Season 1937-38

1ST SEASON

SEASON REPORT

1ST TEAM

The first season of the club was on the whole very successful. The first team played twenty-six matches in total of which ten were won, four drawn and twelve lost. In Division Three of the Hastings League, eight games were won, three drawn and nine lost with fifty goals scored and sixty being conceded and with nineteen points being gained, a final league position of seventh was achieved.

The team consisted of young and inexperienced players for the most part and the standard of play showed a steady improvement during the season. Of the League games only two were lost at home and only two were won away from home. The side did much better on soft slow pitches than on fast hard ones and almost always played better in the first half of a match than the second with both of these facts indicating a shortage of stamina. The defence was as good as almost any in Division Three but there was a serious lack of shooting power and this led to several points being dropped. Draws were achieved at home against the two top sides in the Division – Regnal United, the champions who dropped only four points all season and runners-up, Hastings Central Old Boys.

The team built up an enviable reputation for sporting and cheerful behaviour both on and off the field and in no less than fourteen games no foul was given against them. In Les Beeney the side had a popular and successful captain.

The club was concerned in three transfers during the season. In endeavours to strengthen the forward line, George Bourne (Rye Town) and Richard Shearcroft (Rye Old Grammarians) were signed and during December, S Apps transferred to Hastings Rangers as he wished to play in a higher class of football. With fifteen goals he was top scorer for the season followed by Les Beeney with fourteen and George Bourne with eleven.

The First Match

The first match played by the Club was on Saturday, 11th September 1937, a friendly against Rye Old Grammarians on the Grammar School Ground at Rye and resulted in a 3-2 victory.

Icklesham scored twice in the opening fifteen minutes – Apps headed in a good centre from Cyril Barden and Les Beeney netted with a magnificent free kick from 30 yards. The half-time score was 2-0. In the second half, Shearcroft reduced the arrears but Apps soon increased the lead. Breeds scored for the home team just on time. Small for Old Grammarians was hurt and a passenger for most of the second half. On the whole the win was deserved with Icklesham being quicker on the ball. Les Beeney and Jim ‘Nubby’ Munn took individual honours.

There were about six spectators, and the day was fine and the ground hard. There were many disappointments in collecting the Casuals team.

1ST TEAM PLAYING RECORD

DATEOPPONENTSVENUECOMPETITIONRESULTGOAL SCORERS
11/9/1937Rye Old GrammariansAwayFriendly3 – 2S Apps 2, Les Beeney
18/9/1937Plummers AthleticHomeFriendly5 – 4S Apps 2, Gordon Hickman 2, Les Beeney
25/9/1937Observer AthleticHomeLeague3 – 2S Apps 3
2/10/1937Brede IIHomeLeague4 – 0Les Beeney 2 (2 pens), S Apps, Frank Crisford
9/10/1937Regnal UnitedAwayLeague0 – 8
16/10/1937Westfield IIAwayLeague1 – 5Jack Munn
23/10/1937Hastings Wanderers IIHomeLeague5 – 1S Apps 3, Les Beeney, Les Jeffery
30/10/1937Bexhill WanderersHomeHastings F A Challenge Cup
(Junior Section) 1st Round		1 – 11Frank Crisford
6/11/1937Hastings Central Old BoysAwayLeague2 – 3S Apps, George Bourne
13/11/1937Rye Old GrammariansAwayLeague3 – 3S Apps, George Bourne, Gordon Hickman
27/11/1937Brede IIAwayLeague1 – 4George Bourne
4/12/1937Plummers AthleticAwayLeague4 – 6George Bourne 2, Les Beeney, S Apps
18/12/1937Northiam IIAwayLeague1 – 3S Apps
1/1/1938Northiam IIHomeLeague4 – 5Les Beeney 2 (1 pen), Richard Shearcroft, George Bourne
8/1/1938Observer AthleticAwayLeague3 – 2Les Beeney, Gordon Hickman, Jack Munn
15/1/1938Hastings Wanderers IIAwayLeague3 – 2Les Beeney 3 (1 pen)
22/1/1938UdimoreHomeLeague4 – 2George Bourne 3, Frank Crisford
5/2/1938Westfield IIHomeLeague2 – 1Jack Munn, George Bourne
19/2/1938Hastings Central Old BoysHomeLeague4 – 4Doug Barden 3, Reg Harman
26/2/1938Rye Old GrammariansHomeLeague3 – 0Richard Shearcroft, George Bourne, Jack Munn
5/3/1938Regnal UnitedHomeLeague1 – 1Jack Munn
12/3/1938UdimoreAwayLeague1 – 5Frank Crisford
19/3/1938Plummers AthleticHomeLeague1 – 3Frank Crisford
26/3/1938East GuldefordAwayFriendly1 – 5
2/4/1938Rye Grammar SchoolAwayFriendly2 – 2Les Beeney 2
18/4/1938King’s Park (Wembley)AwayFriendly1 – 12Denis Breeds

