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L E N T 2017
FOOTBALL 1ST XI P16 W7 D3 L6 Everything about this season has been quite remarkable. It started in Spain with much promise: Les returned full of excitement at the boys we had at our disposal and foresaw the birth of tiki-taka on Bigside in January. It didn’t quite happen like that but let us recount the story. The Villarreal tour, which again provided a useful focus for the pre-season build up, was as successful as it has been in previous years. Accompanied by Les Newell and Mr Perkins, the boys were exposed to some high level coaching, advice and two highly
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competitive games - one was described as a typically ‘British’ encounter played out on the 4G pitches of the Valencian Province. There was much entertainment; the boys, I’m sure, will long remember Les walking headlong into an invisible glass door (fortunately he was unhurt) as he tried to exit a local McDonald’s. Game one. An adjustment to the fixture list meant traditional firstday opponents Tonbridge were not on the card. Instead, local rivals The Oratory were. We knew a physical game would ensue and so it was to prove. Oratory ran
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Master in Charge: SJA Perkins Coaches: CA San Jose, LP Newell Captain: ETW Agnew
out 5-3 victors, goals from Charlie Williams (x2) and Tom Eden coming in consolation. What was remarkable was that of the 14 players selected for the First XI that day, 13 would then go on to play in the LB Cup final. Two wins then followed - our first clean sheet for over a year against Haileybury (2-0 winners) and a first round victory in the LB Cup over Bedford (final score: 2-1; 2 goals from Tom Eden) as the road to Abingdon United began (as it was, although we didn’t know it back then). A short break for the Lent term exeat weekend was followed by
back to back losses against tough league opposition; St John’s were just too strong for us on a breezy day on Bigside and only a first class display of keeping from George Greville-Williams kept the score to 3-0. An away trip to Harrow followed - always a daunting task - and despite the boys playing one of their best games of the season, they ran out 2-0 winners. Looking back, that game was incredibly important as it dawned on the boys that we could play to a system and hold back even the most skilful of teams from overrunning us. That was to stand us in very good stead.
arrived off the back of eight straight victories. Never to be overawed, we set about the task with a certain laissez-faire approach and were 2-0 down with 12 minutes to go. What followed can only be described as... yes, quite remarkable. A penalty from Tom Eden, a close-range header from Tom Carter and a thumping volley from 20 yards into the top corner by Benedict Weldon secured a 3-2 comeback - all in front of the baying Red Army, whose support was quite crucial in turning the tide. So, onto the final and with it a prospect of defending the trophy for the first time.
The next four games saw two wins and two draws. A relatively easy away trip to Rugby, including a stunning “goal of the month” free kick from Charlie Williams, resulted in a 4-2 victory, whilst a memorable 3-3 draw at home to St Paul’s in the league seriously bolstered confidence. In a game the boys should have closed out, Tom Carter scored with virtually the last kick to secure a well-earned draw. But it was the away victory at St Alban’s in the LB Cup that proved the season’s real catalyst. On what can only be described as a “rather windy day” (Storm Doris was passing overhead sometime around kick off), the boys secured a convincing 3-1 victory. It was so windy, the ball had to be held firm at free- and goalkicks!
After much communication back and forth between fellow finalist Oakham and Radley, it was decided that Abingdon United would host the LB Cup final. Home advantage was a very pleasant thing indeed - the boys dined together in Hall and we headed to the ground about an hour before kick off. Not much was known about our opponents, save for some anecdotal evidence provided by the King’s Ely players - “they’re big and well-organised” summed it up. After a lengthy warm up by SSA James Marshall, the boys were ready; the Red Army, arriving en-masse, were belting out such classics as “Weldon’s on fire” and the Chapel Responses. The game started apace - both sides sussing out each other’s weak points. Some early success down our left gave hope but it was some good work down the right from Charlie Williams and Tom Carter (who hit the bar) which gave Tom Eden the chance to score a rebound. 1-0. Radley kicked off the second half and five touches later were 2-0 up. A quite sublime pass out to Freddie White, a good cross and Charlie Williams was there to slot home. A second from Tom Eden closed things with fifteen minutes or so left to go and a very late consolation from Oakham was not enough to allow them back into the game. LB Cup winners two years in a row; a remarkable achievement.
The final month of the season saw three more losses. Having led Tonbridge for over 50 minutes, two goals conceded in 60 seconds knocked the stuffing out of us and we never recovered. That was the closest we’d been to beating them for years and certainly bought Radley some credibility for years to come. A thumping loss at Berkhamsted was best forgotten - played on their 3G pitch, they were too strong for us - a journey too far perhaps. It was fortunate then that we hosted King’s Ely in the semi-final of the LB Cup the following week. Having decided on the venue on the toss of a coin - always call heads! - Ely made the 3 hour schlep across country and
the professional; Tom Ogilvie and Jack Folkestone, rocks at centre back and flanked so ably by captain Ed Agnew and James Sloan; the midfield core of George Bracken, Tom Eden, Nico Rooth and Benedict Weldon; Charlie Williams, Orlando Russell (before he cruelly broke a metatarsal which ended his season) and Freddie White, the wizard wingers; and Tom Carter - plying his trade for the 4th XI last year - a lovely story. A remarkable season with a talented bunch of players. Les and I wish the departing 6.2s well and look forward to building on this season with a fresh intake of boys next January.
CA San Jose
Final mention must go to the players who made this season such a success. George Greville-Williams in goal, ever
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FOOTBALL 2ND XI P12 W7 D1 L4 The season started a little too quickly; a lot of boys still needed to shake off the Christmas-holiday mentality and not too many had played football with one another in a long time. Nonetheless, thrust into a match against the Oratory on the first weekend of term, the team showed its fighting qualities in what was a rather scrappy affair. Having trailed 3-2 with not long to go, a fortuitous Caspar Muir freekick drew things level and the game ended 3-3. Experimenting with the 3-5-2 system, Max Richardson proved a calming presence in the midfield. Rory Betley was particularly impressive up front, always providing an option to feet and looking to get a shot away as
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often as possible. Inevitably, he was snaffled up by the 1st XI and Tom Carter was called up from the 3rd XI to replace him. As 6.1s and 6.2s began to get to know one another’s names and get used to each other’s playing styles, we were well prepared for an important league game against Haileybury. Caspar Muir was moved into defensive midfield, having proven his ball-playing and leadership abilities as vicecaptain. We were able to beat a strong opposition, with Toby Ryan, Tom Rutherford, Tom Carter (pen) and Henry Anderson all scoring in a 4-1 victory. However, Tom Carter’s rapid rise in the football club continued as he was moved up to the 1st XI. Tom Onslow was
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Coaches: MR Jewell, MS Chambers Captain: OS Donaldson
brought up to provide more energy and physicality in the midfield. As a result, over the next few games we were heavily dependent on Henry Anderson up front; providing a great turn of pace off the opposition defensive line and always causing them trouble with his height and strength. A disappointing loss against St John’s was compensated for by the best performance so far, away against Harrow. The defence’s determination, led by Lachie Neville, against wave after wave of Harrow attack was impressive. We put them under enough pressure to win two penalties and force a red card, but were unfortunate to lose 3-1. Jack Elvin and Robbie Horton, both recently brought into the team, harried and hassled the opposition and provided options on the break.
A run-of-the-mill victory against Rugby took us into half-term on a positive note. We carried that on to the next half of term, winning five games out of six and most notably, defeating St Paul’s 4-3 and Tonbridge 1-0 – a team which had been undefeated for two years. Tom Jewell and Henry Day were ever-present: often deployed as wing-backs in the 3-5-2 system, they battled hard out wide and managed to stretch opposition who tried to make the match more of a scrap in the middle. Undoubtedly, though, the most memorable match of the season was an away victory against Tonbridge. There was talk of an opposition team which was unbeaten, which had scored 22 goals in 4 games and only conceded twice. With our team depleted of important players such as Freddie White, Robbie Horton and Tom Jewell, we still managed to nick a goal with ten minutes remaining to then hold on for an epic victory. Charlie Pritchard’s calmness in goal and the work-rate in defence, led by Freddie Campbell-Gray and the shield provided by Magnus Smellie in midfield, were important ingredients in a famous win. Changing to a 4-1-4-1 system for the remaining few games, we went on to win three games in a row, scoring 10 and conceding 1 including a fine victory over St Edward’s 1st XI. Freddie White was threatening every time he received the ball in the attacking midfield position and the new personnel in Theo Spreckley, Patrick Sayer and Will Kaye improved the team significantly towards the end of the season. Toby Ryan, a 2nd XI stalwart over the last two years, proved a surprising source of goals from left-back and a steadying presence whenever he was called upon. A 6.1 side narrowly lost to M.C.S. 1st XI in the final match, which proved one too many in a draining final week. Thank you very much to Mr Jewell and Mr Chambers for the dedication and patience they showed the boys over the course of the season. A very positive win-rate reflects a season that was both successful and enjoyable as the Football Club continues to move from strength to strength. O Donaldson, F Social
FOOTBALL 3RD XI P11 W7 D3 L1 A year on, Mr King (the Gaffer), with his apprentice Mr Lee, helped take the 3rd XI to new heights, ultimately achieving the highest league position of any of our school teams. After a promising start, having won our first game, all was set for a strong season with the team already gelling. The heart of our defence consisted of Freddie Peake and Sven ‘the hand grenade’ Winkler von Stiernhielm who provided an entertaining duality but, crucially, a sturdy partnership upon which we could rely. The attacking intent of our full backs came from Ben ‘Peg leg’ Collins driving along the touchline with his efficient utility of the singular left leg. On the right flank, there was Ollie Friend, promoted from the 4th XI, but there for us when we needed him most. Moving into the midfield, we had our captain and player of the season (again); the infamous Lysander Sandberg, renowned for his endless hacking and his lack of footballing ability, although he did score a lastminute equaliser away at Tonbridge to secure a vital point. What Lysander lacked, Monty MartinZakheim added with his passing, finishing and his occasional poetic communication with the referees. Being the sole contributor to the ferocity of our team (when not picking up injuries whilst removing his tracksuit), Sam Hoddinott provided a perfect attacking role on the left hand side of the pitch. His counterpart, Monty Browne also fulfilled his duty admirably going forwards. Tom Rutherford, the forefront of our attack, can only be thought of as a player who could manage to miss an open goal in one moment but then go on to score a hatful, including one of our most precious of the season. In the dying seconds of the game against Wellington, with the scores tied, Will Kaye struck the post from an acute angle and somehow the
Coaches: CJ Lee , AJ King Captain: L Sandberg
ball fell perfectly to Tom just inside the box. The whole pitch fell silent. Rutherford took a single touch before placing his effort into the top right corner to secure a hard fought win. Special mentions also to the tireless efforts of Sam Lee, James Gosling, our two keepers George Gent and Patrick Sayer and finally the second highest goal scorer for RCAFC this season, Will Kaye. Lastly, who could forget our biggest supporters and two men who were instrumental in our success, Mr King and Mr Lee; thank you for an enjoyable season.
L Sandberg and T Rutherford G Social
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FOOTBALL 4TH XI P12 W7 D2 L3 The season started strongly with convincing wins against Oratory (8-0), Haileybury (11-1) and St John’s (6-1) with multiple hat-tricks for the likes of Wallis and Kaye before their promotion - in Will Kaye’s case, 12 goals in just 5 games - and possibly the best corner in 4ths history, taken by captain Toby Sallit and nodded over the line by Tom Johnston. Stiffer opposition was to follow in the form of Harrow: a bruising first half saw us 0-5 down within 30 minutes, before the boys rallied to win the 2nd half 2-1, so a 1-6 loss overall. The boys then walked through a 10-2 win at Rugby, with the final goal scored by keeper Patch Sayer, prompting the inevitable on-pitch pile-up. Every player fought hard against St Paul’s, with Seb Hill (scoring one of six for his season) dragging the game back to 1-1 before we conceded a goal just before half time, and then let in another in the
late stages to go 1-3 down at full time. Shots crashed against post and cross-bar but sadly we were denied. The only significant away journey of the season, to Tonbridge, involved one of the best team performances all season, a Myles Browne effort from range (one of his six this term), which put us 1-0 up with 20 minutes to play. Even with two minutes to go, we still were ahead. Astonishingly two late surges from Tonbridge turned the game around, and we lost 1-2 – the most heart-breaking of defeats. Two closely fought contests against Wellington and Abingdon both saw us claw back a 0-1 deficit to draw 2-2, including a superb routeone riposte from striker Rufus Wallis just 30 seconds after we’d conceded, and more goals for Toby Sallitt, taking his tally to six for the season. The boys were unlucky not to come away with a win in both cases.
