The Johnian www.stjohnsleatherhead.co.uk 02

Transcription

02
The Johnian www.stjohnsleatherhead.co.uk
Ever the underdog, always the surprise
victor, house captain Ryan Grant (U6)
writes of the virtues the house extolls
A house is not just about the trophies, its wins
or the achievements it gains, but more about
the relationships built and the social unity it
develops. This is not to take away from the
tremendous achievements that have been
gained by the North House boys this year,
notably the junior house football winners, the
senior house fives team, the senior house
badminton team or Andrew Chalmers’ (L6)
house drama performance, and the excellent
contributions of every North House member.
I hope this piece conveys that being part of
Team North is greater than tangible rewards.
The upper sixth tutor group are moving on
but we have shared memorable times that we
will look back on, cherish and laugh at in years
to come. We’ve all changed as individuals but
we’ve always kept a few core values in our
tutor group. My advice for boys in the younger
years; find what makes your tutor group tick,
why you enjoy each other’s company and keep
it throughout your time here. It’s important
you deal with the negatives, such as people you
don’t get along with – make an effort to make it
right and you’ll have an even greater time here.
Each tutor group is a fragment of Team
North and it requires each one to fit into place
to make North House tick. President Obama
once said, “There is a chance for things to
change. Summon a new spirit of self-sacrifice, a
patriotism, work harder and look after not only
yourselves but each other.” This is the true spirit
of North; change the things that are negative
and look after everyone else. Our patriotism is
North, the thing we all have in common.
The house must always change positively,
and all of us have a responsibility in making this
change possible. That means leaving the School
and house better places than you found them
– have you contributed to a house success or
simply had a positive impact on other members
of this house? For positive change we need
unity. It’s no secret that I wasn’t the most
popular member of our tutor group in the
fourth form. They’ll tell you I was arrogant, a bit
of a bully and probably have some choice words
to say about me. It’s equally no surprise that I
have started to achieve more at St John’s the
more I have got along with the rest of my tutor
group. They are your support and you are theirs.
No successful manager does well on his own;
he has a team of backroom staff. Your tutees
are your backroom staff.
Obama said, “We cannot have a thriving Wall
Street while Main Street suffers.” We cannot
move forward as a house, as tutor groups or
as individuals unless everyone is doing so. You
will only achieve want you want if you help
everyone else with their goals. You can probably
guess that I find Mr Obama inspirational, not
because of his job but because of the values
that he upholds and the way he conducts
himself. He shows humility, courage and sets
an example. These are qualities that everyone
North House moments
Above: Tom Fleming (L5) about to break through Surrey’s defence.
Right: Bertie Smith (U5) faces off against East in the house hockey.
Film strip: Connor O’Neil (L6) as Dumbledore; A pass from Tom Fleming
as Matthew Chalmers (L5) looks on; The house fives team – Ross MacFarlane
(L5), Michael Cooke (U5) and Craig Bonnar (U5); Leo Bennet (U6) on drums;
Oliver Linington, Kizzan Amer and Harry Smith (all U5) in the house instrumental
033
in this house should hope to demonstrate, as well
as Mr Allan’s famous PIP (Passion, Integrity and
Perseverance), qualities which I hope I’ve shown.
People think you just join a House when you arrive
but it’s more than that – it’s a place that provides you
with an environment to flourish and make friendships
for life and above all allow you to achieve what you
want in five years. Thank you to every member of
North House for your contributions over this year
in making it so memorable.
Wizardly wonders
Top: Connor O’Neil as Dumbledore and
Alex Perret as Mad Eye Moody (both L6).
Centre: Andrew Chalmer’s award-winning
performance as Voldemort
ma
e house dra
Action in thd the Goblet of Fire
r an
Harry Potte
3 minutes with…
Alex Perrett (L6)
known for his
unique perspective
on life
Interview by Andrew
Chalmers (L6)
Ollie King (L6) as Ha
rry Potter
Q. What was your
highlight of the ye
ar?
A. Rugby.
Q. Just rugby?
A. Yeah.
Q. If you were an
animal, what would
you be?
A. A turtle becaus
e they live for a
long time in a wa
placid ocean. That
rm,
’s the stress-free
lifestyle I would lik
e.
Q. What is your fa
vourite aspect of
North House?
A. The people. The
people make up th
e house; we’re all
happy family. The
one
thing with North Ho
use is that we’re
We might not be
unique.
the sportiest hous
e, we might not ha
best musicians, we
ve the
might have the wo
rst actors…
Hey, come on.
Just kidding. But
the people define
the house, giving
own unique aspect
us our
of St John’s life.
Q. How has the int
roduction of girls
to all year groups
changed your life?
A. Well, I don’t th
ink it has changed
it at all. There ha
always been girls
ve
in the sixth form
and now we’re fully
co-ed I don’t feel
like changing my
life. I don’t sudden
feel like taking up
ly
golf, for example.
Q. How do girls ha
ve anything to do
with golf?
A. You know what
I mean – I don’t
suddenly want to
change who I am
because of girls.
034
Five proudest moments
of 2011-12
1. Juniors winning the house football
2. Andrew Chalmers (L6) winning best
actor in the house drama
3. Jonathan Dudeney (U6) being elected
school captain
4. The great success of the NorthSouth barn dance
5. Juniors reaching the house rugby final
TheJohnian
Johnian www.stjohnsleatherhead.co.uk
The
100 flames
No escape. The fire dances at my despair. I guess I had a good life. The
elevator collapsed through the ceiling and obliterated the stairs. Papers
float in the ashen breath of fire. I grab a door handle to retreat. The skin
tears off painlessly.
No one else had night shift – guess I’m alone. Just need to find something
to do before the place crumbles. I was looking forward to the weekend.
Shame. The smoke is building up now – I can’t see a thing. Windows
shatter in fear. Bricks tumble carelessly around me. Something snaps
loudly below me. I fall.
100 words short story competition runner up
Matthew Bradbury (L5, Montgomery)
02
What house? South House? Prefects Lula Parris, Abi Roberts,
Miranda Alsop and Tali Anderson relect on all the bonding
that’s been going on in 2011-12
A
s the South House legacy
continues, we’ve seen a number
of additions to the house. Being
the only boarding house without
a dog, we came back to School in September
with the surprise of not one but two house
puppies; Bumble and Indy have been as active
as any other South House member over the
year. More recently we have welcomed the
youngest member, baby Flora Hicks, who may
be too young to walk but never too young to
wear South House purple.
The first house competition that brought us
all together was the singing, with South coming
second in the part-song
for the second year in
a row, due to the hard
work of Tali Anderson
and Sophie Denman
(both U6). Although not
as successful in the unison,
our Bear Necessities
showed the true South
House spirit and proved
that we’re not a house
that comes last.
The house hockey
competition proved as
competitive as ever with
both Haselwood and South
determined to win. The
junior competition was extremely close with
Haselwood only winning 1-0 despite a great
display from the whole team, especially Maddy
Barnes and Sophie Evans (both 4F). Although
not successful in the junior competition, the
senior competition, with the help of Kate Scott
(U6), was a different story. The 9-0 victory
came not only from a great team spirit but also
from having the majority of the 1st hockey team.
House netball proved similarly successful.
Our advantage gained through having two
Surrey storm players, Alice Lines and Georgie
Cripps (both U6), ensured the senior victory
over Haselwood for the firsts whilst the
seconds win was secured by none other
than house captain Lula Parris. In the junior
competition the valiant efforts of Jenny
Gluckman (L5), Mimi Rothwell (4F), and
Chanel Allen (4F), were unfortunately not
quite enough to win.
The drama competition, although less
competitive than other events, is always
good fun. As an event that everyone can
throw themselves into no matter what
their abilities, it proved once again to be
a fantastic bonding opportunity for the
house. The theme of Harry Potter seemed
perfect for enthusiast Georgie Stedman
who, with the help of twin Katie (both U6)
wrote and directed the play. A constant
supporter on the side lines, we finally
saw fourth former Katie Stuart make
her debut as Dumbledore. Mention
must also go to Sophie Kronenberg,
Imy Mahon and Annabel Eve (all L6),
for their outstanding performances.
However it was not only the actors
who excelled, the amazing props made
by Laura Flint (U6) showed that house
drama brings out everyone’s talents.
This year has enabled South House
South stories
Above: The victorious senior house
hockey team are triumphant
Filmstrip from top: Girls practice
for the house singing; Alice and
Kate playing hockey; South House
supporters get the face paint on;
Dumbledore makes an appearance
in the house play
037
to not only show the variety of talents held
within it but also the individuality of each
member. Events such as the boarders
Christmas dinner, Christmas party, various pizza
nights and make-up evenings, saw a chance for
everyone to get involved, have a good time
and become a real family. The South-North
barn dance was once again a fun-filled evening.
It is always amusing to watch teachers attempt
to dance in cowboy hats and boots, especially
the entertaining partnership of Mr Whitmore
and Karen.
As we edge towards a full girls house it
is evident to see that the bonds between
each member grows stronger whilst the
South House spirit is passed down from
year to year. We have established ourselves
as not only a successful girl’s house but a
serious competitor in all house competitions.
As leavers, we look back on our time in
South House with fond memories and
hope to be able to return in years to come
to see the South House spirit live on.
Finally, thanks must go to all of the South
House staff: Miss Littlejohns, Miss Dixon,
Mrs Parker, Mr Whitmore, Miss Belfridge and
Mr Hicks. The smooth running and endless
laughs would be insignificant without our
matron Karen, whose constant care is available
for those days when you just need a hug. Of
course, our house would be nothing without
our housemistress, Miss Whittingham, at the
forefront of the house chants and leading our
pre-match talks with enthusiasm. Thank you!
What House? SOUTH HOUSE!!!
Wingadium leviosa!
South House interpretive dance
House prefects enjoying tea
Festive
frolics
The Christmas
dinner was
enjoyed by all
the girls
3 minutes with…
6)
Livy Mcintosh (L
lla Tommey (L6)
Interview by Be
scribe South
Q. How would you de
?
House in three words
and raving!
ky
fun
c,
sti
A. Enthusia
en most proud of South
Q. What have you be
House for this year?
the
netball. I felt like all
When we won the house
at
ys
paid off and all the bo
effort I put in finally
!
ent
preciate my sporting tal
School could finally ap
ur most embarrassing
Q. What has been yo
moment this year?
nt
in the corridor in fro
A. Dropping my books
of Charlie Smith! :(
looking forward to
Q. What are you most
next year?
school and providing
Being at the top of the
’s.
t are new to St John
support for those tha
to
ends and can’t wait
I love making new fri
in the year below!
make more girlfriends
038
Proudest Moments 2011 -12
1. Winning junior house cricket
2. Winning house drama
3. Winning house tennis
4. Winning junior house hockey
5. Winning Junior Bs football
A2 art Katie Stedman (U6, South)
Surrey never fails to surprise with passion and
determination, reports Matthew Leach (U6)
The year as a whole can be seen as one with
some very good outcomes for Surrey. Its first
instrumental win for a long time, some great
effort grades and a general sense of pride
when performing are just a few to mention.