2ND TEAM

In October, to give games to players unable to obtain a regular place in the League team, a second eleven was started. This proved very successful and a large number of young and unskilled players were able to play regular football. In order to gain second team fixtures, the club affiliated to the Hastings Minor Football Association. Out of seventeen matches played by the side only one was won and the other sixteen were lost, many by very large margins. In this connection, it must be borne in mind that their opponents were almost always more experienced and often much older and heavier. The playing standard advanced throughout the season and in some cases the improvement was very remarkable. In fifteen out of seventeen games the side had no fouls given against them and their very sporting play together with the cheerful way in which they took huge defeats made them popular wherever they went. Much credit went to the four most regular members of the team who formed a solid nucleus in a much-changed side. They were Ernest Quaife who played in all seventeen games, Bob Rich, fifteen games, Bert Glazier and Andrew Dunlop, fourteen games each. In all fifty-six players were called upon during the season.

On the whole the club was fortunate with regard to injuries with one notable exception. On 30th October, Harry Barnes broke his leg while playing for the second eleven against Udimore second team. He was in Rye Memorial Hospital for over two months and away from work for a considerably longer period. The whole affair was a complete accident and the Udimore club expressed their deep regret.

2ND TEAM PLAYING RECORD

DATEOPPONENTSVENUECOMPETITIONRESULTGOAL SCORERS
16/10/1937Rye Old Boys IIIHomeFriendly0 – 17
30/10/1937Udimore IIAwayFriendly0 – 3
6/11/1937Hastings Central SchoolHomeFriendly0 – 10
13/11/1937Boys’ BrigadeHomeFriendly5 – 2Cyril Barden 2, Jim Shearer, Bob Rich, P Dengate
27/11/1937Hastings Central SchoolAwayFriendly0 – 6
4/12/1937Old Hastonians IIIHomeFriendly1 – 8W Smith
11/12/1937Boys’ BrigadeAwayFriendly1 – 12Robert Quaife
18/12/1937Woodwards SportsHomeFriendly0 – 9
8/1/1938OccasionalsHomeFriendly1 – 18Pont
15/1/1938Rye Grammar School IIAwayFriendly0 – 3
29/1/1938Simpson’s IIAwayFriendly1 – 3P Dengate
5/2/1938Simpson’s IIAwayFriendly2 – 6Doug Barden, T Waters
12/2/1938Old Town Junior ClubAwayFriendly2 – 10Bill Cooke, W Smith
5/3/1938OccasionalsAwayFriendly2 – 7Charles Cruttenden, T Ellis
12/3/1938Rye AlbionHomeFriendly0 – 6
19/3/1938Rye AlbionAwayFriendly0 – 6
2/4/1938Rye Old Boys IIIHomeFriendly0 – 1

GENERAL MATTERS

At the start of the season a match ball and practice ball were purchased and later, through the Minor Association, the club obtained a match ball free for use in 2nd XI matches. When the season began, the team changed at the Queen’s Head Inn and during the latter half of the season the Oast House Tea Rooms garage was used and was more convenient. The problem of marking out the pitch for matches was one that was never satisfactorily settled. No goal nets were used as the financial resources of the club did not allow for their purchase.

It was decided that members should make their own travelling arrangements and this method worked fairly well. Half-expenses were allowed and those players who had motor cars co-operated by giving lifts to other players.

On the social side, to mark the end of the successful first season, a trip to London on Easter Monday was arranged with a morning football match at Kingsbury against King’s Park, a junior side. Most of the team went on to see the Brentford versus Arsenal game in the afternoon and in the evening the party split into groups with the majority going to see ‘Toss of a Coin’ at the Vaudeville Theatre but four were so highbrow as to go to see a film in French.

A whist drive was held in the Memorial Hall at Icklesham in the autumn in aid of club funds and thanks were due to the work of Mr Frank Crisford senior, who not only did most of the organising but also acted as Master of Ceremonies on the evening. The club was also grateful for the help of those friends of the club who gave prizes and refreshments.

During the season, the committee made minor alterations in the rules regarding payment of subscriptions and were of the opinion that the whole subject needed reviewing. At the formation of the club a distinction was made between original members and playing members in order to prevent later members of the club from altering its objects and character. The committee felt that with the present members there was no such danger and they recommended a change to the rules abolishing this distinction.

Thanks to the running of a second team, the club was able to maintain its policy of giving a game to everyone from Icklesham village who wanted one, always provided that they were prepared to play sporting football. Several promising players were discovered by this means.

A feature of the season was the harmony existing between members of the team. This was the chief factor in making the season enjoyable.

The first Annual General Meeting of the club was held at the Oast House Tea Rooms in Icklesham on Thursday, 26th May 1938 at 7.30 pm.