Coach: EO Holt Captain: TAB Sallitt
A convincing 5-2 win against a physical Berkhamsted side saw centre-back Al Baker bag two goals. The St Edwards’ fixture, against their 3rds, saw an unimaginable number of long-range misses from Radley in the first half, and a distinct easing off the tempo on a sunny Thursday afternoon. We just snuck one in before half term for 1-1, before the flood-gates opened in our favour in the second half, courtesy of a Rufus Wallis hat-trick and a beautiful through-ball from Tom Johnston, slickly finished by Ivo Kleinwort. Radley finished the game 6-1 winners. The final game against MCS was a near replica of the Teddies fixture: Radley went behind through a well-finished strike early in the game, were not able to capitalise on 90% possession in the first half at all, and then prevailed in the second half with four goals in reply, two from George Love, a closerange hammer from Ivo Kleinwort and a final goal for top-scorer-ofthose-remaining (on 7 goals), Rufus Wallis. EO Holt
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FOOTBALL 5TH XI P9 W8 D1 L0 The season started with little sign of what was to come later in the term. With our first match cancelled, our opening game was against Haileybury at home. This game was a whitewash with a 13-0 win, with Paddy Hayes scoring four goals and George Love grabbing himself a hat-trick. The following week, it was a similar outcome, with a game against St John’s Leatherhead. Our team had been strengthened after Charles Henry and Arthur Dingemans were dropped to us by the 4ths. They would both make strong contributions to an 8-1 victory. Up next would be the toughest run of the season, as we would be playing the three allegedly best teams on the circuit. The first of these was an away fixture against an unbeaten Harrow side. This clash was as good as hoped, with Radley coming away with a 4-3 win thanks to a some brilliant through balls and some wonderful keeping from surprise guest keeper George Love (traditionally a winger). We would defend like Spartans in the second
Coaches: R Johnson, P Miron Captain: H Bligh
half, with the wind against us and playing on a pitch that was somewhat less than level. Harry Bligh would make a goal-saving challenge with one of his many “verging on the illegal” slidetackles. Following Harrow, we took on St Paul’s, and even despite being forced to make the dreaded journey to Colet Court, we still played as well as ever. The game was a nailbitter, going 1-0 down early on, and with Jacob Tregear equalising just before the break, it would take George Love to score the winner with three minutes to go. Love’s goal was voted goal of the season, off a Henry through-ball, Love cut inside to slot it in from 30 yards. Cue raucous celebrations from an ecstatic Mr Johnson. The 2-1 comeback win showed the true determination of the team. The next game was playing up two teams against Bedford 3rds at Radley. We went into the game with some nerves, but no fear was needed. It was a goal-fest, as we won 7-1 with hat-tricks from Tregear and Hayes. Our next game was to be our most crucial. Not only is the prospect of travelling
for 2 hours each way by coach to Kent not one any Radleian relishes, but the fact that our unbeaten season was up for grabs against a very strong Tonbridge side made it even less enticing. They were a somewhat “lively” side (comparisons were drawn to the likes of Wimbledon and Millwall), and we had some interesting refereeing, which included various threats to send off most of the team. However, nothing could stop the camaraderie and determination that had grown within the team. Thanks to another gift from EOH’s 4ths, who dropped Morgan (the Radley Xavi) to us, there were continuous balls of brilliance being delivered into the box. We would fight back twice and then go one step better and take the lead thanks to a Henry header off a corner. We would concede with minutes to go due to a shoulder by Tonbridge’s 150kg centre-forward, making the final score 3-3. However, the unbeaten season continued. With the finish line in sight, we pushed through, beating Berkhamstead 9-2 (Hayes with another hat-trick), and then a 3-1 win away at local rivals Abingdon,
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despite going 1-0 down after 10 seconds. So it all came down to our last game against St Edward’s 4ths. Nerves were high as we kicked off for the final time, however we quickly settled, and Hayes would score a hat trick after 20 minutes. At this stage we were pushing for a goal difference of +50 for the season, but to do that we would have to finish the game with another 13 unanswered goals, which was a tough ask, to say the least. Goals from Tom Warner and a sublime Will Morgan free kick helped us to edge closer to our target. The return of Jacob Tregear from the 4ths in a special guest appearance for the second half meant we got closer still, but we were set back after conceding two sloppy goals. This meant that we now needed to score 15 to achieve a +50 goal difference. George Seagrave would score a goal (only to later be given as an OG) along with Broughton, Henry, Kirchlechner, and Tregear would end up getting yet another hat-trick, with Hayes finishing the game with five goals to his name. The game ended 15-2, meaning we had hit our target, but the real achievement was not the number of goals we had scored but the quality of a team that we had produced, and the fact that we had succeeded in playing
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through the 9 game season unbeaten, with 8 wins and a draw, scoring 64 and conceding 14 (mention must be made here of our goalie-cummidfielder Binksy, who was, to be fair, relatively untroubled for much of the season, thanks to our solid defensive line up of Fowler, Strain, Seagrave and Lennon, but was always there when needed). Our 1st XV striker, Paddy Hayes, won the golden boot with an unbelievable 21 goals, and Jacob Tregear won player of the season, with a contribution of 11 assists and 10 goals. Thanks must also go to Mr Johnson (RJ) and Dr Miron (PM) who always travelled with us to matches, near and far. Although they may not have had the most technical approach to coaching (drills were generally viewed sceptically as just new fangled nonsense for foreign managers and the like), whatever they did, it seems to have worked. What they undoubtedly did bring was genuine interest and enthusiasm for coaching what you might say isn’t one of the glory teams at Radley. They supported the team throughout, whether that was providing the champagne at the end of the season, driving captains to Tonbridge after mock exams so
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they wouldn’t miss crucial games, or by just shouting their heads of like madmen on the sidelines, it was all appreciated by the team, and our thanks extends to them. H Bligh, H Social and C Henry, E Social Coaches’ report: There is little that needs adding to this thorough analysis of what was an incredible season, except to say that neither RJ nor myself have ever had such an enjoyable bunch to manage in Senior football, let alone such a successful season. Great credit should go to the boys themselves, who showed real team spirit and desire throughout the season, and especially to Cap’n Bligh who was a coach’s dream, doing most of the man-management and organisation himself, or with the help of his deputies, Charles Henry and Dan Kirchlechner. It will be a season that lives in our memories for quite some time. PM and RJ
FOOTBALL 6TH XI P5 W2 D1 L2 Goals For: 18 Goals Against: 15 This was a mixed season, as the results suggest; but there was a strong “core” of players who all made invaluable contributions and over 20 sixth-formers turned out for the 6ths during the season, which was most encouraging. The low point was the dispiriting 1-7 defeat at St Paul’s. We were competing effectively and had equalised right on the stroke of half-time with a wonder goal from Tom Warner – one of the “finds” of the season, who showed real potential as a footballer. But, with
Coach: A Cunningham Captain: J Maitland
goal-keeping injuries hitting the entire Club, we found ourselves short of a goal-keeper in the second half and inevitably let in more goals that we should have. Very pleasingly however, the season ended on a high: not only with an excellent 1-1 draw away at Tonbridge, always a difficult place to travel to – but with an excellent win at MCS on the last Saturday of term. We were, indeed, privileged to be playing this final match in the spectacular setting of the Merton College Football pitch. James Maitland captained the side admirably; Harry O’Kane scored four goals with some fine
FOOTBALL COLTS 1 P12 W6 D1 L5 GD +8 Team: E.Cockcroft, E.Eliot, G.Batty, R.Henry (VC), F.Gilliat-Smith, H.Carr (C), A.Tufnell, O.White, H.Jewell, H.Carson, W.Carr, A.Barrow, A.Martin, T.Southwell, B.Moss, B.Butterwick. The team’s season started earlier than any previous year, with training beginning in the Michaelmas term for the Colts. This meant that we came back two days into the Lent term ready to play The Oratory. With this pre-season advantage under our belts we started the season off on a high with a 2-1 win which saw a late winner from Hanno Jewell, who would go on to score many pivotal goals for us from the left wing over the season. After another week of training, the squad started to bed in and we faced Haileybury away next. Even though we had had a
finishing and Tom Warner also hit a hat-trick, as we ran out comfortable 8-0 winners. The other goal was scored by Arthur Dingemans, who showed intimidating pace up front throughout the season, with his direct running at defenders. Further details can be viewed on the MiSocs Website.
A Cunningham
Coaches: SJA Perkins, M Anderson Captain: H Carr
dominant game, having some 15 shots to Haileybury’s 2, conceding an early goal in the first half proved to be crucial as we lost 0-2. The result was a little frustrating and certainly a game that should have been another league win, if we had played to our potential. Next up were league leaders St John’s Leatherhead who were the best Colts team we played this year. Only one real attempt, coming from Will Carr nearly scoring a scorpion kick, it seemed the season might not go as intially hoped. However, the following game against Harrow saw a result which brought the team confidence, since the score went from 0-15 last year in the JC1 to 1-4 with an exceptional free kick from the captain Hugo Carr, confirming him as our free-kick specialist for the season. Although a loss, there were some sparks
of brilliance, and the boys came away from the game feeling like the scoreline flattered Harrow. The progress was shown by a complete thrashing of Rugby on Bigside, scoring 9 goals whilst conceding just 2, the highlight being Barrow’s 4 goals and Carson’s hat-trick. Barrow was our top-goalscorer with 11 goals in all and Carson was brilliantly skilful and pacy down the right flank all season. This led to half term and at this point, we were not as high in the league as hoped, but everything seemed to be finally clicking. Upon return, we faced another huge challenge in St Paul’s. We lost this game due to a lack of concentration as well as never quite firing on all cylinders, although one highlight was an outstanding penalty save by Eddie Cockcroft, who has developed
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into a confident and outstanding Goalie. Further on through the season, we faced a difficult game against Tonbridge, it was clear we needed the team to step up. After going 0-2 down by half time the team pulled together, Oscar White putting in a notable performance after getting on the end of an accurate free kick from Hugo Carr, and Radley ended up drawing the game 3-3, despite being up 3-2 until the final play of the game, a penalty to Tonbridge. It was extremely sad to lose Oscar White under those circumstances and he was quickly becoming the midfield maestro controlling all our attacking play. This was especially encouraging because
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of the fight and determination displayed by the players. Moving on, we added three more victories to our tally, beating Bedford 2-0, Wellington 5-0 and finally, the highlight of the season, Berkhamsted. Despite Oscar’s injury, the Berkhamsted performance summed up the season for the Colts. A screamer from Felix Gilliat-Smith and an amazing all round performance meant we won 2-0, a team which the Colts had lost 0-8 last year. One result that emphatically proves the improvement of every player involved. After an unfortunate loss against local rivals Abingdon, on the last day of the season we beat MCS convincingly with a 6-0 win, capping off an
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amazing season for the Colts who had made massive amounts of progress in 2017 and can look forward to Senior football with a spring in their step. H Carr, C Social
FOOTBALL COLTS 2 P11 W5 D1 L5 The Colts 2 season was one with many highs and lows. Overall, we played eleven matches and won five, lost five and drew one, which was probably a fair reflection of how the team performed all in all. There were a number of very tight competitive games in which we came out on the wrong side of the result, notably the 3-2 loss against Harrow and the 4-3 loss against Tonbridge (both games in which we led until the final minutes). Had we been stronger in the final stages of these matches and had the rub of the green, the results could have gone the other way and the set of results would have been very admirable indeed.
