Season 2020-21

84TH SEASON

SEASON REPORT

Season 2020-21 was again affected by the worldwide Covid 19 Pandemic. The season started as normal with September and October fixtures being completed before the second national lockdown began on 5th November 2020 in response to rising cases in the UK. The lockdown ended on 2nd December being replaced by local restrictions and for a brief period in December football was permitted again although wet weather during this time meant few matches were played.

With the introduction of a third lockdown on 5th January 2021 that lasted until early March, the inevitable decision was taken in March to abandon both the East Sussex Football League and Hastings F A Veterans League for the second successive season. Cup competitions were also cancelled.

When restrictions were eased, it was possible for both the East Sussex League and Hastings F A to run end of season competitions.

At the time the leagues were abandoned, the 1st team and veterans were both in second place in their respective leagues, the 1st team having won six out of eight matches while the veterans had won both their matches played.

The season was also interrupted when, after just one competitive match had been played at home, Icklesham Parish Council advised the Club that remedial work needed to be carried out at the Recreation Ground. It was not possible for any further games to be played at Icklesham for the remainder of the season, therefore matches either had to be switched to opponents grounds or alternative venues hired. The East Sussex Football League was extremely helpful and understanding to the problem.

1ST TEAM

The 1st team began the season with three league victories over Orington, West Hill United and Battle Town III, all by a 2-1 margin and at the time the League was abandoned the side was in a promising second position in Division Four of the East Sussex League.

1st Team v West Hill United

Icklesham Recreation Ground – Saturday, 12th September 2020

What turned out to be the final league match played in December was a very good 4-2 victory away to Sovereign Saints II. The team were drawn away to Whyke United from Chichester in the Sussex Junior Cup but the lockdowns meant the long journey was never made.

In order to give clubs some football, the East Sussex League ran a competition at the end of the season for teams in Divisions Four and Five, initially on a league basis and finishing with semi-finals and a final. Interest in the competition was mixed with the team finishing halfway up the league table winning three matches and losing three with one game awarded to their opponents.

Sam Norman finished as leading goal scorer with 14 goals in all matches. No end of season awards were made due to the curtailed season and the Covid 19 restrictions that were still in place.

1ST TEAM PLAYING RECORD

DATEOPPONENTSVENUECOMPETITIONRESULTGOAL SCORERS
19/8/2020Icklesham Casuals Semi-VeteransHomeFriendly5 – 5Solly Cooke 2, Sam Norman 2, Tom Cumber
29/8/2020Mountfield UnitedAwayFriendly1 – 1Joe Fraser
5/9/2020OringtonAwayLeague2 – 1Phil Badrock, Joe Fraser
12/9/2020West Hill UnitedHomeLeague2 – 1Sean Baker (pen), Sam Norman
19/9/2020Battle Town IIIAwayLeague2 – 1Sean Baker (pen), Joe Fraser
26/9/2020AFC Hollington IIAwayEast Sussex League Divisions 4 and 5 Cup 1st Round0 – 3
10/10/2020ParkfieldAwayLeague0 – 4
17/10/2020Sedlescombe Rangers DevelopmentAwayLeague4 – 1Jack Pullin, Bradlee Mepham, Joe Fraser, Phil Badrock
24/10/2020HooeAwayLeague3 – 4Sam Norman 2 (1 pen), Own Goal
31/10/2020Magham DownAwayLeague8 – 0Sam Norman 4, Adam Sully 3, Bradlee Mepham
12/12/2020Sovereign Saints IIAwayLeague4 – 2Sam Norman 2, Val Newman, Joe Fraser
3/4/2021Battle Town IIIAwayEast Sussex League April and May Divisions 4 and 5 Cup3 – 4Ken Wadbrook, Joe Fraser, Sam Norman
10/4/2021West Hill UnitedHome<East Sussex League April and May Divisions 4 and 5 Cup3 – 1Chris Osunsami 2, Sam Norman
21/4/2021Magham DownAway>East Sussex League April and May Divisions 4 and 5 Cup2 – 0Sam Norman, Val Newman
1/5/2021TicehurstAway>East Sussex League April and May Divisions 4 and 5 Cup2 – 3Phil Badrock 2
3/5/2021ParkfieldAwayEast Sussex League April and May Divisions 4 and 5 Cup1 – 1Tom Cumber
8/5/2021Welcroft Park Rangers IIAwayEast Sussex League April and May Divisions 4 and 5 Cup2 – 1Phil Badrock, Blue Willoughby