A busy autumn term enabled everyone in
the house to begin to get involved in events,
with the fourth form being able to showcase
the energy and enthusiasm they brought. The
house singing brought differing results, with the
unison not being the strongest, but the
part-song offered the chance of redemption,
with a strong performance being unlucky not
to place in the top three. Credit must go to
Stephen Roberts (L6), Matthew Bannister (U6)
and Tom Hedger (L6) for the hard work they
put into the organisation of it.
The defence of the senior house debating
saw Alex Watts (L6), George Baxter (L6),
Matthew Leach (U6) and Dhiraj Patel (U5)
all having a go as main speakers, before Alex
and Dhiraj became our settled line up. Alex
brought humour to an event that isn’t known
for its comedic value, while Dhiraj left no stone
unturned in his speeches. The journey ended
at the semi-final with a close loss to Churchill.
Tom Brady (U6) enforced his reputation
as possibly the greatest floor speaker of all
time, to the extent he became the first
person to be applauded for a floor speech!
His contribution to debating will be greatly
missed when he leaves.
The autumn term was wrapped up with
the house rugby, with both the juniors and
seniors unable to advance past the group
stage. Although never the favourites, the
teams played with passion and showed
What we did this year
From top: Surrey in the house rugby; Matt Smitherman plenty of potential for the future.
(L5) holds strong as North House players surround him;
Surrey really began to compete in the spring
Elliot Bairstow (u6) performs a convincing snake in
term, with the highlight being our victory in
the house drama; Victory in the house instrumental;
the house instrumental. Prior to the event we
Lower fifth preparing for the house cross country
were not amongst the favourites as we contain
no music scholars. However, hard work, the
traditional underdog spirit and some very
underrated musicians brought about the
win. An enormous amount of work and
many late nights after school were
required and everyone involved, from the
upper sixth to the fourth form, deserves
credit, but Tom Brady, Stephen Roberts,
Dan Redfern (L6) and Tom Hedger
are worthy of special mention.
Will Laver’s (L5) recital in the junior
house poetry competition gained him
second place, and he was very close to
making one better. His performance
alongside others nearly propelled
Surrey to a fourth consecutive win
in this competition, but unfortunately
it was not to be.
The badminton and cross country
e
as Hermoin
Will Laver
competitions showed strong performances
from Surrey members, with Dhiraj Patel
and Oli Jenkins (both U5) promising to be
a threat in future years. They were aided by
Tom Coonan (U6), Matthew Bannister and
Alex Watts and led to Surrey being in with
a chance of winning going into the last round
of matches. The cross country showed a
united house in horrendous conditions.
An overall finish of third place making the
‘torture’ worthwhile, with Cameron Sperrin
(U5) finishing third in the inters race – the
highlight for Surrey.
The house drama saw an unusual take on
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, with
standout performances from Matthew
Smitheman (L5), Will Laver (L5), Ed Hedger
(L5) and James Lander (U6), while Stephen
Roberts (L6) put in an extraordinary amount
of work behind the scenes. Although the
dress rehearsal didn’t quite go to plan, the
performance on the night was faultless and
although we didn’t retain the trophy, it was a
great effort from everyone who took part
both on stage and behind the scenes.
The house hockey saw the seniors reach
the final, where we were narrowly defeated by
West. The performance of the team was one
of the best we have achieved and it was a
great shame to see them fall at the final hurdle.
The term ended with the house football. Both
the senior and junior teams were placed in
difficult groups, and although they didn’t
advance through, there were very gutsy and
hard working performances and they left the
pitch with their heads held high.
The summer term brought around more
competitions for house members to get
involved with, as the younger years began to
take over the responsibilities of the departing
upper sixth. The junior debating showed the
potential of many pupils, with the lower fifth
and fourth form being runners up. The junior
041
house cricket saw a historic victory against
Churchill and the team eventually bowed
out in the quarter finals with a narrow defeat
to East. Andy Howorth’s performances and
leadership of the team provided the perfect
example for the rest of the team to follow.
As the year draws to a close, I would like
to congratulate and thank Mr Thomas on
completing his first year as Housemaster, as
I am fully aware we are not always the easiest
bunch to manage! I would like to extend my
thanks to Miss Day, Miss Hughes, Mr Davidson,
Mr Davies and Mr Gale for all their work over
the year as our tutors. An extra thank you
goes to Miss Day for all her fantastic work as
assistant housemistress over the years, and we
all wish Miss Hughes the best of luck in the
role next year. The prefects also deserve a
mention as their hard work throughout the
year behind the scenes can often go unnoticed.
Anita left us half way through the year to step
over to the ‘dark side’ and take up her place
at the front desk, which saw Bev taking over
the role as house supervisor. I would like to
thank both of them on behalf of the whole
house for their tireless work looking after us all.
Finally we say farewell to those who are
leaving us. The upper sixth have given a huge
amount to the house over their five years, and
their attitude and spirit sums up Surrey’s great
passion in every aspect of life at St John’s, in all
its uniqueness. Good luck to you in the future.
eman
Matt Smith
d
n
a
w
ro
b
drama
Ben Why
the house
in
t
en
m
o
share a m
Surrey in action
Above and top right: The truimphant upper fifth
enjoyed their day go-karting in May to celebrate
the end of the academic year
Chris Webb storms pa
st West in
the house pancake rac
e
3 minutes with Will Laver (L5)
Inter view by Tom Hedger (L6)
as a house?
Q. What is your opinion of Surrey
house and
l
iona
irat
insp
a very
A. I thin
3 kmit’s
in
ut
es
school.
w
the
it
in
h…
rd
reco
t academic
has theWibes
ll Laver, L5
y in
unit
t
grea
e
hav
Very, very good – we
to
ents
par
all
ge
oura
Intse
ervand
the hou
iew byIToenc
m Hedger, L6
rey.
Sur
y
Enjo
send their kids here.
re in history,
Q. If Surrey was an influential figu
?
why
who would it be and
irational fight for freedom.
A. Nelson Mandela, due to his insp
opinion and make a stand.
Surrey isn’t afraid to voice its
e words.
Q. Describe Surrey House in thre
ed.
eart
A. Inspirationally good-h
3 minutes with Chris Webb (4F)
Housemaster Mr Thomas’s
top moments in 2011–12
Inter view by Tom Hedger (L6)
House?
Q.What is your opinion of Surrey
nice.
very
it’s
and
A. It’s very friendly
ential
influ
an
be
to
Q. If Surrey House was
why?
and
be
it
ld
wou
figure in history, who
er
lead
d
goo
a
was
He
A. Nelson Mandela.
.
ally
equ
e
yon
and he treated ever
e words.
Q. Describe Surrey House in thre
A. Passionate, helpful, friendly.
t this year?
Q. What has been your highligh
rumental.
A. Our victory at the house inst
1. House drama dress rehearsal –
everything that could have gone
wrong did go wrong… and more.
2. House instrumental – I was so
proud of everyone and all the hard
work that was put in.
3. Cross country – being out there
with the house running in the snow!
4. Visiting the deputy headmaster
three times in a term after we set
off the fire alarms... again.
5. Falling over when dancing at
the Surrey Curry Charity Evening.
034
042
A2 Art Joseph Curtis (U6, Surrey)
044
James Stewart (L6) spills the
beans on what the boarding house
has been up to over the last year
M
r Jones and Mr Eales had left
the year before and so into the
house came Mr Bristow and Ms
Michaels as upper fifth tutors,
and Mr Fulton-Peebles and Mr Hughes as our
lower sixth tutors. The lower sixth quickly
grew fond of their new tutors due to the
enthusiasm and the sporting expertise they
brought, while the new upper fifth tutors
added their musical and linguistic skills. Other
new faces included the fourth form and the
lower sixth exchange student Paddy Miller,
who was invaluable during the autumn term
and was sorely missed when his time in West
came to an end. Finally, Bertie, West House’s
new four-legged friend helped reveal the
affectionate side of some of our more burly
members of the house.
The year started with the house singing
competition. The response was fantastic with
many members of the house stepping up to
the plate for the part-song medley, in which
we were ‘robbed’, coming second. This was
preceded by our house unison entry of Can
You Feel the Love Tonight, a true Elton classic
from Disney animation The Lion King, which
was emotionally sung by all.
Soon after this, West proved what they can
do on the debating floor. A fiercely contested
debate versus South resulted in a win for
West and a call up for Angus White (U6) to
the school debating team. Meanwhile the
senior house quiz team reached the
final… Yes, really. Another team that
reached the final was our senior
house fives team. Despite dominating
the fives courts over the past number
of years, West were unlucky not to
retain the title. However, getting
to the final in the first place is
no mean feat.
Arguably the highlight of the year
came in the house rugby. West
excelled in the last week of term,
culminating in making it to the
fourth form and Senior A
competition finals. West won
both finals against arch rivals
East, despite conceding the
first try on both occasions; a
testament to the fighting spirit
of the house. This was an
appropriate send off for Paddy
Miller (L6) who was an integral
part of the senior side.
The Easter term was busy.
It started with the house
instrumental competition
and a rendition of Green Day,
where the musicians involved
performed admirably but
weren’t placed. This was
followed by the house cross
country in the snow, with
incredible performances from James Harvey (L5) and Hugo Gale (U6). The
house showed its true grit by winning the overall competition. West also
won our first ever house pancake race. The historic moment reinforced
West House’s reputation as having the best runners in the School.
In the house drama, we provided a twist on the classic Harry Potter And The
Order Of The Phoenix storyline and actors performed under the scrutiny of chat
show hosts Jordayne and Michael. In the house football competition at the end
of term, West reached the final in the Junior A and Senior B competitions, only
to fall at the last hurdle. This was a tough lesson following
our recent successes but you can’t win everything!
A highlight of the Easter term was the West House charity
night, during which there were several impressive musical
performances and a special dance performed by the fourth
form. The house raised £5,500 in support of Tom Hazell’s
two cancer charities. Tom’s illness was certainly the low
point of the year but signalled a response of togetherness
and support from the West House community in helping
him to get better.
On rolled the summer term and whilst everyone was
athletics
James Harvey (L5) in the house
busy studying for exams, commitment to the house was
still evident. Despite torrential rain at the house athletics
competition, West powered through and secured our fifth
major sporting trophy of the academic year.
Overall, it has been a challenging year but one that has
been tackled with determination and strength. On behalf
of the house, I would like to thank the prefects, who kept
the house running smoothly, and the house staff, from
our tutors who do incredible amounts of work behind
the scenes to the cleaning and maintenance staff,
Cameron Cowell (U5) loo
king flipping good
immaculately led by our matron Sue. Finally, thanks go
to housemaster Mr Wiseman, who led the house
flawlessly in a very successful year for all.