Coaches: GHS May, K Kane Captain: B Southgate
The team struggled to pick up any momentum throughout the season. The highest consecutive winning run of the team was only two games. This was a disappointment because we were not able to build much confidence because whenever we won a game we tended to be knocked back straight away. The team performance of the season was against Harrow, a strong team that we battled hard against and almost got the result. However, another highlight was the game away at Bedford, a close rival. They were not the strongest of teams but the way that the boys pulled together and were clinical in attack was very pleasing to see and the
11-0 score line was much deserved. Thank you to Mr. May for coaching us throughout the season with enthusiasm and his words of encouragement. A special thank you needs to be given to Jack Kane (the gaffer) who took the time out of his 6.2 year to coach us every day of the week and to give us any advice that he could. Without him it could have been a very different year. B Southgate, K Social
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FOOTBALL COLTS 3 P8 W3 L5 The season started well with two very easy wins against Oratory and Haileybury (9-1 & 10-1 respectively) but the next five matches were all lost before a final win (2-1) against Abingdon to round off the season. We played with enthusiasm and spirit throughout and in the majority of lost matches were in the game for a good amount of time before tired legs made us vulnerable in defence. Against stronger teams, we struggled to keep hold of the
ball for long enough to create attacking opportunities, but always worked hard to get it back and kept trying to the bitter end. The team was captained throughout the season in an exemplary way by Xavier Coughlan and I enjoyed working with the all the boys who represented the team during the season.
KA Mosedale
FOOTBALL COLTS 4 P6 W4 D2 L0 The short version: Colts 4 – unbeaten season. The slightly longer version: Harrow was always going to be a challenging fixture (historic results have been double-digit losses) and so the boys were fully prepared for what to expect. Goals began to fly in alternating between Radley and Harrow, causing scenes of excitement from both sides of the touchline. After Charlie Robertson’s four goals, it seemed as though an unlikely 4-3 win was on the cards, but with two goals from Harrow things looked like heading towards a first defeat. That is until thirty seconds before the end of the match, when Harry VyvyanRobinson smashed a 35-yard ball against the crossbar out of nowhere allowing Alex Wrey to tap in the equaliser. Five goals each in the end would prove to be a very fair result. St. Paul’s proved to be a game where the wind dictated much of the passage of play. With the elements
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Coach: KA Mosedale Captain: X Coughlan
in our favour in the first half a 3-1 lead was secured, and then effectively playing against 12 men the boys kept a two goal difference as they came home with a 4-2 win. The home game against Tonbridge was also played in a howling gale. Radley started with the wind but could only put one on the board by half-time (Robertson). However, Gent raised our hopes with an excellent second just after the break. With only ten minutes remaining, Tonbridge attacked relentlessly and clawed a goal back to make it 2-1. We continued to defend heroically but were stunned when Tonbridge salvaged a 2-2 draw by scoring with the last kick of the game. Goals were in abundance against Berkhamsted, with Radley scoring seven of thirteen goals in what was the frenetic hour of football. Despite the opposition scoring three goals in the last fifteen minutes of the match, Radley managed to cling on to a 7-6 win. So with an unbeaten season on the line we came to the last match, home against Abingdon Colts C.
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Coaches: P Asbury, MCF Brown Captain: D Wyrley-Birch
The boys started nervously and took a while to settle against determined opposition. Abingdon’s forwards were fast and managed to break through several times only to be thwarted by tremendous goalkeeping from Jamie Walker. We found it hard to break their defensive line, but were finally rewarded by Charlie Robertson’s long range effort just before halftime. The second half saw relentless pressure from Abingdon but stalwart defending by Liu, Wyrley-Birch and Parker among others managed to keep them at bay. Robertson scored a second to relieve the tension but Abingdon managed to pull one back right at the end amidst chaotic scenes. Player of the Season – Jamie Walker (k). A superb goalkeeper literally saving the team on many occasions, he more than deserves the accolade of Player of the Season. P Asbury and MCF Brown
FOOTBALL JC 1 P11 W2 D0 L9 The JC1 season has been something of a roller-coaster ride. We played 11 games in all, 8 of which were in the very competitive league. This year’s squad had more attacking firepower than previous JC1 outfits, but we again struggled to hold out the stronger and more experienced sides, i.e. those competing in the top half of the table. Nevertheless, it can still be judged a successful season, with coaches PW Gamble and JE Smith encouraging the side into playing some attractive football by the end of the season. Not for the first time it came down to the game against Wellington College to decide who stayed off the bottom of the league: we played with great determination and used the big pitch to our advantage in securing a comfortable 4-2 win over in deepest Berkshire. In our efforts to come up with a strong
Coach: PW Gamble, JE Smith Captain: W Brooks-Ward
formula, we tried various formations over the course of the season, playing somewhat defensively until leave-away and gradually putting more into the midfield as the games went by. This did mean that exciting attacking prospect Dan PleydellBouverie (e) was sometimes left a bit alone up front, but it didn’t stop him from racking up a double-figure tally of goals. The team was led by captain William Brooks-Ward (h), who made the CDM role his own, ably assisted by terrier-like Zachary Martin- Zakheim (k), whose energy and bravery were an asset at both ends of the pitch. Our biggest – certainly most enjoyable - victory of the season was the last match of the term, the local derby against Abingdon. It was a close match between two evenly matched sides, which was settled in our favour by a sublime free
kick from around 25 yards by Miles Rothery (f). That this game was one of three 1-0 score lines in our final five games showed that we had become a tighter team in all good senses of the word. Arguably our best performance on the pitch was one of those 0-1 games - against Tonbridge. They were the favourites to win the league, but we held out until well into the last 10 minutes. It was only a beautiful inswinging corner that breached our line, on another day when Alec Cooke (j) performed heroics in our goal. It was certainly a loss that felt like a win. All told, this year was a term of much progress for a team that gelled together well and will grow stronger in the years to come. W Brooks-Ward, H Social
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FOOTBALL JC 2 P11 W3 D3 L5 The JC2 football season did not get off to a particularly encouraging start. After one training session, a hastily assembled team of boys who had never previously played together was selected for the opening game at The Oratory School, Reading and the lack of preparation and the somewhat lukewarm competitive spirit resulted in a 3-1 defeat. The key messages for the boys after that first match were the need to clear our lines at the earliest opportunity, not to be ashamed of the long-ball game and the central importance of tackling as a key skill for any player, whatever their position on the field.
over the season – in fact, my joint player of the season with George Wallis. Rafe Lang and George Clackson developed a very resolute centre-back pairing that grew in confidence and intensity as the season progressed, whilst Bertie Tufnell’s promotion to captain was well deserved as he battled hard throughout to lead the midfield. Also, in midfield, Ben Fletcher performed consistently well whilst I would single out George Wallis as the outstanding midfield player of the season – he epitomised a never-say-die attitude, was always willing to tackle and track back but also supported the forwards consistently well. He also always played the game in the right spirit, whatever the circumstances.
To their credit, the boys did gradually take these lessons on board but the quality of the opposition in the next three matches resulted in three relatively heavy defeats at the hands of Haileybury (8-2), St John’s, Leatherhead (5-1) and Harrow (7-0). It would have been very easy, therefore, for the boys to become dispirited at this turn of events, but during that run of defeats we also learnt much about the strengths and weaknesses of individual players and so were able to deploy our resources much more effectively thereafter.
In the second half of the season Thomas Beardmore-Gray also played very dependably in defensive midfield. He proved astute and mature in his play and if, in due course, he can add a bit of steel to his tackling then he could do well in future. Up front, Thomas Williams-Bulkeley proved an efficient finisher (scoring 8 goals) and Tim Ojo, probably after Felix Fanshawe the most naturally skilful player in the team, contributed 7 goals. They were well supported by Wissam Attou, who scored 3 goals and Josh Rae Smith, who played with enormous enthusiasm at all times, scoring twice.
After that first match, we were fortunate to unearth the goalkeeping talents of a fearless Freddie Lindblom and learnt that in Jack Metcalfe and Felix Fanshawe we had two mobile and increasingly competitive fullbacks. Indeed, Felix was without doubt the most improved player
My thanks must go to Bertie Tufnell for leading the team in such a consistently mature and determined fashion. There are a number of boys on this team who can quite justifiably aspire to playing at a higher level in future years if they put continued effort into developing their game.
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Coach: SR Molyneux Captain: B Tufnell
This was only my second year as a don at Radley and I consider myself fortunate to have worked with such a super set of lads who had developed such a very closeknit team spirit by the end of the season and whose response to the early string of disappointing results was extremely impressive and gratifying – in the seven games we played after losing the first four, we won three (Rugby 4-0, Bedford 10-1 and Wellington 5-1) drew three (St Paul’s 1-1, Berkhamsted 0-0 and Abingdon 1-1) and lost just one (Tonbridge 4-2), which represented a fantastic turnaround. SR Molyneux
FOOTBALL JC 3 The JC3 had a very difficult season, but what was remarkable, and praiseworthy, was the good spirit and camaraderie of the squad. It was unfortunate in a way that our ‘easy’ fixtures came at the beginning of term when we had had few chances to play together as a team, so that our narrow 3-2 loss against Haileybury away, for example, might easily have been reversed had we played them some weeks later. We did not let our heads drop, and overall scored more and conceded fewer in the second halves of most games than in the first halves, which says a great deal about the morale of the team. We began with only 8 players sitting on the coach, away to The Oratory. Having been informed of this crisis only at lunchtime, Mr Perkins did remarkably well to round up four willing victims (volunteers) from hockey who did not have a fixture. The 5-3 defeat was a poor beginning but, in the scheme of things, our second-best result, had only we known. Perhaps the freshness was a help rather than a hindrance...The difficulty of raising a team was a constant backdrop to the first part of the season, resolved with a decision taken to allow some boys whose hockey seasons were not likely to be either busy or successful to join the merry throng of JC3 football. By mid-season we had a healthy squad of 14. There were, of course, many low points: an especially difficult run of the three toughest teams on our circuit, Harrow, St. Pauls’, and Tonbridge, would have been an enormous challenge even in the best of seasons. As it was, the team conceded 31 goals and scored none in those fixtures, but such a run merely led the team to
Coach: DJT Scott Captain: A Sobhan
raise their heads, and ambitions, higher, and we saved our best football for the final two fixtures, scoring three goals and matching the opposition for long stretches. There were, against this tricky background, many fine moments: a stirring comeback from 3-0 down at half time against Haileybury which so nearly resulted in a win; the first ever competitive fixture in any sport for John Bruce-Gardner, in the same game (I draw no connection between the failure to equalise and John’s last-five-minute cameo, naturally); scoring 5 goals in our first two games, both away; and Charles Ames’ Vardyesque run of two goals in two games at the end of the season. I must also mention the monumental work of Will Power, whose official position was midfield but who ended up covering every blade of grass in every game, and the vast improvements of so many other players, from our three-times man of the match and final game captain, Aemil Sobhan, to the defensive rocks that were Rupert Pope and Felix Hervey.
(though not in stature) Ames and Uglow, whose direct opponents in that game were each more than a foot taller and broader! The situation is, of course, exacerbated somewhat in the lowest of the three teams. I can say, however, that it was a pleasure working with the team, and I shall never forget the joys of standing on a touchline, yelling hearty instructions such as ‘get in the box’ and ‘man on’ to two Ruperts, one Felix, a Caspar, a Charles, a Toby, and a Hipolit...football at Radley has a unique flavour. Most of all, I hope that the boys enjoyed their time and learned the importance of keeping their heads up in tough times, of working as a team, and of the vital necessity of the near-post man on corners.
