SPORT Football
MiC: Matt Cortesi
coaches Jesse Rawlings, Tyler Logan, Kevin Guttman, Ricardo Felitti, Nic Kittelty, Jack Lindo and Warren Dunick, and our student coaches Sam Averill, Ben Abbot, Josh Wynne and Ben Cornell, our sincerest thanks for all your time and commitment this year. Covid-19 aside, the 2020 season has provided some other milestone moments for our football club. We had a similar number of players and teams as in 2019, with over 140 boys playing football across 10 teams in an array of competitions. We had the largest number of qualified coaches we have ever had taking teams, and we had the highest number of teams we have had playing in the highest divisions they could. The Ravens and 2nd XI played in Division 1 of the 17th Grade, with the Ravens going through nearly the entire season unbeaten. Not an easy achievement and seldom has this been done by a College team, if at all. Through a joint arrangement with Ferrymead Bays, the 14A team played in the Canterbury United Development League, allowing the 14 Black team to also be promoted to a Division 1 grade. This essentially meant we had two more teams in the same grade playing in the highest division they can. A rare feat. The 15A also started the season in Division 1 competition. The 1st XI produced their best ever finish in the current format of the premier competition, finishing third after beating St Andrew’s College 2–1 in their play-off game. The top four finish would have guaranteed the team qualification for the national premier tournament, had it not been cancelled, which meant it would have been the first time College had earned such a spot in consecutive years. The 1st XI also won the Connetics
Challenge Shield for the first time, beating St Thomas of Canterbury College and then defending it twice against St Bede’s College and Lincoln High School before losing out to Papanui High School in the semi-final. Having a College team playing in another club’s colours was also a unique, milestone moment. College has worked and played under another club before, back in the very early days of football at College when we had a link to the Western United club. But this year’s collaboration with Ferrymead Bays to allow the 14A team to play in the Canterbury United Development League, which only licenced clubs are permitted to play, meant that the team was able to play at the highest level possible and we were able to provide a unique opportunity for the boys to extend themselves against the best competition. It did mean playing in colours other than black or white, but was invaluable in terms of creating pathways, sharing resources, player development and creating quality football opportunities for the boys. The other part of our link with Ferrymead Bays this year was bringing in 1st XI assistant coach Tyler Logan. A number of 1st XI boys already play for Ferrymead Bays in either the MPL or reserves team, which Tyler also coaches, so having Tyler involved with the 1st XI created more continuity for the boys and brought things a step closer to the idea of one football environment for all players. Both these connections with Ferrymead Bays were excellent initiatives. Thanks to Ferrymead’s Director of Football Joe Hall for the support, coaching and enthusiasm for working together in a unique
The 2020 football season seemed endless – what can only be described as unique, one in which we had to adapt, work around and simply just get on with it as best as possible. Starting way back in February when the 1st XI began their pre- season trials and trainings, followed by everybody else just starting to get organised before we were rudely interrupted by the Covid-19 lockdown. This, of course, putting in doubt how much of a football season we would actually get at all. There were numerous Zoom calls discussing the various permutations of how, when and what might return, whilst trying to maintain the balance between the desire to play football but also protect the health and safety of participants and take a responsible attitude toward an unknown quantity. There were some tough decisions made over the season, some that might not have pleased everyone and some that were a necessity, but the thing that was most impressive was how people pulled together to get in what has ended up being a nearly full season of football, to once again provide us with wonderful highlights, results and efforts on and off the football pitch. Huge thanks has to go to all the players, coaches, managers and other organisations that were supportive and put in the extra work to deal with the extraordinary nature of the 2020 season. Whether it be the extra contact tracing paperwork, the wiping and sanitising of balls after every training, or the fronting up for extra holiday games and double header weekends, everybody did their bit in the interests of football. To all the College staff involved, our external
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