3 minutes with… (L6)
Tim Thorowgood
old (L6)
Interview by Ollie Rumb
come about?
et century this season
Q. How did your crick
many different
are
e thing. There
on
on
it
ce
pla
’t
ldn
A. I cou
n’t help but
particular innings I ca
t
tha
g
rin
du
t
bu
s
factor
rse Charlie Courtney
rience kicked it. Of cou
pe
ex
us
vio
pre
my
l
fee
helm at the other
a lot by holding the
d
lpe
he
l)
hil
urc
Ch
,
(L6
re for a solid 41.
end and sticking in the
anised true?
that you were disorg
ng
sti
ge
sug
rs
ou
rum
I used that
Q. Are the
but most of the kit
u
yo
to
it
k
ea
br
to
other team
A. I hate
a team mate’s bat, an
d
use
I
.
ne
mi
t
no
s
boxers were
day wa
l helmet. Not even the
oo
sch
a
d
an
irt
sh
s
mate’
that’s the trick –
y were mine. I think
the
,
ing
jok
I’m
…
ne
mi
.
don’t use your own kit
rate?
’t help but
Q. How did you celeb
n trumpet but I couldn
ow
my
w
blo
to
e
on
ing that night,
A. I’m not
to rush off to a wedd
d
ha
lly
tua
ac
I
.
ud
on to a friend’s
feel pro
all that, before going
d
an
ts
en
tm
mi
com
family
an the most to me.
es with those who me
ag
ver
be
few
a
for
house
rs and lower fifth
you give fourth forme
Q. What advice would
tury?
game as if it’s
trying to reach a cen
score. Just play every
al
du
ivi
ind
ur
yo
t
ou
this is essential.
A. Forget ab
t and determination –
gri
th
wi
in
dig
d
an
your last
e, who would it be?
your century to someon
te
ica
ded
ld
cou
you
Q. If
th U6, West). Dom’s
on and Dom Higgitt (bo
ars
Pe
’
the ball
njo
‘Jo
y
nn
Jo
A.
y he and Jonjo swung
wa
the
d
an
on
ati
pir
his prime.
fielding was an ins
tching Glen McGrath in
wa
of
ys
da
my
to
brought me back
TOP 5 HIGHLIGHTS
OF 2011-12
1. Tom Hazell recovering from
illness and returning
2. Winning the Junior and
Senior A matches in the
house rugby competition
3. Winning the house cross
country as a house and
individually
4. Winning the house athletics
5. Winning the house pancake
race for the first time in
many years
Class act
Our unique and entralling house drama
performance of Harry Potter and the Order
of the Phoenix was done in the style of a chat
show and had guest appearances from the
three poofs and a piano
BOARDING LIFE IN WEST
by Jack Templer and James Gracey, conclusion by Tim Thorowgood
s
In the house of West,
The banter is at its best,
It’s better than East,
Where they have heads of meat,
And I’ve no doubt that you’ll be impressed.
We all started out in the fourth year,
But things were perfectly clear,
The antics were mental,
And the tutors were helpful,
So we knew we had nothing to fear.
Next began lower fifth,
Now prep school felt like a myth,
We chose our new subjects,
Which seemed a bit complex,
But the teachers would help us with this.
To me, life in West is like a chicken breast,
At first I felt like a welcomed guest.
Initially the upper sixth seemed miles away,
Almost as far as the city of Bombay.
But now we progress through our education,
It could be said that we are under no hallucination.
The GCSE year in West,
Was like an intelligence test.
The house succeeded in sport,
Especially on the fives court.
As we came towards the end of the upper fifth,
Matt Clark offered us a Granny Smith.
Beginning the penultimate year,
Steve said he wanted to be an aeronautical engineer.
This year, we have been entrusted with a number of responsibilities,
Demonstrating we are no longer liabilities.
The AS levels were finished off in May,
Yet appeared to last longer than radioactive decay.
The house organisation
Was as well structured as the Federal national mortgage association
d
Harry, Ronupan
?
Will the real
d
an
st
se
Hermoine plea
And as we digress from this section,
Tim Thorowgood will give us a sound reflection:
I joined West afraid to tell a fib,
Yet I will be remembered for showing you my crib.
Boarding has been fab
And who will forget our Babs
Hughesy is new on the block
And the jokes, they never stop.
047
Hope Lost
The cold mutter of machine gun fire,
Is rattling away in the distance,
Stirring the men, half asleep and rambling like zombies.
Hungry, thirsty, tired, we trudge on,
Our limbs raging in protest.
How can earth allow this torture? In front of me,
Men are falling, crying out in pain from rifle bullets.
We have lost hope, nothing, nothing, nothing can save us.
But as suddenly as it started, it stopped.
From one last shell we think we are saved,
But fall to the ground seeing gas approaching.
Scrambling in vain for our gas masks as the sweet taste envelops us.
I crawl on hoping, praying, pleading for it to be some terrible nightmare.
Excruciatingly, we take our last breaths.
Poem Dylan Carlsson-Smith (4F, West)
Photography Max Collins (L5, Montgomery)
PERFORMANCE
Highlights
Performance at St John’s is vibrant and
full of energy to say the least. From the
rich tradition of the choir to the colourful
Sparrow School’s visit, performance
infiltrates every part of the School. We all
have the opportunity to entertain and those
of us who’d prefer to be entertained aren’t
disappointed either! This year there has
been an abundance of exciting performances
including the magnificent In Memoriam, two
fantastic rock concerts as well as numerous
plays, including Woody Allen’s wild and
wacky God where Annabel Eve (L6, South)
and Stephen Roberts (L6, Surrey) (pictured)
played an eccentric American couple.
Jessica Martin (L6, South)
From top: The last
scene; Darth Vader
aka Fred Bliss (L6,
Monty); Andrew
Chalmers (L6, North)
notices the crowd;
Jackson Perkins (L6,
East) as The Master;
Annie Eve (L6,
South) and Stephen
Roberts (L6, Surrey);
Robbie Ventham (L6,
Churchill) winner of
Best Male Performer
at the Leatherhead
Drama Festival;
Jessica Martin (L6,
South) as the vacuous
Blanche Dubois
Flying feathers and shifting scenery made the senior plays slick
entertainment but what happened backstage? Abigail Shore goes
under the curtain to reveal the hidden world of rehearsals
Weeks of rehearsals, costume malfunctions,
missing props and Mr Probert shouting – these
are just some of the things the thespians of the
School endured to bring you the plays God and
Death by Woody Allen.
The first weeks started with X Factor-style
auditions and a nervous wait until the cast list
went up. There was jubilation as roles were
announced and, whether you were a main
character or ‘woman in audience’, everyone
was congratulated. Rehearsals began with
hours of practice, pupils struggling to learn
their lines, complex movements across the
stage, and trying to remember not to walk in
to one of the huge moving black flats (door-like
panels) creepily moving around the stage,
seemingly of their own accord.
Mr Probert finds an original way to stage
every show – for Death, a minimalistic style was
chosen to focus on the importance of the
script and the performance of the actors, so
everyone was able to show off their ability.
This was done with a simple bedroom setting
at the beginning accompanied by some (blunt!)
weapons during the fight scene, which were a
050
great cause of entertainment backstage.
For God, it was a completely different story
(pardon the pun). Mechanical machines flew in
Zeus to save the day and there were pillows,
fans and even a Subway meatball sub!
Soon, without anyone’s recollection of time
passing, Mr Probert announced to a stunned
audience that there were only 10 days left until
curtain up. After weeks of doing handstands,
partially learning the script and pretending to
walk downstairs behind chairs, this was the
wake-up alarm needed to get everyone
working and ACTUALLY listening. Actors
suddenly realised how much of the script they
didn’t know and started cramming feverishly.
Costumes, assigned a week before curtain
up are a palaver in themselves: students walk
around the PAC in pin-striped suits that are
too small and mustard and fuchsia flowery
numbers are always fun. Annie Eve’s costume
was a particular jewel, making eyes water
for everyone who gazed upon her. There’s
always an inevitable malfunction, from a
translucent dress to ripped trousers, and
another costume change is called for. When
Zeus was wearing his large white beard and
voluminous white wig only a glimpse of face
could be seen, so we spent hours trying to
comb and flatten it so George Young (L6, East)
could see out.
The day of the performance came.
Backstage, actors were still cramming the
night before and hastily reciting and practising
with another five minutes until curtain up,
unbeknownst to the audience. Finally, both
plays were immensely enjoyed by the audience
and, with Death’s intellectual plot and God’s
comedy script, they contrasted perfectly. The
audience pondered on the ideas of morality
and laughed at the obvious humour.
Of course, the drama department isn’t
complete without the technical team. David
Stoves (whom everyone knew after the
technical rehearsal due to Mr Probert’s
vociferous demands for lighting and sound…)
did a wonderful job, queuing the thunderbolt,
lighting and sound to perfection. On behalf
of the whole cast, I would like to thank Mr
Probert, Miss Halford and David for their
hard work before I bow out.
From top: Ricky Carey (U6, East)
and Katie Steadman (U6, South)
peer through a convincing window;
Katherine Sallabank (U6, South);
Ricky facing a serious interrogation
scene and then a violent crowd;
Ben Bradbury (U6, Monty) as
the doctor. Below: Becca Watley
(U6, South) and Abi Shore
(L6, Haslewood) look right;
Katherine holds onto Ricky
This year audiences
got two one-act ‘off
Broadway’ absurd
comedies by Woody
Allen originally
staged in the 1970s.
Mr Probert reports…
Death follows the darkly comic misadventures
of Kleinman as he is roused out of bed in the
middle of the night and recruited into a band
of vigilantes trying to track down a homicidal
maniac. Abandoned, confused and paranoid,
Kleinman is first accused of being the killer and
then becomes the murderer’s latest victim. The
play is a metaphor for how we all attempt to
find ways to cheat death.
Richard Carey (U6, East) was pitch perfect as
the hapless Kleinman possessing comic timing
without losing any of the character’s touching
vulnerability. He was well supported by a large
ensemble cast, including nicely judged cameos
by Katie Stedman (U6, South) as the old ‘voice
of doom’ Anna, Ben Bradbury (U6, Monty) as
the doctor, Catherine Sallabank (U6, South) as
Gina the love interest, and Oliver Goldsmith
(L5, East) as the policeman.
However, the greatest plaudits should be
reserved for the members of the lower fifth
who operated the screens. These two-metrehigh wheeled, black flats pirouetted around the
stage in a perfectly choreographed ballet that
at different times represented the walls of
Kleinman’s apartment, the anonymous
skyscrapers of an uncaring city or the
monolithic tombstones that await us all.
God was an altogether lighter affair but by
no means less poignant. Two ancient Greeks,
Hepatitis and Diabetes, expertly played by
Andrew Chalmers (L6, North) and Robbie
Ventham (L6, Churchill), struggle to find an
ending for their play. Philosophical questions
are raised about reality as members of the
audience and casts from other shows join
them and all looks hopeless until Trichinosis
rents them a Deus ex Machina that will allow
Zeus to fly in and save the day. Unfortunately,
the machine malfunctions, Zeus is strangled
and the play spirals into chaos, culminating in
a massed pillow fight with millions of feathers.
