The season finale is the Arnold Cup shoot against the Old Albanians. After a really enjoyable afternoon on the Century range at 300 and 600 yards, the results were revealed at the celebration dinner held at the London and Middlesex Rifle Association club house. The competition has run since 1936 with both teams winning 33 times and three draws. This year could be considered as the decider. It was a close match but the OASC put a stop to the five-year run of wins by the Old Albanians to take the cup back with a three-point lead. Final scores 381.26 vs 378.25. and scores are improving all the time. But we can always use more members. You don’t even have to be an OA: staff, friends and family can all join as associate members, so if you have any inclination to try your hand at target shooting, please get in touch. We have club rifles available, instructors and everything else you need to get you going. Pete Leggett (68–76), Chairman and Captain OAShootingClub @ icloud.com We look forward to 2019 with some optimism. Our membership is stable, OAFC Season Report 2017/18 This season OAFC was extremely sad to see the passing of Club legends Robert (Joe) Crow (62–70), Ron Blythe (47–54), Dick Stevens (52–61), Glyn Thomas (54–63) and David Llewellyn (71–80). Each devoted so much to the Club on and off the field, and it was fitting that the Club and past players turned out in generous numbers to
send them off with pride and fond memories. The camaraderie and spirit of OAFC were palpable on each of these heartfelt occasions. Whereas the 2016/17 season was one of transition and challenge at OAFC, the 2017/18 season has been one of progress and consolidation.
The Youth teams continued to see more than 1,000 boys and girls and young men and women donning the black and blue every weekend. We have continued to see players across the age groups gaining county and country honours, participating in exhibition games at Twickenham and playing in rugby festivals across London and beyond. The Trevor Bailey Sports Ground is a brilliant sight on a Sunday, bursting with rugby being played by all ages. Under the stewardship of new Senior coaches Luke Narraway (ex-England and London Irish) and Mikey Williams (ex-Osprey Academy coach), the OAs Senior Rugby benefitted for the first time in a few seasons from some consistent and quality guidance. For the 1st XV, this meant a stronger showing in the tough London 2 South- East division, with our strongest ever finish in this league at a respectable mid-table. For the other four Senior teams (2s, 3s, 4s and Development XV) this meant more stability and consistency, enabling well over 150 Senior players to turn out regularly on a Saturday and enjoy some excellent grass-roots rugby. The Club is enormously grateful for the continued support of Dulwich College and our other stakeholders, and of course the dedication of our volunteers. Thanks to them, rugby continues to thrive in SE21, and the Club is in great shape to push ahead with its future plans for growth and success. Watch this space for next season’s report!
Off the field, the Club finally succeeded in attaining the much- coveted RFU accreditation status. This is no mean feat: enormous thanks must be given to all the volunteers who contributed behind the scenes to make this happen. RFU accreditation shows to the outside world that we are a strong club in key areas such as recruiting, retaining and developing players, coaches, volunteers and referees; that we have effective and efficient management and governance; and that we are well integrated with our local community. It gives us credibility with local authorities and educational establishments. The status of the RFU brand is key to attracting potential sponsors, which helps our longer-term ambitions of renovating our grounds and facilities.
Tim Wood OAFC Secretary
On the field we have consolidated across the Youth and Senior sections.
61
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online