Division Four at the time the League was abandoned

VETERANS

The Veterans won their two games in the Hastings F A Veterans League before the competition was abandoned, defeating Sedlescombe Rangers Veterans 4-3 and Sidley United Veterans 4-2.

Veterans v Sedlescombe Rangers Veterans

Oaklands Park, Sedlescombe – Sunday, 20th September 2020

The match with Sidley United, one of the strongest local veterans teams, was certainly a victory against the odds. Sidley had won their opening game in the competition 13-2 and the Casuals had a disastrous opening ten minutes. In the first minute of the game, goalkeeper Nick Thompson was injured and had to leave the field, with substitute Stuart Adams taking over in goal, and just two minutes later defender Matt Roberts suffered a serious tendon injury which required a hospital visit. This meant forward Emmanuel McDonald moving to right back, having never played in defence before. To make matters worse, Sidley were awarded a penalty in the tenth minute which they converted to take the lead.

These setbacks would have been too much for many teams, but the ‘Icklesham spirit’ came to the fore and the Casuals refused to lie down. Phil Badrock levelled the scores around the twenty minute mark, before Rob Levett netted to give Icklesham a 2-1 interval lead. On the hour mark Mike Beaumont scored for 3-1, only for Sidley to pull a goal back. There was still time for Mike Beaumont to find the net again for his second goal of the game and a memorable 4-2 victory.

When football resumed at the end of the season, the Veterans took part in the seven team Veterans Cup and, having received a bye in the first round, could not reproduce the early season form and went down 4-2 to Sporting Club Pass and Move Veterans in the semi-final of the competition.

Veterans v Sporting Club Pass and Move Veterans

Netherfield Recreation Ground – Sunday, 25th April 2021

VETERANS PLAYING RECORD

DATEOPPONENTSVENUECOMPETITIONRESULTGOAL SCORERS
20/9/2020Sedlescombe Rangers VeteransAway<League4 – 3Phil Badrock, Karl Tarrant, Emmanuel McDonald
25/10/2020Sidley United VeteransAway<League4 – 2Mike Beaumont 2, Phil Badrock, Rob Levett
25/4/2021Sporting Club Pass and Move VeteransAwayHastings F A Veterans Cup Semi-Final2 – 4Rob Levett 2

Veterans League at the time the League was abandoned

SEMI-VETERANS

The Veterans, assisted by one or two non-veterans, warmed up for the Hastings F A Veterans League campaign with a couple of pre-season friendlies, including a match against the 1st team. Both games ended in draws.

SEMI-VETERANS PLAYING RECORD

DATEOPPONENTSVENUECOMPETITIONRESULTGOAL SCORERS
19/8/2020Icklesham CasualsAwayFriendly5 – 5Phil Badrock 3, Karl Tarrant, Emmanuel McDonald
26/8/2020Sedlescombe Rangers VeteransHomeFriendly3 – 3Sean Baker 2 (2 pens), Phil Badrock

GENERAL MATTERS

The 1st team match against West Hill United played on Saturday, 12th September was attended by David Bauckham who wanted to write an in depth article on Icklesham Casuals for his Centre Circle Publishing website. David interviewed Club president George Potter, team manager Martin Tytherleigh and David Mayne with the excellent feature entitled ‘Casual Quarters’ providing much interest locally.

The article can be found here – https://dbauckham.exposure.co/casual-quarters

Photographs from the day…..

New goalposts were purchased for the Recreation Ground with a successful grant application being made to the Football Foundation which covered a large percentage of the cost.

The Icklesham Casuals Golf Tournament was played at Dale Hill Golf Club in Ticehurst in October 2020, later than usual due to the pandemic, and was won by Steve Beale.