The production was revived for the
Leatherhead Drama Festival and nominated
for the Haughton Award for outstanding
contribution. Imogen Mahon (L6, South)
received a special commendation for her role
as Doris Levine and Robbie Ventham walked
away with the prize for Best Junior Actor.
For me, its success lay in the quality of the
ensemble: Alex Watts (L6, Surrey) suitably
Shakespearian as King Oedipus, Annabel Eve
(L6, South) as a capricious American tourist,
Wendy Fate and Henry Strudwick (L6,
Churchill), the massive and camp guard,
were a few of the highlights.
St John’s junior play performed outside goes, well, like a
dream, of course. Andrew Chalmers (L6, North) reports…
In the lower school play performed in June, Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream,
sets of lovers find out that the course of true love never did run smooth. The opening
day was met with the good fortune of sunshine. Parents and pupils alike took to
the grass at the back of the Henry Dawes centre and a feeling of expectation and
excitement was heavy in the air. Shakespeare is always a daunting task but all the
actors dealt with the added weight of the words admirably. A number of performers
really shone – Jack Neale (L5, North) was spritely and mischievous as Puck, Will Laver
(L5, Surrey) was impressive as a dark and gothic interpretation of Oberon, accompanied
by the equally dark interpretation of Titania by Katie Stuart (4F, South). The pairings of
Matthew Chalmers (L5, North) and Megan Ridge (4F, Haslewood) and Ian Alexander
(4F, North) and Sophie Evans (4F, South) were convincing and really held the narrative
together. Harry Lonsdale (L5, Montgomery) and Elisa Richards (4F, South) were regal as
Theseus and Hippolyta, and the actors were well led by Will Payne (L5, Churchill), and
Jack Simpkin (L5, North) was a highly entertaining ass! All in all, an extremely successful
performance, and thanks have to go to both Miss Halford and Mr Probert, who clearly
worked hard to get the show together.
Andrew Chalmers (L6, North)
ew
interviews his brother Matth
ying
pla
er
Chalmers (L5, North), aft
y
pla
ool
Lysander in the lower sch
d?
Q: Is performing Shakespeare har
g
A: I didn’t find it too challengin
in
ds
as, when you have the wor
are
front of you, you realise they
.
lish
not too dissimilar to modern Eng
That said, as Shakespeare is so
poetic, the smallest hiccup in
.
deliverance can be painfully obvious
Andrew Chalmers (L6, North) gives
us a new angle on the AS exam piece
Whole Blue Sky
Q: How did the performance go?
A: The play was performed in a
lovely outdoor venue behind the
Henry Dawes centre. Outside
performance has its ups and
downs though; for example,
words can easily be lost on the
wind and the audience can be
distracted by anything from a
plane to someone mowing their
lawn. I thought the atmosphere
was like a festival – the play
was a great pleasure to perform.
WITNESS
Q: What was your highlight?
A: Waking up on Friday morning
and realising I didn’t have to do
it again. It was great fun, but
exhausting!
052
Waiting to perform our AS drama
devised piece, Whole Blue Sky by
Martin Crimp, was the normal blend
of excitement and terror which
heralds the night of a show.
Our multi-media production
used the impossibly blue sky of
an incomplete jigsaw puzzle as a
visual theatrical metaphor for the
superficially perfect but hollow
relationship of a dysfunctional,
middle-class marriage.
Done in the style of the famed
director Katie Mitchell, we had
practiced for weeks to get our
performance to its best possible
standard – doubly important as we
were using a live projected image
as part of our show. Using a video
camera that we carried around on
stage, we sent a live feed through
a projector onto a big screen, so
Stephen Roberts (L6, Surrey), Annabel
Eve (L6, South) and I were able to give
the audience a second view of the
characters, controlling the camera with
precision to capture expressions that
would otherwise have been lost.
We spent the majority of the day
preparing ourselves, so we weren’t
feeling too bad. The dress rehearsal
had gone smoothly, so our confidence
had been boosted. However, no one
told the camera, which turned off five
minutes into the piece. Now we know
the true meaning of terror, as our
artistic projected image turned into
a glaring blue screen with the fateful
words ‘Camera off ’ smeared across it.
We struggled on and eventually
managed to get the camera back on
at a crucial moment. I think Stephen,
Annabel and I have emerged from
the experience better actors for it.
Abigail Shore (L6, Haslewood) reviews
the AS exam piece Ubu Rex
It was certainly obvious that both AS drama
groups had put in a huge amount of effort
with the intriguing and haunting performance
of Whole Blue Sky by Martin Crimp and the
weird and wonderful production of Ubu Rex
by Alfred Jarry.
The grotesque and absurd Ubu Rex, was a
theatrical challenge for both the students and
Mr Probert alike and covered the Performance
Arts Centre in cold beans, frankfurters and
chicken. Callum Alder, Robbie Ventham, Sophie
Kronenberg and I were inspired by the
Kneehigh Theatre Company’s boisterous
mixture of puppets, live music and story-telling.
All four of us showed absurd amounts of
energy and enthusiasm, running around the
stage in comically deceptive hand-made fat
suits and using children’s glove puppets to tell
the story of Ma and Pa Ubu’s ascension into
the monarchy with skill and originality.
Mr Probert reviews
the absurd comedy
written by A2 drama
and theatre students
In February the A2 drama and theatre studies
pupils staged Keep Calm and Carry On as
their Unit 4 devised piece. An absurd comedy
written by the cast, the play follows a day in
the working life of seven characters living in
a dystopian future where the oil has suddenly
and catastrophically run out.
As the title suggests, they attempt to carry
on as if nothing has happened, performing
endless office administrative tasks, having team
meetings, carrying out staff appraisals and
conducting fire practices, without actually doing
any real work. They are reduced to wearing
clothes and using furniture that has come from
charity shops; all internal partitions are just
taped lines on the floor and emails are hand
written post-it notes as the only electricity is
provided by a bicycle dynamo and they need
all that for the lights.
Only when a clerical error pronounces
one of the characters dead, does she begin
to question the point of her existence as she
‘wastes her life with work’. Clever, witty and
tightly scripted, the performances of Richard
Carey (East), Nathalie Kelk (Haslewood), Zoe
Rendell (Haslewood), Georgia Stedman
(South), Katie Stedman (South), Chessie
Stephenson (South) and Rebecca Wattley
(South) were both laugh-out-loud funny and
heart-breakingly poignant.
For the first time at St John’s, two lower
fifth groups showcased their GCSE end
of year devised pieces as a mock for their
practical examination. Mr Probert reports…
Miss Halford’s group were inspired by the
work of Steven Berkoff to explore the absurd
nature (a bit of a theme this year) of dating
and relationships. While Matthew Chalmers
(North), Olivia Pollock (Haslewood), Tierney
Nankeville (South) and Alex Slater (North)
were assured as the two sets of lovers, the
greatest fun was to be had following the
antics of the Chorus of otherworldly creatures
who copy and subvert the couples’ ridiculous
courtship rituals. Phoebe Baldwin, Jack Simpkins
and Lizzie Straughan were particularly watchable.
My group opted to explore
miscommunication amongst generations,
genders and professionals using the stylistic
device of limited dialogue. Basically a series
of comics sketches, highlights were Dan
Earnshaw (Churchill) and Tom Fleming
(North) in Indie and joined by Tom Gyngell
(Churchill) in Flat Coke, Jack Neale (North) in
Medication, Ryan Higgins (Churchill) in Outfit
and Holly Lafferty (Haslewood) in Text Speak.
Though this was only a trial run for next
year, all candidates showed that, had this
been their actual examination, they would
have acquitted themselves very well.
053
The St John’s summer
rock concert was a great
success due to the wide
range of talent. Not the
most publicised rock
concert ever, but it made
the atmosphere that bit
more intimate. More
heavily acoustic, we saw a
piano cover of Skinny Love
by Harry Flynn (L5, West),
It Ain’t Me Babe by
Jackson Perkins (L6, East)
and With or Without You
using a ukulele by Dan
Redfern and Stephen
Roberts (both U6, Surrey).
Leavers Pheobe Fielding
(U6, Haslewood) and
Rebecca Wattley (U6,
South) also performed in
what was the last of many
rock concerts for them.
The last half was more
upbeat with classic band
performances including
Mr Brightside and Grounds
for Divorce. Overall the
night was a huge success,
not least because of the
compering by Matt Phelan
and Dan Redfern. Well
done everyone!
Stephen Roberts and Dan
Redfern (both L6, Surrey)
The Christmas rock
concert saw a wide range
of acts from rock to blues.
The night began with
acoustic performances,
including Stephen Roberts
(L6, Surrey) and Jackson
Perkins (L6, East) who
showed off harmonies
and twin guitar rhythms.
Another highlight was Free
Falling, performed by Matt
Phelan (L6, Montgomery)
and Ali Beaumont (L6,
Haslewood), which was very
popular with the crowd.
In the second half, rock
ensembles had the crowd
cheering all the way. The
Dance Band played blues
and jazz and brought
another dimension to the
concert, including a brass
section and keyboards. The
various ensembles were
of a high standard and
performed covers of Green
Day and The Killers songs
amongst others.
sings
Phoebe Fielding (U6, Haslewood)
Sparrow School visit
School
Performaners from The Sparrow
In October, the School hosted choir members from the Sparrow School, Johannesburg,
who were on their UK tour. Sparrow pupils and teachers stayed with St John’s families and
became part of the school community during their time in Leatherhead. They performed
in assembly, ran workshops for pupils and enjoyed a visit to Brighton. The highlight of their
visit was their concert of music and dance to a packed chapel. The ‘gum boot’ dance was
particularly popular as many pupils had been taught it in the workshops previously.
Nicholas Smith, Director of Music, said: “They perform with such energy and enthusiasm
that it is impossible not to be drawn
into their performances. Some
pupils had the good fortune to
experience their workshops and
witness the beauty of their moves
first hand. I was very proud of the
chapel choir when they sang with
them during the concert.”
Jackie Gallagher, the founder of
the Sparrow School Foundation,
said: “What a life changing
experience for every Sparrow
pupil and teacher. We have had
the most incredible three days
and cannot thank St John’s
enough for their kindness and
hospitality.”
in memoriAm concert
In Memoriam was an evening of
entertainment staged in March to
raise money for the restoration
of the school war memorial.
The event began in the chapel
with a moving poem recited by
Sophie Evans (4F, South), followed
by music from Stephen Roberts
(L6, Surrey), Sophie Denman
(U6, South), Thomas Payne and
Edward Evans (both U6,
Churchill). The action moved to
the old chapel where stories
were told about four OJs killed
in action – Joseph Gedge
(1888-95), Charles Greenlees
(1904-14), John Hood (N ‘40)
and Alexander Rattray (W ‘51).
The setting was appropriate as
it contains the chancel cross and
Boer War memorial windows.
Alastair Rattray, brother of
Alexander, made the evening
extra special by bringing details
of his brother’s military career,
including the MC awarded in
Korea in November1952.
