Season 1947-48

11TH SEASON

SEASON REPORT

The 1947-48 season, the eleventh of the Club, was on the whole a satisfactory one with both the 1st and 2nd teams finishing in sixth place in their respective divisions and the 1st XI winning their first ever trophy.

1ST TEAM

The first XI finished sixth out of twelve teams in Division One of the Hastings League, with a playing record rather inferior to that of the previous year, but won the Robertsbridge Charity Cup with an extra-time victory over Sandhurst in the final. This was the first occasion the Club had entered the competition and was the first trophy won by the team. In all other cup competitions the side was knocked out at the first attempt. In the league, twenty two matches were played, ten won, one drawn and eleven lost with twenty one points being gained. In all the first team played thirty games, winning fourteen, drawing two and losing fourteen. Syd Brann with 28 goals was leading scorer.

The side seriously missed Alan Burton and Bill Funnell, both with East Sussex League teams, as the young players tried in their place, though promising, did not improve as quickly as hoped. Bill Francis, the former Hastings player, watched the side on a good many occasions and it was felt that one of the most urgent tasks to consider was how to arrange for coaching before the next season began to try to remedy faults which he pointed out and which were very easy to cure. Gordon Hickman was selected for the Hastings League against the Ashford League at Rye in May, a match in aid of the Sussex County Football Association Benevolent Fund.

1ST TEAM PLAYING RECORD

DATEOPPONENTSVENUECOMPETITIONRESULTGOAL SCORERS
6/9/1947Red Lake RangersAwayFriendly2 – 2Syd Brann 2
13/9/1947Old CentmodiansAwayFriendly6 – 2Syd Brann 2, George Roberts, Peter Moon, John Archer, Own Goal
20/9/1947Sidley United IIAwayLeague2 – 2John Archer, Syd Brann
27/9/1947Bexhill Athletic IIAwayLeague5 – 0Syd Brann 3, John Archer, Peter Shearer
4/10/1947BredeAwaySussex Junior Cup
Preliminary Round		0 – 2
18/10/1947Hastings and St Leonards IIIAwayLeague5 – 1Syd Brann, Gordon Hickman, Own Goal
25/10/1947WestfieldHomeLeague4 – 1John Archer, George Roberts, Syd Brann, Phil Barling (pen)
1/11/1947Battle RangersHomeLeague1 – 3John Archer
8/11/1947Hollington United IIAwayLeague0 – 4
15/11/1947Ore UnitedHomeHastings F A Junior
Cup 2nd Round		3 – 6Syd Brann 2, John Archer
29/11/1947Observer AthleticAwayLeague0 – 6
6/12/1947Rye United IIHomeLeague0 – 4
13/12/1947Ore UnitedHomeLeague0 – 4
20/12/1947Hastings Rangers IIAwayLeague8 – 2Syd Brann 4, Gordon Hickman 2, John Archer, Fred Tritton
27/12/1947Etchingham UnitedHomeRobertsbridge Charity Cup
2nd Round		2 – 1 *Peter Moon 2
3/1/1948Observer AthleticHomeLeague3 – 0Gordon Hickman 2, Syd Brann
17/1/1948Little CommonHomeLeague3 – 0Syd Brann 3
24/1/1948Rye United IIAwayLeague4 – 8John Archer 2, Gordon Hickman, Phil Barling (pen)
31/1/1948BredeNeutral<Robertsbridge Charity Cup
Semi-Final		4 – 1Frank Baker 2, John Archer, Gordon Hickman
7/2/1948Hastings Rangers IIHomeLeague5 – 1Syd Brann 2, John Archer, George Roberts, Gordon Hickman
6/3/1948Red Lake RangersHomeRye Charity Cup 2nd Round0 – 4
13/3/1948WestfieldAwayLeague1 – 3Gordon Hickman
20/3/1948Bexhill Athletic IIHomeLeague2 – 4John Archer, Gordon Hickman
27/3/1948SandhurstNeutral>Robertsbridge Charity Cup Final3 – 2 *Peter Moon 2, Frank Baker
29/3/1948Ore UnitedAwayLeague0 – 2
3/4/1948Sidley United IIHomeLeague2 – 5Reg Carter, Alf Holdstock
10/4/1948Little CommonAwayLeague4 – 3Syd Brann 3, Frank Baker
12/4/1948Hollington United IIHomeLeague1 – 0Alf Holdstock
17/4/1948Battle RangersAwayLeague2 – 5Alf Holdstock, Gordon Hickman
24/4/1948Hastings and St Leonards IIIHomeLeague4 – 3Alf Holdstock 2 (1 pen), Syd Brann, Frank Baker

2ND TEAM

The second team, having been relegated to Division Three of the Hastings League, enjoyed a far more successful season. They had a younger and keener side and for a long while looked like finishing in the first three, but eventually ended up sixth out of eleven clubs, playing twenty league matches, winning eight, drawing three and losing nine. The defence was sounder and the combination play was improved but the shooting was often very wild. Cyril Rich with 17 and Frank Baker with 16 were the leading goal scorers.

