the league title. Disappointingly though in the next three league matches their opponents, Sedlescombe Rangers Veterans, Hooe Veterans and Bexhill Amateur Athletic Club Veterans could not raise a side and points were awarded.
Whilst the team clearly benefitted from this, it is certainly not the way the Club would like to gain points and with it being so late in the season and matches still to play there was not time to rearrange any of the games. It could be argued that by not playing the games the Veterans were deprived of the chance to improve their goal difference which left them at a disadvantage going into the final game against FC Parker 99 Veterans.
HASTINGS F A VETERANS CUP FINAL
After receiving a bye in the first round, defeating the current Veterans League champions Sidley United Veterans in the second round and winning 4-0 in the semi-final against Sedlescombe Rangers Veterans hopes were high for the Veterans Cup Final.
Ultimately the final proved a disappointment for the Veterans with a 2-1 defeat against Westfield Veterans in front of a good crowd at the Knight and Davey Community Stadium.
It was Icklesham who took the lead in the 22nd minute when Ali Adams finished from close range and they missed an opportunity to increase the lead when Jude MacDonald’s finish was disallowed for offside.
The Westfield equaliser came on 35 minutes when Ben Newman headed home a free-kick to leave the final evenly balanced at 1-1 at the interval.
It looked like the match had turned after 58 minutes when Westfield’s Craig Willard was dismissed for bringing down Val Gonzalves when through on goal after a poor clearance. Westfield ‘keeper Dan Foster made a good save from the resultant free-kick from Tim Johnson.
Icklesham could not make the man advantage count and it was Westfield who netted the winning goal through Asher Grindle with 18 minutes remaining.
Congratulations to Westfield on their victory and thank you to match officials Stuart Ramsay, Lewis Bellamy and Matt Davey, the Hastings and District Football Association for organising the competition, Westfield F C for hosting the final and everyone who came along to support the side.
Photographs from the final…..
Medal presentation…..
Veterans v FC Parker 99 Veterans
Icklesham Recreation Ground – Saturday, 17th May 2025
The Veterans become champions of the Hastings F A Veterans League for the 2024-25 season after a 3-2 victory over FC Parker 99 Veterans in front of a good crowd at the Recreation Ground on the morning of Saturday, 17th May – the match being played on a Saturday as the two clubs could not agree an alternative date to play the fixture.
Going into the game the Veterans needed to win the match to claim the title while a draw was good enough for FC Parker.
The Casuals had the better of the first half but went in at the interval level at 0-0. It was Rob Levett who headed Icklesham in front on 52 minutes following excellent work by Val Gonzalves.
FC Parker were level six minutes later after a mix up at the back for Icklesham. It was not until three minutes from the end of normal time that Michael Georgeson put the Vets in front and Rob Levett netted his second of the game in added-on time to make it 3-1.
FC Parker then scored from the halfway line immediately following the restart to keep the nerves jangling but the Vets held on for a deserved victory.
The trophy and medals were presented to the players immediately after the game by Hastings F A chairman Eddie Potter and then began some memorable celebrations including the letting off of green flares on the Recreation Ground! Congratulations and well done to everyone involved.
Photographs from the game…..
The medal and trophy presentation and celebrations…..
VETERANS PLAYING RECORD
| DATE | OPPONENTS | VENUE | COMPETITION | RESULT | GOAL SCORERS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20/8/2024 | Icklesham Casuals | Away | Friendly | 5 – 5 | George Richardson 2, Dave Pugh, Phil Badrock, Ali Adams |
| 15/9/2024 | Battle Town Veterans | Home | League | 3 – 1 | Kyle Feneron, Steve Bellhouse, Ali Adams |
| 3/11/2024 | Sidley United Veterans | Home | Hastings F A Veterans Cup 2nd Round | 5 – 3 | Kyle Feneron 2, Jude MacDonald 2, Ali Adams (pen) |
| 24/11/2024 | The Junior Club Tackleway Veterans | Away | League | 0 – 6 # | |
| 16/2/2025 | Sidley United Veterans | Away | League | 0 – 4 | |
| 16/3/2025 | Sedlescombe Rangers Veterans | Home< | Hastings F A Veterans Cup Semi-Final | 4 – 0 | Ali Adams, Jude MacDonald, Val Newman, Tim Johnson |
| 16/4/2025 | Westfield Veterans | Away | League | 1 – 0 | Michael Georgeson |
| 11/5/2025 | Westfield Veterans | Away> | Hastings F A Veterans Cup Final | 1 – 2 | Ali Adams |
| 17/5/2025 | FC Parker 99 Veterans | Home< | League | 3 – 2 | Rob Levett 2, Michael Georgeson |
SEASON AWARDS
PAVILION REFURBISHMENT
While not the new pavilion that was originally hoped for, following substantial refurbishment work the changing rooms were ‘re-opened’ in June 2024 will a small ceremony. There was a vast improvement on the previous facilities with better changing rooms, a larger and more open social area, new showers and toilets and a small referee’s room.
The Club would like to thank Bill Coney, who carried out the refurbishment, Tony Thorne, Icklesham Trust Committee, Icklesham Parish Council, Rother District Council, Bob Baker, Bob Chantler and everyone else who made such an effort and put in all the hard work to help achieve the pavilion improvements as well as those who supported the project and helped to raise the funds.
SPONSORSHIP
Thanks entirely to the unwavering efforts of Wayne Dedman, the Club welcomed two new sponsors during season.
Rush, Witt and Wilson, the local estate agents offered their support to the Club prior to the start of the season and the Robin Hood in Icklesham became a sponsor in November when a new kit was purchased bearing their logo.
The Club has a long association with the Robin Hood with a previous landlord Charlie Baker being Club treasurer for many years and was proud to wear the logo of the Robin Hood on the famed green and white quartered shirts.
Not only did the sponsorship enable the purchase of the new kit but also it allowed the Club to obtain training tops and other Club clothing which not only brought Icklesham Casuals more ‘up-to-date’ but also gave the Club a more professional appearance and a sense of identity.
Icklesham Casuals was extremely grateful to both the Robin Hood and Rush, Witt and Wilson for their generous support and also to Wayne, without whom none of this would have been possible.
CHRISTMAS DRINKS
Robin Hood, Icklesham – Saturday, 14th December 2025
Despite the disappointment of the scheduled home league game with Northiam II being postponed on the day, there was still a decent turn out of players and supporters of the Club at the Robin Hood for a pre-Christmas get-together when a new shirt was signed by players and Club officials for presentation to The Robin Hood as Club sponsor.
PRESENTATION EVENING
Robin Hood, Icklesham – Saturday, 24th May 2025
The Club presentation evening took place at the Robin Hood, Icklesham on Saturday, 24th May when the awards for season 2024-25 were made.
It was a well-attended and enjoyable event with the Club giving thanks to the Robin Hood, sponsors of the Club, for hosting the event and providing the excellent food.
GENERAL MATTERS
A new Club Facebook page was set up for the season with access issues having been encountered with the previous page. The number of followers increased as the season progressed.
The 17th Icklesham Casuals Golf Tournament was won (after 16 previous attempts!) narrowly by Bob Baker from runner-up Hugh Sullivan.
After a few years of struggle, which nearly every club goes through, and where the dedication of a handful of people has keep the Club going, it is hoped that the 2024-25 season can be a turning point in the Club’s recent fortunes and Icklesham Casuals can now look forward to a period of success and progress both on and off the field.