DJT Scott
More than all this, of course, were the unique joys of coaching such a charming group, and of coaching such a demotic sport in what might fairly be seen as somewhat unconducive circumstances. Given the official status of football at Radley as a minor sport, we in the Junior Colts teams have many of the most naturally skilful boys playing hockey, and many of the biggest and strongest boys rowing. This latter point is especially noticeable against Harrow, who do not row: fully 9 of their starting 11 against us were over 6 foot, and I commend in particular the mighty
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HOCKEY 1ST XI P10 W3 D5 L2 The hockey season started well before the first week of the Lent term. The 1st XI squad trained well throughout the Michaelmas term, consistently working on their strength and fitness with S&C coach Warren Beattie. The ASP sessions run by Mr Bennett and Mr Hills also proved invaluable in preparing the boys for the season ahead, and the 1st XI looked like a strong outfit going into the Barcelona pre-season tour having remained unbeaten against a Dons’ XI on three separate outings. I would like to take the opportunity to thank Mr Hills for organising a superb tour to Barcelona. The 1st XI
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squad relished the sunny, but cool training conditions at Terassa HC and worked hard under Mr Bennett’s and my guidance. The highlight was a high scoring win against Egara HC under 18 boys, whose men’s team regularly competes at the highest level of European hockey. I was impressed with the squad’s attitude throughout our time in Barcelona and the coaching staff all felt that the 1st XI were excellent role models to the accompanying players from the Colts XI, both on and off the pitch. Having a handful of matches under our belts made a noticeable difference at the start of the Lent term and the 1st XI went into the opening match with confidence. The
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Master in Charge: M Hills Coaches: DJ Creswell, PM Bennett Captain: J Cunningham fixture had a nice bit of symmetry about it, as we welcomed Wellington, who were the last team we had faced in a successful ISHL campaign in the previous year. It was a physical encounter and both teams were keen to make an impression. James Maidment led from the heart of defence with trademark robust tackles and this set the tone for the rest of the team. Radley were direct in attack and this approach paid off as Giles Elmhirst’s deft deflection gave the 1st XI a 1-0 win. The following fixture away to Marlborough (1-1) was a match that the team should have won. Despite a good performance in patches from the team, and in particular an excellent performance from the goalscorer
Nick Mahon, Radley let the fixture slip through the team’s fingers. The draw would prove to be costly, as it was a few weeks until the team were able to taste victory once again. Nevertheless, the performance against an extremely talented Abingdon 1st XI (2-2) was one to be proud of. Having been sliced open by their centre back’s passing on two occasions in the first 8 minutes of the match, Mr Bennett and I feared the worst, but the team showed impressive backbone through the leadership of vice-captain Hamish Wishart, and goals from captain James Cunningham and Nick Mahon. A highlight of the season was a combination between these two players where James threw a long aerial into the opposing circle, which took once bounce, before Nick pre-scanned over his shoulder and then used soft hands to guide the ball over the top of the advancing keeper and into the net. It was a special goal. The run of draws continued through St Edward’s (1-1), Eton (2-2) and Cheltenham (3-3), only broken up by a crushing defeat to Tonbridge (0-6) away from home. However, the team were creating chances up front through the tireless running and hockey brain of Jamie Farr and his strike partner, Mahon. James Skinner and, later on, Harry Foreman also worked hard up front but the team were not able to convert as many opportunities as we had hoped. They will both develop into essential players next season. Ned Gordon and Will Todd made a fine impression as 6.1’s in the 1st XI and will both be players to watch next year, as indeed will Matthew Raikes, who made some of the greatest improvement in his reading and understanding of the game. The core of 6.2 players have made a lasting impression on Radley hockey and the on-pitch, never-saydie attitude of players like Freddie Marshall and Caspar Hart is what younger players should aspire to have. Though the first half of the season had challenging moments, the matches in the second half of the season were a testament to the players’ commitment to the hockey club. The coaching staff knew that the team had the potential to beat a
side by 5 or more goals and this was always an objective. It could have happened on more than one occasion earlier on in the season, but everything came together in the match away to Bradfield. Fergus Clark had his best game of the season, playing high up the pitch as a striker, and the Bradfield 1st XI did not have an answer to his mercurial stick skills. Alec Garrett-Cox, who continually improved throughout the season, was inspired by Fergus and ventured further up the field to put pressure on Bradfield. This, coupled with the lightning fast footwork from Rufus Darwall and an aggressive display from Hedge Austen in goal, gave Bradfield no chance. It was an impressive display and the delight in the team huddle afterwards was palpable.
to compete and enjoy hockey at a high level at university and beyond, and that the 6.1s continue to flourish in the Radley College hockey setup.
DJ Cresswell
The final match of the season under the lights on the athletics track astro had a special atmosphere. It was clear in the team talk before the match that the team were not going to accept anything but a win. Alex Rayne was the epitome of this attitude as he made crushing tackles and knuckledusting slider balls. On the left side of defence, Val Brooke’s timing of tackles was spot-on and although Radley were playing on the edge, they just about stayed on the right side of the law. As they had done throughout the season, Fergus Clark, Nick Mahon and Ned Gordon won short corners and James Cunningham delighted the home crowd by perfectly executing the moves to round off a challenging, but edifying season as captain. Once again, Hamish Wishart ran himself into the ground for the team and it was fitting that both James and Hamish scored in their final match together after three years of 1st XI hockey. The final score was a well-deserved 5-3 win. Mr Bennett has been an integral part of the 1st XI coaching staff for the last three years and I know how much the players and I appreciate not only his commitment to Radley hockey, but also his forthright advice. The team and I would like to thank him for his support throughout the season, just as we would like to thank Warren Beattie for his consistent excellence in preparing the team. Mr Bennett and my greatest wish is that the 6.2 leavers continue
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HOCKEY 2ND XI P11 W10 L1 For 44 Against 8
Coaches: CE Scott-Malden, KM Willis-Stovold Captain: C Pritchard-Gordon
Top Scorer: H Foreman (12 goals).
C. Pritchard-Pritchard (c); C. Milner; C. Hart; E. Mair (gk); B. Yorston; H. Heagerty; W. Getley; F. Milne; M. Blythe; T. Wildblood; H. Foreman; W. Jones; J. Beattie; J. Skinner
The Highlights:
The Awards:
The Lowlights:
ISHL winners (unbeaten).
Tonbridge - must learn to play well after 5 hours on a coach and score when you dominate for 90% of a game.
Player of the Season: W. Getley.
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Every game (except Tonbridge).
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The USP: The only team with its own emoji and a soubriquet (“The Flag Ship”). In summary: Great season. Great spirit. Great fun. Greatly look forward to our celebratory dinner next term.
CE Scott-Malden, KM Willis-Stovold
HOCKEY 3RD XI P11 W9 D0 L2 Goals For: 63 Goals Against: 17 Coming off an ISHL league winning season last year, the 3rd XI looked in decent shape for the first game, especially with the entrance of some talented fresh blood from the Lower Sixth. Spirits were high, ‘St John drag flicks’ effortless, and fitness characteristically low as we entered into our first game: Wellington. The first game of the season resulted in a nonchalant 9-3 win. Three goals came from each of Stash Samoilys and Alex Alder, with one apiece for Dan Bishop, Freddie Jodrell and Will Caplan. Marlborough proved a tougher test the following week, and we lost narrowly 4-5. Needless to say fitness was the focus for the following couple of weeks… With the familiar adage of HDH’s “get it strong and move it on” ringing in our ears, we faced old rivals and talented side, Abingdon. This, in conjunction with a new formation resulted in big boy Alder and Tom Bracey netting two apiece on the way to a convincing 6-0 win. Winchester proved a similar game to the previous week’s, with Bracey and Alder bagging 5 goals between them. Fergus Wilson played a very good game in the middle and Will ‘consistency’ Caplan produced another excellent performance on the right wing to earn himself man of the match. With Mr Lawson itching to get back for the England Six Nations Game, the boys really felt the pressure to perform three hours away from home the following week at Tonbridge. A notoriously good sporting school, Tonbridge
should have been the game we lost, if any this season. Despite an entirely noncontroversial, 3rd XI cultured, yellow card being shown to Wilson early on, the ‘Barca Style of play’ exhibited by the likes of Ed St John and Zak Kary in the midfield proved just too much for the opposition, paving the way for Bracey to score a ‘pretty nutty’ late hat-trick to win 3-0. Credit must also be given to goalie Charlie Maunder who played a large part in retaining the clean sheet. Thankfully, Mr Lawson got both the results he wanted that day. Smiles all round. Teddies was another good win at 5-1, with the defensive work of Ed Newall and Josh Bex proving nigh-on impenetrable. That same week we took on the best Windsor had to offer; however, the boys in light blue were also dispatched, this time 3-2. Cheltenham on paper looked to be the team to beat this season, especially after they put an early ‘well-worked goal’ through Maunder’s legs. However, a retaliatory hat-trick from Rupert Evans quickly demoralised the Cheltenham side, leading to a 4-1 win. Special mention must also be given to Newall who managed to rugby tackle an opposing player in open play. Good stuff.
Coaches: HD Hammond and TC Lawson Captain: J Dewhurst
also came in this game; a true rock of a tackle from Ed Newall 5 yards from the restart circle which resulted in an understandably frustrated Charterhouse player being flipped through 180° of his own accord. Either out of need for scouting goal scoring talent for Bigside, or association with a side that didn’t just draw, Mr Cresswell, coach of the 1st XI, took us for the last game of the season. Although half the side turned up five minutes before push back in a very un-Bigside like manner, goals came aplenty with Jodrell scoring 4 with ease on the way to an 8-0 win. A huge thank you must go to TCL and HDH for not only coaching us but also putting up with the tunes played during each warm up this season. A special mention must also go to Alex Alder and Freddie Jodrell who came 1st and 2nd respectively in the school-wide Golden Stick trophy competition.
J Dewhurst, F Social
By this point in the season, most of the boys had forgotten what losing felt like. However, Bradfield put an abrupt stop to this, parking a Leicester City style bus in front of their goal and hitting very effectively on the counter to win 5-3; a style of play which we had never really faced, much to our expense. Nonetheless, the winning form returned the following week with an 11-0 win against Charterhouse. Indeed, the best hit of the season
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HOCKEY 4TH XI P7 W2 L5 TCHN and RMCG have had their work cut out in recent seasons (I would know having been in their teams), but this team has kept improving and impressed at times. The death of Grockey may have seen a fall in numbers this year but there was no shortage of skill. Many highly trained 6.1s joined the ranks of the senior teams this year, and these abilities have not gone amiss even in the 4ths. Despite this build-up we did not have a great start to the season. We began with a difficult match against Marlborough. Away, on grass, there was much laughter from both sides, and an eccentric dress code in a good-natured romp. The fun we had cannot excuse the below par score of 8-0 to Marlborough, with keeper Langguth our man of the match for keeping their score so low. A month later we made the long journey down to Kent for the clash with Tonbridge. Two equal sides had much to prove, as always in Radley/Tonbridge fixtures (excluding perhaps a couple of recent rugby fixtures and our 14-0 loss last year). Tonbridge started strongly, accumulating three goals in the first half. They may say it was due to superior ability, we may blame the killer
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coach journey. We might never know. However a strong half time talk from the coaches saw a little more flaie in our game. The attack was more ferocious and defence more sturdy. Finally, Samoilys put a cracker past the keeper. Our season was officially, in our books, underway. Our ecstasy was sadly short lived as Tonbridge quickly returned the favour. De Watteville and Samoilys struck again. The final minutes were fought with gritted teeth, but the final whistle blew at 4-3 to Tonbridge. The potential of this team was clarifying. The threatening emergence of the phoenix from the ashes was short-lived. Eton brought a highly skilled team. We fought valiantly but shook their hands 4-0 down. This loss fuelled our training sessions for the next week with ambition to give Cheltenham a better game. The team really came together, working as a unit. Man of the match was hotly contested but awarded to Berger for his impressive skills. Three great goals were scored by Crawfurd, de Watteville and Samoilys. Munir Mydin really got into his stride as a goal keeper, in only his second outing after Langguth’s unfortunate injury. We walked off this pitch a pleased team, 3-0 up. We set off well in our final league game away against
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Coaches: TCH Norton and RMC Greed Captain: GAH Carter
Bradfield going into half-time 4-0 up courtesy of Crawfurd, Novis and Samoilys. Bradfield came back though with fire in their eyes. Over the next 25 minutes they managed to put two goals on the board leaving the final score at 4-2. A late addition saw us pitted against a charming bunch of former OR grockey players. Equipped with their trusty Hawaiian shirts, they took us on in style‌ and with great skill as we soon discovered. The 25 year olds showed their superior speed and strength. This entertaining game ended 4-2 to the ORs. Marlborough then requested an extra fixture and we hosted them on astro. The change in surface gave a chance to avenge our 8-0 defeat on grass and the tension made for a feistier encounter. Although we did much to salvage our reputation, Marlborough just held out for a 3-2 win having been more effective in the D. It has been a pleasure to captain a team where every last man has been an asset to themselves and the team both on and off the pitch. I will be sad to leave the 4ths but am sure that the team and all the players in it will go on to be great players and men. GAH Carter, D Social
HOCKEY COLTS 1
Coaches: N Murphy and EG Pearson
P11 W9 L2 Goals For 37 Goals Against 14
the pervasive team ethic ensured a fine victory, after long periods of opposition pressure. The last match was against MCS, and they scored two slightly controversial goals - a penalty flick and a short corner. Once again the team laid siege to the goal, with short corners and shots coming from all angles. One scrambled goal ensued, but not the two needed to snatch a late draw. The match finished 2-1 in MCS’s favour.
