OC SPORTS
BY ED SIBLEY (2001-2012)
1st XI Football
42
Back Row (L-R): R Taylor, E Sibley, S Aylott, T Clapham, J Good, M Rutherford, J Grace, B Alexander, W Taylor, T Fellowes Front Row (L-R): M Salador, J Nolan, L Farrant, A Drew, R Farrant, J Banfield
T
his season saw a new manager (Tom Fellowes), a new 5-3-2 system, a new captain (Rory Taylor), assisted by Ed Sibley. It was our first season in Division 1 and we see many new recruits namely - Matt Koczan, Liam Farrant, Tom Clapham, Sam Aylott, Alex Drew, Flynn Prevost, Tommy Williams, Jordan Grace & Dan Whitehead - all of whom go on to have telling impacts throughout the season. A slow start was followed with three wins in a row followed by a draw that took us near the top of the league. Next up, a narrow defeat to strong Premier Division opposition in Tonbridge in The Arthur Dunn Cup. However, it is a performance which shows the strides that have been made in a short space of time. Unfortunately, we then entered Lockdown 2.0. Returned
for two weeks in December for one game and then headed into Lockdown 3.0 which in turn lead to another season cancelled due to Covid. We did manage to make a small comeback in the month of April with two friendly victories against Repton and close rivals Forest which yet again show the strength we have in the squad. Things are looking very positive for the future of the club and a special mention goes out to all the OCs that recently left school and either joined the club or went to university. It has been a difficult year for everyone. It gives all of us captains great pleasure knowing that the club has been a positive release in people’s lives in what otherwise has been a tough time. The pandemic has shown the importance of being part of a club and we continue to welcome new joiners.
