Upper Sixth pupil and 1st XI Captain, Arthur Turner, tells of how the team had become the first Norwich School side to reach the third round of the Boodles Cup;
"After a strong 22/23 season, the 1st XI football team looked to better their tally this year. To begin the term, we played our customary season opener against the ON’s. The game was comfortable and helped to establish on-field connections, as we came away as 3-0 winners, including a debut goal from Ethan Buskell. Our first competitive game came 10 days later against Wymondham College, a school that we had not beaten in more than 15 years. However, excitement was high as we felt as though this statistic needed altering. The first half was tight, with few chances and neither side able to open their account. Yet this was soon to change. As the second half began, it became transparent that we were the better side. After scoring 5, including a brilliant brace by Theo Demetriou, the 1st XI had broken their 15 year duck.
Our next game came against Bedford Modern, in the first round of the ISFA Boodles Cup. This competition is the pinnacle of any schoolboy football season, so to state that the boys were up for the game would be an underwhelming statement. We started strongly, dominating the play and tempo of the game. Bedford had no reply to our incessant attacks as we netted 6 goals with no reply. A tremendous victory secured our spot in the second round, a feat only done once before. After this rampant display, it was clear to us that this squad had the ability to surpass the high standards set by last year’s side.
Our next opponents were Gresham’s. We knew that we had the capability to beat them but a reduced squad forced players into positions they were not familiar with. We knew that complacency was not an option. A cagey first half held the score at 1-1. Some halftime substitutions were made and the second half was set in motion with all still to play for. An early penalty won by Joe Crotty allowed for Jofie Philpott to calmly slot it away, and bring us the lead. Two more goals from Jofie, including an audacious lob, brought up his hattrick. These were swiftly followed by two goals from super sub Artem Danylchuk and a late consolation goal for Gresham’s, to end the game 6-2 to the good. This stood us in good stead to play against St John’s Leatherhead the following week, in the second round of the ISFA Boodles Cup.
Upon the morning of the match against St John’s, the anticipation was stratospheric. The chance of any nerves settling was not helped by the bus being 1 hour late. Nonetheless, the boys were driven by the thought of “what could be if we were to win this game”. Three and a half hours later, we all walked out to examine the pitch. Soon after, St Johns arrived and as they passed the pitch to the changing room, Lawrence Williams expertly placed a practice penalty into the top corner, which we were sure struck fear into our opponents. 45 minutes later, the warmup was finished and the game was set. As anticipated, St John’s were a technically very good side, having most of the possession for the opening thirty minutes. However, a flurry of goals inside the final 10 minutes of the first half, had us 3-0 up with half the game yet to play. We were in a perfect position to create Norwich School History. At the break, Mr Cole kept us humble, to ensure we were not satisfied with the current scoreline. The second half commenced and within 5 minutes, Oliver Rudling, towering above the Leatherhead defence, powered a header past the opposition keeper. 15 minutes passed and young starlet Ryan Gray sealed our victory with 2 more goals. The game had finished 6-0 and history was made. We had become the first Norwich School side to reach the third round of the Boodles Cup.
Eagerly we waited for the draw on the bus journey home, tension at its highest. And then, it was announced … Repton. As Mr Cole described it, Norwich School vs Repton is like Wycombe Wanderers vs Manchester City. It would need an almighty upset for us to progress to Round 4. 2 weeks of half term rolled by and we returned to face Culford on the first weekend back. It was fair to say that we were rusty. An ugly, inelegant game, with two of the most bizarre goals ever witnessed helped us to another 6-0 win. And then, just 3 days later, we lined up to face Repton, the biggest game ever for our football programme. In the changing room, the suspense was suffocating. Yet, a pre match message from Yaya Toure reduced the nerves and we moved out onto the field. The game began and Repton had all the possession, the score only held level by our resilience and work ethic. Midway through the first half, Ryan Gray was able to pounce on a Repton error to run through and slot his strike past the keeper to put us a goal ahead. Ten minutes passed, and a quick counter attack earned us a corner. Jonathan Udeh swung the ball in and an unmarked Luie Valentine headed home to make it 2-0 just before halftime. The second half began as the first had ended. After some brilliant interplay, Ryan was in behind the Repton defence and expertly bagged his brace to put us 3-0 with 30 minutes to play. The dream was on. A quick response from Repton put the score at 3-1 after some scrappy defending. Then, two crucial injuries to both Luie Valentine and our Captain Arthur Turner left the game imbalanced. To come on in such a game and be able to adapt to its tempo is almost impossible. A well worked goal from Repton held the game at 3-2 with only ten minutes to play. The possession was all Repton, our defence making clearance after clearance, doing everything to prevent another shooting chance with Noah Rastrick putting in some crunching challenges. Only a few minutes left on the clock and Repton scored a quick double to give them the win and knock us out of the competition. It was heartbreak for the boys. All the effort seemingly amounting to nothing. Nevertheless, the team can be immensely proud of how they performed. To push such a strong side as we did, is no mean feat.
The objective now moved to remaining unbeaten in the rest of our fixtures. The weekend following, an 11 man squad, with two sustained injuries, faced Felsted. The boys struggled to find rhythm, only managing to score 1 each half. A disappointing result with the game finishing 2-2. With our final game of the season being against Langley, after cancellations from both the Perse and Woodbridge, we looked to end the season on a high. A sharp start from Langley had them 1-0 up inside a minute, an exact repeat of last season’s game. However, we turned the game on its head, as Ryan scored an incomprehensible 4 goals before his departure at halftime. In the second half, cultured build up play from Arthur and Luie created opportunities for us but we lacked the finishing touch. Two goals from Langley finished the game 4-3 ending a tremendously successful season for the 1st XI following a record breaking run in the ISFA Boodles Cup and an unbeaten campaign in the regular season fixtures.
A huge thanks must go to Mr Wylie and the schoolboy Pep Guardiola, Mr Cole, as without them, this team wouldn’t have reached these newfound heights. Also, a massive congratulations to U5 star striker Ryan Gray, who has received a scholarship at Cambridge United. We wish him the best for his future in Football. Moreover, congratulations must go to U6 members, Jasper Bird, Oliver Rudling, Luie Valentine, Arthur Turner, Jofie Philpott as their contribution over the three years on the football programme has been monumental. Finally, good luck to next year’s captain, Joel Field and the rest of the team for the 24/25 season."