The audience was then taken
to the Performing Arts Centre
Performing in An
tigone
where powerful poetry and drama
on the theme of voices of the past
was performed by pupils, including
Andrew Chalmers (L6, North) and
Rickey Carey (U6, East). Following
this, the St John’s Choral Society and
members of the choir performed
Puccini’s Messa di Gloria alongside
soloists Alexander Pratley and OJ
Thomas Elwin (W ’04). The night
concluded with drinks
in the dining hall where
remarkable artwork by the
lower fifth and an exhibition
mounted by school archivist
Sally Todd were displayed.
The evening was a massive
success with just under
£3,000 raised to go towards
restoring the war memorials.
centre for the unemployed and homeless.
In November, at the Service of
Remembrance, the whole school gathered
around the war memorial on the quad to
remember those fallen in conflicts and an
inspiring sermon was given by the Revd Phil
Parker, the chaplain of Cranleigh School.
Our spirits were often raised as the
choir sang in excellent voice this year
and led numerous services, including
four versions of the memorable
Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols to
celebrate Christmas – a rich conclusion
to the calendar year.
The highlight of the new year was
welcoming Revd Canon Ted Goodyer
as our Lent visitor. It was a special
honour as Revd Goodyear sent three
ols
of his four children to St John’s and his
Festival of Nine Lessons and Car
son Peter Goodyer was housemaster
of West until 2010. Ted preached at our
Ash Wednesday Eucharist on how Lent is
From the outset, the chapel has not only
a time for making space for God, thereby
been the foundation of worship and
allowing his love to surface in our lives
reflection at St John’s but also the venue
and community. Ted also attended religious
for back-to-back services and events that
studies lessons and watched drama and
demonstrate the school’s pastoral care and
sport before giving his final sermon on
artistic talent. The first Sunday service was
the first Sunday in Lent.
very moving due to its coincidence with
At the final service of term, we
the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 bombings
welcomed back Revd Patrick King (OJ ‘03)
in the United States. Next came Choral
to preach. Patrick was a Foundationer and
Evensong and Harvest Festival, which
is now the Assistant Curate of Dorchester,
saw a bounty of harvest produce that
after being ordained a couple of years ago.
was donated to Pit Stop, the local drop-in
Remembering them
Main picture: Rickey Carey and
Andrew Chalmers perform in the PAC.
Above: Art by the lower fifth was
mounted in the dining room
Chapel life
Top: Baptism and Confirmation service.
Above: The choir sings at Christmas
The school year finished with three events:
the service for Baptism and Confirmation,
when candidates, including housemistress
of South House, Miss Whittingham, were
confirmed or baptised; Choral Evensong for
the Foundation; and the OJ Sunday Eucharist.
Tom Hedger (L6, Surrey)
055
Graphic communications Ellie Blazye (L5, Haslewood)
SPORT
A year of variation and depth
The sporting highlight of the year was when the U16 7’s squad were
crowned County Champions, beating KCS Wimbledon, Dulwich
College and John Fisher along the way. Also, when the 1st VII netball
side came second in the county competition and four athletes –
Charlotte Groves (U6, Haslewood),Yuri Mohylnytsky-Ingham (L6,
Surrey), Matt Szepietowski (U5, Montgomery) and Dylan CarlssonSmith (4F, West) – were crowned County Champions in their events.
Sophie Cordery (U6, South) set the standard at the start of the
academic year becoming the Junior Ladies British Cable Wakeboard
National Champion – a highly impressive feat. Jamie Harvey (L5, West)
proved his worth competing in the National Biathlon Championships.
A number of others have also gained representative honours (see p94).
The most poignant moment of the year was when the three senior
rugby sides of St John’s and Reeds joined arms for a minute of silence
in memory of Julian Smith (father of Johnian Charlie and an Old
Reedonian). In that minute, all the positives that sport offers came
to the fore. There were few dry eyes on the touchline.
I commend the pupils for their hard work and thank the parents who
have supported us through sun, wind, rain and snow. I would also like to
thank the support staff, from the ground staff to the caterers, for their
tireless efforts – and we have the best chocolate cake on the circuit!
Mr Platt, Head of Sport
013
RUGBY
Captains round up highlights
from each team’s season
1st XV
The team suffered both heartbreaking last minute defeats, leaving us
with those ‘if only’ moments, and exhilarating last-minute victories.
During the first game of the season against St Paul’s we were forced
to absorb consistent onslaughts from a dangerous back row and
center partnership. After a heads up play by Charlie Smith (U6, Surrey)
to rip the ball away midway through a tackle, we were able to score
a try. This set the tempo for the rest of the game with front row
Harrsion Bricker (U6 East), Josh Campling (L6, Churchill) and Ollie
Metcalfe (U6, Churchill) dominating their opposite men, allowing
us to come to a 19-10 victory.
We were unable to carry our form into the next two matches.
During the home opener against Cranleigh, the backs made mistakes
in defense and the forwards, although largely on top in the scrum,
were unable to establish clean lineout ball. Despite Josh Howe’s
(U6, Churchill) ability from the kicking tee, soft tries ultimately cost
us the game. The following week saw a similar result against King’s
Canterbury. A lack of intensity in the first 10 minutes put us in a tough
position going into halftime. Despite a brave second half performance
we had given ourselves too much to do and the game was lost.
Next we faced Brighton College and, despite scoring an impressive
three tries, we were not as clinical as we should have been. With two
minutes to go victory was within our grasp, however Brighton were
able to get a turnover and scored after time expired. This loss was
The 1st XV perform
a textbook line-out
against Brighton College
Sean Kiff
(U6, Churchill)
demonstrates a
perfectly executed
line-out
heartbreaking and stayed with us for the rest of the season. After strong
words in the changing room we vowed that this would be the low point.
True to our word the team bounced back and after a gruelling week of
training put in a solid team performance to defeat Merchant Taylors 31-5.
The following week presented a huge challenge against RGS. The
opening exchanges demonstrated the scoring ability of both teams
but we came out on top at half time whistle. An injury to Ollie Metcalfe
early in the second half saw the game stop for over 30 minutes. RGS
came back with renewed vigor, kicking a penalty that put them in the
lead. Sustained pressure from Josh Howe slotted the penalty to put us
up and set up another tense finish. We won 17-15.
After half-term the team struggled to regain form with scrappy victories
against Haileybury and Reeds but showed true class against KCS Wimbledon
– forward dominance allowed the backline to unleash the skill that had
been threatening all year, with every member getting on the score board.
Josh Ould (L6, Churchill) and Charlie Smith (U6, Surrey) scored braces
on their wings while Joe Moriarty’s (U6, North)opening minute try set the
standard for the rest of the game. The match finished with a 53-12 win,
giving the boys huge amounts of confidence. At the Epsom match, despite
dominating the second half, we had given ourselves too much to do due
to early errors. The season ended with a trip to Eastbourne College.
Although on top for the majority of the game, a lack of clinical finishing in
the ‘red zone’ allowed Eastbourne to level the scores with just minutes to
play. Despite valiant attempts to cross the line the game ended 15-15.
This season was immensely enjoyable. Up front Harrison Bricker,
Alex Perrett (L6, North), Ollie Metcalfe and Josh Campling gave the
opposition problems in the scrum and had good all-round ball carrying
abilities. Their highlight was the victory over St Paul’s. In the second row,
Sean Kiff (U6, Churchill) was dominant in the air and meant we rarely
lost a line out, while Jake Jolley (U6, West) was one of our most effective
ball carriers in broken play. In the back row, Sam Cordery (U6, East) was
a terrier at the breakdown and seemed to be all over the pitch, whilst
Chris Klintworth (U6, East) and James Lander (U6, Surrey) provided the
battering rams to breakdown defense. Guy Luscombe’s (L6, West) game
management was crucial in the demolition of KCS Wimbledon while
Josh Howe’s boot kept the scoreboard ticking over. In the centers, Joe
Moriarty and George Parry (U6, Monty) were a huge physical presence
with Joe smashing through the opposition and George’s hits. In the back
three we were spoilt for choice and, despite early injuries to Dan
Johnson (U6, Churchill) and Ben Brooks (L6, Churchill), never became a
weakness. Charlie Smith and Josh Ould showed their deadly combination
of speed and power on the wing. Josh finished as top try scorer, while
Myles Nuttall (L6, North) had a knack of picking the right line to slice
through a defense. Thanks to Mr Platt and Mr Eales for their support.
Mr Platt deserves a special mention for wearing his ‘lucky waterproofs’
no matter what the weather, while none of us will ever forget Mr Eales
prowling the sidelines giving us instructions. Iain Sexton (U6, East)
2nd XV
We had a tough start to the season against St Pauls – we held them for
much of the game but as we grew tired we shipped a number of tries.
The team galvanised itself and started to play some really good rugby,
which resulted in an inspiring 30-27 win against a strong Cranleigh side.
In the following match against Kings Canterbury, we had a decisive
victory 22-5, with Joe Moriarty (U6, North) at the forefront leading the
team with his ferocious defence. Unfortunately, the team did not contine
this good form against a well-organised Brighton College side. They
capitalised on our mistakes in defence and we could not convert what
little possession we had into points. Our next encounter was a difficult
away match at Merchant Taylors where we dominated them in both
attack and defence, winning quick ball
that allowed our wingers to score all
4 tries to win the game 24-7. We lost
3-12 against RGS but the team
displayed skill and determination
with fast-flowing rugby and a strong
physical presence by the forwards.
After half term, the physically
imposing Haileybury side crashed over
our line twice before the half time
whistle blew. The second half brought
about an entirely different approach
and we showed some spark in
attack – we couldn’t convert all our
chances but finished strongly and
secured victory. The following week
saw us face a determined Reed’s
side, where despite the greater
The 1st XV set up for a scrum against Brighton College
share of the ball, we squandered many a chance with ‘white line fever’,
meaning we went into half time only 10-7 ahead. The second half
brought two penalties from Ryan Baynes (L6, Monty). The final score
16-12 did not reflect our sheer dominance but did highlight our inability
to capitalise on opportunities. This was to plague us and led to a number
of nail-biting finishes when we ought to have been further away from
the opposition on the scoreboard.
The KCS match saw a slow start but we soon scored two wellworked tries and, after yet more poor handling errors, went into half
time up. We were not prepared for the ferocious response from KCS
but it brought out our best and we played the best five minutes of
rugby all season, resulting in Elliot Bairstow (U6, Surrey) crashing over
the line at the end of a number of phases in which everyone played
their part. However we could not convert this fine try to win the match.
The local derby against Epsom College saw heroic defence so we only
went into half time 5-3 down. The second half was evenly matched and
we went into the last five minutes 15-12 up but were defending the
try line for the majority of the time. After a number of attempts they
managed to score in the dying moments. It was a tremendous effort of
which the team should be proud, played in fine spirit and a real advert
for schoolboy rugby. The last game of the season against Eastbourne
College saw some great rugby, although the score line read 14-10, it did
not reflect how much we dominated the game. It was a fine way to end
the season and a great credit to our coaches, Mr Noble and Mr Smith.