Team From: W Brolly, R Marshall, F Horler, M Chapman, W Barker, L Needham, W Nicholson, G Marshall, J Beck, H Chapman, M Stalder, H Purton, S Tucker, J Dobby, M Brett, G Redmayne. This was something of a transitional season, in that close matches had been lost last year, and the pendulum needed to swing in the opposite direction. On returning from the Barcelona tour it was important to get off to a winning start in terms of morale, team systems, confidence under pressure et al, and the boys did not disappoint. The first matches saw a string of hard-fought 3-2 victories (Wellington, Marlborough and Abingdon) with the latter two particularly impressive performances. In amongst this was the county knockout tournament
(15-minute one-way games) which saw deserved victories over Abingdon, St. Edward’s and Bloxham. MCS scored an early goal and clung onto their lead, repelling wave after wave of Radley attacks, meaning that the team had to play a regional knockout match against RGS Guildford to progress to the later stages of the regional and national competition. RGS’s goalkeeper had the proverbial blinder, saving short corner after short corner, and shots from open play; thus a 1-0 defeat was the final outcome. Back to the regular season and the sense of momentum was unstoppable. Good wins followed against Tonbridge (4-1), Eton (4-1), Cheltenham (6-1), Bradfield (5-1) and Charterhouse (4-1). Perhaps the best team performance was the victory away at Eton - Wes Brolly was outstanding in goal, and as the match ebbed and flowed
The team was set up with Wes in goal, and a back three of Rory Marshall, Freddie Horler and Matt Chapman. As a back four they were simply excellent as the season progressed: cool under pressure, making vital tackles and interceptions, and distributing well. In front were the two screens of Will Barker and Louis Needham (occasionally supplemented by George Marshall, as required) and they dominated possession,
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breaking up opposition attacks and launching ours. The midfield / attacking line-up consisted of various rotating combinations of Will Nicholson, Jude Dobby, Sam Tucker and Joe Beck, and they worked tirelessly to act as the link between the defensive screens and the front three. Here Henry Chapman was the lead centre forward, ably supported by Marcus Stalder, Harry Purton and Joe Beck and George Marshall (as required). The goals for tally tells its own story... Thanks go to our very supportive band of parents, who - I think enjoyed seeing the boys playing confident, high-speed and welldrilled hockey. Similarly Pete Bennett instilled many of the skills in the boys from last term’s ASP programme to the Barcelona tour, to sessions during the term. And finally, Ed Pearson ran the side with real verve, quiet authority, infectious enthusiasm and tactical aplomb. It was a pleasure to work with him for the season - I felt like the Peter Taylor to his Brian Clough on many an occasion, since my role was the odd acerbic comment or motivational speech, whereas his was the tactical nous. He is an outstanding hockey coach (as well as cricket, real tennis and rugby) and we will be sorry to lose him in the summer to RGS Guildford. Their hockey is already good enough, surely...?
N Murphy
HOCKEY COLTS 2 P9 W3 D1 L5 Goals for: 26 Goals against: 15 This was a funny old season. We had some able players and some less able ones, and normally a big bench. Against ordinary teams we could look quite good, and against good teams we could look quite ordinary. We suffered five pretty narrow losses, and yet almost won our league. And then in the last match against our strongest opposition we played extremely well and secured what was in reality by far our best result - a 2-2 draw. The campaign got underway with us as visitors against a weak Wellington team. We looked strong in all areas in the first half, but were rather tentative generally and uncertain with our shooting, turning round only one nil up at half time. However, better shape and ball speed in the second half led to a steady flow of well-taken goals and we finally ran out 8-0 winners, Ollie Sim scoring 4, Lucas Ely a hat-trick and George Egerton-Warburton one. Next up were a strong Marlborough side on a cold, dark Thursday night on the middle astro. We played reasonably well as individuals, with John Peers and James Wilson making a particular impact from the back and Will RogersColtman producing some good saves, but overall we were rather naive defensively and lacked cohesion going forward, and finished up 2-0 down. The scoreline should have been closer, but we didn’t do enough to win. Two days later we were back on the same pitch against a not very strong Abingdon side, this time with a squad of 14 players who endured their subbing patiently. It was a similar story to the Wellington game: lots of possession but few good chances saw
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us at 1-1 at half time. After the break we were even more dominant, but failed to use the width of the pitch properly - although we still finished 5-1 winners, with two goals netted by Sim and Wilson and one by Milo Daly. Tonbridge were always going to be more of a challenge - as was their pitch, which was narrow, short and horribly sandy. This was a game of two cliches - being of two halves, and with the scoreline not reflecting the state of play at all. We played reasonably attractive hockey in the first half, but far too slowly for the conditions and with little oomph - and turned round 3-0 down, which was still an unfair reflection of possession and territory. A frank analysis at half time saw a transformation and two goals in the first four minutes of the second half from the ever-reliable Sim, the second a reverse stick screamer at an almost impossible angle. Unfortunately and despite continued pace, aggression and energy we couldn’t find the equaliser and shipped another goal, to finish a really unjust 4-2 down. It was an excellent second half performance. Next up were a quick and powerful Eton side - and we were handicapped by having a very large bench of four, in an effort to give everyone a game. Arguably with fewer substitutions we might have had a better chance, but we were much slower and sloppier than Eton, and deserved to lose, which we did by three goals to one, from Will Duncan. Cheltenham, by contrast, were pretty inept and despite a shortened game and their using their first team keeper we cruised to a 6-0 victory, Daly scoring a hat trick, including another screamer, from the top of the D, and Will Robson, Wilson and Duncan getting on the scoresheet. Then we travelled to Bradfield,
Coaches: IK Campbell Captain: J Peers
needing a win to win the league and with Sam Tucker and the promoted Sim down from the firsts for this one game only. Again we had a lot of subs, and we huffed and puffed and weren’t smart at all, losing 2-1, Sim getting the (non) consolation. That left a friendly against Charterhouse at home to redeem ourselves. They weren’t great, but again we did none of the simple things we’d been talking about all season and slipped to another unnecessary 2-1 defeat, EgertonWarburton having put us 1-0 up. This just left a midweek evening game against the highly rated MCS. They were by far the best side we played man for man, but somehow we stepped up and produced a performance in which pretty much anyone could, by their own standards, have been man of the match. Through necessity there was high
ball speed, quick decision making, minimal faff on the ball and lots of communication, particularly in defence. And a 2-2 draw was the satisfying conclusion, the goals coming from Duncan and Ely.
Duncan was a useful centre-forward while Rogers-Coltman, on loan from the football club, had some tidy games with his feet in goal.
Lots of boys represented us. Peers led cheerfully and well from the back, aided and abetted by the very tidy Jack Maidment and Toby Crawford, with Wilson playing a more forward-leaning role in front of them. Robin Mathewson, Robson, George Medd, Toby Bennett and James O’Leary played in various positions at the back or in the middle, with Daly playing centre midfield, abetted at various points by George Redmayne and Milo Brett (who also played up front). Sim was lethal at centre forward until we lost him upwards, while Ely and Egerton-Warburton were arguably the most improved players on either wing.
The squad has good potential and I hope they will continue to enjoyt their hockey and improve in the Sixth Form.
IK Campbell
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HOCKEY JC 1 P9 W6 D1 L2 The idea of pre-season training in the Michaelmas term does not always appeal to many boys but when I saw the number of Junior Colts players regularly attending the training sessions last term, I knew we had a team determined to be successful. A dominant performance against Wellington in the opening match of the season justified my optimism as we completed a welldeserved 3-1 victory. Given the reputation this Wellington team had developed the previous year, it was a highly satisfactory start to our campaign. The goals were scored by Jamie Miesegaes (2) and George Daly but the star of the show was Toby Buck, who combines skill with tenacity to make him one of the most valuable players in the team. Our excellent form continued as we completed a comprehensive victory a week later against Marlborough with Daly (2), Miesegaes and Will Way scoring the goals. With two wins from two, we may have been slightly complacent as we tackled Abingdon on week 3. We were
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nowhere near our best and the resulting 0-2 defeat dented our chances of winning the ISHL league. The news that Sam Richardson, our inspirational goalkeeper had injured his back and would miss the remainder of the season was a blow but Sam Hughes was an excellent replacement and, in fact, only conceded 4 goals in the remaining 6 matches! One of the best matches of the season was a 1-1 draw with Tonbridge. Two good teams, playing high-quality hockey could not be separated and the general consensus was that a draw was the right result. The 3-0 win against St Edwards a week later (goals scored by Ben Hoddinott, Phil Barnett and Will Jack) was important as the bonus point meant we were still in the hunt for the ISHL title. Eton were excellent and, although we defended resolutely (led by the very impressive Tom Reed), we could have no complaint about the 0-2 loss. Our attention turned back to the league as we travelled to Cheltenham and we emerged victorious in a very competitive match. We were not at
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Coach: GR King Captain: P Barnett
our best that day but we showed a lot of character to win 1-0. Frank Barlow scored the winner with an outstanding strike but it was our defence which won us the match and the back four of Ed Roest, Alex Haynes, Alex O’Dowd, Tom Reed and Tom Vincent deserve a lot of credit. It also helps to have incredibly hard-working midfielders such as George Bishop who had earned promotion from the seconds. With one match left in the league, we needed a bonus point victory to put the pressure on Abingdon and we duly achieved this with a 4-0 victory. Tom Vincent was rewarded for his adventurous forays from fullback and scored twice while Barlow and Barnett added the other goals. News filtered in of an Abingdon loss which meant the ISHL title was ours! The season finished with a very satisfying 2-1 win against Charterhouse. Will Jack had been outstanding all season long and it was most fitting that he should score the winner with 5 minutes to go. GR King
HOCKEY JC 2 P10 W6 L4 For 32 Against 16 Squad: Hughes, Gray, Glassey, Tompkins, Tufnell, Butterworth, van der Meerschen, Bishop, Denny, Hack, Rosling, Pratt, Wright, Ward, Buchanan, Daly Goalscorers: Ward 14, Wright 5, Rosling 4, Bishop 2, Buchanan 2, Denny 2, van der Meerschen 1, Daly 1, Tompkins 1. It was a mixed season with some up and down results along the way. I will gloss over the low points quickly. Tonbridge played half of their JC1 and so beat us 2-0. Abingdon and Bradfield will consider themselves fortunate to both beat us 2-1 due
Coaches: A Wagner, M Hills
to luck, some good goalkeeping and some wayward shooting. Eton was a proper game and we played well to be on the game. Buchanan scored to give us hope and then Rosling was denied by a brilliant save in the dying moments. 2-1 again the final score. In the first game of the season we demolished a weak Wellington team 7-0. Archie Ward setting the tone for the season with four goals. Further thrashings were handed out to St Edward’s 5-1 and Cheltenham 6-2. Both games saw us make fast starts which was enough to see us win comfortably. We had to play well to beat Winchester U15As and Marlborough by the score of 3-1. Our
HOCKEY JC 3 P7 W3 D3 L1 This year, JC3, with the guiding hand of Mr Pullen, had a good season. We were only defeated once but we drew a number of games that we should, perhaps, have won. Our defence, led by Harry Rugman, was heroic in their effort and our attack scored some great breakaway goals; it was a fun-filled season. Special mention should go to Archie Gray; a novice goalkeeper who, towards the end of the season, often ended up playing for JC2 & JC3 in the same afternoon. We had a strong start to the season with an 8-0 win over Wellington, with a hat trick from Jake Elliott who was a solid member of the team, scoring 8 goals in total. His efforts upfront were met by the captain, Chris Beeson, who also scored 8
final game of the season was against Charterhouse. We again started well and were two up in five minutes and playing brilliantly. Then we became a little sloppier allowing Charterhouse back in the game. Many chances were missed at both ends but George Wright was clinical from short corners scoring a hat trick. A lot of these players have shown impressive progress and I hope they will continue to play next year and indeed the years to come. M Hills
Coach: DJ Pullen Captain: C Beeson
goals. Jake Hubbard also contributed well on the wing, creating the space and making great crosses to allow the other two to score. Freddie Pratt, Angus Goaman and Ed Crowston were excellent at dominating the midfield. Our one loss (against Bradfield) was on a day that neither Freddie nor Ed could play. They all made a huge effort on match days and provided us with many assists. Their efforts in midfield were helped by Jack Sheldon and Freddie Van Den Arend who dominated the left side of the field.
