“I want to use the opportunity of my Christmas Message to look back over what has been challenging year.
As a Football Club, this has been the most difficult year since our inception in 1998. Our role in the community is to provide the opportunity for young people to play football in a safe, fun, and educational environment and not being able to do that consistently this year has been extremely hard for everyone involved with our Football Club – not least our Players. Guided by the FA and my colleagues on our own Committee, we have had to make difficult decisions that have not been taken lightly but have been absolutely necessary to protect both the health of Players and Coaches and the wellbeing of the Club as an entity.
However, over the course of this year, we have really shown the character and resilience of our Football Club. We have a lot to be very proud of and have dealt with the adversity in so many positive ways. I want to take a moment to mention just some of these and the Clubs achievements this year:
⚽️Our U8’s Red Team won their first silverware at the Lancing Tournament.
⚽️Our U9’s undertook a virtual passing challenge during Lockdown, resulting in a pretty awesome video montage.
⚽️ The U10 Red Team reached the Final of the ACE Football Academy Tournament.
⚽️Before things were halted, our U11 White Team reached the Final of the Horsham League Cup, the Red Team reached the Semi-Final of the Crawley League Cup and the Black Team reached the Semi-Final of the Crawley League Plate Competition – both teams taking advantage into the second round!
⚽️Our U14’s (Now U15’s) did their amazing 1-4-7 Challenge during lockdown to raise significant funds for the Club. Such a fantastic effort.
⚽️Our U14 Dragons came to Runners-Up in their first Futsal competition and reached the Final of the Horsham League Plate competition.
⚽️Our U15 Black team have had their most successful start to a season and finish the year top of the League.
⚽️Our U15 Red team took on a Lockdown Running Challenge that saw them rack up a collective 650 miles in a month!
⚽️We ran weekly Lockdown Football Skills Challenges on Facebook and Instagram hosted by a number of professional Footballers as well as various online Quizzes.
⚽️We showed our support for the NHS, Key Workers, and our community by standing on our doorsteps in Colts kit clapping.
⚽️Our Kit Officer, Mitch, work relentlessly hard with our suppliers to make sure we got kits to start the season with.
⚽️We held our first club-wide Goalkeeper Academy in October and, given the feedback, will look to do more of these next year.
⚽️We won The Respect Award in the FA & McDonalds Grassroots Football 20 Awards! A wonderful accolade for the club and one that really highlights our clubs’ culture.
And there are so many, many more examples of how we have pulled together as a Club.
Without exception, the Coaches have reported how very proud they are of their Players and how they have stayed fit, focussed, and hungry to play football.
Thank you to all who make our Club what it is, from our Players and their families, our hard-working and dedicated Coaches, our Committee, and also our incredible sponsors for their continued support for the Club.
More than ever we should all be proudtobecolts
Have a wonderful Christmas. Stay safe and well.
Danny.
