F O O T B A L L

1st XI
The season began with high expectations after the success of last year’s 1st XI,  the second strongest team the School had ever had. However, the loss of eight of the starting players from the previous year meant there was room for many talented young players to come forward.

The season kicked off against a strong St Edmund’s side. Unfortunately we lost 0-2, but the game was very encouraging as the team showed determination and drive, backed up by some great football from both new and old players. We battled through the first half of the season. Luck never seemed to be on our side, however, and it was often difficult to keep our spirits high when not much seemed to go right. As the first half of the season came to an end, most players found it difficult to believe that after all the effort we had put in, we had won only one of our first ten games.

With nine games left, we had a number of changes in the team playing against Lancing College. Many of our regulars were otherwise engaged, and as a result a number of new players were given a chance.   All stepped forward and proved themselves as we won the game 3-1. Some of the most influential changes came in the form of James Dunn in goal and Tom Nicholson-Pratt combining with Tsidi Dagadu to create an amazing striking force.  The statistics for this revised team and the second half of the season were more encouraging. Out of the nine games we won five,  lost three and drew one: most impressive, considering the team was assembled so late in the season.Special mention must be made of Theo Fabunmi-Stone,  who started as a great centre-back and then moved up into midfield, where he made a huge impact and even managed to score a few good goals. Jonny Greenland and Jonny Sasati both used their experience and were always extremely influential players whenever they were on the field.

Finally I would like to thank all those who played for the 1st XI this year.  It was an excellent and enjoyable season and a great experience for us all. Special thanks to Mr O’Brien for coaching us throughout. The Year.

Tom Jennings

2nd XI

The Seconds had an excellent season. Ziya Mustafa was an inspirational first line of defence in goal, pulling off some breathtaking reflex saves. In the back four, Ryan Walters and Nathan Griffiths offered the craft, Adam Scott and Tom Higginson the graft. On the wings John Park and Jamie Ivory combined hard work and trickery. In centre-mid Ian Parry was an inspirational captain, working tirelessly and popping up with some vital goals. Karl Mason, used in a variety of positions, combined tough tackling and fierce long distance shooting. Up front Luke Pullen supplied the pace and movement, while Peter Phouli was a constant menace, harassing defenders and scoring some outstanding goals. After Christmas, James Paton and Seyra Dagadu dropped down from the Firsts and contributed significantly to an excellent run of victories towards the end of the season.

There was a fantastic team spirit throughout the year. Defensively the side worked tirelessly, closing players down quickly and aggressively. Communication was good, with most of the players unafraid to offer encouragement and advice during games. When the side attacked they did so with width and pace. The back four and central midfielders got the ball out wide, or up to the front two, quickly. The midfield were always quick to get up and offer support to Luke and Peter.

In terms of the quality of the football played, the outstanding victory was 4-0 away at RGS Guildford, a game that we dominated from start to finish. However, the 2-1 win against a strong KC Wimbledon side and a strong performance in a 2-2 draw with the Firsts were probably better indicators of what a good 2nd XI this was.

My thanks go to all of the players for their efforts and enthusiasm over the season, but particularly to Ian Parry for his outstanding captaincy.

Season Record:      

P18	W10	D3	L5	F46	A34

Player of the Season:      Ziya Mustafa

S. J. Greaves

3rd XI
This was a fairly mixed year for the team. We were fortunate to be reinforced by a number of talented Year 11 players. Our first game of the season saw one of our strongest performances, with three goals for Peter Phouli (who was then promoted to the 2nd XI) and an emphatic 7-0 win against Reigate Grammar. We struggled for form in our next two games before a fine 3-0 win against a usually strong Sutton Grammar and a Man of the Match award for our captain, Hardeep Rayatt.

Other fine performances followed in mid-season, with good wins over City of London, Kingston Grammar and Hampton. Our defence  proved to be very solid, and many matches were won by either a single goal or a narrow margin. Greg Bowman and Daniel Gordon had the pace, while Simon Foss and James Balmforth dominated in the middle.  Having won six and lost six, we looked forward to our last game in order to achieve a second winning season in a row. Christ’s Hospital  proved a difficult side to beat, and in a very tough and competitive game we lost to a single goal. Overall, it was a very enjoyable and exciting season,  with plenty of goals and a number of talented players who will no doubt be playing in higher teams next year.

G. P. Harrop

4th X1

The 4th X1 enjoyed probably their best season for many years, and their record of three wins does no justice to how well they played.  We had to wait until our third game before our hugely improved standard of play was rewarded with a resounding 7-0 victory against what can only be described as a Sutton Grammar Social X1.  Nevertheless, it was a thoroughly efficient performance.

A narrow defeat against a strong Alleyn’s side, who were aided by some generous refereeing from your scribe (GS), was followed by our 9-2 victory over Box Hill, in which our play touched new heights.  A number of  defeats followed,  but even during this barren run, our play deserved better rewards than the results display.

Without doubt we reserved our best performance for the final game of the season, away to Christ’s Hospital. On a huge pitch with a pronounced slope from goal to goal, we displayed great resilience. Defending a one-goal lead, we held out for an excellent victory.  This final game epitomised the team’s character.  It would be unfair to single out any one person, but volunteer goalkeeper Ossie was instrumental in setting the standard for everyone else to follow, including a last-minute save he had no right even to get near!