Matt Swabey (U6, East)
3rd XV
A skillful squad of players combined with passionate coaching from
Mr Sartorius and Miss Rawlings meant we were in a position to achieve
an outstanding season. The physically imposing pack, with Curtis (U6,
Monty) and Bucknell (U6, West) to name a few, meant that often the
ball did not venture far beyond the scrum half, as another crash ball
was called with devastating consequences for the opposition. On so
many occasions the opposition was left helpless when the ‘special’
lineout call was made and a stampeding Bucknell and Curtis appeared
on the horizon, smashing through and going over the opposition try line.
Further into the season, the pace and skill in the backs, alongside the
infamous Tim Whybrow (L6, Surrey) side step caused problems for
the opposition. Dom Maddison (U6, Churchill), who despite being the
shortest person, put in fearless defensive work that allowed us to defeat
strong sides such as Epsom. This season was one of the most successful
as we only lost two games. Special credit must be given to Rupert Bagge
(U6, West), who helped me captain the team, and Fergus Lupton (L6,
Churchill), Ali Simpson (L6, West), Luke Clark (L6, East) and Matthew
Bannister (U6, Surrey) who kicked consistently. Ed Oliver (L6, Churchill)
4th XV
The 4th XV had a mixed season, with some emphatic victories and a
few disappointing defeats. We had a relatively young team, made up
predominantly of lower sixth pupils, yet we worked together well and
put in some outstanding performances. Notable individual performances
include Matt Beevor’s defensive work against Eastbourne and George
Kelting’s hat trick of tries against King’s Canterbury. Unfortunately we
lost key players early on the season, such as James Arman who broke
his collar bone in the second match. Yet the team was able to bounce
back and gel together well. This was evident in the final game of the
season against Eastbourne. Having lost 31-5 to Eastbourne earlier in
the season, it was a chance for some of the upper sixth to play their
last rugby match for St John’s. The forwards were well led in the front
row by Nicholas Robinson (L6, West) and Matt Phelan (L6, Monty),
and Jamie Szepietowski (L6, Monty) commanded the back line. The
team put in an exceptional performance and came out eventual
winners: 36-17. Thanks to our coaches, Mr Kidd and Mr Davies, who
kept us motivated throughout the season. James Gracey (L6, West)
059
U16A
The team showed talent, however on several occasions our defence was
weak and allowed the opposition to score easy and soft tries, which made
it more difficult for us to get back into the match. We were always seen as
a threat in attack, with Cameron Cowell (U5, West) as leading try scorer,
and this often meant that we could score the vital tries to bring us back
into the game. For the size of our players we did exceed expectation and,
against KCS Wimbledon, we showed that we could play incredibly well.
Unfortunately the results did not go our way this season but this does not
reflect the effort that everybody put in. Gabriel Vantaggiato (U5, West)
U16B
The team had a tough season against some strong opposition. However
we maintained an excellent sense of teamwork and commitment to
what, at times, felt like an uphill struggle. The early season fixtures were
not easy and the results reflected this, nonetheless progression on
defence was made relatively quickly through vigorous training sessions
and Josh Stainer (U5, Surrey) was able to lead by example scoring some
exceptional tries. Mr Hughes’ philosophy is that you have to fall heavy
to make improvements and this was slightly difficult to get our heads
around, but the final game of the season showed to us just what this
meant. The win against Eastbourne College was hard fought and two
months prior we would have given up as we conceded the first try. James
Gray lifted spirits with an epic try, Matt Hill (U5, North), Ethan Pooley (U5,
Surrey) and Ollie Linington (U5, North) stayed solid in the forwards and
the game was won 15-10. The season taught us to show grit and not give
up, no matter how bad the situation. Players of note were Matt Hill, Guy
Davis (U5, Churchill), James Gray (U5, North) and Jack Butt (U5, Monty).
Special congratulations go to Player of the Season Josh Stainer (U5, Surrey),
who scored over half the season’s points. Cameron Sperrin (U5, Surrey)
Rob Grieve had a good season scoring eight tries. A big thank you goes to
Mr Davidson and Tommy C who coached us. Ross McCafferty (U5, West)
U15A
The under 15 A team enjoyed a season of highs and lows. The amount
of injuries were a real hindrance in the quest to have a high win-to-lose
ratio. The early loss of Will Mead and Ed Stait (both L5, East) made for a
poor start to the season and the team was not able to keep a consistent
intensity and pace to their game. This led to losses against Brighton,
KCS and Kings Canterbury but we managed to get it together against
arch rivals Epsom College – we knew we wanted the win. The match
was close with a back-and-forth scoring pattern but we managed to
come out victorious. We also kept it together against the Merchant
Taylor School – the supreme partnership of Ed Stait and Dimil Patel
(L5, Monty) led to us coming back in the second half from trailing by 24
points to win 24-28. All in all the season was rather average, the highlight
was beating Epsom College. I hope that next season we will be more
successful and without injury. Tom Gyngell (L5, Churchill)
U15B
The U15B team had a successful season this year, winning eight out of
eleven matches, with great wins against King’s Canterbury and Brighton
College, both 62-0. The highlight of the season was undoubtedly the
closely contested win over Epsom at 34-31. Cameron Galloway (L5, West)
went over dramatically in the last minute to score the winning try. By the
end of the season, 17 players had scored with the top try-scorer being
James Long (L5, West) who scored nine tries, four of which were in one
game against Brighton College. Jacob Chapman (L5, West) scored eight
and Freddie Feltham (L5, Surrey), who did not play all his games in the B
team, got six. The season was riddled with injuries, with many boys being
pulled into the A team; nevertheless, many C team players also stepped
up to the mark and helped make this a memorable season. Special thanks
go to coaches Miss Byfield and Mr King. Jacob Chapman (L5, West)
U15C
Following a slow start, the team began to see improvements in
performance. We lost the first couple of games due to poor passing
and handling errors, as well as a lack of fitness. After training hard we
had five consecutive wins. Against Merchant Taylors we began to show
our strength and win every ruck and scrum. This helped the backs get
the ball out to the very quick wingers, who managed to convert many
tries throughout the season. Against the strong RGS side our defence
was pivotal and characters shone through as we battled hard – it was
the best performance of the season. Despite many changes the team
adapted well and we won our remaining matches, particularly our last
game against Eastbourne, which we won 57-0. Overall we won seven
and lost three matches. Thanks to our coaches Mr Vargas and Mr
Mooney for enabling us to have such an enjoyable season.
Matthew Monk (L5, West) and Harry Lonsdale (L5, Montgomery)
U16C
Having heavily lost our first two games, we wanted to show our true
potential. Lovely moves from the backs and an outstanding performance
in the forwards secured our first win as we smashed King’s Canterbury
38-14. After a two-week break we felt refreshed going into the game
against RGS Guildford but lost 31-21. However the score does not show
the ferociousness of this match. Jack Butt and George Stevens (U5, West)
made crucial tackles to keep us in the game and Rob Grieve (U5, Monty)
scored a well-worked try. The boys were mentally drained but had to
prove themselves against Haileybury and won 31-24. It was a close game
and a last-minute try from George Stevens made sure we won and built
momentum for our next match against Reeds. By the end of the match
against Reeds we were throwing everything we had at them but narrowly
lost 34-33. We knew we had to perform better against well respected side
KCS but conceded two tries in minutes and never recovered, the final
score being 36-14. Even though our momentum was falling, our never-saydie attitude was strong and the boys were fired up ahead of the game
against local rivals Epsom. Epsom ran in three times before we could
even get one score on the board. Daniel Mullin (U5, Churchill)ran in a
well-earned try but three players were lost to the B team due to injuries.
Rob Grieve scored again in the second half but three more players were
lost to injury and we finished with 12 players. The last game was against
Eastbourne and, with Tommy C (our Gappie coach) flying back to Australia
the next day, we had to win. We delivered a comfortable 26-5 victory. Tries
came from George Stevens, Andrew Floyd (U5, Monty) and Rob Grieve,
with James Courtney (U5, Churchill) converting most of them. Overall,
U15D
Our team spirit and togetherness were put to the test when our season
started on the back foot with two consecutive losses, one a particularly
crunching 32-0 against St Paul’s. This only strengthened the glue between
the U15Ds and, coming out of a miniature three-week ‘retirement’ of
cancelled matches, the team showed their worth with a nail-bitingly
close game against RGS Guildford, which we won 24-22. Harry Stevens’
(L5, North) exceptional kicking boot closed the gap countless times and
Chris Roberts’ (L5, Monty) seemingly indestructible stamina at center
held the team high. We fell back into a win-drought after this, suffering
the same fate as many other lower-order teams by losing strong players
U14B
We had a terrific season with one loss against Epsom but nine victories.
We formed well as a team with excellent spirit and this led to success.
A game to be highlighted was against Brighton with a final score of 27-0;
there was outstanding play from Ben Wadsted (4F, Monty) and Henry
Carrick (4F, North). The whole team had an intense effort rate, which
was helped by the coaches. James Bell (4F, Montgomery)
U14C
to higher teams. This left us thread-bare in the forwards and led to three
losses in a row, much to the dismay of Mr Phillips our coach. Five losses
in a seven game season is enough to put off the bravest of teams but
we were lions at the last match against Eastbourne, dominating them
with a 63-17 scoreline. Not the most victorious of seasons but some
persistent talking-tos by Mr Phillips, as well as some strong performances
by the captain, meant we had the right mentality – and that’s all that
matters. Sam Slater (L5, Montgomery)
U14A
Captain Niall Saunders (4F, West) led us to victory and by the end of
a tough season we had only lost three matches. At the beginning we
played as individual people, which made it hard for us to win, but by
the end we had started to play together and could second guess what
every person would do, moving the ball quickly down the line to the
wing, then switching the side we pass to, which made it difficult for
opposition teams to set up an effective defensive line. We had convincing
victories over Cranleigh and RGS Guildford. Against the latter we won
24-7, which was our best score of the season, with excellent tries from
James Rendell (4F, East), Douw Styger (4F, West) and Nick Hoare (4F,
Churchill) and Callum van Beveren (4F, East). Throughout the year Nick
Hoare and Douw Styger stood out because of their desire to win every
game whatever the odds. Nick has great ability to break the opposition
line and score and Douw’s ferocious tackling made sure we kept the ball
at a ruck. Mr Passam (Coach)
RUGBY SEVENS
1st VII
The season opened with a tournament
at Reeds. After encouraging
performances in the group stages,
including a 26-7 defeat of The
Reading Oratory, mistakes cost us
our first knockout game against the
host. The squad was disappointed
not to have won this tournament as
we had beaten the team that went
on to win it, however we showed
our attacking prowess and ability to
score. The following week saw us
compete in the Reigate Sevens.
We won against Filton College and
Victoria College but lost our first
knockout game to Cranleigh.
