CLUBS & SOCIETIES
PAGE 15
OA ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL 2024 was a landmark year for OAAFC, as we celebrated 10 years as a club. We opened the year with our annual set of fixtures versus the school with over 50 OAs involved and then continued our strong form in the 2023-24 season across our three regular sides. By the end of the football season in May, it was clear that this was our most successful year yet – the 1st, 2nd and 3rd XIs all recorded their highest ever league positions. The 1st XI, led for a final season by stalwart Andy Moss (04-11) are now firmly established as one of the Arthurian League’s powerhouses, finishing second in the Premier Division and only losing in the Arthur Dunn Cup semi-finals to the same opposition Old Reptonians. The 2nd XI, during club icon Shahin Rasti’s (00-07) first term as skipper, won the Division 2 title for the first time, all but wrapping up the title months before the end of the season, to rank them as the best 2nd team in the set-up, whilst also reaching the external London Old Boys Cup Final. Cole ‘the Dog’ Sullivan’s (04-09) 3rd XI also finished by some margin as the best team in Division 3 despite playing exclusively versus 1st and 2nd sides. They also narrowly missed out on silverware in their external cup final. The summer break included another successful interclub tournament, engaging more with those recent leavers, and a strong preseason on the wonderful pitches at Dulwich College. There was also a third foreign tour, this time to Lisbon, that reached new heights on and off the pitch: two big wins and an excellent set of memories for the players involved. The 2024-25 season, then, began with lots of promise and as we reached Christmas that was still very much the case. After a tricky start of three points from three games, the 1st XI preceded to win eight on the spin, meaning they start 2025 once again in a two-horse race with Repton. The 2nd XI are top of their league and remain in the game for all three trophies and more records. The 3rd XI has recovered from a tough start to be the form team in Division 3, with some canny additions to the squad, and now look well- placed to at least match last season’s efforts. New 1st XI captain Cameron Kelly (04-15) (who else?) is also the club’s top goal scorer and leads an attack where he is often joined by brothers Sam (10-17) and Jake (11- 18) Fetherston. The ‘Feths’ achieved something amazing in the summer of 2024, representing England at the UEFA Regions Cup in Helsinki. Having played for the Arthurian League representative team and won the national cup versus county leagues from across England, the Arthurian League team earned the right to represent the country at the finals – returning home unbeaten! This shows how high the standard of Old Boys football is, and we are very proud that Dulwich College now boasts the strongest all-round club in the Arthurian League. 2025 will be about continuing
OA SHOOTING CLUB The OA Shooting Club ran the annual Arnold Cup competition in October against the St Albans Old Boys’ team. While the OAs only managed to field a team of two, Roger Hiorns (71-78) and Peter Leggett (68-76), the Albanians raised a team of five so we chose ‘best two’ to win. And we won! The cup has been contested most years since 1936 and we are now on a pretty level pegging. Peter Leggett (68-76) Secretary OASC
OA BADMINTON In September a dozen OAs returned to Dulwich College for the now annual match against the College students. The quality of badminton at the school has continued to improve in leaps and bounds over the last few years and it was by the skin of their teeth that the OA team managed an overall win in the round robin competition. The large number of OAs who continue to play in clubs and universities around the country is impressive and it was a pleasure to welcome back Felix Wright (18-23) to the College. Felix is playing at the highest level and is gaining a very positive reputation on both the national and international playing circuit. Trevor Llewelyn
its growth and adding to the trophy cabinet! George Edmund (08-15), Secretary OAAFC
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