The team always played with great determination, skill, and excellent sportsmanship, even in defeat.  They were outstanding ambassadors for Royal Russell School and a pleasure to manage and coach.

 G. Swann

UNDER-15
Without a good goalkeeper, a team is sunk! Every opposition attack could lead to a goal, and risk is everywhere. We had a very good goalkeeper, and on many occasions Anthony Baleato-Farrow deservedly was our Man of the Match.

Not that the defence did not work hard. James “Never Say Die” Gilbert,  Richard “Have It” Chandler and Owen “ Nobody Outruns Me” Aderibigbe were tireless.

Midfield is the ideas factory of the team. William McIntyre was always looking for and sometimes finding the defence-splitting pass. New captain Nathan Brown was a revelation. He worked hard, encouraged others and linked the play (particularly with Owen).

Good poachers are a valuable commodity.  Adrian Yansaneh snatched  chances,  half-chances and even some no-chances!

While the season was mixed, it was entertaining and contained many high points. Every opposition manager commented on the good spirit of the side. Sadly, Sven never dropped by!

N. P. Rocca

UNDER-14

The 2005 season saw an improvement in the results for the Under-14 team. Michael Horsman had to stand between the posts, because Jamie Butler often had other football commitments. The whole team are very grateful to him for doing this, as we all know he hated it! There is perhaps good news for Michael: in the final game of the season Kevin Fengler played a magnificent half in goal and would like Mr Tanner to consider him for the job full-time.

James Moon (who has moved on in the transfer window) scored a few superb goals, the best being against City of London to give us a 2-1 lead. Josh suffered an embarrassing injury down at Lancing College but got no sympathy from the rest of the team. Marcus has vowed to improve his fitness by walking home instead of getting a lift for the 200-yard journey.

S. Watkins

UNDER-13
Our Year 8  showed an abundance of enthusiasm and ability, resulting in a highly successful season.  With only one defeat against Wilson’s  and a draw against Glyn, the remaining matches saw the team enjoying and becoming accustomed to winning.  There was an impressive turnout at practices.  All the players improved their skills and made a significant contribution.  Particularly strong were Ben Henning in goal, Rob Oakley, who has a natural ability in a sweeper role and was probably the player of the season, Sam Sheppard, a tireless midfielder, Elliot Welch, who also worked well in midfield and Piers Hanifan, a quick, strong front player who scored plenty of goals. 

It is important to emphasise, however, that this was very much a team effort, and tribute should be paid to those who turned up regularly to practice but didn’t make it into the squad.  Highlights were the wins over Alleyn’s (3-1) and City of London (3-0). 

This is a strong, enthusiastic squad which should be able to go on to even greater things.

C. Barrett

.UNDER-12
Our first game, with sixteen new players, was a closely-contested match against St. Edmund’s.  Three good goals were scored by Toby Robinson, William Engel and Hayden Mackintosh.   Although we lost,  Joe Davies played extremely well in goal and was named Man of the Match.

Over the next two games players started to settle into position, but we faced two strong sides in Wilson’s and Glyn.  We lost both these games, but Lawrence Cast and Senna Osman stood out with solid defensive performances.  Despite early losses, the spirit of the squad remained positive, and weekly training sessions run by Mr Gedney were well attended. A win against Kingston Grammar demonstrated the fighting spirit of the team.  The game was close until late in the second half, when Man of the Match Toby Robinson scored two goals.
 
The next  few games resulted in losses against very strong sides, City of London, Alleyn’s and St Andrew’s. Notable performances were from Bobby Harris,  who ran hard and played some good balls from midfield, and Paul Hann, who made a number of important clearances from the centre of defence. Leon Dean scored in two of these games and ended the season as our top scorer with four goals.

A good sporting attitude was evident throughout,  and we look forward to next season, with the opportunity of avenging some of the above defeats.

M. C. Finch

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G I R L S' F O O T B A L L

The girls’ football team had another eventful year, competing in tournaments and developing their skills.  In their first competitive fixture they played Winston Churchill High School in the Surrey Cup.  They fought hard but lost to a very strong team who were the eventual national finalists.

In their second tournament, the girls played in Selsdon High’s indoor competition.  The girls beat teams from many Croydon schools and finished runners-up; a missed penalty away from lifting the trophy.  Helen Foss starred, scoring a hatful of goals, and was ably supported by Elizabeth Ashworth.

During the Autumn and Spring Terms, the team has benefited from the professional coaching of Mark Hudson.  The girls trained every Friday after school, focusing on their movement and passing.  Their performances have really benefited from this emphasis on skills; indeed Mark has had them playing total football.  Their best performance of the season came in a match against Dunraven School, which the girls won comfortably, with Amy Muldoon scoring her second hat-trick of the season.

Other notable performances came from Dalit Cohen, Becky Shepherd and Catherine Williams as the bedrock of our defence, Elizabeth Ashworth and Abbie Benjamins as creative attacking players and Nicola Wilson in goal.  We are looking forward to next season, which promises great things.

 

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