The following tournament at
Worth saw a change in fortune
with strong performances in the
group stages, including victories
over Wimbledon College and
Eastbourne. After a few minutes of
our quarter final, Caterham were
forced to withdraw due to injuries.
A challenging semi-final against
Tonbridge followed. Despite the
odds being stacked against us, we
dominated and emerged as victors
35-17. In the final we played
Brighton and came back from an
early deficit to within one score.
Alas it was not enough and we
had to settle for being runners
up. Cameron Cowell (U5, West),
Myles Nuttall (L6, North) and Guy
Luscombe (L6, West) should all be
congratulated for their efforts.
We travelled to the Surrey
Sevens hoping for another piece
of silverware. Over confidence saw
us lose to Dulwich College, which
made progressing difficult and,
despite improved performances in
the rest of our group games, we
were forced to settle for a place
in the plate competition. Good
performances against Emanuel
and Wimbledon College saw us
progress to the final where we
played RGS Guildford. However
the squad, depleted by injuries, was
unable to match the standards we
Coached by Mr Johnston-Jones and Mr Lotsu, we enjoyed a fantastic
season, winning eight out of 10 matches and averaging over 40 points a
game. Typically, we started our matches so strongly that we did not allow
the opponents to settle, scoring tries and putting in big tackles from the
first whistle. The forwards rucked effectively, making a lot of ground and
allowing the backs plenty of space. Even after conceding points (which
did not happen often) our heads did not go down, which enabled us
to score 433 points and only concede 70. Every member of the team
played his part but special mention should go to Jonny Coekin (4F,
North), Joel Monk (4F, Monty), Aidan de Forrest-Brown (4F, West) and
Ayo Babatunde (4F, East), who courageously sacrificed his shoulder for
the good of the team, making a try-saving tackle against a gigantic
Merchant Taylors’ forward. Well done to all! Angus King (4F, Churchill)
U14D
The U14 D’s had a respectable season this year, winning 4 games out of
8 especially in beating our main rivals Epsom College 26-17. We started
the season well beating Cranleigh 26-7 and Kings Canterbury 51-0.
However after losing two key players we were forced to reshuffle our
squad, this unsettled us slightly as we then lost the next 4 matches out
of 5. However, I feel that our season was successful even if some of the
results didn’t look too great. Special mentions to Luke Agace (4F, West),
Matt Fidler (4F, East) and Tom Glasscock (4F, North) for great
performances during all the matches. Joe Spires (4F, North)
U14E
We played Merchant Taylors at home and started shakily and the
opposition took full advantage of our weakness. They scored tries thick
and fast. We had a troubling start but after half time we changed our
attitude. The inspirational team talk made us score our only try and a
good conversion got us 5 points. There was some great tackling by Kijin
Moon and a great set up by David Li (both 4F, Churchill). Unfortunately,
our fight back was too late and so we lost our only match of the season
5-52; but the team showed great spirit and sportsmanship after the end
of the game. Alex Zahra (4F, Churchill)
had set earlier in the tournament.
At the Rosslyn Park Tournament,
a good performance against Kelly
College was marred by a poor
performance against Eastbourne in
which we scraped a draw. This put
the group up for grabs and knowing
that it could come down to tries
scored, we racked up an impressive
67 points against Queen’s Taunton.
Despite some nervy moments we
beat Kelly College 19-7 and sealed
our place in the knockout stages.
However, in our first game of the
second day we lost to Brighton
College. The sevens season was
immensely successful and a bright
future for St John’s sevens is likely.
Iain Sexton (U6, East)
U16
At the Surrey tournament we
comfortably won our group, scoring
94 points in total against Freemen’s
and Wallington. In the finals, we
defeated Dulwich College in the
quarters, with a golden try in extra
time from Cameron Cowell, and
John Fisher in the semis to meet
KCS Wimbledon in the finals. As
the under dogs there was little
pressure and we played our best
game of the tournament to win
by a conversion. The highlight was
seeing prop Adrian Van Der Ploeg
(U5, Churchill) producing a side
step on the half way line to run the
pitch and score. Next came the
Rosslyn Park National Sevens. We
turned up to concrete grounds on
a boiling hot day knowing little
about the teams. We lost the first
match, which meant chances of
qualification were small. In case it
came down to a points difference,
we proceeded to score 138 points
in the remaining three matches but
failed to qualify. Man of the season
is Cameron Cowell for scoring a
third of the tries. Finally, thanks to
our coaches and supporters.
Sam Cordery (U5, East)
061
FOOTBALL
Season reports from all football
teams. The highs and lows, wins and
losses and exceptional performances
Jamie Kiff (U5, Churchill) barks instructions at his defensive
wall to ward off the opponents free-kick
1st XI
A young 1st XI had a good season, which saw us develop and improve,
as the season went on. Our first a2om League game was against
Sevenoaks where we started very well with Ryan Grant (U6, North)
netting an early goal within the first minute of the match. About ten
minutes later Myles Nuttall (L6, North) poked the ball past the
Sevenoaks’ keeper after a great cross from the right-hand side by Josh
Frost (L6, North). On the stroke of half time the opposition were
awarded a controversial penalty kick, which they converted, meaning that
we went in at half time 2-1 up, however the opposition had momentum.
Half way through the second half Josh Howe (U6, Churchill) scored from
twenty-five yards out, putting the ball straight into the top corner. A late
consolation goal however saw the final score end in a 3-2 victory to us.
Another tremendous result in our season came against St Paul’s
where we completely out played them on their home territory. This
Saturday against St Paul’s School was a tremendous match to play in.
Once again we started very strongly, resulting in St John’s being 2-0 up
within the first ten minutes. The game then evened out however we
went into half time leading 2-0. St Paul’s came out strongly in the second
half however a lovely flowing move saw Myles Nuttal play in Ryan
Grant who placed the ball with the outside of his right boot into the
top corner. We began to look in total control, until the last ten minutes
where St Paul’s started to attack freely, resulting in them getting a goal
back from a corner. As things go they got another goal straight after to
place a huge amount of pressure on us, however we managed to hold
on and get a historic 3-2 victory.
Overall the second half of our season was successful and resulted in
us being unbeaten. The whole team bonded throughout the season and
significant cohesion could be seen in certain matches. Mentions must
go to Sean Kiff (U6, Churchill) who controlled the defence and was
dominant both in the air and in long range passing. Young Timmy Jackson
(U5, Monty), along with Craig Bonnar (U5, North) had excellent seasons
and St John’s should expect high level of performances next year from
these two. Ryan Grant led the strike force well, with good support
from Myles Nuttal. Edward Gough (L6, Monty)had tremendous time
occupying a plethora of positions; Ryan Baynes (L6, Monty) is probably
our most consistent and most improved player of the season as his
control and aerial ability was always evident along with his composure
on the ball. Josh Howe displayed large amounts of confidence in his
dribbling and striking of the ball, as well as his array of passing. Jamie Kiff
(U5, Churchill) had an excellent debut season with a number of great
reaction saves, along with Charlie Smith’s (U6, Surrey) coordination
which was second to none.
For me, football has been a highlight of my school career and I am
honoured to have played with people who will be lifelong friends. First
team football at St John’s School will always be close to my heart!
Robbie Heald (U6, Churchill)
2nd XI
The 2nd team this season had a really mixed bag of results, with soaring
highs and crushing lows both rearing their heads at some point during
the season. Undoubtedly the worst match for us was the away fixture
at Harrow where we were comfortably beaten. However the way
the team reacted in the second half
and subsequently recovered from this
disappointment over the rest of the
season, was a mark of the great team
spirit which we had. Fantastic results
followed with thrashing victories against
Sevenoaks and The Oratory through great
performances from the side’s attacking
trio after a bold move from Mr Simkins
to switch to 4-4-3! Perhaps the most
memorable result was when the side came
back from 4-1 down with 15 minutes to
go to draw 4-4 against Haileybury in a
fantastic encounter that really summed up
the team ethic. Overall it was a brilliant
season which holds some great memories
to look back on in years to come.
case as we were the only unbeaten side in the school for the year. The
most notable matches were at Harrow and St Pauls. At Harrow, we
faced a very strong side, which had the ability to counter at any minute.
St Johns pushed through and thanks to the goal of the season by Callum
Alder (L6, Churchill), we fantastically beat the side 1-0. The game against
St Pauls was also a feisty encounter which finished 1-1. Special mentions
must go to James Arman (L6, West) in goal who pulled off some
outstanding saves which kept us right in the game. The side was
constantly fluttered with injuries and changes up and down sides. Yet the
introduction of players such as Tawonga Simeza (U6, East) gave such
strength to the side, he provided the team with a huge asset thanks to
his pace on the wing. So too Sam Bunyan (U6, Churchill) in defence who
was rock solid all season and strengthened the back 4 with his
experience and capability on the ball.
It was a special season for me personally and I’d like to thank everyone
who represented the side. Dom Higgitt (U6, West)
4th XI
The 4th XI had a very successful season this year, ending with five
victories and three narrow defeats: a very impressive set of results
against some very strong opposition. Congratulations to all who
represented the 4ths, but particular mention must go to the upper sixth
formers who made the team what it was. Fergus Carrick (North) was an
excellent captain and joining him in a scary midfield were Andrew Smith
(North) and Jack Rowbotham (East). Without these midfield dynamos
brilliantly complementing each other, the team would have fallen apart;
what was particularly impressive was the way all three of them refused
to be intimidated- even against some fairly vigorous opponents! This
brings us onto the highlight of the season, a great victory 4-3 against a
spirited Hampton team. In fact, we ended the term strongly, also putting
in a defensive master-class at St Paul’s to hang on to a 1-0 win. Overall
this season was a good one for a team who tackled every game with
passion and enthusiasm. Top scorer was Jonny Denley (L6, Monty) with
seven goals. Fergus Carrick (U6, North)
5th XI
We had a mixed season results wise under the fantastic management of
Miss Byfield and superb captaincy of Jamie Gibson (L6, Surrey), recording
two wins and two defeats, but showing a lot of heart and determination
in the process, the highlight being a 6-1 victory over The Oratory in our
first match. In defence we were solid whilst the midfield was driven by
fantastic performances by Andrew James (L6, North), providing a stable
base for James Stewart (L6, West) and Fred Bliss (L6, Monty) to attack
with flair and skill. Overall a good season for a team which from the first
whistle to the last showed desire and passion to control matches whilst
playing with good attacking intent. James Gibson (L6, Surrey)
U16A
The beginning of term saw the squad energetic and excited at the
prospect of how the season would treat us. In our first match against
Sevenoaks we showed that we could hold together in the face of
adversity, by securing a 2-1 victory. In many ways this set the tone for
the rest of the season with similar performances displayed in matches
against Tonbridge (1-0) and RGS Guildford in which we played up a year
3rd XI
Coming into my final year of football at
St Johns I was honoured to captain the
3rd XI. With a strong side and a bunch of
individual talents, it shaped up to be a good
season from the offset. This was indeed the
volley
North) lines up a
Ryan Grant (U6,
Pascal Sedgwick
(U6, Monty)
063
the law) meant that almost every ball which
floated into the box was his (even if it meant four
people were in the way!).