in the season, we were joined by Ben Mather and Harry Young (replacing the injured Harry Rugman) who both created a very positive atmosphere in both training sessions and matches, bringing a real desire to win and they also helped generate a really positive team spirit. C Beeson, A Social
In our strong defence we also had Jeremy Shelton-Agar (never short of a word of advice), George Perkins and Harry Henderson providing a wall for enemy attackers. Later on
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HOCKEY JC 4 P7 W4 L3 Squad: Max Wetton, Jamie Richardson, Alfie Cameron, Ned Carter, Harry Young, Torquil Gordon, Freddie van den Arend, Arthur EliotCohen, Ben Mather, Jude Wakeley, Hamish Fallowfield, Archie Halliday, Oliver Reed-Daunter, Freddie Ledger, Toby Melvin, William Milne, Billy Powell, William Bao, Alan Cao, Kippy Curtis Overall I would say that not only has this season been, in general, a successful one but it has also been a very fun season. We were very lucky to have Mr Roques as he managed to incorporate the perfect amount of competitive sport while also managing to create a very relaxed environment. Everyone not only played but was able to enjoy themselves as there was not the pressure that can be put on by teachers in higher teams, which I feel was perfect for our level. I feel that our first match was a good example of this as despite some of us having not actually played before and many of us ill-experienced in the sport we managed to take a surprising victory from Marlborough. It was a great match and they had some very skilled players which made it very exciting. In this match all of us showed great determination with many star performances; to name just a few, Alan Cao did an amazing job in goal, saving three attempts on goal one of which I though was going to be impossible to save. He was later succeeded by Max Wetton who kept for most of the season and did a sound job just as Alan. We also of course had two goals scored by Toby Melvin who showed himself to be a very skilful striker throughout the season and had many goals which helped us hugely during our matches, We also had Torquil Gordon who proved to be a very able attacker during the first half of the season and then an outstanding defender in the second half. Another similar case was with Hamish Fallowfield who became
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the centre back after our captain Harry Young was moved up a team. Hamish showed himself to be very enthusiastic and would be all over the pitch. This was also a common theme for many others such as Archie Halliday whose main position was on the wings or midfield. In this position Archie was always somewhere to receive a pass; he also managed a couple of goals in the process. Another very active and successful midfielder was Freddie Ledger who was also always looking for the next pass; he was also a very good utility player as he changed positions many times during the season. We also were lucky to have yet another utility player in Will Milne who started the season as a winger and ended up playing a very solid defender. On the subject of defence I would have to commend everyone who played in the back, people such as Ned Carter who developed a very strong hit and used his great speed to enormous effect. We also had Alfie Cameron who grew very good at intercepting passes and sweeping the ball back up the pitch to one of our attackers. Then there was Freddie van den Arend who came to our team just after Leave Away and showed us a large understanding of the game and skill in defence and later in midfield. This was the same with Billy Powell who came to our team after Leave Away and was a very useful player with his superior stick skills. Our final two defenders were myself and Harry Young (who was mentioned earlier); Harry, as I’m sure all the team would agree, was a great player who was sorely missed after he was moved up because of his staunch defence which made us all feel safe to move up the pitch. Another player who was moved up was Ben Mather who demonstrated great playmaking for the team, which was very useful. However, luckily Ben was
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Coach: DWS Roques Captain: H Young
able to be replaced by the very able Arthur Eliot-Cohen who then became our captain. Arthur made sure that we had all the chances in attack that were needed and certainly filled Ben’s role well. There were also some very good midfielders in their own right. Jude Wakeley was a great player throughout due to his amazing speed which often manage to save us when there had been an overhit. Then there was Kippy Curtis who frequently showed himself to be a good hockey player with his main ability being play making. Finally there was Will Bao whose greatest ability was his keenness to play and be involved.
J Richardson, G Social
HOCKEY MIDGETS 1 P11 W4 D1 L6 We started the season as a group of sportsmen, keen to get a result and we ended the season a hockey team expectant of results; the transformation has been obvious. We had a tough start to the season, conceding 11 goals in our first 3 games and only scoring 2. Nevertheless, this was a good test of resilience and desire – did the team want the wins and could they learn from the losses? We ventured towards the County Championship knowing we would play Abingdon in the group stages. We had lost to them 5-1 at the weekend and could not afford to do the same again. We showed great solidarity as a group to come away with a 0-0 draw – it doesn’t sound like much but it was a turning point that brought the group together. However, there
Coaches: REP Hughes, PM Bennett Captain: G Salwey
were still plenty of tough games ahead. We lost in a tight battle with Tonbridge 2-1 and then scuppered an opportunity drawing 0-0 with St Edwards’. Then came another turning-point in the season – it is hard to keep training if you do not see the results and finally, against Eton, we saw the results of all the hard work. A 3-1 victory that meant the world to players and coaches alike. So, with renewed belief and 4 games left we headed to Cheltenham College. We played excellently; we showed how we could move the ball quickly and take on people in the last third. We lost the game 2-0 but started to understand that no matter how well we play; there will be teams better than us. We kept the
same intensity going in to the game against Bradfield knowing that a win would take us off the bottom of the table; a bonus point (winning by 3 clear goals) would take us above Bradfield. With 20 seconds to go we were 2-0 up, Oscar Marshall works his way to the top of the D and pings a reverse stick shot in to the bottom right corner. Voted as moment of the season, the boys could truly celebrate a great team effort and a result that was fully deserved. By winning one of our last two games, we showed that there is plenty of promise in this team for the future. They were a good set to work with and I look forward to watching them build on this season as they go through the school. REP Hughes, PM Bennet
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HOCKEY MIDGETS 2 P10 W4 L3 D3 Goals For 15 Goals Against: 11 Team From: F Rees, B Dezelsky, H Walkinshaw, A Pearson, F Loveland, J Harrabin, K Gilliat Smith, J Parsons, O Taylour, R Koudounaris, T Wilson, H Hoare, H Glover, G Dutton. As always the priority for teams at this stage of their time at the school is development, enjoyment and skill progression with a big emphasis placed on attitude and willingness to learn. Almost every member of the Midgets 2 hockey squad has bought into this, working hard on their fitness and skill sets at each and every training session. This has therefore meant that the boys have
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all made a significant amount of progress, allowing the team to play some very nice hockey, especially at the tail end of the season. With little opportunity to accurately assess the hockey ability of the boys, we set to work on selecting a side and felt happy that we had enough quality to trouble Wellington in our first game. That we did; however, we failed to beat the extremely impressive Wellington goalkeeper and consequently lost 2-0 after being caught by a counter attack for both goals. We then travelled to Marlborough where we picked up a hard fought draw after twice being down by a
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Coaches: JA Gaunt, H Crump Captain: J Parsons
goal. Goalkeeper Alex Pearson was named man of the match for several outstanding saves. Another away trip followed, this time to Tilsley Park, merely five minutes from our homeland. We played as if it was our home patch but still suffered from the same goal scoring issues. A possession pie chart would have showed a huge percentage of play was owned by Radley yet a late equaliser from a dogged Abingdon side left the score 1-1 at the final whistle. We then found our goal scoring touch, meaning Winchester were beaten 3-0 with Tom Wilson and Kristian Gilliat-Smith bagging the rewards. This started a three
game winning roll, the highlight of which was a tremendous 2-1 win over Tonbridge. Captain Jake Parsons was named man of the match for a phenomenal defensive display. St Edward’s Oxford were also beaten 2-0 as part of this run. Our momentum was stalled by Eton, an end-to-end game which saw both sides have opportunities to take the spoils – in the end it finished 1-1 which was a fair reflection of the game. The players will feel that the Cheltenham game was the most disappointing fixture of the year. Cheltenham did win the league but we failed to play with fluidity or patience when we had the ball. Too often we presented them with easy opportunities and they made sure to take them beating us 1-3. The league was proving to be a close run affair so it was vital that the next game against Bradfield, who were sitting one place ahead of us, were defeated. That they were, and comprehensively at that. Two goals apiece from Taylour and Wilson meant we not only won
4-0 but also picked up a bonus point meaning we finished in second place behind Cheltenham. This was by far our best performance, one that symbolised teamwork, skill, composure and overall quality. Unfortunately, we could not end the season in winning fashion, losing 1-0 after a long trip to Charterhouse. The team was set up with Alex Pearson in goal, and a back four of Harry Walkinshaw, George Dutton, Jake Parsons and James Harrabin. As a back four they were often excellent, making interceptions and timely tackles at important parts of the game. One of the four often played as a screen allowing us to play nicely out of defence. The midfield / attacking line-up consisted of various rotating combinations of Freddie Rees, Raph Koudounaris, Ben Dezelsky, Harry Hoare and Harvey Glover, and they worked tirelessly to act as the link between the defensive screen and the front three. Here Tom Wilson was the lead centre forward, ably supported by Kristian Gilliat Smith and the always
HOCKEY MIDGETS 3 P9 W3 D2 L4 This year’s U14 C team endured a frustrating season but showed, perhaps more sporadically than might be ideal, a desire and ability to improve. The quality of hockey played in March was far superior to our efforts start the start of the year, and many boys grew into very capable hockey players. We began with a convincing 5-0 drubbing of a lacklustre Wellington side. As false dawns go, this was an enjoyable one; the boys showed great precision in the final third and punished any complacency in the opposition. The following week saw
mightily energetic Oliver Taylour. They shared the goals throughout the season.
Many thanks go to the loyal group of parents who followed us everywhere, always offering encouragement. Pete Bennett, our hockey professional, was also fantastic in leading many of our practice sessions. It is very clear that all of the players have significantly improved their hockey skills and awareness of how to play invasion games like hockey properly. I very much look forward to watching all of the boys challenge for JC1 selection next season. JA Gaunt and H Crump
Coaches: AFC Nash, SH Dalrymple Captain: T Pritchard
us travel to Marlborough where a competitive and combative opposition were simply more determined to win than we were. This proved a useful lesson. Despite being just as technically adept as their counterparts, the boys were unable to make this count at key moments. Too many 50/50 tackles were lost, too many passes meekly offered up for interception, and too many opportunities to score fluffed for want of conviction. I must confess that the visit of Tonbridge filled me with no little trepidation after the chastening visit to Marlborough. The boys
were superb, and defied every pessimistic expectation. We were much the better side and played with grit, determination and real nous. We were extremely unlucky not to grab at least a draw in what was probably our finest performance. Unfortunately, the following week we collapsed into old habits and succumbed 2-0 to a solid but unspectacular Eton team. There followed what many labelled ‘Midgets 3 vs Marlborough: Redux’. In a quirk of timetabling, we visited Marlborough for a second time and appeared to have learnt our lesson. At 3-0 up with 15 minutes to play, all was looking rosy. The collapse had something inevitable about it.
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In the end, the boys had to settle for 3-3 after a spirited fightback and some generous defending.
failed to take charge of the game and were rightly punished to the tune of two goals to one.
For the fans of frustrating draws, there was more delight to come against Bradfield. If ever a team has been beaten 1-1, it was the young men from Berkshire on 11th March. Chances aplenty were squandered. Wins against Cothill and Shiplake (2-0 and 7-0 respectively) lent an air of respectability to the second half of the season and there were certainly real improvements to be seen at times in both these games. These two fixtures sandwiched a bad loss away at Charterhouse; despite scoring early on and playing much the more attractive hockey, we
This is a squad with plenty of potential. They have learnt a great deal about hockey and, one hopes, about competitive sport this term. I wish them well in their future endeavours.