2ND TEAM PLAYING RECORD

DATEOPPONENTSVENUECOMPETITIONRESULTGOAL SCORERS
6/9/1947WinchelseaAwayFriendly0 – 6
27/9/1947WhatlingtonHomeLeague2 – 1Arthur Baker, Own Goal
4/10/1947Red Lake Rangers IIAwayLeague2 – 3Frank Baker 2
11/10/1947Bexhill Athletic IIIAwayLeague3 – 2Peter Shearer, Fred Tritton, Cyril Rich
18/10/1947East Guldeford IIHomeLeague12 – 1Fred Tritton 3, Frank Baker 3, Tom Shearer 2, Peter Shearer, Bill Jeffery, Own Goals 2
25/10/1947BodiamAwayLeague7 – 1Cyril Rich 4, Fred Tritton 2, Peter Shearer
15/11/1947UdimoreAwayLeague3 – 4George Roberts, Bill Jeffery, Fred Tritton
22/11/1947BodiamHomeLeague5 – 1George Roberts 2, Frank Baker 2, Fred Tritton
6/12/1947Rye United IIIAwayLeague2 – 2John Farrow, Frank Baker
13/12/1947Old Centmodians IIAwayFriendly7 – 2Frank Baker 3, Cyril Rich 2, Bill Kirk, Harold Field
26/12/1947Peter Bryant’s XIHomeFriendly3 – 3Cyril Rich, Nick Francis, Frank Baker
3/1/1948WinchelseaAwayFriendly1 – 6Bill Jeffery
17/1/1948Brede IIAwayLeague3 – 2Frank Baker 2, Bill Jeffery
24/1/1948Rye United IIIHomeLeague0 – 3
31/1/1948UdimoreHomeLeague0 – 2
7/2/1948PeasmarshAwayLeague1 – 6Frank Baker
14/2/1948Old Centmodians IIHomeLeague8 – 1Cyril Rich 4, Harry Fellows, Bill Jeffery,
Frank Baker, Peter Shearer (pen)
28/2/1948PeasmarshHomeLeague5 – 2Cyril Rich 3, George Roberts 2
6/3/1948East Guldeford IIAwayLeague1 – 1Harry Fellows
13/3/1948Bexhill Athletic IIIHomeLeague1 – 3Bill Jeffery
20/3/1948WhatlingtonAwayLeague1 – 4Harry Fellows
27/3/1948Red Lake Rangers IIHomeLeague3 – 4Syd Brann 2, Stan Chappell
29/3/1948Brede IIHomeLeague1 – 3Cyril Rich
3/4/1948CatsfieldAwayFriendly2 – 2Bill Betts, Cyril Rich
24/4/1948Old Centmodians IIAwayLeague1 – 1Bill Jeffery

3RD TEAM

The third XI played twelve friendly matches, winning three, drawing two and losing seven, scoring thirty three goals and conceding fifty nine. This included a 13-2 victory over Winchelsea II. Brian Goodsell was top scorer with 7 goals.

3RD TEAM PLAYING RECORD

DATEOPPONENTSVENUECOMPETITIONRESULTGOAL SCORERS
20/9/1947Westfield JuniorsHomeFriendly1 – 0Denis Swaine
4/10/1947Rye United MinorsHomeFriendly1 – 12Peter Wood
1/11/1947Westfield JuniorsAwayFriendly2 – 2Brian Goodsell, Dick Crisford
8/11/1947Udimore IIAwayFriendly0 – 6
6/12/1947Winchelsea IIAwayFriendly13 – 2Cyril Jeffery 4, Dick Crisford 3, Jack Brown 2, Arthur Ades 2, Derek Mann, Bernard Jeffery
13/12/1947Rye Boys ClubAwayFriendly5 – 4Brian Goodsell 4, Arthur Ades
20/12/1947Rye Modern SchoolAwayFriendly1 – 4Brian Goodsell
17/1/1948Udimore IIAwayFriendly0 – 1
31/1/1948Udimore IIAwayFriendly6 – 6Jack Brown 3, George Noakes 2, Dick Crisford
28/2/1948Rye Modern School ‘A’AwayFriendly2 – 4Cyril Jeffery, Arthur Ades
3/4/1948East Guldeford IIIAwayFriendly1 – 8Cyril Jeffery
10/4/1948Rye United MinorsHomeFriendly1 – 9Brian Goodsell

MINOR TEAM

The under 18 side played and lost two cup-ties, suffering a very heavy defeat to Rye United Minors in the Sussex Minor Cup.

MINOR TEAM PLAYING RECORD

DATEOPPONENTSVENUECOMPETITIONRESULTGOAL SCORERS
29/11/1947Rye United MinorsHomeSussex Minor Cup 1st Round0 – 16
17/4/1948Battle Youth CentreAwayHastings F A Youth Cup
1st Round		0 – 3

GENERAL MATTERS

All teams continued to enjoy an excellent reputation for sporting play, but the third team were not reliable about turning up which was not a good sign for the future. Marking out was fairly well shared out, but there was still room for improvement as regards helping to take the nets down after games.

In December, the use of the changing facilities the Club had enjoyed at the Oast House was lost, but through the co-operation of Icklesham Cricket Club it was possible to use their pavilion at a fee of 2s 6d per week.

Thanks were again due to those members who assisted with transport. The withdrawal of basic petrol made this a considerable expense, but due to the holding of successful dances the Club ended the season in a sound financial position. The Club was grateful to all those who helped with the dances, but especially to George Roberts for all the hard work he put in to ensure their success.

NEWS BULLETIN

Although numbered eight, the news bulletin issued in June 1948 was in fact the ninth one produced by the Club.

News Bulletin Number 9 – June 1948

The Annual General Meeting was held at the Queen’s Head in Icklesham on Thursday, 29th July 1948 at 8 pm.

CLUB OFFICIALS