U15A
We had a mixed season losing five games and
winning four. Our season kicked off against
Sevenoaks where, after a slow start, we managed
to produce a thrilling comeback to win 4-3
thanks to Archie Breakspear (L5, West) coming
off the bench and putting in a man of the match
performance and also Ross Macfarlane (L5,
North) who scored twice. The next week was
a disappointing loss to Harrow although the boys
showed good spirit after going 2-0 down after
just 90 seconds. However we bounced back
against The Oratory and managed to grind out
a hard earned victory. After a three week break
due to weather and half term, our first game back
was against Tonbridge, which we knew would be
Robbie Heald (U6, Churchill)
Heading the ball
a tough fixture. The team played very well and
clear
only lost out in the final quarter of the game, due
to a solid defensive display by
the back four and Tom Fleming (L5, North) in
and managed to retain a 1-0 victory with a contender for ‘goal of the
goal, where Tonbridge’s superior fitness began
season’ from Jack Hames (U5, North). We suffered defeats at the hands
to tell. Our next outing was on the St John’s 1st
of Haileybury (4-2), Hampton (1-0) and St Paul’s (2-1). The defeat that
XI pitch against Haileybury where we enjoyed a
highlighted our inexperience came in the 5-1 loss to Harrow, in which
3-1 win with Matthew Monk (L5, West) putting
our inability to control the play saw us suffer heavily. Our season was
in another solid performance at right back.
epitomised by a (2-0) win away at The Oratory. On a cold and wet day
Confidence was high after our win but we got
we faced tough opponents who greeted us with strong challenges and
a little complacent against a strong opposition
a never-say-die attitude. In spite of this, we rallied together and came
in St Paul’s but were still unlucky not to get
away with the result. The team’s top scorer was Gabriel Vantaggiato
something out of the game. We did however
(U5, West), with a total of four goals, coming in the first three games
manage to end the season on a high against
of the season. Adrian van der Ploeg (U5, Churchill) remained solid in
Christ’s Hospital, with a solid 4-1 victory in
goal throughout the season, saving two penalties and keeping out the
which the whole team performed well. Special
opposition. Josh Stainer (U5, Surrey) and Craig Bonnar (U5, North) also
mention goes to player of the season Ross
marshalled the midfield well, often dictating play and allowing the team
Macfarlane who played well scoring and assisting
to use the abundance of pace at its disposal. Miles Dolman (U5, East)
throughout the season, Dimil Patel (L5, Monty)
who was solid in front of the defence but also
in attack with a non-stop work rate and to
We had a mixed season but even if we lost we gave it our all and were
Matthew Monk who was a key player in the
committed until the final minute. Our first game was a memorable one.
defence and performed consistently well all
The opposition referee played a whole 45 minutes each way, even
season. Ed Stait (L5, East)
though it was quite clear that our fitness was not yet up to standard by
the 20th minute! Laurence Cook (U5, Surrey) was captain until he was
poached by the U16As and then Harry Alcock (U5, churchill) became
The season began with a close game against
captain. With a formidable 3-5-2 or 3-2-2-1-2 formation we often
Sevenoaks and this encounter seemed to set the
confused the opposition teams. Other notable mentions were Oliver
tone for the season ahead. Many of the games
Jenkins and Cameron Sperrin (both U5, Surrey) who played solidly at
were toughly contested and not once was the
the back and also to James Courtney (U5, Churchill) who played almost
team fully out played. Despite having a tough
in every position and ended up as the striker. James Thynne (U5, Surrey)
fixture list with teams such as Harrow and
was the top goal scorer of the season and was certainly the super sub.
Hampton, St John’s were able to post a season with a positive win to
Sam Cordery (U5, East) had a storming season in goal and opposition
loss ratio, including a fair share of draws. The highlight of the season was
strikers were in fear of him when he ran out to collect the ball. His
the seven goal thriller versus Wellington, with St John’s winning 5-2 and
steadfast determination and brute strength (and his interpretation of
Freddie Feltham (L5, Surrey) scoring 4 in the first 10 minutes. Despite
many consistent players in the squad, Sam Grob (L5, East) was player
of the season for his genius in attack, and dog-like spirit in defence.
Tom Gardner (L5, Montgomery)
U16B
U15B
U15C
The season was a frustrating one but we managed to play some good
football at times. Our game against Harrow was excellent and, two nil up
with ten minutes left, it was a pity that we could not hold on. We played
brilliantly against Haileybury and at times we fought well at Hampton.
Max Bain (L5, Churchill) and Jack Neale (L5, North) were excellent
players for us throughout the season. If Coughlan (L5, Churchill) had
stayed fit for the season I think we would have won more games
because he was very dangerous as a striker and finished clinically.
U15D
George Parry (U6, Montgomery) pulls off a risky slide tackle in the box to
avoid conceding a goal, with goalie Jamie Kiff (U5, Churchill) ready to save
064
The first match was an important event for the U15Ds. We were playing
a strong opposition with a good winning record; Harrow. Unfortunately
we were hindered by many injuries and absentees through illness. Five
minutes before kick-off we still did not have a full team! Rescue came
in the form of volunteers who had just completed a hockey match.
We managed a presentable 1-0 loss. Rising from this rocky start we
developed as a hard-working team full of togetherness, and once
established we continued to gel well throughout the season.
In each game we endeavoured to chase every ball, work hard as a
team and show the true St John’s spirit. This was rewarded in our game
against Sevenoaks. With the team in high spirits and hungry for a win, we
kicked off; early in the game it was evident that our higher overall fitness
and strength levels were going to be a massive advantage. The start of
the match was largely played in the midfield, one break from the
opposition resulted in our team having three people on the goal line
desperately keeping the ball out of our net. The first half continued to
finish 0-0. Thirteen minutes into the second half our hard work paid
off with Marcus Discombe (L5, Churchill) picking the ball up and firing a
shot into the bottom corner from about 25 yards out. The excellent play
continued and resulted in two very good goals from Ollie Loomes (L5,
North) and Sam Walton (L5, Monty).Some excellent performances from
Ollie Loomes made him our top goal scorer. Jed Johnson (L5, West) was
named man of the match on several occasions and his safe hands
assured we remained a challenging opposition to every team we faced. It
was hard to pick a player of the season, however Jed Johnson, Ed Grove
(L5, Churchill), Jack Neale and Marcus Discombe played well throughout
with excellent consistency. Roll on next season! Henry Lock (L5, East)
Alex Watts (L6, Surrey)
calls for the ball
U14B
We had a mixed season this
year. We played with spirit
and gusto in each of our
games, however the results
did not always go our way.
A good start to the season
saw a 3-0 win away to
Sevenoaks. Our confidence
was lifted despite a narrow
loss to Harrow, a school
of strong football tradition
and depth. Further good
performances followed with
the 2-1 win over Haileybury
standing out.
A special mention goes
to Niall Saunders (4F, West),
whose free kicks were all
highlights of the season,
Ayo Babatunde (4F, East) for
his fantastic last-minute goal
against Christ’s Hospital, and
James Bell (4F, Monty) for
his great running down the
wings and fantastic delivery.
Also a special mention goes
to Matthew Denley (4F,
Monty). His wonderful team
Charlie Smith (U6, Surrey) prepares for a
spirit was the driving force
throw in for the 1st XI
behind the team and got us
through many tough times.
At the end of the season, despite results not going our way, it was a
fantastic season and we are all thoroughly look forward to next season.
Joel Monk (4F, Montgomery)
U14C
The U14C had a solid season winning three matches and losing three.
We beat Sevenoaks 4-2, which was a great result against a tough side.
We also beat The Reading Oratory 6-2, which was another tough side.
Finally, we beat Haileybury 8-0. Henry Carrick (4F, North) scored our
most goals – 8 of the 19 goals we scored all season; Billy Van Der Vorm
(4F, West) scored 4. Overall, we scored 19 goals and conceded 20 goals.
We had some fantastic results and plenty of team spirit.
U14D
U14A
Our first game of the season was against Sevenoaks away. It was a wet
day and heavy underfoot, therefore, it was hard to pass the ball around
like the team were accustomed to. Early in the second half, the team
went 1-0 down, however, the team showed its character and resolve,
managing to turn the game around and win 4-2. Two difficult away
games against The Oratory and Harrow, in difficult weather conditions
were tough, but character building for the team. We felt that after these
hard fixtures, with a bit of luck, an excellent performance was sure to
come with this team of talented footballers. This was to be the case
away against St Paul’s. With some slight changes to the starting line-up,
we had our first really solid game against well-matched opposition. The
game was tight but goals from Jack Beacom (4F, West) and Jonny Coekin
(4F, North) sealed the victory. Another challenging fixture was against
Hampton, in the penultimate game of the season. This is a team who
play two seasons of football together and consequently they were skilful
and well organised. St John’s kept them at bay in the first half, however,
their superior possession was telling, seeing them score three goals in
the last 10 minutes. The last match against Christ’s Hospital was on the
first team pitch and the home team rose to the occasion, with Tom
Harrison (4F, North) and Jonny Coekin linking up well to put St John’s
in the lead. Unfortunately, the opposition fought back finally winning the
game 3-1. Notable performances throughout the season also came from
Dylan Carlsson-Smith (4F, West) in goal, Daniel Alexander (4F, Surrey) in
central midfield and Kijin Moon (4F, Churchill) on the right side of midfield.
The U14D team had a rather mixed season with an outstanding win,
one draw and three losses. Our first match was always going to be
a tough one against Harrow where we lost 4-0. As this was our first
game we were still getting used to playing as a team and this
unfortunately reflected in the result.
Wanting to improve on our first loss the team played a lot better
against The Oratory. We started well and were winning at half time.
But unfortunately they came back strongly in the second half and we
couldn’t hold on to our lead. The final score was a respectable 2-2 draw.
Next we were off to Kent to play Sevenoaks. It was clear from early
on that we were a more skilful and more athletic team and we played
the ball around very well. At the end of the first half we had already
scored 9 goals. Captain Harry Witt (4F, Monty) and Michael James (4F,
North) were in total control of the midfield having their best game of
the season so far. Credit to Sevenoaks should be paid as they came back
out for the second half as if it were 0-0. We however carried on as we
had in the first half and ran in another 9 goals. The final score of 18-0
was the biggest win of any football team this term. Chandler Jones (4F,
Surrey), Josh Barker (4F, East) and Harry Witt all scoring hat tricks or
more. Overall we had highs and lows this season. Well done to all.
Chandler Jones (4F, Surrey)
U14E
The E team only played one match this season, against Harrow. At the
beginning of the match we played well as a team and, mostly, defended
them off. However at the end of the first half we were 2-0 down.
Despite this we still played hard and believed we could win. But soon
into the second half we started to concede more goals. By the end of
the match we were 10-0 down. Even though the score wasn’t the best,
I thought we played well and kept going to the end of the match.
Charlie Hardwick (4F, West)
065

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Transcription

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