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AFC Nash
HOCKEY MIDGETS 4
Coaches: JPJ Dodd, MG Glendon Doyle Captains: R Elliott and H Moore
P9 W5 D2 L2
in the dying minutes.
After weeks of preparation a group of golfers and cricketers formed together to make the Midgets Four hockey team. There was a strong week’s training leading up to the match, this consisted of learning to “slap” pass and being taught some of the basic rules.
Just two days later, on the Saturday we had our local rivals, Abingdon. As always, this was one of the biggest games of the season. It seemed to be a copy of Wellington as after a fierce first half it was still level at half time. Shortly after however, we went 1-0 down and our morale dropped. Louis Donaldson stepped up to the spot and smashed the ball into the back of the net with an amazing strike from the edge of the D. It was even again until a short corner came up and it was passed to Harry Moore who hit it quickly and then came the familiar sound of the ball hitting the backboard. The final whistle blew as we celebrated. A great achievement winning the fierce local derby.
Our first opponent was Wellington; we played them on the far astro at 1:30, our usual slot for this season. It was 0:0 at half time but a great strike from Freddie Barber and some nice dribbling from Alex Coulson sealed a 2:0 win for the team. After that, we had a few days cool down before we played Marlborough at home. We went 1-0 down and then some great work from Deram, Donaldson and Barber put us up 3-1. We got a bit complacent and this was an issue against such a physical side as they scored two and put the scores level
We had still not lost, until it came to Tonbridge. We had really met our match there and, like every game
it seemed, 0-0 was the halftime score. We fought long and hard for a goal but the only goal that was scored was by the opposition. They scored in the final minute. It was a bitter defeat but we had definitely learned from it. St Edward’s seemed a fitting way to end the half term, and easy win for the squad but it was very nice to get some goals. These came from Elliott, Horsey, Donaldson, Tufnell, Curling and Wilson. After a well-earned break, we came up against Eton, our toughest opponent yet. The game was even at half time but they scored off a short corner early into the second half. Some great individual play from the prolific Donaldson put us at 1-1. The game looked like a draw until they got a short corner and executed in the dying seconds.
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It was a long tough week of training, the focus, short corner defending. We then travelled to Cheltenham to play their Midgets 3 side. We came out onto the pitch confident and hit them hard from the start. They were playing wide and had virtually nobody in the middle. Donaldson was in his comfort zone darting down the middle of the pitch with nobody on his back. This soon played off as there was space at the top of the D for Donaldson to smack the ball in the bottom left to put us up 1-0. The second half was frustrating as it was hard to get a shot on goal. There was one incredible chance made by Donaldson again as he hoofed the ball and it was heading for the top corner but it was saved! In the last minute, their strongest player made a break and scrambled the ball past the keeper to make it 1-1. The team felt hard done by as we played so well together. The next week of training was serious as Bradfield were next. There were numerous attempts by Midgets 3 to try to beat us but they were denied numerous times. That week it was a last minute goal from Barber to seal a 1-1 draw, this gave us good confidence for the match. Bradfield were beaten as Horsey and Shorthouse both scored to win 2-0. The final game of the season finally arrived, Charterhouse. There was a great deal of pressure to win the game with Midgets 4. We came onto the pitch and within the first five minutes Ben Wilson and Arthur Horsey, both amazing strikes, scored two goals. Rory Elliott and Freddie Barber scored to make it 4-0 and to finish it off Ben and Arthur scored again to seal the game 6-0. Hugo Carr got a nice clean sheet. After 9 matches 5 wins 2 losses and 2 draws we had an overall great season. We are all very thankful to Mr. Dodd and Mr. Glendon-Doyle for their wonderful coaching helping us to have such a successful season.
R Elliott, D Social
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HOCKEY MIDGETS 5 P6 W5 D0 L1 Goals for: 18 Goals against: 8
cancelled and M5 took to the water for a change of scene.
This was an excellent season and it got better and better as the term wore on. 2017 started with an unusual match against Wellington where two entire teams were fielded by Radley: one for each half. This proved very useful for selection and was popular with the players giving more lads a taste of competitive play. Handsome wins were then scored against old rivals and strong hockey playing schools Eton and Charterhouse, and, impressively, away at Tonbridge. Wins at Tonbridge are to be prized and are the mark of a vintage season. The Eton match was strange in being played nine-a-side in half a pitch. It was a high tempo if scrappy performance but a 4-2 win was most welcome. The only defeat endured was to a decent Marlborough side, early in the term, and without our regular goalkeeper. Marlborough were then beaten before Easter to set things straight. Notably M5 were rampant before exeat weekend and defeated M4 5-1 to really cause a headache to selectors. This was a defiant performance and led to three players being promoted directly to the thirds.
Ollie Mullen was mature and reliable at CDM and lent solidity to the back four. Alec Foster-Brown was a versatile defender who occasionally played up front. Kit Christopherson had a reliable, belted clearance that got us out of trouble on plenty of occasions. Alex Coulson played with lithe style and was a tireless athlete. Ed Bligh captained with authority and could elude opponents at will and tracked back well when called upon. Freddie Knatchbull was perhaps the most improved player of the season. He captained against Charterhouse and was extraordinary in his cultured play and physicality. He directed from midfield and made monkeys of the opposition.
Zac The Mallet Carter was imperious in front of goal. He only had one shot, and it was always taken from the same spot, but it unerringly found its target. The combination of precision, cleanness, and thump was too much for opposing keepers and Zac almost achieved the Golden Stick with 12 goals in just six games. Eddie Southgate, however, scored the goal of the season with a spectacular reverse stick slash to see off Marlborough, drawing a slightly shocked and quizzical gesture from their startled keeper. Zac and Eddie enjoyed showing off in the diving pool when occasional matches were
Eugene Chow is a talented sportsman and demonstrated supple and committed play, improving as the season wore on. When M5 occasionally played football as a group Eugene was the star turn. Toby Horden developed in skill and confidence and could be relied upon to run opponents ragged and had a valuable determination that turned matches; a coach’s player. Orlando Soundy was streaky and could score impressively, but sometimes scuffed the ball. A work in progress, but an impressive athlete. Mahir Mujtaba was outstanding in goal. His signal excellence meant we won matches that might otherwise have been lost. On occasion, he had little business but was always ready on his feet and looking to proactively defend; a prospect for the top. Finn Cunningham played with care and had good stick control and tactical placement. A versatile hockey player, he tended to play in defence, but could turn his hand to attack pleasingly. Other lads who rose to stardom but
Coach: RD Woodling Captain: E Bligh
represented the M5 at some point included the determined Alex Rowley, the gritty Angus Shorthouse, and the excellent Ben Jones, Dom Osborne and Harry Grey Hat Hoare. So, plenty to celebrate and the prospect of some exciting progress for a talented band of Midgets as they graduate to senior teams, imbued with the confidence of those accustomed to victory. RD Woodling
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HOCKEY MIDGETS 6 P5 W2 L3 Tonbridge is a tough fixture. There is the little matter of the two hour journey; then the real challenge – a top team who are motivated to win. Not for the only time this season we played a novel format – much to everybody’s enjoyment, with 12 on each side, and no goalies. A bright and uniquely warm January afternoon saw a 4.00 pm start and a closely fought contest. Alexander Bhandarkar played heroically around the goal mouth with sturdy support from Max Morgan Stark and Alexander Dayes. These three made such a difference at the back. Mark Lertiendumrong and Will Stubbs exploited possession and - vitally - robbed the opposition on several occasions. Peter McKenna and Whit Cook played at their very best and enabled the forwards to fire home useful shots at goal. George Corbett slotted home with accuracy just before half time and although Tonbridge replied early in the second half, Luke Parsons’ brilliantly struck winner was the difference in these two competitive sides. Other highlights included Eugene Chow’s fine pace and Charlie Batty’s mature captaincy. Then after fine cake and sandwiches, we faced the little matter of the three hour return trip via Downe House, delivering 11 boys to a dinner dance. Eton is always a tough game and although M6 ran out of luck in the second half, they played magnificently well in the first, which ended 1-1. A fine goal from Archie O’Donnell, cracked in from a full 10 metres, set the tone for a competitive match. We again played some unorthodox rules – 9 a side, half a pitch, no D, traditional long corners – and both sides thoroughly enjoyed an entertaining afternoon. Mr Adams masterminded many substitutions to enable a large squad to have a game. Particular mention should be made of novice goalie Alexander Bhandarkar,
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who kept like a natural. Eddie Southgate and Finn Cunningham played well and Will Stubbs supported the midfield splendidly. Captain Charlie Batty was calm yet ruthless in defence, robbing attackers right, left and centre. Marlborough do not have a rowing club and they always play their titans against M6. This year was no exception, and quite a sunny and cheerful encounter it proved to be. Again it was all square at half time with new goalie Alex Dayes keeping the enemy at bay. In the second half M6 twice stormed into the lead, first through the mighty Will Stubbs who hit the ball on the move at speed and left the goalie wrong footed into the bargain, and then through Peter McKenna, who remained calm under some pressure and slotted home with precision. In truth though we had few chances in this match, and had to defend almost non-stop for 45 minutes. A draw looked fair, and likely, until the last play when the visitors snatched victory – but M6 played magnificently against some real athletes. Cothill were cheery visitors and despite their 2nd XI being a year younger they were very skilled on the ball. In the first half we distinguished ourselves with some powerful hitting and deservedly went in at half time 1-1, thanks to a splendid Charlie Batty goal. This was smartly taken, a reverse stick lofted ball into the net. In the second half the opposition played exceptionally well and deserved their 3-1 win. M6 can hold their heads high however because this was a talented team and M6 pushed them all the way. Lewis Baglietto was man of the match – never letting up the pressure. Charterhouse seems further than Tonbridge on some narrow lanes and with some roadworks thrown
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Coaches: RJ Adams, SA Hall Captains: C Batty and L Parsons
in for variety. This was a nail biting affair, but M6 were determined to finish their season on a high. We had 30% of the possession and had to wrestle the ball away from the home forwards on countless occasions. They threw the kitchen sink at this fine M6 squad, however M6 responded magnificently. Whit Cook, Max Morgan Stark, Alexander Bhandarkar and Mark Lertiendumrong played out of their league, defending like Spartans, and George Corbett slotted home another fine goal. Cyrus Frei let rip in this match as never before. What an asset he has been to this team! James Taylor made all the difference in the second half, thwarting three attacking moves single-handedly. Luke Parsons was a worthy captain for the day and man of the match. Huge thanks, as ever, to Mr Adams who contributes so much, motivates the squad so cheerfully, and keeps his aged partner on the straight and narrow. SA Hall
RACKETS A pleasing if not slightly frustrating season at times from the Rackets team this term. Over the course of the term there were some outstanding victories for all pairs, across all year groups and levels. Sadly, when it came to the National Schools’ Doubles Championships at Queen’s at the end of term, the draws were not favourable to us. In a number of competitions we came up against some of the powerhouses on the circuit currently such as Eton and St Paul’s. Our First Pair, Club Captain, Freddie White (6.2,g) and Oliver MartinHemphill (6.2, f) had a solid season with victories over Cheltenham College, Tonbridge and Rugby being particular highlights. They have come on leaps and bounds in terms of their understanding of the doubles game and have been stalwarts of the club, leading from the front for many years. They are to be commended for their commitment to the club and thanked for this.
Master in Charge: KM Willis-Stovold Coach: J C Rock Captain: F White
With Harry Purton (Vth, h) playing up at Second Pair with Harry Foreman (6.1, e), they were a young pair who played some fantastic rackets against older and more experienced opposition. Getting to the quarter final at Queen’s and eventually losing to St Paul’s was no mean feat and hopefully they can continue this form next year. Unfortunately we lost Oscar White (Vth,g) to a football injury shortly before Queen’s but Rory Marshall (Vth, g) stepped up to lead the Colts Pair well with Will Duncan (Vth, j) stepping into the breach and battling well at the last minute. A touch more consistency from the Colts collectively will see them competing with the top pairs in the country.
(R, e) have shown great application, particularly in the Lent Term and the potential for this year group moving forward is exciting. At the base of the club, there is still a keen and rapidly improving group of Shells, who will continue to play during the Summer Term, which will help them continue to gain crucial experience. Overall it has been a very positive year for the Club and we look forward to building on this success next year. KM Willis-Stovold
The Junior Colts 1 Pair of Edward Crowston (R, d) and Theo van dear Meerschen (R, j) showed some strong form through the course of the term taking the scalp of 2 of the top 6 seeds nationally. Frank Barlow (R, b) and George Bishop
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REAL TENNIS It has been another very busy and indeed successful season on the real tennis court. With the completion of a new court at Wellington College, there has been some excitement as a new set of fixtures has been added to the list to complement the traditional matches and the development of a new school rival. Before the school season had even begun, the boys had been active over the summer taking part in GB competitions and international matches. Ed Crowston (d) played some silky tennis to reach the final of the U16 GB tournament, sadly losing out in the final, whilst skipper Olly Martyn-Hemphill (f), Benedict Yortson (b) and OR Felix White (g) and Max Wetton (b) had commendable performances in international matches against the USA and France. Further success was to follow in the National Schools Doubles competition in February. The club completed an unprecedented clean
Masters in Charge: EG Pearson, MF Dean Captain: O Martyn-Hemphill
sweep of titles in the National Schools Doubles Real Tennis Championship. With four different age group competitions running at three different venues, Radley pairs secured victories in the U18s A & B Category draws, the U16s event and the U14s competition. In the U18s competition at Queen’s, Club Capatin Martyn-Hemphill and Freddy White triumphed in an all Radley final, defeating Yorston and Ned Gordon (c), whilst Crowston and Wetton and Shell pair Archie O’Donnell (g) and Max Jardine-Brown (k) came from behind to secure victories against Wellington and Canford respectively. Such an achievement will be difficult to follow next year.
and doubles wins, alongside their nationals success, against a very strong Dedanists team, beating players with handicaps well below their own. Pleasingly, Benedict Yorston was also victorious against a statistically superior player in a very tight tussle.
Throughout the rest of the season, the Seniors worked hard on court to build on these performances. Although talented elder statesmen Martyn-Hemphill and Freddie White were often busy with hectic rackets and squash schedules, they did have time to register impressive singles
Our Colts were diligent and keen to improve on court. Harry Purton (h), Will Barker (d), Milo Daly (g), George Medd (h), Oscar White (g) and Will Hamilton-Russell (a) have also featured in a number of successful matches. Other than early season losses to Canford and Cambridge University Real Tennis Club, this group made rapid improvements in their stroke play and movement on the court and were rewarded with impressive victories against Wellington, Canford and, most notably, an experienced Queen’s Club side.
Other keen Seniors also represented the club well. Fergus Ryan (d), Jonty Robinson (k) and George Eaton (h) have been enthusiastic players throught the term, winning matches against The Oratory and Wellington, due in great part to the hard work they have put in with MFD to develop their respective techniques and court craft.
Similarly, a talented cohort of Shells has started to emerge. O’Donnell and Nick Tompkins (e) have built on their previous tennis experience, whilst newcomers Jardine-Brown, Ben Barton (k), George Hall (h), Freddie Bulmer (e) and Freddie Barber (g) have improved rapidly. All bodes well for the future. Finally, thanks must go to the club pros, Chris Ronaldson and Zak Eadle, who put many hours in behind the scenes to help the boys. but most importantly to Mick Dean. Once again he has worked tirelessly on and off the court to coach, organise and prepare our players throughout another busy and successful season. 36
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EG Pearson
RUGBY 7S
Masters in Charge: RMC Greed Captain: C Davies
After many training sessions, with RMCG, TCL, LJC and our guest coach Will Wilson (ex-Wellington and current Blues player), the rugby 7s campaign kicked off at Shiplake College, where the side emerged victorious after winning the Plate final. This and a tournament at Windsor left the side well prepared, and full of confidence, as they headed to the Rosslyn Park National Schools’ 7s, the world’s longest running and largest tournament.
against RGS Guildford promised to be more challenging, especially as Captain Charlie Davies, who had been an integral part of the previous performance, was injured. A much improved performance saw Radley win 22-14. The introduction of both Hugo Eyre and Zac Nearchou proving to be the turning point in the match as both players scored two tries each in only a matter of minutes. Marshall’s injury was also a set-back for the squad.
Stationed on the main pitch for the first match, with live streaming, the side kicked off against Dinefwr, a Welsh team. A breakthrough try by Fergus Wilson followed by a score from Jasper Toor saw the team take the lead. The side conceded soon after allowing Dinefwr back in. The game was hard fought and came down to the final play when Freddie Marshall broke through the line and scored the decisive try making it 24-17 to Radley, despite a scrappy performance. The next match
The third match saw two challenges, Simon Langton Grammar School as well as the streaming hail that persisted throughout the match. A sloppy start put the side on the back-foot from the off but a fantastic score from Hugo Eyre, which involved running 50 metres and evading defenders, and a great individual Rufus Wallis try put the side back in the match. However, despite hard work from Caspar Hart and Tom Allan, it was all in vain as the team lost 14-24 to a deserving
side who capitalised on some poor defence. The loss meant progression out of the group was unlikely but the side, nevertheless, prepared for the final match against another Welsh team, Bishop Gore School. The hail turned to sunshine and the side aimed for a dominating display to finish the day. The team began strongly through two quick tries from Jasper Toor before continuing the dominance through a solo Elian Rosswag try, his first touch of the tournament. The side conceded a soft try before closing the match in good fashion through a try finished by the flying Fergus Wilson. The game ended 24-5. In all, it had been a commendable tournament, bettering the performances of the last two years and placing Radley runners-up in the group.
RMC Greed
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SAILING This Lent Term was dedicated to SB20 keelboat sailing with some very cold and challenging conditions throughout and a record number of cancelled sessions due to either lack of breeze or wild gales. Nevertheless, the boys made the best of the days that were sailable, mainly practising starts, sailing upwind and running downwind. The latter in particular is tricky on a blowy day, with many a hair-raising broach encountered. Credit is due to George (Boris) Dillon-Robinson (e) who is beginning to get the hang of avoiding these mishaps and who has managed to stay in the boat all term. Nice work! All this preparation is geared towards competing in the Warsash Spring Series, which is held on the Solent over six weekends in March and April. The first Sunday was a light wind affair of two races. The Radley crew (Dominic James, f, Felix Reynish, k, and Charlie, a friend of Dom’s and honorary Radleian for the day) unfortunately missed the finish line in the first race, due to a disagreement between crew and
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Masters in Charge: A Muhlberg Captain: D James
coach as to where the line was actually located (the Solent is large and navigation tricky…). The dispute was happily settled for Race 2, and Radley came in 6th (aka last). The second Sunday was very nearly unsailable, but the Race Committee allowed the SB20s out for one race, before abandoning for the rest of the day with winds continuing to build into a frenzy. Radley came 2nd, and at the same time last, in this hairy race, because only two SB20 crews were brave/foolish enough to take to the water that day. The intrepid crew that day were Kit Merrill, f, Charlie Spraggs, j, and our very own coach, G. Barker, aka Yoda). The forecast for the third Sunday was equally forbidding and only the same two crews made it to the start line again. This time, fortunes turned in Radley’s favour. The breeze turned out to be less punishing than expected, making for near perfect conditions with a stiff breeze on a sunny day. The resulting relief and elation resulted in Radley winning all three races. Well done again to
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Dominic, Charlie and Yoda – what a day! Thanks to their valiant efforts, Radley led the series from then on. We are happy to report that, on their third Warsash attempt, the boys have finally emerged victorious (having come 2nd and 3rd in 2015 and 2016 respectively). As usual, weather conditions were varied and challenging, with cold and stormy days, as well as light and shifty conditions on Sundays four, five and six. So ‘Well done!’ to Dominic James (Captain, F Social, 6.2), George Dillon-Robinson (E Social, 6.1), Felix Reynish (K Social, Fifth), Kit Merrill (F Social, Fifth), Charlie Spraggs (J Social, Remove), Richard Butterworth (G Social, Remove) and Jamie Richardson (G Social, Remove). Also a huge thanks to George “Yoda” Barker, our sailing coach and guru, for his excellent training sessions. The boys have very much appreciated and benefited from his expertise, enthusiasm and support on the water. Onwards to Cowes Week and the SB20 National and World Championships later this year. AK Muhlberg
SQUASH It has been another successful season for the squash club with 16 wins, two draws and just five losses throughout both the Michaelmas and Lent terms. The Michaelmas term was a great success (10 wins) with numerous highlights throughout including beating a strong Eton team and of course getting one over on the local rivals Abingdon. However, the stand out fixture of the term was when the team travelled to Wellington to play in the triangular fixture between Wellington and Marlborough. We went there the favourites to bring back the trophy, having won it at the previous two attempts, but it was obvious that it wasn’t going to be easy. Extremely strong displays from all of the team, in particular from Olly Martyn-Hemphill, who won both his games with ease, meant that Radley went home victorious having only lost a couple of matches. After a successful term the team had one final challenge to try and finish the term on a high note. On the 4th December the team travelled to Surrey Sports Park to try and win back to back trophies there, having won last year at the Schools’ Invitational. The day went to plan for all the team as we breezed through the group only dropping a couple of games along the way. This meant that we were into the semi-finals against an intimidating Surrey Sports Park team but we were too strong for them and raced through to the final. Here we met the same opponents in the final as last year – Winchester. They were very strong with a lot of depth and unfortunately this year they were just too good, beating us 3-2 to take the trophy. It was a very good performance throughout the day, in particular from Freddie White who won all his matches, and I hope that we can regain the title next year. The Lent term is always a more difficult challenge for the squash club as the top players have to juggle playing squash with not
Coach: SR Giddens Captain: G Gordon Lennox
only other racket sports, but also football and hockey. Despite this the team still managed to have another successful term despite having to play a number of matches with slightly weakened teams. However, this gives a great opportunity for many players (37 this Lent term) to gain more match experience in preparation for next year which is a huge bonus. This term saw some tough losses against some very strong and professional teams, but when we could put out our first team we were a formidable challenge to all. The highlight of the term was again the triangular fixture against the traditionally very strong squash schools, Wellington and Marlborough, where Radley again managed to win the trophy, but this time in some style. Indeed this could well have been the biggest win in the squash club’s history as we won every match without even dropping a game to complete a whitewash. A special mention must go to Oscar White who managed to beat his opponent from Wellington without losing a point – an extremely impressive performance (I think this is the first time we have ever had a clean win like this in the last 9 years – SRG). The pinnacle of every squash season comes near the end of Lent term - the Roehampton Schools Invitational tournament. Many of the best squash schools on the circuit fight for the right to compete in division one of this competition and this was our third year in a row at the top. It was a challenging day for the whole team as we had to play a number of extremely impressive squash schools in the form of Winchester, Eton and Harrow. This year we didn’t quite repeat the third place of last year, but a solid fifth place secured the team a place in division one again next year. Oscar White had broken his ankle badly in a football match the day before the tournament, but Harry Foreman stepped into the fray in style – indeed he was the coach’s ‘player of the tournament’. The day was
completed in traditional style with a team dinner and debrief hosted by the Whites, long-time supporters of the club. Maybe the 2018 tournament will be Radley’s year. Overall, the season has been an undoubted success with everyone contributing with stellar performances on different days to make sure that matches were won. However, none of this would have been possible without the hard work from Dr Giddens and of course our coach, Scott Handley, who works tirelessly with the team throughout the week to make sure all the players can put on their best performance when it comes to matches. G Gordon Lennox, H Social A short comment from the MiC, if I may. The first team this year really was something to behold. The team was capable of beating anyone on their day (with a fair wind) and was the culmination of four years under the excellent tutelage of the club professional Scott Handley combined with the longterm dedication from this season’s exceptional captain, Geordie Gordon Lennox, and some unusual talent in the form of Olly Martyn-Hemphill (secretary) and Freddie White. This was a potent combination. We say goodbye to all these players, as well as Seb Hill, Archie Goodwin, Jack Beattie and Fergus Clark, all of whom made a big impact on the team and left a legacy to which others can now aspire. SR Giddens
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TEAM PHOTOGRAPHS We are very grateful to Gillman & Soame for supplying team photos. Parents can purchase team photographs (those featuring a watermark in the bottom right corner) by contacting Gillman & Soame directly as highlighted below.
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